Six More 2030s to Look Out For in Future Rankings

Between last month's rankings and highlighting prospects that probably should have been in said recent rankings, we at Prep Girls Hoops have been spotlighting a bevy of names from the 2030 class.    These rising freshmen are names that may be, for the most part, unfamiliar to many a Palmetto State high school sports fan, but one can count on that no longer being the case by the time we arrive at the heart of the 2026-27 season.    When the next set of 2030 rankings are released, here are six more names that one can count on appearing somewhere on that list.    A pair of Smith sisters appear to be next up for Gaffney as coach Julian Wright's team transitions out of the 5A ranks and back into 4A for the first time since the 2015-16 season. Smith has maintained an active athletic plate throughout her career as she has also competed in distance running events. She stands taller than most guards with plenty of length to compliment her height. Smith also possesses plenty of speed and quickness with the ability to finish strong at the rim. Expect for this 2030 to have an immediate impact on her Gaffney team when November arrives.      Solid teams such as Gaffney also need presences in the paint and Smith is set to provide plenty of that in black and Vegas gold. Smith can provide timely offense for her team, but her bread and butter is what she gets accomplished on the defensive end of the floor. We at Prep Girls Hoops recently had got a glimpse of Smith at a pair of camp events – the Zaxby's Shootout at 2A Blacksburg and the Chapin Shootout. Strong finishes at the rim, keeping a heads-up mentality and drawing contact are already among the strong points of her still developing game. Gaffney only graduated a pair of seniors from last season's team, and one can expect for Smith to garner her fair share of minutes.      This one is a classic example of the rich continuing to stay rich and get richer. Cooper established herself as a solid middle school interior prospect at North Central and is now bringing her talents to a Camden team moving back down to 3A after a pair of seasons in the 4A classification. Cooper will add frontcourt depth to coach Lewis Mungo's Bulldogs – a key element to the program's success over the years. We at Prep Girls Hoops have got a glimpse of Cooper at the A1 Hoops Shootout at SCISA 3A Northside Christian as well as at the Chapin Shootout – as well as at the Big Shots Memorial Classic where she ran with [program_tooltip program_id='783909' first='Palmetto' last='76ers/A'ja Wilson Elite'].      The 2025-26 season at 5A Lexington was a banner one for coach Molly Goodrich's program as the Wildcats advanced to the 5A Division 1 Lower State championship game. That team graduated five seniors, so it creates opportunities for rising freshmen like Taylor to fill those roles. Taylor only played in seven games last season, but that number is sure to increase in 2026-27. She previously attended Beechwood MS before segueing fully to athletic and academic life as a Wildcat. Taylor put together impressive performances at last weekend's Chapin Shootout against 5A Gray Collegiate and Georgia 1A Division 2 Lincoln County.     Hall was a callup from the junior varsity team at Dorman. Considering the talent of the four seniors Dorman graduated – and the Cavaliers advancing to last season's 5A Division 1 Upper State semifinals, Hall has big shoes to fill, but also possesses the talent to do so. We at Prep Girls Hoops recently got a glimpse of Hall and her Cavaliers assembling at the Zaxby's Shootout at 2A Blacksburg. As someone who can effectively play at both the two and the three, that makes Hall likely to gain plenty of minutes on the wing. Her junior varsity Cavaliers went 8-0 last season, making her even more deserving of varsity status as her freshman campaign awaits.     McElveen was a Mississippi name that played her AAU ball in the Fly Girls organization before bringing her talents to the Palmetto State. She previously played her high school ball at Sneed MS. This past season would see McElveen lead the Squires to a perfect season and a championship. With her middle school career in the rear-view mirror, McElveen is transitioning from Sneed gold and green to the gold and purple of 4A Wilson. In addition, she has played her most recent AAU schedule with Palmetto Pressure. At 5-foot-10, she has the height of a big but thrives in the backcourt. McElveen is sure to be a worthwhile addition to the Tigers' squad of second-year coach Ki'Ari Cain. Last season's Wilson team finished 20-5 and 10-2 in Region 5-AAAA.

Between last month's rankings and highlighting prospects that probably should have been in said recent rankings, we at Prep Girls Hoops have been spotlighting a bevy of names from the 2030 class.