GHSA AAAAAA Final Four
The GHSA AAAAAA Final Four was held at the Buford City Arena. With two great matchups slated, there was sure to be some talented prospects on the floor. The first game featured the Region 5 #1 seed Langston Hughes (24-5)…
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Continue ReadingThe GHSA AAAAAA Final Four was held at the Buford City Arena. With two great matchups slated, there was sure to be some talented prospects on the floor. The first game featured the Region 5 #1 seed Langston Hughes (24-5) versus the Region 2 #1 seed Glenn Academy (25-4). The second game featured Region 4 #2 seed Forest Park (25-6) going head to head with a hungry Region 1 #1 seed Valdosta (28-2).
There were several future collegiate athletes in the Buford Arena for both games. Here are my top seven performances from the day.
Zoesha Smith Zoesha Smith 6'1" | PF Glynn Academy | 2020 State GA | 6’1 | F | Glynn Academy | 2020 | #6
Smith is currently ranked as the #6 best player in the class of 2020 and she showed without question that she was the best player on the floor. The UGA signee was dominant in every facet of the game. She showed elite athleticism with a frame made for high-major college basketball. Several times she was the first player down the floor on offense and defense. She was hard to stop in transition, as rim running seemed to be her first instinct. She found herself ahead of the break on several possessions which translated into tough physical layups against anyone in the paint. She really impressed me with her ability to get off the floor for her second and third jumps. Often times getting 2-3 rebounds on a single position. She posted a convincing double-double of 35 points and 18 rebounds while going 5/6 from the free-throw line.
Raven Thompson | 5’9 | W | Langston Hughes
Thompson was really impressed. She showed great confidence in a big matchup for only a second-year player. I had a chance to see her earlier this year at the South Atlanta invitational where it was evident that she has a knack for using her size and frame to cause problems for her defenders. She has good ball-handling and can put together dribble moves to create separation for her jumper or shift her defender to get them on her hip. She also understands how to use changes in speed and has a good feel for the game. She was able to convert several tough baskets at the rim and showed a good mid-range jumper. Because Langston Hughes is short in size, she was assigned the task of defending Zoesha Smith Zoesha Smith 6'1" | PF Glynn Academy | 2020 State GA . For a sophomore, she gave it a great effort and was able to deflect passes thrown into her or deny them altogether. She showed good versatility on defense. She finished with 16 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals. Look for her in our next set of rankings.
Sania Feagin Sania Feagin 6'4" | PF Forest Park | 2021 State #8 Nation GA | 6’3 | W | Forest Park | 2021 | #1
Our top-ranked player in the class of 2021, Feagin did not disappoint. I have seen her play multiple times this season so it was not a surprise to see her, yet again, end with a double-double. In the Final Four matchup against Valdosta, she left an imprint on the game. Her elite athleticism and ability to handle the ball, rebound the ball, and defend anywhere on the floor set her apart from everywhere else. She caused the most havoc at the top of Forest Parks press where he length and leaping ability leads to deflections and turnovers. She scored 14 points, going 4/5 from the free-throw line and grabbed 14 rebounds. There’s no surprise that she currently holds offers from several of the high major programs in the country. The matchup between her and Zoesha Smith Zoesha Smith 6'1" | PF Glynn Academy | 2020 State GA will be great for fans fortunate enough to see it.
LaTrinity Best | 6’0 | F | Glynn Academy | 2020
Best is a great complement to senior Zoesha Smith Zoesha Smith 6'1" | PF Glynn Academy | 2020 State GA . A tough physical post player that has moves to score in the paint. She ran the floor very well in transition and defend it in the paint. I was very impressed with her vision in her team’s press break as she would often have the ball and showed awareness to find the open player and make the correct pass that eventually lead to easy scores. Best used her big frame to impose her will against the smaller line up of Langston Hughes. Best is a good grab for her school. She finished with 12 points, 5 rebounds, and one block.
Jayla Cody Jayla Cody 6'1" | PF Valdosta | 2020 State GA | 6’1 | F | Valdosta | 2020 | #16
The 6 foot forward and University of Central Arkansas signee is the older sister of the “Twin Towers” at Valdosta. Cody is the #16 ranked player in the class of 2020. She played well in her game against Forest Park, but could not get a win to advance to the championship game. Her long frame allowed her to cause problems for Feagin on the defensive end at times. She showed above-average athleticism with an ability to jump and challenge shots around the rim. She at one point also showed some great footwork on her post moves. She is a great screener in her team’s sets which is where her toughness continued to show. She has a strong build with little fear of contact. She finished with 11 points, 3 rebounds, and one block.
Ta’Mia Stargell Ta’Mia Stargell 5'7" | CG Langston Hughes | 2022 State GA | 5’6 | G | Langston Hughes | 2022
Stargell is another solid sophomore for the Langston Hughes team. She two showed great confidence in the biggest game of her high school career to date. She has a good understanding of the game. She’s quick in transition and has the toughness to bounce off of defenders and continue on her path when making drives at the rim. She was able to finish several layups and showed the mid-range jumper. She’s pretty consistent out to the three-point line as well. With the young backcourt of herself and Thompson, you can expect and Langston Hughes will have success for the next couple of years. Stargell finished with 13 points and two steals and will be a newcomer to our next set of rankings.
Joi Reid | 5’8 | G | Forest Park | 2020
This final four performance was the best that I had seen from Reed to date. She really stepped it up for her team on the big stage and did a little bit of everything for a team. One of the more physical guards in this game, she was able to make an impact on both offense and defense. She picked up two steals on the ball and also had a block. A good decision-maker with the ball in her hands she had a good understanding of when to drive and get to the rim or shoot the mid-range jumper. She finished with 10 points, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 4 rebounds. Because of her strong aggressive drives, she was able to get to the line for six free-throw attempts.