Class 1A Region 5 Offseason Radar Watch

The school year is fast approaching, and the start of the 2026-2027 basketball season is starting to become visible. With that, here are five players in the Class of 1A in Region 5 to take note of ahead of the upcoming season.    [player_tooltip player_id='1820576' first='Bayli' last='Sutter'] had an extremely promising junior season of hoops.   In her junior season, Sutter had many games where the main strength of her game showed up. That strength is her shooting. S   Sutter is a special catch-and-shoot jump shooter. She is composed whenever she gets a gap and executes well on actions made for her to get an open perimeter look.   Sutter can also score in post-ups on occasion and does a great job of knowing where to rotate on the defensive end.     In her freshman season, [player_tooltip player_id='1816928' first='Airiana' last='Hill'] proved she could be one of the better players at Huntland High School while she is there.   One of the biggest ways Arianna Hill impacted games was with her perimeter defense. She reads players' passes well. Hill especially is a monumental steal threat when players who have the ball in the paint opt to try to throw a pass back out behind the arc.   Hill had multiple games last season with two or more steals. A game that showed her vast skillset was when she played against Mt. Pleasant. She recorded 15 points, six rebounds, four assists, and six steals.   Offensively, Hill has good speed that she can use on breakaways to get past defenders. She can also knock down perimeter shots effectively and is a crafty scorer inside. She can score through traffic and score on both sides of the basket.     [player_tooltip player_id='1252913' first='Alex' last='Bolden'] operates at an uber-high level on the perimeter.   Bolden's presence alone on the court puts defense in a bit of a blender. That comes from the lethal perimeter jumper that she can cash in from well beyond the arc. With that, teams get taken off guard with Bolden's quick first step off the catch that allows her to breeze by defenders that close out on her. When she does opt to use that first step and drive towards the paint, she does a great job at remaining under control. She waits for the ensuing help defense and often delivers perfect passes to her teammates who get open because of the help defense.   Bolden also has above average athletcism. She had a few chase-down blocks last season, where she erased what seemed to be sure layups with her speed and vertical.     [player_tooltip player_id='1843646' first='Jayden' last='Garner'] for Fayetteville High School had a great sophomore season.   Garner is a great scorer in the interior. She does a good job at analyzing her surroundings in post-ups and choosing what post move would be most effective. Her best move is her drop step. She covers a lot of ground with the move.   Garner also, as a sophomore, showed great strength. At times she could generate good interior scoring looks just by using her strength in post-up situations.   Garner, also on Fayetteville High School's team last season, was one of the better rebounders.     [player_tooltip player_id='1445612' first='Kate' last='Kirk'], on one of the best teams last season in the Class of 1A, Richland High School, is definitely a player to take note of.   Kirk is a great interior defender. She has great lateral movement that allows her to get in ideal spots to affect her opponents' shots. She pairs this lateral movement with an above-average basketball IQ that also puts her in ideal spots to generate steals.   On offense, Kirk is versatile. She is capable of knocking down 3-pointers as a PF and is also a good scorer in the paint.

The school year is fast approaching, and the start of the 2026-2027 basketball season is starting to become visible. With that, here are five players in the Class of 1A in Region 5 to take note of ahead of the upcoming season.