CGHR Palmetto Skillz Showcase: Top Performers Part 1
The 2023-24 high school season across the Carolinas is in the rear view mirror. Champions have been crowned across both North and South Carolina and All-Star Games have also taken place to put a lid on what was another exciting…
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Continue ReadingThe 2023-24 high school season across the Carolinas is in the rear view mirror.
Champions have been crowned across both North and South Carolina and All-Star Games have also taken place to put a lid on what was another exciting season of basketball across the Hoop and Palmetto States.
This means club ball will be the order of the day for the next several months. One of the first offseason events to take place occurred in the Pee Dee – more specifically, the Pearl Moore Center in Florence.
Several noteworthy names across both Carolinas converged on Florence for this year’s Palmetto Skillz Showcase hosted by Carolina Girls Hoops Report. Florence was recently on the minds of many South Carolina high school fans as it was the site of the state championships earlier this month.
We made the trip to the Pee Dee for the final day of the three-day event. Here is a look at some of the top performers who caught our attention.
Lyric McNair
Lyric McNair
McNair has established herself as a name to watch with her exploits at South Robeson MS and is poised to make a name for herself in the high school ranks. Whenever she was on defense this past weekend, she gave opposing ball carriers problems. McNair keeps her hands outstretched while still being able to match an opposing ball handler step for step. Offensively, she is a gifted rim attacker and can also make things happen from range. Her middle school career concluded this past February with South Robeson winning three consecutive middle school championships. And she is just getting started.
Naimah Al-arif
Naimah Al-arif
Showcase events such as this past weekend’s are huge opportunities for youngsters to display what they have in preparation for that next level. Al-arif answered the call this past weekend. She displayed what she can get accomplished as a rim attacker and also connected on floaters to overall display her offensive versatility. Her 3-point shooting is also on-point and she showcased that she brings superb handles as well. Al-arif has concluded a stellar career at the middle school level at Trinity MS in Randolph County and is poised to have a huge campaign on the travel circuit with FBC Drive.
Victorian Collins
Victorian Collins
A product of Keith McLawhorn’s Dungeon facility in Greenville, Collins is another prospect that represents the future of North Carolina high school girls basketball. The old saying is that height cannot be coached – and Collins uses every single bit of her 6-foot-3 frame to her advantage. Collins has no problems corralling rebounds and will convert on plenty of high-percentage shot opportunities. She is a hard worker and also puts lots of emphasis on finding spacing to attack the rim. Collins is also an efficient runner of the floor and will call for the rock when she is confident she can make a play.
Swinton did not have far to travel to get to the Palmetto Skillz Showcase as she plays her high school ball at 4A Wilson. She brings plenty of energy whenever she steps on the court. Swinton maintains her heads-up attitude on both ends of the floor which includes an ability to corral rebounds and a knack for consistent scoring. Her work on the boards was reflected by the 9.7 boards she averaged this past season to lead what was a formidable Tigers squad. A 3-point shot is also part of her When play commences in 2024-25, her Tigers will be in a region with Crestwood, Darlington, Hartsville, Lakewood, Lower Richland and South Florence.