Coach Varner Tip-Off Classic: Top 6 Performers

The Coach Varner Tip-Off Classic at Woodruff HS has been on our early season itinerary the last two seasons for us here at Prep Girls Hoops. Why not make it a third?    This year's field was almost identical to what was the case at last season's version – except for 4A Greer taking the place of Greer Middle College.    The tournament may only be the first few games on the schedule for the assemblings that were on hand at the home of the Wolverines – but these teams were in mid-season form. Without further ado, here are our top six performances from the day it was on Saturday.     Allen's 4A Laurens assembling made an emphatic statement on Saturday morning against defending 2A runners-up Landrum. The Raiders put forth a dominant 59-26 outing against the new-look Cardinals and Allen led the charge by tallying 21 points in the Raiders victory. A key element of the Raiders' strategy for victory was to make things miserable for Landrum in the interior and Allen helped massively in that effort. Her scoring capabilities combined with what she can get accomplished as a rebounder make Allen a double-double possibility on a game-by-game basis. She averaged 10.8 points, seven rebounds and 1.8 steals as a sophomore and Saturday's game is an indication she is poised to build on what she got done last season.     Holmes felt right at home on Saturday afternoon in the Upstate. Her 5A Chapin squad put together a dominant performance against 4A Greer. The final score was 65-39 and Holmes contributed a team-high 14 points en route to the victory. One element of Holmes' game that is consistently on display is how accurate she can be from 3-point range. The Eagles drained five triples for the contest – two of them departed from Holmes' hands. Even though, she shoots like a one or a two, she has the 5-foot-10 height that is more commonly found in fours or fives. She is a two-sport athlete who also competes in lacrosse alongside her hoops pursuits.     Imagine the coaching staff of 3A Broome looking up the phrase “matchup problem” following its contest with 4A Seneca. There is a good chance they found a photo of Weston (possibly the one accompanying this graf). Weston set up shop all game long against the Centurions and the opposing defense had little to no answers for the Bobcats' sophomore big. She tallied 20 points to lead all scorers in her team's 50-32 win over Seneca. Weston is a multi-sport athlete who also excels on the volleyball court. Back in May, Weston was instrumental in bringing a fourth consecutive 3A track and field championship to Seneca.     Moody's Greer team had an unusually rough game against 5A Chapin. The matchup resulted in a 65-39 rout of the Yellow Jackets, but the veteran Moody proved herself to be a bright spot for the black and gold. Moody spearheaded the efforts of 4A Greer with a 17-point effort. Listed at 5-foot-4, Moody displays an ability to put points on the board from all three levels. Even when the game was virtually out of reach for the Yellow Jackets, Moody still managed to keep playing hard and not taking a play off. Greer made three 3-pointers throughout the course of Saturday's game – two of them departed from Moody's hands.     Columbia International and Columbia College are among the schools that have extended offers in the direction of the star veteran of 3A Woodruff. Burnette displayed exactly why she is on the radars of programs such as the Rams and Koalas. Her Wolverines were locked in a tight contest with 5A Boiling Springs in the final matchup of the day. The 18 points Burnette placed on the scoreboard made a huge difference in earning the Wolverines the win. What was also notable was how she got the 18. She did so by draining six 3-pointers – breaking her own record in the process for most triples in a game.     Her name has made the rounds the last couple of years on the AAU circuit with [program_tooltip program_id='713672' first='Palmetto' last='Pressure']. On Saturday, Kinard showed she was more than ready for high school competition despite only being a seventh grader. Her 5A Boiling Springs team was locked in what proved to be a tight contest with homestanding 3A Woodruff. The Wolverines won by a final of 41-35, but Kinard kept her Bulldogs in the game from start to finish by scoring 12 points. Kinard displayed her ability to attack the basket and score, drain her 3-point attempts, organize an offense in a half court set and find ways to set her teammates up to make plays. For those who are just now hearing this name for the first time, it will be far from the last.

The Coach Varner Tip-Off Classic at Woodruff HS has been on our early season itinerary the last two seasons for us here at Prep Girls Hoops. Why not make it a third?