Previewing the Talent-Filled 2021 Class for 1Dream
1Dream is finding unique ways to keep the girls active and in basketball shape during these uncertain times when competition may not come back for several more months still. Here are the 2021 players that you should know about: Jessica…
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Continue Reading1Dream is finding unique ways to keep the girls active and in basketball shape during these uncertain times when competition may not come back for several more months still. Here are the 2021 players that you should know about:
Jessica Timmons Jessica Timmons 5'9" | PG Independence | 2021 State #68 Nation NC | North Mecklenburg | CG
Jessica is a NC State commit who can do it all on the basketball court. She runs the floor well, and she can control the ball at the point guard position or show off her shot from the wing. She also shows patience when waiting for players to create space for her to make a move and blow by them for the easy bucket. She contributes rebounds for her team with her size, and is sure to make the put back shot. Jessica already has 2000 points in her high school career, and she still has another year to add to her statistics. She shows great ball handling skills to get by anyone on the court and make a pass to her teammates to get them involved.
Averie DiBenedetto | Independence | G
Averie is a guard that you need to keep your eyes on. On defense, she knows how to deflect and steal the ball from opponents. This is one of the ways she shows her basketball IQ because she seems to know what the opponents are going to do before they do it. She is also a great defender when it comes to trapping opponents and knows how to time these scenarios perfectly. She is not scared to move inside to grab a rebound herself and explode up the court. In these fast break situations, she shows off her vision of the court always looking up for her open teammate to make the basket or take it all the way herself. Her defense and quickness are not her only talents as she is a great shooter, especially from behind the arc. Averie will certainly have an exciting senior season to continue to show off her skills.
Karynton Clark | Union Academy | PG
This point guard shows that she can do many things on the court beyond being a floor general. She has a quickness with the ball and sneaky speed without the ball getting into position for backdoor cuts or setting herself up for a shot. Her 3 point shot is very good, and she shows that she can be aggressive inside against any player that tries to get in front of her. She has great vision on the court and shows patience that most girls her age do not show when waiting for a play to develop or the perfect time to make a move and drive herself. Karynton also shows no fear when driving against players that may be taller than her or even grab rebounds to help her team push the ball in transition.
Sa’Miyah Williams | Butler | SF
Sa’Miyah is certainly a strong forward who stays persistent when it comes to grabbing a rebound, whether it is on offense or defense. She also has the ability to grab the rebound and take the ball to the other end of the court with her dribbling skills. When a teammate is pushing the ball up the court, she runs the floor really well making herself available for the fast break points. She has good vision of the court, too, making good moves in transition. On the defensive side of the ball, she is not scared to strategically jump into passing lanes to create steals or even contribute blocks to end the possession of her opponents. With Butler losing some of their senior leadership this year, look for Sa’Miyah to step into a leadership role and keep her team at the top of their conference.
Imari Knight | Central Cabarrus | F
Imari’s quickness and ability to run the floor go beyond what you usually see from forwards in high school. She isn’t scared to grab the rebound and push the ball herself. She is also known to show this explosiveness when grabbing a steal herself as she is an aggressive defender. Imari is known to swat a couple shots from opponents out of the way. Also on defense, she plays help defense well knowing how to slide in when her teammates need her assistance. She doesn’t show fear when driving against other opponents or when opponents are coming at her. In practice, she even seems to initiate contact to make it seem as close to a real game scenario as possible. Her leadership and skills will be an asset to have for her last year in high school.
Alexis Bynum | Mallard Creek | PG
Alexis excels on the defensive side of the ball. She plays a lot bigger than her frame shows, jumping in passing lanes and in front of defenders causing deflections and steals to help her team get the ball back. She is also known for pick pocketing other guards trying to dribble around her. She has a great vision of the court knowing where her teammates are going to be to make a play. Alexis does not show any fear when driving into the lane and being an aggressive defender. She is someone to fear when competing against her.
Gabby Haynes | Mallard Creek | F
Gabby makes sure her presence is known in the paint. She knows how to move her opponent out of the way to grab the rebound. After grabbing the boards, she quickly finds her outlet pass and gets up the court herself to contribute to the fast break and transition offense. She makes herself a large target for her teammates to get the ball inside to her. She will continue to show her abilities in her senior season next year.
Gabby Heyward | South Pointe | F
Gabby has some great size and has some versatility to her playmaking abilities. She has a great shot and keeps the ball high where opponents have very little chance of grabbing that out of her hands. She runs the floor well, especially after grabbing rebounds for her team. She is known to grab some steals, too. In the paint, she has some great post moves to score for her teammates and knows how to position herself well for the shot or to grab an offensive rebound when her teammates put up a shot.