SCBCA Live: Youth Movement

Much of the attention surrounding live period events surround rising seniors and juniors as they are likely those who will depart from said events with the bulk of collegiate offers.    Those live period events also give an opportunity for the stars of tomorrow to also showcase their skills in front of college coaches. Two-time 3A state champion with Camden and current South Carolina rising junior star Joyce Edwards was also on hand.    The South Carolina Basketball Coaches Association (SCBCA) held its annual live period gathering this past weekend at North Augusta's Riverview Park Activities Center and many of the primetime performers from the weekend's gathering were rising freshmen and eighth graders.      Kinard may be a rising sophomore but considering she first played at the varsity level while in middle school, the 2026-27 season will be her third at the varsity level. She is coming off a season with 5A Boiling Springs where she led the team in scoring as an eighth grader (she did the same in her seventh-grade season). Kinard averaged 19.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.2 steals and 2.3 assists as she played in all 27 contests last season for the Bulldogs. Kinard knows she has rim-attacking capabilities but understands when to pass. The defense she plays can leave opposing ball-carriers prone to turning the ball over and she can place crooked numbers on the scoreboard from virtually anywhere on the floor.     Last season's roster for 5A Dutch Fork included a pair of eighth graders. Those rising freshmen proved exactly why they earned spots on the Silver Foxes roster while still in the middle school ranks. Adams can be placed in a team's roster as either a point guard or a shooting guard. Even though she is a guard, Adams was among the team's leaders in rebounds last season – a testament to her prowess in that category. Making plays in transition is another of Adams' strengths. She played in all 24 of the Silver Foxes' contests last season while averaging 11 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.7 steals throughout the 2025-26 campaign.     Gibson earned playing time in all 24 contests last season for 5A Dutch Fork as an eighth grader. When considering rising freshmen ready to take that next step, one must take note of Gibson. She also played a massive part in Dutch Fork's dominant 80-21 rout of fellow 5A combatant Blythewood to begin Friday's play at Riverview Park. Gibson aided the Silver Foxes' cause with 12 points. At 5-foot-7, she has a height advantage over a number of her peer guards and fuses that together with the talent to compliment it. Gibson is a multi-sport athlete who has also competed in track and field events alongside her rising list of basketball achievements and those attributes are translating well to her prowess as a basketball player.     After winning a state championship in her eighth-grade season with Blythewood, Fulton is bringing her talents to a region rival of the Bengals in Ridge View. As a Bengal, a great deal of what Fulton got accomplished was from behind the 3-point line. As a Blazer, she was consistently attacking the rim as Ridge View put together a dominant performance against fellow 5A foe Summerville. During the AAU season, Fulton has ran with AEBL 15U EYBL and spent last month's live period at Nike Session 2 in New Orleans. She averaged 9.4 points last season at Blythewood.     Lugoff-Elgin is no longer the afterthought it used to be. Coach Dominique Thompson has turned the Demons into a solid team with solid talent and Hall is one of the young up-and-coming names at 4A Lugoff-Elgin. Opposing teams have to look out for when she has the ball behind the 3-point line as she is likely to take – and make – her 3-point attempts. Hall also does not leave a lot of space between herself and who she is guarding as a defender. She would play in 24 of the Demons' 25 contests last season and averaged 8.1 points and 1.8 steals per contest in 2025-26.     Young players such as Pierotti are expected to embrace the “next woman up” mindset. Pierotti embraces that mentality. Pierotti has competed this travel season wearing the uniform of Carolina Hornets United. She stands at 5-foot-11 which is typically a height seen in centers and power forwards. Pierotti also has the skills of a guard – as well as the rim-attacking capabilities of one. She got to the free throw line on many occasions in Riverside's Friday victory over 3A Oceanside – a testament to how she fuses together talent with toughness. A name that is teeming with upset, she played in 24 games last season for the Warriors and averaged 7.3 points per game.     Parks saved some of her Riverview Park best for last on Friday on the South Carolina-Georgia state line. The rising eighth grader was a one-woman matchup problem for 5A Stratford in the final contest of the day's play. Parks stands at 5-foot-7 and is listed as a point guard even though she can easily be mistaken for a small forward. Her high basketball IQ and toughness display themselves with her consistent willingness to draw contact and find her way to the free throw line. Parks' Greer Middle College team is moving down from 3A to 2A starting with the 2026-27 season.

Much of the attention surrounding live period events surround rising seniors and juniors as they are likely those who will depart from said events with the bulk of collegiate offers.