Key prospect matchups heading into January for NOVA

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Christmas is over, and a new year is upon us. The calendar's turn also sparks the true beginning of high school basketball. With the season getting ready to heat up, it was a good time to look at some individual marquee matchups heading into January.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>1/10 Oakton vs. South Lakes<br>This game features two seniors ranked on prep hoops 2023 top prospects. Oakton's [player_tooltip player_id='468801' first='Caitlin' last='Crump'] faces off against [player_tooltip player_id='149863' first='Jessica' last='Dornak']. This should be fun and a game flying under the radar.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>1/11 Dominion vs. Heritage<br>The next matchup that is flying under the radar is Dominion Vs. Heritage. Dominion senior [player_tooltip player_id='293238' first='Katie' last='Christ'] matches up with Heritage senior Ayana Mcnair. These girls are around the same size and should see a lot of each other when they face off. Both of these girls are skilled and can get after it on the glass.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>1/12 Robinson vs. Lake Braddock<br>Robinson secondary school is one of the more underrated basketball teams in the NOVA area. They are a great squad, led by senior wing Caroline Shrimp. When Robinson takes on Lake Braddock, Shrimp will be matched up with junior wing [player_tooltip player_id='260610' first='Sarah' last='Pritz']. This matchup is worth a watch, and it should be exciting.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>1/20 Oakton vs centreville<br>[player_tooltip player_id='468801' first='Caitlin' last='Crump'] makes her second appearance on this list when Oakton goes to Centreville to take on [player_tooltip player_id='376362' first='Jahniya' last='Marion'] and the wildcats. Both these girls are offensive-minded combo guards, and this individual matchup excites me. Seeing two guards go head to head is always a treat.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>1/20 Bishop Ireton vs. PVI<br>Bishop Ireton vs. PVI might be one of the most talent-rich games you will see in Virginia this year. Bishop Ireton has a slew of talent that I am ecstatic to watch when they take on PVI. Both these teams are deep, and I could choose several matchups that excite me. But the one that stands out to me is Bishop Ireton's [player_tooltip player_id='302530' first='Nyla' last='Brooks'] against PVI's [player_tooltip player_id='312081' first='Riley' last='Hamburger']. These girls are ranked in the top 3 for 2025 Virginia and will surely be on each other when their teams face off. Brooks is the second-ranked player in her class, and she's already committed to Tennessee, while Hamburger is 3rd.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>1/24 Bishop O'Connell vs. Bishop Ireton<br>Bishop O'Connell is another squad with a plethora of talent that is a joy to watch. But when they take on Bishop Ireton, one matchup I have my eyes on is Junior Forward Kiera Scott against Bishop Ireton junior forward [player_tooltip player_id='312087' first='Desirae' last='Ashton']. Both are ranked in the top 10 in Virginia and are nearly identical in size. This should be another fun one.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>1/31 Bishop Mcnamara vs. PVI<br>The last entry on my list comes on the last day of the month when Bishop Mcnamara takes on PVI. Bishop Mcnamara got off to a rough start, but a lot of that can be chalked up to their brutal schedule. Nonetheless, the team is still loaded with talent, and the one that sticks out the most to me is the senior wing, Qadence Samuels. Samuels is ranked 3rd in Maryland in the class of 2023, and she's on her way to the all-so-prestigious UConn. My marquee matchup is her against both PVI bigs, senior [player_tooltip player_id='262573' first='Louis' last='Volker'] and junior [player_tooltip player_id='238889' first='Laura' last='Williams']. Volker is on her way to Missouri state, and Williams is ranked as the best player in the class of 2024 in Virginia. Samuels likes to use her length, so it will be interesting to see how effective she is against the talented PVI bigs. This one is my favorite matchup of the month, and I'm sure it won't disappoint.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->