Sophomores/Rising Juniors to Watch
Coming off successful sophomore seasons all these players are poised to assure the NC prep basketball scene is nothing short of special. Some have already attracted Division 1 attention and by the time their junior season is over they all…
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Continue ReadingComing off successful sophomore seasons all these players are poised to assure the NC prep basketball scene is nothing short of special. Some have already attracted Division 1 attention and by the time their junior season is over they all will be on the top of many Division 1 recruiting boards. As for us the fans it assures more quality basketball to watch as these players will make sure of that.
Desiree Askew 5’8” Guard Hertford County High School– She is one of those players that at present is playing out of position for the good of the team but she is excelling in that role. She is playing the forward position on her team and though on most nights she is undersized she more than holds her own and for the season was a double-double machine and finished the year averaging 16 points a game and an impressive 13 rebounds per game. This speaks to her toughness and work ethic two traits that bode her well heading into her junior year and are directly responsible for her 1st Team All-District and All-Conference honors. She does the vast amount of her damage in the paint using her quickness and size to score and rebound effectively. Now heading into her junior year and with the upcoming AAU season she will continue to work to improve her shot and range and work on her ball handling to strengthen these areas to show the Division 1 schools she is able to transition to the guard or wing position and she has the work ethic and athletic skill to make this transition with ease and it will be something to watch for next season.
Le’Asia Stanley 5’11” Guard/Forward John B Holmes High School-When you combine athletic ability, basketball instincts with size then you have the makings of a solid basketball player and that is what you have when you watch Le’Asia play and it’s hard to imagine she has two more years to develop. She is amazing to watch in the post for a young player she understands how to get low post position and hold it, how to seal the defense and ask for the ball all traits that great post players share. Her skills are not just limited to the post she can step out to 3 point range and mid-range and she is a capable ball-handler and these are areas that I am sure she will work on to improve in her next two years. She is already a great post defender and has great shot-blocking timing and technique which enables her to defend the lane. She was a dominant player in her conference as she averaged 15 points and 13 rebounds per game which lead to POY and 1st Team All-Conference honors as well as 1st Team All-District honors. It going to be interesting to watch these next two years as the rest of her skills improve she will be one of the top players in NC for sure and a definite Division 1 prospect.
Torin Rogers Torin Rogers 6'2" | SF Murphy | 2022 State NC 6’1” Forward Murphy High School– The new age post player or stretch 4 is the new buzz for the basketball world as forwards and centers are able to not only post but are able to step out and make the mid and long-range jumper and handle the ball as well. Well when you think of that you have to think of Torin as she is the poster child for this type of player. With her size, she is comfortable in the post and can score at ease but where she excels is on the break she has the amazing skill to be able to rebound the ball and start the break herself as she is an excellent ball-handler and has tremendous playmaking ability at her young age. She runs the floor well and finishes strong around the basket add to that her ability to flat out shoot the lights out from mid-range and from deep a trait that separates her from other high schools forwards. She shot the 3 at an amazing 38% clip last year from all over the court and off the dribble as well. Add to all of this her basketball IQ and her ability to just play the game and you can understand why she is already getting Division 1 offers. Her honors include 1st Team All-District and All-Conference honors to name a few. This girl is the real deal and before her high school career is up she will be vying for state player of the year honors and will be bombarded with major Division 1 offers she is definitely a must-see for basketball fans.
Raven Preston Raven Preston 6'0" | CG Quality Education Academy | 2022 State NC 5″10″ Guard Southeast Guilford High School-I remember while watching the NC State 3A girls championship a couple of years ago seeing a lanky freshman for Southeast and I found myself watching her intently. She was not like any freshman I had seen she was so poised and so confident in herself traits not exhibited by many freshmen. She was not afraid of the big stage and she took and made some big shots and made good play after good play and though her teammate was the star of the show I thought the freshman was the major reason they won. Raven was that freshman and she just picked up from there and during her sophomore year even again playing alongside another great senior she made her own way and just blossomed. What sets her apart is her ability to play anywhere on the floor from point guard to center she has that kind of skill set. Offensively she is confident and has the skills to score from anywhere be it finishing in the post or shooting the mid or long-range jumper, she excels in the open floor as she is so athletic. She just does it all and that is evident by her stat line 20ppg, 8.7rpg, 5.4spg and 4.3apg just crazy numbers for any player let along a sophomore who is a second option on her team. Her honors include 2nd Team All-District and All-Conference to name a few but these will be too many to name over the next two years as she becomes the number one option on her team. She has already attracted Division 1 offers but believe me by the time this young lady plays her last high school game she will have offers from some of the powerhouse Division 1 programs and wherever she decides to go she will make an impact right away and have a great college career in the meantime if you have a choice of games to watch next year and Southeast is one of your choices go see her play she is worth the trip.