Three Combos to watch in Round Two

Several teams in the first round of the GHSA state tournament had multiple players put up very impressive stat lines. Each of these teams advanced tot he second round with comfortable wins. As the tournament rolls into the second round, keep an eye on these two formidable duos and the outstanding trio from Monroe.    KJ was totally dominant in the first round for Monroe against East Hall. She finished the game with an incredible, video game-like stat line of 48 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists, seven steals, and three blocks. It was an onslaught from the jump and Acree asserted herself early and often. She terrorized the Lady Viking guards on the press with her length and quickness on the ball and jumping into the passing lane and turning interceptions into points. When Monroe was on offensive Acree attacked the basket relentlessly and scored a lot of points finishing at the rim and making free throws. She also showed her ability to shoot the ball from deep. Something she does as well as attacking the rim. There is not a better scorer in Georgia than KJ Acree in any classification.     McKinzy is one of the better slashers with or without ball in the state. She does a good job getting to basket off the dribble as well as making quick, purposeful cuts to the basket looking for backdoor passes. She finishes with nice touch and skill around the rim and is an effective shooter outside the paint for the Lady Tornadoes. McKinzy who is being recruited by multiple division one schools finished the game with a very impressive and balanced stat line of 20 points, three rebounds and steals, and four assists. Taylor has had a very solid junior season and I expect her play to continue to stay at a high level the rest of the playoffs.     Hines is a player that Acree told me her and her mom had been working out hard over the Summer so I was excited to see her play. I was not disappointed as she finished the game with 14 points and 18 rebounds for Monroe. She is the same height as Acree, but the majority of her damage was done on the block. Maleyah has footwork like a ballerina and used drop steps, spin moves, and up and under moves to great effect in the post. Hines also used her size and length to snatch several offensive boards and her quick leaping ability to get put backs fast. The upside and potential for Hines is through the roof. She received an offer from Mercer this Summer. Expect more division offers for Maleyah sooner rather than later.     If Rabun County is going to cut the nets down and win the A Division 1 state championship[ionship, then someone is going to have to step up and help the guards. Houck did just that in round one finishing the game with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Houck scored in the post on nice assists from her teammates as well as getting offensive rebounds and put backs. Madison also knocked down a jumpsuit from 10-12 feet. Her activity on both ends of the court were huge for Rabun. She played outstanding defense to go along with her big contributions scoring and rebounding the ball. She is a very good defender as well for the Lady Wildcats. Her experience should serve her and her team well the rest of the playoffs.     Conley, much like Houck, gave Rabun a huge boost of energy with her activity in this game, as well as additional scoring punch while helping to clean the boards. Conley finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Her productivity, combined with Houck, resulted in 22 points and 21 rebounds for the Lady Cats. Spivey showed a lot of skill knocking down a midrange jumper and then finishing over and around defenders in the paint. She showed very good hands catching some firm, short passes from the Rabun County guards. Spivey gives Rabun County another player for opponents to worry about. She and Madison, with continued stellar play, could open up driving lanes and shots for their talented guard trio.     Samyya is one of the underclassmen in Georgia whose potential I am very high on. Her length and athleticism is impossible to miss on the court for the Lady Pirates. She erases shots on defense and can take over a game rebounding the ball. On the break she is almost impossible to stop going downhill with her ability to elevate in the air and wingspan to finish from difficult angles. Gilbert has all of the physical tools a player could ask for. With continued development and productivity over the next two years she could find herself ranked among Georgia's very best in the 2028 class.     Walker has a smooth, refined offensive package which makes her a threat to get a big number scoring the ball at anytime. Physically she is very gifted and those skills compliment her size very well. Walker can be a matchup nightmare for opposing forwards with her ability to handle the ball and stretch the floor shooting as well as producing in the paint scoring the ball at the rim. She did an excellent job on the boards for Brunswick in round one finishing the game with eight points and 11 rebounds. Walker and Gilbert will be key factors in how far Brunswick advances in this year's tournament.

Several teams in the first round of the GHSA state tournament had multiple players put up very impressive stat lines. Each of these teams advanced tot he second round with comfortable wins. As the tournament rolls into the second round, keep an eye on these two formidable duos and the outstanding trio from Monroe.