GBCA Live: Statement-Making '27s

Without sounding repetitive, the state of Georgia is one of the very best in America when it comes to producing high level talent in all sports, but specifically girl's basketball. For the players about to enter their final high school season, this was the last time that they would play at the GBCA Live event and for most the last time they will have played at Lakepoint. Several of these players not only stood out from the rest in their class, they also had big time performances scoring the basketball and making key contributions in other areas of the game. All of these players will continue their careers in college with a few having the chance to live out all their dreams and play professionally.    KJ was her usual unique self making a major impact on all areas of the game of the game for Monroe, with the most obvious being her ability to score the basketball in a variety of ways at over six feet tall. She is ranked in the top 50 nationally in her class by ESPN and holds offers from almost every major division one program that you find playing late in March. Her last event at Lakepoint was one to remember for most, but for KJ putting up these kind of numbers scoring the basketball is nothing new. She finished the tournament averaging just under 18 points a game which included the first game where Acree only scored 6 points versus South Forsyth. The Monroe bus was late due to the weather and World Cup/Braves traffic, so she and her teammates ran onto the floor with no warm up and played. Her final game she finished with 30 points against a very good Morrow team with another '27 ranked in the ESPN Top 100, [player_tooltip player_id='757703' first='Janiyah' last='Weaver']. Twenty of her points came inside the three point line in this game on 10 two point field goals made as she attacked the basket relentlessly as well as knocked several mid range jumpers. Acree also did a nice job on the boards, especially on offense where she was able to get a couple put backs on her team's missed shots. KJ had another big game scoring 23 points on nine two point field goals made while also shooting a perfect five for five from the free throw line. She looks like a college player now and has for some time to me. This time next year Acree will be preparing for her freshman season at whatever college she chooses, a decision I will be watching closely. If she can duplicate the success she has had in high school on the college level, then in four more years she will playing in the WNBA. I have no doubt she has the skill, athleticism, and personality to do it.     Fields has been on a tear not only scoring the basketball during travel ball with her club Essence on the EYBL circuit, but contributing in all facets and phases of the game. She is already a 1,000 point scorer for Buford and has had a very good high school career, but Fields is playing the best basketball of her life right now and she looked like she has unfinished business going into her senior year. She was excellent getting to the rim and powering through opponents when necessary and also elevating over defenders to finish when that was the more intelligent option. Fields was also a nightmare for opposing teams on the offensive glass where she used her elite athleticism to explode off the ground and rip the ball out of the air and her finesse and touch to finish on put back attempts. Mya had one division one offer from Furman a month ago and now holds three in addition as a result of her outstanding stretch of excellent play recently. ETSU was the next to offer Fields followed by the new coaching staffs at both Georgia State and Georgia Southern. Fields scored 110 points in four games averaging 27.5 points per contest with a 30 ball versus a very good Galloway team and 29 points versus Putnam in the first game of the tournament. She will be a steal for someone on the division one level in college.     Janiyah was a player I had heard a lot about but had not seen play in person for any extended period of time. Like Acree, Weaver was included in the last edition of the ESPN SportCenter NEXT rankings for the '27 class coming in at number 65 nationally. She is listed as a Small Forward on the website, but Weaver brought the ball up, not just on defensive rebounds, but the majority of the time I saw versus Sandy Creek and Monroe. I'm not sure if that's a recent development or change for her, but I liked what I saw and love what she could become if that is her primary position for Morrow. She was comfortable and confident on the ball and did a nice job facilitating for her teammates and initiating the offense at 6'4 with smaller defenders applying pressure and harassing her the majority of the time. She had several very good look and finds to her very skilled teammates [player_tooltip player_id='932003' first='Nyla' last='Chivers'] and Music Daze, while also almost averaging double figures scoring the ball. She holds multiple division one offers with the most recent coming from Penn State, SC State, NC A&T, Florida A&M, and Georgia State in the last month. The potential is definitely there so it I like Penn State not being afraid to step up be the first Power Four school to extend an offer. She has the ability to impact the game in a lot of ways and could be another diamond in the rough coming from Bounce Nation.     