Talented Prospects in Rural North Florida

In North Florida, we often focus on the bigger programs, but there are some basketball courts, gyms, and talented prospects just off the Interstate and highways. In this article, we venture off the major roads and travel into some of the rural areas in North Florida, and look at some of the talented basketball players who are making some noise.    [player_tooltip player_id='656074' first='Ar'Nayshia' last='Griffin'] is one of the best athletes I've seen in the entire State of Florida, and she can ball too. Griffin can play multiple positions on the defensive end as well as the offensive end. She finishes at the rim, especially in transition. Griffin is a force in the paint and consistently plays through contact. It's not out of the ordinary for her to have multiple “and-ones” in a game. She is a force on the boards and loves to score off the putbacks. Last season Griffin was dominant in the games she played, averaging 25.7 points per game and also 10.3 rebounds per game. Griffin is a major talent. She will be a player to lay eyes on this upcoming high school and travel ball live periods.     Yasmine Haygood was “way-good” a few weeks ago in one of the Inside Exposure tournaments. She killed it, especially in the full court press. She utilized her court vision, speed, athleticism, and instincts to make plays all over the court. Her ability to finish off of a turnover was telling and really showed her instincts and basketball IQ. Defensively, she was a beast, but that's nothing new. She is one the main steals leader in the entire State of Florida.     [player_tooltip player_id='221613' first='Alyssa' last='Hallman'] is one of the most polished offensive players on the list. She has the ability to shoot the three, shoot the sweet midrange, and take it to the rim. She also can create her shot off the dribble and with good footwork. An opposing coach in her division once gave her glowing reviews and meant every word of it. Hallman's name is not just known in the rural area, but all over the North Florida. The “Hall” can ball, and I'm looking forward to seeing her and high school team this summer. Im also looking forward and to seeing her during the travel live period. “We will be traveling down a dark road while listening to some George Jones,” as we make our way to see Hallman and other talent all across the First Coast.     [player_tooltip player_id='1245797' first='Mariah' last='Cox'] is another player to keep an eye on over the next year. Cox has speed, athleticism, and determination. She provides energy for an entire game and makes her share of winning plays. Cox has a nice shooting motion and showed the ability to knock down the short to midrange jumper. Cox runs the floor well and does a good job of getting the ball to her teammates. Defensively, she applies strong pressure on the ball. She was very impressive at the Inside Exposure tournament and the future is bright for Cox and teammates.     [player_tooltip player_id='981281' first='Ya'Zuri' last='Hollie'] is a talented young player who has been on our radar since she was dominating tournaments as an 8th grader. Hollie has the ability score all over the floor, but her efficiency is in the paint, where she is hard to stop. At the recent Inside Exposure tournament, Hollie got to the rim about 5 times and each time she got to the free-throw line. She scored in the paint, and ran the floor well in transition game. She is a physical, but savvy player who knows how to draw the foul to score points. Hollie is a major talent and has the potential to be even better.        [player_tooltip player_id='873449' first='Jahlaya' last='Wilson'] made some noise at the Inside Exposure tournament in Gainesville. She is tall, very imposing on the floor, and can hold her own on the court, especially on the defensive end. She plays physical and really competes hard on the inside. She made the opposition work for everything and went toe to toe with some of the well known centers and forwards in the building. Wilson has the potential to be very good. Her offensive game is still a work in progress and she must protect the ball when initiating the fast break and passing out of double teams.

In North Florida, we often focus on the bigger programs, but there are some basketball courts, gyms, and talented prospects just off the Interstate and highways. In this article, we venture off the major roads and travel into some of the rural areas in North Florida, and look at some of the talented basketball players who are making some noise.