NCISAA State Championships: Players to Watch

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 1A NCISAA state championship was played tonight with Cresset Christian defeating a tough Northside Christian team.&nbsp; I'm looking forward to making it up to Raleigh tomorrow for the 2A, 3A, and 4A matchups.&nbsp; While each team seems to have a superstar, there are some other players that I think will be the ones to watch as they really step up for their teams.&nbsp; Here are some of those picks.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wayne Country Day finds themselves back in the state championship again this year.&nbsp; Last year, they were led by Ja'kea Brunson, and this year I will be looking at [player_tooltip player_id='261089' first='Kyrah' last='Davis'] to step up for her team.&nbsp; She played well in the big game last year, and she is sure to do it all again for her team.&nbsp; She has a nice shot around the arc, and she can get inside battling on the block for points and rebounds.&nbsp; Her length is an asset on defense deflecting passes and inhibiting her opponents from getting to the basket.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='331375' first='Ashanti' last='Fox'] is certainly the leader for O'Neal School, but I think freshman [player_tooltip player_id='772531' first='Kennedy' last='Moore'] is going to step up for her team as well.&nbsp; She handles the ball well knowing where to go to open up the floor for her teammates and help her team handle pressure against any kind of defense.&nbsp; She can easily pull up for a jump shot all over the court being a three level scorer that her team can certainly use to win the championship.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>High Point Christian is led by [player_tooltip player_id='303465' first='Kylie' last='Torrence'] who continues to play at a high level, but I think defense is going to be a big factor for the Cougars against a tough Grace Christian team.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='867419' first='Courtney' last='Taylor'] is an excellent defender slowing down ball handlers and always keeping her opponent in front of her.&nbsp; She will have a tough assignment against the Crusaders, but her defensive stops will come in handy creating points off of turnovers that she can create.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I am sure [player_tooltip player_id='261084' first='Sarah' last='Strong'] is ready to bring home even more hardware to complete her high school career.&nbsp; I am going to be looking at [player_tooltip player_id='389292' first='Halisi' last='Whitley'], though, in her ability to score from deep.&nbsp; Whitley has a knack for getting hot around the perimeter, and her confidence shooting seems to be contagious to the rest of her team.&nbsp; She can score off the dribble, or she can find the open look putting up her shot off the pass.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cannon has excellent guard play with [player_tooltip player_id='252865' first='Maya' last='McCorkle'] and [player_tooltip player_id='772492' first='Madison' last='Drayton'] leading the charge, but I think it's going to take a big game from [player_tooltip player_id='494748' first='Kierra' last='Morrow'] to bring home some hardware.&nbsp; Morrow allows Cannon to add some more dimensions to their game getting inside, especially against an inside game from Providence Day.&nbsp; She won't only be playing inside, though, as she can certainly score from deep, and she is sure to be a nuisance on defense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='257990' first='Jaida' last='McClure'] will surely be a factor for Providence Day, but I think the help of [player_tooltip player_id='252867' first='Sophie' last='Levine'] is going to give them the best chance.&nbsp; Levine is tough handling the ball against pressure, and she has a high IQ for how to create some plays for her teammates.&nbsp; She can score herself attacking the basket protecting the possessions on her way to the rim, and she uses her quickness to wreak some havoc on her opponents while playing defense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->