Carolina Classic Tournament: Frontcourt Forces

There are some early season and midseason tournaments that are making their debuts this year. In the case of one much-revered invite in the Pee Dee, that is not the case.    The 39th annual Carolina Classic took place during the final weekend of the 2025 calendar year. It is a combined girls and boys tournament that took place this year at 5A Division 2 West Florence. One of the features of this tournament – similar to the Battle at the Border at 2A Landrum – is a 35-second shot clock.   We at Prep Girls Hoops made the trip out to the home of the Knights for this year's festivities. Without further ado, here is a look at some of the threes, fours and fives that made their presences known in the Pee Dee.     When facing off against the Bruins, one of the primary tasks for any team is to find a way to contain the Bruins' star freshman – the lone 2029 on this year's South Florence team. Bostick and her Bruins may have been on the wrong end of a 56-54 decision to Wilson but she helped her team greatly with 18 points. Out of the 18 Bostick scored, 10 occurred in the first half – and eight took place in the first quarter. Defensively, she keeps her arms outstretched and has no issues playing defense either in the paint or on the perimeter. Bostick is a multi-sport athlete who also plays volleyball. She was one of the All-Tournament honorees.     A hard-fought contest between two of the premier 4A teams in the state in Wilson and South Florence went the way of the Tigers in part because of 15 important points put on the scoreboard by Wilson's standout junior. While Murray will have occasions where she showcases how offensively versatile she is, the bulk of what she got accomplished against the Bruins occurred in the paint. With the height that South Florence presents defensively in the paint, scoring and rebounding in the interior on the Bruins is not easy, making Murray's feat all the more remarkable. Out of the 15 she scored, 10 occurred in the second half. Murray was one of the five All-Tournament honorees.     The 2025-26 season has seen more lowlights than highlights for 5A Division 2 West Florence – and the Carolina Classic was another where the Knights fell to two 4A teams in Wilson and A.C. Flora. Brooks has been a bright spot for this year's Knights. She placed 14 points on the scoreboard in Monday's matchup with the Falcons but her rebounding is solid and it can limit the number of second-chance points an opposing team can have. If Brooks has the rock in close proximity to the rim, she will take advantage of her six-foot stature and place two more points on the board for her team. Brooks was the lone All-Tournament honoree from West Florence.     Following a loss to 4A South Florence to begin this year's Carolina Classic, Delaney helped her A.C. Flora assembling right the ship with a rout of tournament host West Florence. Delaney placed 12 points on the scoreboard in what was a 66-27 rout by the Falcons of the Knights. Delaney primarily plays at the three and can set herself up in the painted area to convert on high-percentage shots. She was also part of a solid A.C. Flora defensive effort that the Knights had zero answers for. Delaney is part of this year's Falcons graduating class and is one of three seniors on this year's A.C. Flora squad.     South Florence is one of the tougher teams across the state to defeat in large part because of its size and height in the interior. The 12 points that came from Randolph contributed to what was a solid Bruins effort against another tough 4A out in region rival Wilson. Randolph is another multi-sport athlete whose second sport of choice is softball. Out of the 12 points she did score, eight took place in the second half of play. Defensively, Randolph can also be relied on to come through with timely blocked shots. She is one of four 2027s on this year's South Florence team.     The girls' Carolina Classic championship contest between Wilson and South Florence featured two of the top 4A teams in the state – and two region rivals. Nelson's nine points helped in what was a 56-54 victory for the Tigers. What had to impress onlookers even more than that was Nelson's defense as she was more than willing to take on tough defensive assignments. She also helps out greatly with Wilson's rebounding efforts. Nelson is one of three team co-captains for coach Ki'Ari Cain's Tigers and is one of four that is part of Wilson's 2026 graduating class. She gets that playing in the paint means being physical and the willingness to draw contact and take her chances at the free throw line.     The frontcourt for 5A Division 2 West Florence was the nucleus of its gameplan against a tough 4A out in A.C. Flora. A seven-point performance from the starting four forward of the Knights gave the team a noteworthy lift. Gregg is in her second season wearing the West Florence uniform and bolsters the team's rebounding efforts. One way Gregg places points on the board is by drawing contact and finding her way to the free throw line. West Florence was true on four of its tries from the charity stripe in the matchup with the Falcons – three of those freebies were Gregg's. Gregg stands at 5-foot-7 and is one of six 2027s on this season's Knights team.

There are some early season and midseason tournaments that are making their debuts this year. In the case of one much-revered invite in the Pee Dee, that is not the case.