GBCA Girls Live Intriguing Duos, Pt 1

Keith Agran June 18, 2025 @ 10:46 AM

So many good teams were present for the GBCA Girls event at LakePoint, I found myself intrigued by the duos who were making waves while I was there Saturday.   Here's Part 1 of 2 looking at the twosomes who could be tough this coming winter.   ARCHER - Taliya Smith (2028) / [player_tooltip player_id='968081' first='Braalyn' last='Whitehead'] 2028)   This was already a couple of exciting names to watch before the Lady Tigers added fellow 2028 [player_tooltip player_id='904616' first='Hailey' last='Houlder'] from Whitefield Academy. All three can play the point and all three possess top-end speed with the ball. Smith is the younger sister of former Newton standout guard Marcus Smith, and shows off a lot of the same qualities as her uber-athletic brother. She's instinctive and well-schooled, but still has plenty to untap, particularly in the perimeter offensive game. Whitehead is very similar, speedy and aggressive, takes chances, and can be both exciting and a little frustrating, but that energy the two provide is obvious and will be the engine for what should be another contending Archer bunch in 6A.   NORTH PAULDING - [player_tooltip player_id='904720' first='Kenzie' last='Hinkson'] (2028) / [player_tooltip player_id='674577' first='Morgan' last='Landrum'] (2027)   More evidence of the impressive youth movement going on in some of the power programs, the polished and highly skilled Hinkson spent a good deal of time setting up the smooth and gliding Landrum for pretty finish after pretty finish. Hinkson sees the floor with a clarity well beyond her rising sophomore years, but can knock them down from you name it as well. Landrum is another in a long line of Pack wings who can flat out get it done in all facets. At 6-feet she played facing the basket like the high D1 prospect she is, but also went inside and caught it in the high post, where her creativity from 15 feet in was impressive. This has the look of another NPHS team that will contend in 6A, especially after a surprising 2nd-round exit from last season's tourney.   NORTHVIEW - [player_tooltip player_id='899844' first='Tamariana' last='Bivins'] (2026) / [player_tooltip player_id='1228165' first='Milan' last='Johnson'] (2027)   Northview has really built something notable under coach Rosaria Rice, and is coming off 21 wins, including two wins in the 4A state tournament. Johnson and Bivins are the keys to another run, as Rice turns the ball over to Bivins, a skilled and facilitating PG who can get by people and plays a physical brand. Johnson is a defensive eraser and powerful finisher around the basket, with clear upside as a face-the-basket driver and knockdown shooter that still has some marinating ahead.   FANNIN COUNTY - [player_tooltip player_id='974962' first='Maggie' last='Ledford'] (2026) / Izzie Jabeley (2027)   What a fantastic run by Fannin all the way to the A Division 1 title last March, but this wasn't at all a program without prior success. From that '24-25 team returns Ledford at the point and Jabeley on the wing. Ledford is poised and a really good decision-maker, but you'd better not sleep on her scoring, whether from the arc or using smarts and a pinball style to get the basket. Jabeley is a knockdown threat and a rising junior who is garnering more and more attention, she and Ledford both play with a noticeable fire and are creative passers and scorers.

So many good teams were present for the GBCA Girls event at LakePoint, I found myself intrigued by the duos who were making waves while I was there Saturday.