LBI March Madness – 2026/27 Top Performers

March is a signature month on the basketball calendar for a variety of reasons. One of those being that it is the month on the high school circuit where the playoffs crown champions and players prepare to sport travel uniforms for the following four months prior to a new academic year beginning. One of the first AAU events on the 2022 schedule across North Carolina was the LBI March Madness event at Carolina Courts in downtown Concord that welcomed teams from both Carolinas as well as the commonwealth of Virginia. It also welcomed us at Prep Girls Hoops as we were on hand for what was two days of breathtaking basketball from many of the region’s premier stars. Many of them represent a youth movement that is more than present across one of basketball’s flagship regions. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="257990" first="Jaida" last="McClure"] – 2026 – Providence Day School – Queen City Ballers</strong> – A McClure thing has been a sure thing throughout her basketball career. McClure is a combo guard who stands at 5-foot-9 and was a transfer from Comenius HS in South Carolina who did not field a girls basketball team this past season. She possesses a knack for draining shots from deep as well as one for finding a lane to the basket. McClure displays excellent speed in transition and will display that on the heels of her taking advantage of an opposing team’s turnover. She scored eight points in a commanding victory over South Carolina-based KST Academy on Saturday. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-402915" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/03/IMG_5350.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /> <strong>Kelsey Rhyne – 2026 – Mooresville Middle School – Queen City Ballers</strong> – The 2022 AAU campaign is Rhyne’s first with Queen City Ballers after competing on the grassroots circuit with Charlotte Dream Elite in 2021. Rhyne takes care of the basketball and has no problems draining 3-point shots. She will corral rebounds and is adept as a floor runner and rebounder. Rhyne displays confidence as someone who will call for the ball when she feels she has an opportunity to score. In Queen City Ballers’ matchup with South Carolina-based KST Academy on Saturday, she scored 11 points – all in the first half. <strong>Maisy Miller – 2026 – Turner Ashby HS – Top Prospect</strong> – Maisy Miller means more memorable moments for Knights basketball in the coming seasons. She plays with a high basketball IQ which allows her to get in position to make plays away from the ball. A number of those plays can be off receiving feeds from her teammates behind the 3-point arc and draining her attempts from downtown. Her dribbling skills are an extension of how hard she works as a ball handler. Miller will shoot the ball over defenders, has an ability to drive to the rim, make efficient passes to teammates and can work well off screens. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/03/IMG_5287-scaled-crop-2291x1504-1647846013.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-402914" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/03/IMG_5287-scaled-crop-2291x1504-1647846013-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> <strong>Brooklyn Twitty – 2027 – Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy – North Carolina Gems</strong> – Twitty’s name rising up the ranks of North Carolina’s always robust girls basketball scene. She previously ran with Lady Wolverines 11U in AAU. At an even six feet, she is a force to be reckoned with in the low post. She will grab rebounds and win plenty of battles on the boards. Twitty  will also manage to get open off of inbounds plays and turn those into an easy two points. She also draws contact and gets to the line. Twitty is a defensive problem for opponents as a ball hawk and shot blocker. She has also played soccer and volleyball throughout her athletic career. A consistent hard worker, Twitty is coming off a season with the Gryphons where they finished a perfect 12-0 en route to the school’s first-ever Tri-County Conference Championship.