Around the State: Greenville County Sophomores
In this article:
While there is a healthy helping of high school girls basketball stars throughout South Carolina, they can particularly be clustered – as is the case in many states – in a city’s population centers. In the Palmetto State, Greenville County is one…
Access all of Prep Girls Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingWhile there is a healthy helping of high school girls basketball stars throughout South Carolina, they can particularly be clustered – as is the case in many states – in a city’s population centers. In the Palmetto State, Greenville County is one of those hubs.
Throughout the last several weeks, Prep Girls Hoops has combed the state via our county-by-county rankings to put a broader lens on who an area’s standouts are as we slowly inch closer to tip off of the 2022-23 regular season.
As one can guess, there is more than enough in South Carolina’s most populous county to go around. We mentioned its 2023s and 2024s. Now, we acknowledge the sophomores.
Fittingly, we begin our list with a school that seemingly always is in the thick of things when it comes to talent in Legacy Early College. Brown is a combo guard with a 5-foot-8 stature and ran in the club realm with CP3 Flames EYBL Richard. Opponents have to pick their poison when it comes to Brown – either bear the brunt of her bully skills en route to the basket or watch as she drains a 3-pointer. Brown remains ready for any and all comers. She had a breakout freshman campaign this past season and plays the game as if she were a seasoned veteran which can include finishing with her left hand and her single-handed passes. The Lions won the USA National Prep championship which occurred at North Myrtle Beach this past season.
It is never easy to keep up with this Jones and in 2022-23, it may not be easy to keep up with this Mauldin bunch as coach Angel McGowens’ squad looks to make waves in 5A as their peers in Rock Hill and Summerville will look mightily different. Jones is beginning to appear on the radar of college programs as Presbyterian, North Greenville and HBCU North Carolina A&T have all offered the standout guard. Her ball handling skills and rim attacking ability are two reasons why she has a bright college future. Jones can throw defenders off balance with a nifty spin move, displays her confidence by calling for the ball and will be efficient in the transition game.
The Mavericks program as a whole is getting increased attention from college coaches as evidenced by the offers Soltys has received to ball out at the next level. Division I’s Presbyterian and Appalachian State have offered her and those likely will not be the only ones she receives before she commits prior to her 2025 graduation. Soltys has increased in height and now stands at 5-foot-8. She is a natural southpaw that will complete finishes at the rim and can get crafty with her passing abilities. Soltys has also been praised for her maturity despite her young age and that will be a much-needed asset for a contending Mauldin team.
Let us be frank…with this 6-foot-2 standout as part of what looks to be a stacked Mavericks team, Mauldin looks like it will be a tough out for anyone that sees orange and brown on their schedule. She ran grassroots with CP3 Flames EYBL Richard. Franks has played at the varsity level since she was at least an eighth grader and was on the radar of many a team even then. She has previous experience at another 5A school in JL Mann and is a matchup problem for many teams with her rebounding capabilities. The Mavericks may be young but they are also good as they proved last year and that is what makes them scary.
Henderson’s athletic resume includes a stint on the travel circuit with SC 76ers and she played at Blue Ridge MS before making her way to Blue Ridge HS which made a great run in the 3A postseason in 2021-22. Henderson’s calling card is her defense. She makes things uncomfortable for opposing ball carriers and those typically lead to turnovers which can wind up in Henderson’s palms. Her speed and quickness can come through on either end of the floor and she has no problems playing the game on contact which can place her at the free throw line.
Sullivan will be in her second season sporting Southside orange after transferring from Woodmont prior to the 2021-22 season. At an even six feet, one can see where that height advantage comes in handy when making plays near the basket. She is an indication that the Tigers and coach Milton Parks will not be experiencing a talent drop off anytime soon especially given she has a great mentor in 2023 Kamari Thompson Kamari Thompson 6’0″ | PF Southside | 2023 State SC to learn from. Sullivan is poised to make an impact for a Southside team that appears ready to be among the class of Class 3A this upcoming season.
Brewer is listed at 5-foot-11 and will enter the upcoming season with the Generals as a 4A team after several years taking to the court as a 5A competitor. Much of what she does is centered around how she operate in the frontcourt either as a four or as a five in the traditional center role. Brewer has previously ran on the grassroots circuit with Lady Sixers. In 2021-22, the Generals qualified for the 5A playoffs and nearly pulled off a victory over Woodmont, meaning Brewer and her Wade Hampton team will have its eye on making a deeper playoff run via 4A this upcoming season.
Prep Girls Hoops has seen Moody at the team camp at Presbyterian College earlier this summer when she was competing alongside her Yellow Jackets teammates. In addition to basketball, she is a two-sport athlete who participates in track and field. Moody played in all 24 games last season for Greer which finished 16-8. Her ball handling combined with her fancy footwork allow her to get to the rim even through a slew of defenders. She stays active with her hands when defending, will shoot 3-pointers and puts herself in position to bring down rebounds. When she utilizes her speed, she is really tough for defenses to keep in check.
Medlin first started wearing Greenville‘s red and black colors two seasons ago as an eighth grader. She returned for more in 2021-22 and was part of the Red Raiders once again qualifying for that season’s playoffs. Medlin is a skilled distributor of the ball at 5-foot-4 and it is complimented by her ability to haul in rebounds. She will also put plenty of points on the board and will take advantage of an opposing ball handler’s miscue. Getting out in transition is another strength of Medlin’s game. She took a huge leap forward from her eighth grade season to what she did as a freshman and one can expect she will take yet another in 2022-23.
What makes a program such as Legacy Early College’s so revered is how it continuously stockpiles talent across all classes. A textbook example of this is the Lions’ rising star big who stands at an even six feet. That is a height advantage that proves itself useful when making plays in the post on offense or looking to prevent a high-percentage shot from going in as a defender. Claxton ran on the grassroots circuit this past AAU season under the Adidas umbrella with Upward Stars 3SSB 2025. Lions fans have plenty to look forward to with this young up-and-comer sporting its colors.
Trickett has plenty of tricks up her sleeve – and many of them can have opposing coaches second-guessing their game plans when matching up with her Warriors. She participated in grassroots ball with SC Prime. She is a 5-foot-8 power forward that can play with her back to the basket when she is in the frontcourt. Trickett is not afraid to draw contact and find her way to the free throw line. She welcomes the opportunity to get physical in the paint and do the hard work necessary to make plays. Trickett is one of the notable names as part of the growing youth movement for coach Jenny Taylor at Riverside – which will be a 4A team this season after years of competing as a 5A school.