Region 2-AAA Preview

With volleyball and football nearing the conclusion of their respective seasons, that means only one thing – the attention of the South Carolina sports fan will soon turn to the basketball courts. As we get closer to tip off of the 2021-22 high school basketball season, we at Prep Girls Hoops are releasing in-depth region-by-region previews. We are looking at how each team in every region should finish as well as a look at key talents in each region. In the past couple of weeks, we released our single-A and double-A previews. Now, it is time to look at AAA with an emphasis on Region 2-AAA. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-271290" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/04/665DCB74-A456-4E5E-8391-3870256F043E.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="124101" first="Quadaija" last="Langley"] – Blue Ridge HS</strong> – Prep Girls Hoops noticed Langley on numerous occasions during the travel circuit with SC76ers 17U Premier and she recently announced her commitment to Lander University. She is a floor general who knows when to be in pass mode and when to be in attack mode. She seemingly glides up and down the floor with ease and exudes confidence when she is on the court. Langley provides plenty of shooting prowess along with staying active on the defensive side. She is coming off a 2020-21 season where she averaged 19.2 ppg, 4.1 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 4.9 steals. <strong>Langley is the Prep Girls Hoops Preseason Region Player of the Year.</strong> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="185228" first="Kara" last="Harrison"] – Powdersville HS</strong> – Harrison is used to providing plenty of points for Powdersville’s Patriots. Harrison averaged nearly 11 points per game in her freshman season and is coming off a junior campaign where she scored almost 16 per contest. She will make major plays in the defensive transition game including blocking shots. Harrison will drain key tries in the midrange and long range games along with intercepting an opposing team’s passes. She is impressive with her ball handling skills and knows when to make those correct passes to find open teammates. Harrison also can find open lanes en route to the cup. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="252637" first="Maggie" last="Strout"] – Blue Ridge HS</strong> – Strout has been stout for the Tigers – and that stout play was rewarded with a spot on the 2020-21 All-Greenville County team as well as an All-Region selection. Strout will put points on the board in addition to how talented she is as a rebounder. She will make plays around the rim and also has a knack for being able to drive to the basket and finish at the rim. Strout averaged over 12 points and eight rebounds per contest last season for Blue Ridge and is a multi-sport athlete who also plays volleyball and soccer for the Tigers. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="196311" first="Kamari" last="Thompson"] – 2023 – Southside HS</strong> – When Milton Parks first arrived at Southside, the Tigers were a floundering 6-13. Thanks to standouts like Thompson, Southside has established itself as the class of Region 2-AAA. Thompson constantly is active on the floor and showcases her versatility by playing a variety of positions. Her athleticism and skill speak for itself. She is a gifted rebounder on both the defensive and offensive ends of the floor and those offensive boards usually lead to put-backs for a pair of extra points. Thompson is also very gifted in getting out in transition. She averaged over 18 points and 14 rebounds per contest for a Tigers team that qualified for the Upper State AAA finals. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-347179" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/11/61FFE01C-8101-4FF1-97A8-1018B1566813.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="176203" first="Quayla" last="Nolan"] – 2023 – Southside HS</strong> – The junior class for coach Parks’ Tigers is looking awfully dangerous. And among that class is Southside’s stellar combo guard who averaged seven points and nearly four assists per game. Nolan gives a team plenty of offensive production from behind the 3-point line while also being able to drive to the rim and finish near the basket. She knows how to take care of the ball and has the ability to handle the rock even around a number of defenders. Along with the seven points and three assists she averaged in 2020-21, she also had over three steals and two rebounds per contest. She played for FBC Carolina Elite during the grassroots season. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-347176" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/11/62C94CFD-5D42-42CB-BB16-FAEEDBE2250C.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="176204" first="Makaylah" last="Blandin"] – 2023 – Southside HS</strong> – What were we saying earlier about that 2023 class that will give Southside opponents fits the next couple of seasons? Yeah, about that class. While Blandin is primarily a post player at an even six feet, she showcases her versatility with her ability to sink shots from long range. Blandin is a formidable defensive anchor for coach Milton Parks team as she bolsters the Tigers’ efforts on that end of the floor with her shot-blocking capabilities and collection of steals. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-285836" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/05/65AD0A36-0F6D-4A6B-97CF-06C036E20E99.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="252636" first="Zikira" last="Henderson"] – 2024 – Blue Ridge HS</strong> – Henderson currently is in the top 25 of Prep Girls Hoops’ 2024 rankings. She is coming off a noteworthy freshman season as well as a grassroots slate that saw her ball out for SC76ers 16U Premier. Henderson will shoot the 3-point shot and drain said 3-point shot. She is a combo guard who has a knack for being able to make the extra pass. Henderson makes things tough for opposing ball carriers when she is on defense. Prior to her joining the high school ranks, she played her middle school hoops at Blue Ridge Middle School. <strong><em>Prep Girls Hoops predictions:</em></strong> Southside HS – Coach Milton Parks’ Tigers only graduated one senior from last year’s team. The Lady Tigers finished (12-2) last season. Blue Ridge HS – Langley and Strout look to finish their high school careers with exclamation points. Powdersville HS – The Patriots once again look to offer stiff competition for Southside and Blue Ridge. Berea HS – The Bulldogs were improved in region play as opposed to non-region opponents in 2020-21. Palmetto HS – The Mustangs were road warriors last season at an even 3-3, but struggled at home. Carolina Academy – The Lady Trojans finished (0-11) last season.