Ladies of Legacy: Sophomores Shine

At the inaugural Ladies of Legacy event, hosted by the Gainesville High School girls' basketball program on Saturday, many of the very best players and teams from Georgia came together and provided an action packed day of great hoops. The sophomore class represented from stars to new players that made a big impression.    No one played better than Miami at the showcase. For stretches of the game she completely dominated the action on the floor against a perennial power and top 10 team in Georgia. Her athleticism is obvious, but her skill was very much on display as well. Miami made it look effortless from getting steals and rebounds on the defensive end and pushing the ball the length of the court for two or using her length and footwork to score at will in the paint. Soloman showed some flash with the handle on the perimeter , but spent most of her time in the post. There was no need to leave if you are scoring at will. Solomon has as high a ceiling as any player in Georgia.     Aamani used her size, speed, and quickness to overwhelm North Forsyth. She was a force to be reckoned with on offense, defense, and rebounding the ball. Omonira has wide shoulders and is a strong kid, especially on the ball where defenders had little effect guarding her when she drove the ball to the basket. She is exceptionally quick for her size and looked like a blur penetrating to the cup. Omonira also scored from behind the three point line. Aamani is a player I had not seen before, but is one I very much look forward to watching again.     Trinity is another player I had only seen in passing, but realized quick just how good she was. Husband has good size on the ball at 5'9 and was able to facilitate the offense when needed, but put the ball in the basket in impressive fashion as well. Husband was very good getting downhill and attacking the basket where she both converted finishes for herself and found open teammates. Husband shot the ball well from the perimeter also. It was apparent after only a few minutes that Trinity knows the game well and is a player I expect to see a rise in their ranking and recruitment. Husband is a very solid college prospect with two more years to grow.     Reagan came out of the gate showing her excellent ability to shot the ball, something she has a well earned reputation for in the state. It was the first time I saw her be the primary ball handler for the majority of a game against very good competition and I thought for the most part she did a very good job. Mulligan is deceptively quick, and was able to get around Newton defenders and did a nice job distributing the ball to her teammates. Mulligan minimized turnovers and made good decision for the most part. She is not just a catch and shoot player from the wing (something she is great at!), but a very capable combo/point guard for River Ridge.     Kehren made a positive impact for Buford all over the court. She did an excellent job applying pressure at the front of the Wolves full court pressure defense. On offense, on two separate occasions Ansley grabbed and offensive rebound and put the ball back up at the rim before the defense could react. She has good strength and vision when she had the ball and played within herself, not forcing shots or committing turnovers. Her effort and unselfishness epitomizes this Buford team.     Mashburn, like Mulligan, is also a star flag football player for her school. You can see why as Kallie is a big, strong kid that is not afraid of contact. She is a very solid post player for North Oconee as she does all the dirty work without demanding shots or needing to score. She just brings her hard hat and goes to work in the post consistently for North Oconee. Her energy and activity led to her getting a couple easy baskets just being around the ball. She runs the floor very well for a kid her size and was very good on the both the offensive and defensive boards. Mashburn will be relied on to continue to be the solid, steady post presence for the Lady Titans.

At the inaugural Ladies of Legacy event, hosted by the Gainesville High School girls' basketball program on Saturday, many of the very best players and teams from Georgia came together and provided an action packed day of great hoops. The sophomore class represented from stars to new players that made a big impression.