Thompson is another player from the Bounce Nation program who came into the GBCA Live event with multiple division one offers, the most recent being from Power Four program St. Johns in early April. Within 48 hours of the event being over, Thompson received offers from home state division one programs Georgia State and Mercer. No surprise here as she was excellent throughout the tournament, specifically very good in the game I saw against Dalton where she finished as the game's leading scorer with 16 points in front of several college coaches watching courtside. Thompson was also the game's leading scorer finishing with 19 points in Kell's route over Fannin County. Asiah is a strong, powerful kid who knows where the weight room is and has excellent speed and explosiveness to pair with it. She looks like a college player right now and her physicality will translate very well on the the next level. As will her ability to defend and her competitiveness which is obvious when watching Kell play. She has all the intangibles to go along with her physical gifts and skills. She is a hardworking kid who plays with a very high motor.     Camya was not just the team's leading scorer, but was integral in every aspect of the game as she guided her Lee County squad to a 4-0 record at GBCA Live and the Shootaway division championship. She averaged 18.5 points per contest and almost four three point shots made per game while also initiating and facilitating the offense for her team as the primary ball handler. Camya had a game high 19 points, including five three point shots made, in the win over Tri Cities. The next game against a very talented Bradwell Institute team, Hutcherson hit six three point shots while shooting 5-6 from the free throw line finishing the game with 27 points. I have seen her multiple times with Southeast United where she pairs beautifully with [player_tooltip player_id='1263879' first='Mahliya' last='Reeder'] and [player_tooltip player_id='674578' first='Adelyn' last='Thompson']. She will be a very good player in college and will have options to choose from as she currently holds offers from Reid State and Bishop State and will almost certainly add to that list before the end of the Summer.     Millie had an outstanding junior season which included her third consecutive First Team All Region selection as well as joining the 1,000 point scoring club for Athens Academy before also being name All State by the GACA. After another very good showing recently at Lakepoint on the Select Events circuit, Millie picked up her first scholarship offer from in-state program Berry College. Pugmire was excellent again in Emerson this time for ACAD including the performance of the tournament scoring 39 points in a 73-69 win over Southwest Dekalb. Millie hit nine threes in the game and was a perfect 6-6 from the free throw line to go along with three- two point field goals. In the first half against Morrow that I saw Pugmire hit 3 three point shots and scored two more baskets to finish with 13 points in the opening part of the that game. She is one of the more underrated players in Georgia and would like to pursue a degree in sports management or something related in that field. I have seen her compete and excel at the highest level on multiple occasions. She will be a very good pick up for whatever program and university she attends.     It was so good seeing Aila not only back playing, but looking as good as ever in the games I watched St Francis play over the course of three days at GBCA Live. Aila was easily one of the most dominant inside players on both ends of the floor amongst some other very talented post players hailing from the Peach State. She consistently put the ball in the basket every game for her team scoring 16 points, 12 points, 31 points, and 14 points in the four contests for an average of just over 18 points per game. Her team needed all 31 points in the very close 75-72 win over ultra talented Sandy Creek. Her point distribution was very well balanced as she scored 15 in the opening half followed by 16 huge points down the stretch to help secure the win, keep her team's undefeated record, and continue on to the Leading Edge bracket championship. In the latest rankings I moved Aila back up to the top ten because I have been watching her since she was in middle school and I know she is a tough kid without a lot of perseverance. To see her come back on a mission after the ACL injury is not only security for the multitude of Power Four programs that have offered her, but should serve as inspiration to other young girls who suffer the same injury. Within the last month or so Courtenay has been offered or re-offered by the following schools: the University of Florida, University of Illinois, Alabama, Michigan State, Oregon, and South Florida. She has the ability to go in and play early wherever she chooses to attend college. Before any of that, it looks like she and her St Francis teammates will be one of the front runners and very tough to beat for a state championship next season.

Without sounding repetitive, the state of Georgia is one of the very best in America when it comes to producing high level talent in all sports, but specifically girl's basketball. For the players about to enter their final high school season, this was the last time that they would play at the GBCA Live event and for most the last time they will have played at Lakepoint. Several of these players not only stood out from the rest in their class, they also had big time performances scoring the basketball and making key contributions in other areas of the game. All of these players will continue their careers in college with a few having the chance to live out all their dreams and play professionally.