Prep Girls Hoops Top 250 Expo: 2026 Roundup
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If a freshman is to get said freshman campaign off to a noteworthy start prior to the beginning of the season, managing a strong showing at the Prep Girls Hoops Top 250 Expo is a great place to start. This…
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Continue ReadingIf a freshman is to get said freshman campaign off to a noteworthy start prior to the beginning of the season, managing a strong showing at the Prep Girls Hoops Top 250 Expo is a great place to start.
This year’s festivities for South Carolina once again emanated from the John T. Rhodes Sports Center in Myrtle Beach. Over 100 converged on the Grand Strand for what was one the first seven Top 250 Expos as the summer transitions to Fall.
Which standouts did the Palmetto State’s youth movement proud last week? We unveiled our initial 2026 list and here is a look at who caught our attention.
Oceanside Collegiate Academy – Prep Girls Hoops has seen Rush on several occasions during the summer at camp events she participated in with her Landsharks and with her AAU Dynamic Sports Team. Regardless of if she is playing on offense or defense, she consistently watches where the ball is. Rush is willing to absorb contact and find her way to the free throw line. She understands how to convert on high-percentage shot opportunities near the basket and will also make big defensive plays such as interior blocks. Oceanside Collegiate Academy was a 3A team last season, but will compete as a 2A team this coming season.
Highlights
SCISA’s reclassification will have Pouyat and the Generals competing as a 2A team as opposed to 1A – which saw Cathedral Academy advance to its state championship game. Pouyat also plays volleyball and ran on the grassroots circuit with Coastal Select. She first played varsity in the seventh grade. While Pouyat is a potent passer, she will absorb contact and find her way to the free throw line. Her ball handling skills enable her to get her and her team out of dangerous situations. Pouyat can also throw defenders for a loop with her ability to take (and make) her 3-point attempts.
Highlights
There appears to be a youth movement occurring at the 2A Landsharks and Hanks, in tandem with Rush, appear to be two focal points of that movement. Hanks stands at 5-foot-6 and does work on the court primarily as a combo guard. She is poised to find her footing on an Oceanside Collegiate Academy team that only graduated one senior from last year’s rendition. Last season surely raised expectations for the girls basketball program at Oceanside Collegiate Academy – one of South Carolina’s newest schools and Hanks play can certainly ensure the Landsharks remain on the map for many years to come.
Highlights
As gifted and multi-skilled as Holmes is, one would not have thought last season was Holmes’ first playing organized basketball. Currently listed as an even six feet, she combines height with physicality to present an imposing paint presence. Not only can Holmes score near the basket, she is also likely to haul in rebounds on either end of the floor. Soft hands and a knack for locating the correct passing lanes to get the rock to a teammate is another one of Holmes’ talents. Holmes will play for a 2A Stallions team that will maintain its classification but will move from Region 7-2A to Region 8-2A.
Haggard is a 3-sport athlete for an Eagles athletic program where she also manages to excel as a golfer and softball player. She stands at 5-foot-11 and displayed plenty of promise as a scorer and a rebounder. As a combo guard, she displays her versatility by being able to play either as a guard in the backcourt. Defensively, she puts her height and length to good use as a shot blocker. Haggard is a strong possibility to claim 3 more points on a play-by-play basis – even if those are the result of him absorbing contact and completing said play at the free throw line.
Highlights
The year after the Green Wave made a run to the 5A state championship game, coach Calvin Davis’ team may be defined by a youth movement in the coming seasons. Bennett appears to be a central part of that. She understands how to organize an offense in a halfcourt set and can deliver timely rebounding. Bennett also seemingly is always one step ahead of who she is guarding as a defender. She stands at 5-foot-6. Bennett earned a significant amount of playing time last season as an eighth grader for Summerville and she is poised to successfully build on that in 2022-23.