2023-2024 Team Preview: Pleasant Grove Lady Spartans

Pleasant Grove Lady Spartans High School   Class 5A Area 9   Head Coach: Walter Hicks   Last Season Record: 21-3 (According to maxpreps.com)   Instagram: N/A   X/Twitter: N/A   [player_tooltip player_id='731070' first='Skylar' last='Lassiter'] (5'9/W/'24)    Instagram: bigsky_21   XTwitter: @SkylarLassiter5   Skylar brings experience and perimeter shooting to the floor for the Lady Spartans. She is a big guard who has to bring consistency throughout the year. With teams knowing that she is the threat for the Lady Spartans from behind the arc, Skylar will have to be able to go into the toolbox and be able to score off the bounce. Look for Skylar to bring production on the glass as she sometimes showed that she can establish position with her body and crash the boards.     [player_tooltip player_id='323402' first='Tamya' last='Smith'] (6'1/G|F/'24)   Instagram: sauceballin   All eyes will be on Tamya when it comes to girls' basketball in the state. With her performance in the final four last year, especially in the championship game, she will be looked upon to be the leader of the Lady Spartans on and off the floor. The last time I saw Tamya she was dominating all facts of the championship game, helping her team to the 5A state crown. She is very versatile and can produce inside and out. I am going to post her stats from last year's final four, and you can see her impact across the stat sheet. Look for a productive senior campaign, and if she can provide similar numbers throughout the year as she did in the final four, look for the Lady Spartans to be there in the end. Here are Tamya's numbers from the final four last season:      Semi-Finals: 11pts (5-15 [0-3 3-Ptr]; 17-rebs; 4-assists   Finals: 27pts (10-16 [2-2 3-Ptr]); 9-rebs; 4-steals   Omya Nelson (5'0/PG/'24)    Instagram: Omaya5imone   Omya will move into the primary ball-handler spot and will be looked upon to be the floor general during her final high school season. Omya is small but is lightning quick with the rock in her hands. She gets downhill quickly, and when she collapses the defense, she does a great job distributing the rock. She will be the team's top playmaker, and the one looked to set the table for her teammates. Omya will have the keys to the team, and she has proven that she can handle the responsibility.    When asked about two players who will be key pieces of the puzzle for the team this season that were not listed in the top three above, Coach Hicks quickly mentioned the following two players:   Kameryn Davison (G/'24) and Keandrian Stokes (C/'24) both bring senior leadership to the squad. Kameryn will be able to help facilitate the offense, while Keandrian will be another interior presence alongside Tamya. Keandrian is a player that Coach Hicks believes will surprise many, especially with so much attention that will probably be on Tamya.      Look for the Lady Spartans to play the style that led them to the championship last year, which is aggressive, fast, and relentless on both ends of the floor. With the way it looks on paper, the Lady Spartans will probably end up slowing it down just a tad to ensure the offense is ran through Tamya, but don't confuse what I am saying here when it comes to Tamya. With Tamya's versatility, she can play uptempo and allow the Lady Spartans to play fast in the open floor and in the half-court at a slower pace.       When asked what it would take for the team to make a deep playoff run, make it to the Final Four, or even win the State Championship again this season, Coach Hicks told me that his team has to stay together, play together, and trust one another. One thing is for sure: the Lady Spartans will get each opponent's best shot this year. Despite losing some of their offensive production from last year, the Lady Spartans still have the pieces to win it again this year.

Pleasant Grove Lady Spartans High School