March Madddnesss - The Elite 8

In this article, we look at 8 prospects who played well in Lakeland during the State Championship playoffs. There were countless of very good performances. In recognition of this weekend's "Elite 8", we pay homage to the tournament and release our own "Elite 8" list.    [player_tooltip player_id='346835' first='Jaida' last='Civil'] was "Jaida" in Lakeland and obviously that means "elite." Civil left Lakeland and its been a world wind ever since: She was named the Gatorade player of the Year, she was named Florida Dairy Farmer's Miss Basketball, she participated and mentored young players in the Demetrius Richardson Showcase, and then got on a plane and took her teammates to the Throne National Championships in New Jersey (some say she flew and landed the plane). Civil landed on the scene a some years ago and it was obvious she was special and big things were in store. This season Civil has lived up to those expectations and more. Winning the State tournament was one of them.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/03/DSC05354.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1224363" style="width:461px;height:auto" /></figure>     [player_tooltip player_id='243900' first='Kali' last='Barrett'] had as good of a tournament in Lakeland as anyone. She scored from everywhere on the court, and she rebounded, ran the floor, and did everything on an elite level. She left no doubt in each game who the best player on the court was and she made it look easy. She and teammates placed a target on themselves from the onset with their mantra "State Championship or bust." Placing that sort of pressure on yourself can be hard, but that's what elite players want - to be placed in a position of having to perform at an elite level - night in and night out. Barrett (picture below- bottom row on left) and company passed the test. The picture below is the proof.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/03/DSC03430.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1224366" style="width:460px;height:auto" /></figure>     [player_tooltip player_id='243895' first='Lena' last='Girardi'] was at a different level than most all season long and as good as she has been over the years, she actually got better this season. She was one of the top shooters in every game, she was stronger than everyone she went up against, and was a "beast" getting to the rim, scoring in the paint, scoring off of offensive rebounds, etc. Her leadership on the floor was amazing and she actually was like a coach and mentor to the younger players. This wasn't just apparent in the state tournament, but in all the games I saw this season. Girardi and company were on a mission all season long. The post championship game interview photo below tells it all.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/03/DSC01638.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1224373" /></figure>     [player_tooltip player_id='429793' first='Olivia' last='Olson'] was one of the top performers and standouts in the State Tournament. Down the stretch, Olson put the team on her back and made clutch play after clutch play to giver her team the hard fought victory. Olson shot the three, took it to the rack, and knocked down clutch free-throws. Olson had been here a few times before and helped win the title two years ago. Olson is a champion again. An elite one at that!   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/03/DSC07086.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1224389" /></figure>     [player_tooltip player_id='861097' first='Serenity' last='Hardy'] is a prime time performer and she performed well in the semifinals and finals to lead her team to a State Championship for Winter Haven. Hardy did what she does best and that is shoot the rock. Six threes in the semifinals and leading all scorers in the finals (22 points) and Hardy and company were crowned champions. We can't wait to see Hardy shoot the rock this summer and she and her team will be favored to get back to Lakeland again next year.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/03/DSC06734.jpg?w=742" alt="" class="wp-image-1224440" style="width:309px;height:auto" /></figure>     [player_tooltip player_id='400803' first='Trinidy' last='Harris'] finished the deal. she and her team ran the table and capped off an undefeated season with a State Championship. Harris performed admirably. She shot the three well, handled the ball well, took it to the rim, and scored in the paint. She was also a standout on the defensive end, challenging every dribble and every possession.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/03/DSC02008-crop-3358x2205-1743299635.jpeg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1224405" style="width:468px;height:auto" /></figure>     [player_tooltip player_id='515288' first='Dezuray' last='McGill'] was a beast out there. She was very efficient from the field and showed a lot of versatility shooting on the inside and on the perimeter. On the defensive end, McGill's matchup against [player_tooltip player_id='346819' first='Trishay' last='Collins'] is one they will be talking about for years to come. McGill blocked some shots and made it difficult for Collins and teammates to score on the inside. McGill was a standout and showed that she is one of the top "bigs" in the State.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/03/DSC05297.jpg?w=917" alt="" class="wp-image-1224413" style="width:344px;height:auto" /></figure>     [player_tooltip player_id='470461' first='Kamie' last='Ellis'] was "clutch and money" hitting four three pointers in the semifinals. Each young member of her team should buy her a turkey on Thanksgiving. Ellis was also good in the finals with some timely buckets and good defense (2 three pointers and 6 steals). Ellis is a skilled player who can shoot the three and also get to the rim. She was the catalyst in Lakeland, playing at a high level on both sides of the ball.     <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/03/DSC02371-2.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1224427" /></figure>    There were a lot of great performances in Lakeland. In this article, we recognized 8 prospects to pay homage to the "Elite 8".   Other standouts in Lakeland: [player_tooltip player_id='468627' first='Jasleen' last='Green'], [player_tooltip player_id='214183' first='Taniyah' last='Davis'], [player_tooltip player_id='400775' first='Amaya' last='Shaw'], [player_tooltip player_id='430279' first='Jamison' last='Cardwell'], [player_tooltip player_id='346818' first='Jayden' last='Terry'], [player_tooltip player_id='514608' first='Evie' last='Freeman'], [player_tooltip player_id='751625' first='Terrell' last='McCoy'], [player_tooltip player_id='721469' first='Iniya' last='Reddicks'], [player_tooltip player_id='249386' first='Jatia' last='Markes'], [player_tooltip player_id='428046' first='Izellah' last='Kendrick'].

In this article, we look at 8 prospects who played well in Lakeland during the State Championship playoffs. There were countless of very good performances. In recognition of this weekend's "Elite 8", we pay homage to the tournament and release our own "Elite 8" list.