Zaxby’s Shootout at Blacksburg HS: Ballers of the Backcourt

At this point, camp month is in full swing and one may mistake the time of year for January when one watches how competitive the on-court play is.    Both colleges and high schools are hosting many team camps. One of those camps took place in the Upstate at 2A Blacksburg HS – the Zaxby's Shootout. The team that calls The Cage home had a stellar season in 2025-26 as the Wildcats finished with a 22-7 record and advanced to last season's 2A Upper State semifinals.    We at Prep Girls Hoops made the drive to Blacksburg for the day's festivities. Much of the standout performances of the day were courtesy of guards. We spotlight those names here.     With a trio of star seniors having graduated from last season's 4A A.C. Flora assembling, Gray is proving herself more than capable of stepping up to be the program's marquee name. When one sports a [program_tooltip program_id='783909' first='Palmetto' last='76ers/A'ja Wilson Elite'] uniform as Gray does, it more than likely indicates she is among the premier names on the state. Gray's day at Blacksburg included her draining a walk-off game-winning 3-pointer in a competitive contest against a solid 3A team in Chapman. She played in 24 of the Falcons' 25 contests last season while averaging 12.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and three steals per contest.      Smith and her 3A Chapman team put together another stellar season in 2025-26 and she was a key piece in what was another winning formula for the Panthers. Smith was second on last season's team in scoring last season as she averaged 9.3 points per game. Rebounding is another one of Smith's strengths as evidenced by the six boards she averaged per contest last season as a Panther – also among the team's leaders. Defense and proficiency from behind the 3-point line are also among the many positives to Smith's game. She was among the five 2027s that were on last season's Chapman team.      Reclassification will see Gaffney move down from the 5A ranks into the 4A realm beginning in 2026-27. If Church's team's performance against host 2A Blacksburg was any indication, the 4A field is being put on notice. Gaffney was a 5A Division 2 Upper State finalist from last season. Church played in all 29 of Gaffney's contests last season and she is showing indications of being ready to step up in her junior campaign after a pair of seniors graduated from last season's Gaffney assembling. She is displaying leadership qualities of someone ascending to veteran status and leads by example with her on-court playmaking.      Rodgers had a rough go of things in 2A Blacksburg's first matchup of the day against 4A Gaffney but improved in her team's contest against 5A Dorman. Playing point is one of the many attributes of Rodgers' game and she displays an ability to connect on her shot opportunities from either midrange or long range. One can place Rodgers in a team's starting five at either one of the two backcourt spots. Rodgers has played at the high school varsity level since she was an eighth grader and would play in 22 contests last season for the Wildcats. She averaged 11.7 points, 2.8 steals and 2.7 rebounds per game last season.      The past couple of months have seen Barlow wear the Carolina Hornets United 17U EYCL uniform. In addition, Barlow recently picked up an offer from Queens University. One of the more skilled combo guards among the 2028 class, Barlow previously played at the junior varsity level before ascending to varsity status. As a sophomore, Barlow would play in 25 games for a Cavaliers team that advanced to the 5A Division 1 Upper State semifinals. She averaged 8.4 points, 2.5 assists and 2.3 rebounds per game last season and one can expect for all of those numbers to increase in 2026-27.      Following a 2024-25 season where Davis secured playing time in 20 games, she would compete in all 26 of the Cavaliers' contests last season on a team that concluded its 2025-26 with a 21-5 record. Part of what makes Davis so difficult to contain is the speed and quickness she has and that can especially come in useful when making plays in transition. Opposing teams also have to game plan for when she has the ball behind the 3-point line as she is likely to take – and make – her 3-point attempts. Collecting steals is another positive element to Davis' game.      Houze has played at the high school varsity level since she was in middle school and competed in 29 contests last season for a Gaffney team that qualified for the 5A Division 2 Upper State championship game. At 5-foot-7, she has a height advantage over many of her peer guards and that will be very useful when looking to do work on the boards. The ability to finish strong at the rim is another element to her game that opposing teams have to game plan for. Houze would average 6.6 points and 3.4 rebounds per contest last season. As someone who can play either the two or the three, Houze can spend plenty of time at the wing.      Smith is a multi-sport athlete who also stands out on the softball team at 3A Chapman in addition to what she gets accomplished on the basketball court. Defensively, she understands the importance of keeping one's hands and arms outstretched and can be tough to defend against from behind the 3-point line. As a junior, she would find playing time in 24 of the Panthers' 27 games from the 2025-26 season. Her defensive stance can lead to additional possessions for her team and she has no issues with drawing contact that can place her at the free throw line. Smith is poised to finish her high school career with an exclamation point.      Moore is returning for her senior season with Dorman. Last season as a junior, she would play in all 26 contests for the Cavaliers while averaging 13 points, 3.7 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 2.9 steals per contest. Whie Moore may stand at 5-foot-3, she is difficult to keep in check because of the speed she possesses which can even give defenders with a height advantage problems. As more of a point guard, she is more of an attacker of the rim who fuses together skill with tenacity. Moore was one of five from the class of 2027 on last season's Cavaliers team.      When watching Wright play, one can see why coach Terrence Jones trusted her to be one of the team's two co-captains from last season's 5A Division 2 Chapin assembling. Wright played in 25 of the Eagles' 26 games from last season and averaged 5.8 points, three rebounds and 2.5 steals per contest. While Wright is a playmaker as a scorer, she understands when the time is right to attack and when it is wright to distribute. Wright is also a defensive playmaker that does not leave a lot of space between her and who she is defending against and can cause her fair share of steals and deflections.      Even though Lee was a sophomore last season, she is actually set to graduate from A.C. Flora in 2027. Lee would play in 22 contests last season for coach Jacob Thompson's Falcons. Veteran instincts are crucial for any team looking to continue its winning ways like 4A A.C. Flora is and Lee certainly has that. Lee also has a 3-point shot as part of her overall offensive repertoire but she is listed primarily as a point guard. She was previously playing junior varsity before working herself up to varsity status and will surely be an important player in what will be a new-look Falcons squad.      A pair of Smith sisters appear to be the next ones up for a Gaffney team moving down in classification to 4A beginning with the upcoming season. Opposing teams would expect someone with Smith's height to primarily play in the frontcourt but she has the ball-handling skills of a guard in addition to the ability to finish strong at the rim. Smith combines that height with plenty of length which can also be useful when looking to deflect passes as a defender. Making plays in the transition game is another element of Smith's game opposing teams have to watch out for.

At this point, camp month is in full swing and one may mistake the time of year for January when one watches how competitive the on-court play is.