Junior Players You Need to Know
In this article:
Elyssa Phillips POS N/A CLASS 2025 Elyssa Phillips School: Crossroads Christian Club: Carolina Waves Elyssa Phillips scored 21 points per game for Henderson in 2022-2023. She scored on 49% of her shots from the floor. Phillips is also an outstanding…
Access all of Prep Girls Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingElyssa Phillips
Elyssa Phillips
Elyssa Phillips scored 21 points per game for Henderson in 2022-2023. She scored on 49% of her shots from the floor. Phillips is also an outstanding three-point shooter who connected on 74 three-pointers in her sophomore season. Phillips has a knack for creating space for her jump shot through pass fakes, ball fakes, and step-backs. She has fantastic speed in the open court and can score through contact. Phillips plays with the Carolina Waves basketball club in the summer months.
- Kate Sears is a true point guard from Watauga High School in Boone, North Carolina. A year ago, she scored 21 points per game while draining 143 free throws. Sears has a picture-perfect left-handed jump shot that goes in from three. She is a spectacular player who does more than score on the court. She is also an outstanding passer. Each game, Sears dished nearly 5 assists. She also crashed the boards and collected 6 rebounds per game. Sears plays with the Team Curry basketball club.
Shalyn Bell Shalyn Bell 6’1″ | SF North Stanly | 2025 State NC is an amazing athlete. On the basketball court, she has a motor that never stops. In her sophomore season, she scored over 20 points per game and grabbed 14 rebounds. She also blocked 5 shots and created 4 steals per contest. Bell is a physical post player from North Stanly High School who is also a tremendous volleyball player.
Tionna Pettus Tionna Pettus 5’8″ | PF Bessemer City | 2025 NC is a junior at Bessemer City High School who competes on the basketball court at all times. When the basketball is in her hands, Pettus wants to score. In 2022-2023, she scored nearly 20 points per game. From the floor, Pettus connected on 61% of her shot attempts. She also made 32% of her three-point attempts. She has a quick first step and earned over 6 trips to the foul line a game for the Yellow Jackets. Pettus also averaged 11 rebounds per night in her sophomore season.
Adelaide Jernigan Adelaide Jernigan 5’10” | CG Bishop McGuinness | 2025 State NC is a bouncy, left-handed, guard that can really shoot the basketball. Jernigan scored over 18 points per game while making 59 three-pointers in her sophomore season at Bishop McGuinness. Jernigan scored on 51% of her shots from the field and 75% of her free throw attempts. She helped her team to a 28 and 4 record, an undefeated conference season, and a State Championship in 2022-2023. She plays for the Winston-Salem Stealers basketball club in the summer months.
Lakin Van Essendelft
Lakin Van Essendelft
Lakin Van Essendelft plays for Terra Ceia Christian High School in Pantego, North Carolina. She averaged over 20 points per game in 2022-2023. Van Essendelft has deep three-point range and can connect on several three-point field goals per night. In a game against Christ Covenant, Van Essendelft made 4 three-pointers and scored 23 points for her team. Additionally, she is an active defender. She is able to force steals with her urgency or her ability to anticipate. Van Essendelft forced nearly 4 steals per game while blocking 2 shots.