Batson's Ballers A Division 1 ALL STATE Team

Several players in the A-Divison 1 classification will go onto have excellent college careers and probably remain in the game somehow even after their playing days are over. I would not be surprised at all if one of, if not more, of these players ended up coaching one of the teams they played for in the not too distant future. They showed their mental toughness and aptitude for the game with their play and are all intense competitors. Several players on this list who were forced into action early in their high school careers because of the talent and physical tools that they possessed at a young age. Do not let the size of the schools in this classification fool you as there are multiple players who I believe would not only start and play at the highest level in Georgia, but also produce similar results. Congratulations to the players selected.    Ja'Ziyah is a player I saw a few times on the AAU circuit last Summer and was immediately impressed with the fluid movement she showed at her size. She is not just blessed with physical tools however, Foster produced at a very high level for one of the very best teams in A-D1 all season long. She finished the season averaging 18 points and 10 rebounds as just a sophomore. while leading Lamar County to a 24-6 record. Her cumulative totals for the season, 540 points and 303 rebounds, were outstanding and are comparable to the top post players in the state. I expect Foster to have an very impressive Spring and Summer on the travel ball circuit before coming back to Georgia with multiple offers, a handful of division one offers, before she starts her junior season.     This award easily could have gone to her teammate Deanna Lowther, but the times I watched East Laurens play Mitchell had the bigger impact on the game. Their stats are comparable. Lowther had a very good career and went out a state champ. Mitchell stood out very early the first time I saw her play. She plays with a very high motor and a lot of toughness as a slashing forward. Mitchell's productivity this season was impressive on a veteran team with other capable scorers. She averaged 13.5 points and over 10 rebounds a game as a freshman. She is hard to miss at almost six feet tall, especially when she flashes her athleticism sprinting the floor on the break or exploding in the air to block a shot or grab a rebound. Garyunna is a player in the 2029 class who is not currently ranked, but will make her debut on that list in a pretty high position. Her upside and potential should keep the East Laurens faithful excited about basketball for the next three years.     Kitchens is another player who averaged a double-double and her consistent play was the key to Washington County's 20-7 record on the year, including a 12-1 record in the region. Kitchens, who joined the 1K point scoring club as a junior, is a very effective player in the paint, impacting the outcomes of games both scoring and rebounding the ball at a high clip. She is most dangerous off the bounce, getting to the rim and scoring or pulling up around the free throw line and elbow area and knocking down midrange jumpers. Kitchens is also very capable of knocking down shots from three point range. She is a player who will see her position move up pretty substantially when the new state rankings are released. Kitchens averaged 16 points, 10 rebounds, and four steals on the year.     Hill finished her senior season as a member of the 1,000 point scoring club while taking home player of the year honors in her region. She scored 419 points and grabbed 270 rebounds on the year, averaging 17.5 and 11.3 rebounds per contest. Hill is an excellent volleyball player as well and you see the lower body strength she has with quick, explosions off the court. She has a strong upper body as well and does not shy away from contact. Hill's athleticism, intelligence, and effort alone should make her a very desirable recruit for college coaches in Georgia. She has the skill to back it up, but will only improve the next four years if she chooses to focus on basketball. However, playing both sports in college would also probably be an option for Hill.     Baker is one of the better young guards in Georgia and her play this season put other schools on alert and also earned her a big bump in the new rankings for Georgia coming out in the near future. She plays with a lot of confidence as well she should. She already has a well developed offensive arsenal including a very impressive finishing package on the break at the rim. The footwork, patience, and body control Baker shows going over and around defenders is very rare for a freshman. She had total control of games throughout the season and her high school career is just getting started. Baker could have easily been joined by her backcourt mate [player_tooltip player_id='901021' first='Journey' last='Waller'], who is deserving of a spot on this team herself. The two will combine for one of the best duos in the state next year and will have a good chance to bring a championship back to Putnam County.     Audrey led her team to another late run in March reaching the state championship game before losing to a very good East Laurens team. Lunsford is a mismatch for almost every team that Elbert County plays due the size and skill she possesses. She knows the game and uses those strengths scoring in the post against smaller defenders and bringing bigger, often slower, defenders out to the perimeter before blowing by them and scoring in the paint. She does a very good job playing off two feet which allows her to convert tough finishes at the rim in traffic. Audrey is also a very good shooter from the perimeter something I would really like to see her incorporate into her game often. Her biggest strength might actually be passing the ball which she demonstrated playing the Point Four position for Elbert. She handles the ball very well and uses her strength well shielding off defenders. She has quick feet and can defend the guard position in college where she is receiving a lot of interest from multiple schools. The college coaches I have talked to believe strongly in her ability to be a very solid wing player on the next level.     Taryn is another player who put together an excellent high school career at Galloway over the last four seasons. She finishes as a member of the 1,500 point club and recorded over 500 assists while grabbing 400 rebounds. Thompson was honored as a nominee for the McDonalds All American game and will continue her athletic and academic career at Gardner Webb University in North Carolina. Thompson is an elite shooter, in both catch and shoot situations as well as off the bounce. She has very quick release and does an excellent job creating space with her dribble, both making her incredibly difficult to defend. Galloway finished the season 24-7, 13-1 in their region before being eliminated by Holy Innocents. Thompson also stuffed the stat sheet by creating multiple steals per game as well as dishing out several assists per contest.     Millie helped lead Athens Academy to a 23-5 record including a 9-3 record in what has to be one of the toughest regions in the state with teams like Rabun County, Elbert County, Banks County, and Providence Christian. The Lady Spartans won the region tournament and advanced to the Elite Eight thanks in large part to Millie's play. She spreads the ball around well to her talented teammates, but hit huge shots down the stretch in multiple games I saw. She plays with a quiet confidence and level of maturity that is rare for age. She is a very analytical kid who wants to study the business of sports in college. Her game represents that in a lot of ways with the efficiency she plays with. She doesn't take bad shots, but hits most of the ones she shoots. She doesn't turn the ball over trying to split defenders or force shots, she just makes the right play and her teammates look good in the process. As you get older, basketball really is a thinking person's game and I can't think of a person who better represents that than Millie. She is a silent killer on the court.

Several players in the A-Divison 1 classification will go onto have excellent college careers and probably remain in the game somehow even after their playing days are over. I would not be surprised at all if one of, if not more, of these players ended up coaching one of the teams they played for in the not too distant future. They showed their mental toughness and aptitude for the game with their play and are all intense competitors. Several players on this list who were forced into action early in their high school careers because of the talent and physical tools that they possessed at a young age. Do not let the size of the schools in this classification fool you as there are multiple players who I believe would not only start and play at the highest level in Georgia, but also produce similar results. Congratulations to the players selected.