Five Prince George’s County Rising Juniors to Watch: 4A Region
The 2020-21 high school girls basketball season is fast approaching and that means plenty of season previews and profiles of some of the best talents to watch throughout the country. In Maryland, there is some top-quality talent scattered throughout the…
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Continue ReadingThe 2020-21 high school girls basketball season is fast approaching and that means plenty of season previews and profiles of some of the best talents to watch throughout the country.
In Maryland, there is some top-quality talent scattered throughout the state, including Prince George’s County, the home of the University of Maryland and one of the best women’s college basketball programs in the nation.
There could be a few future Terps in this crop, but here’s a look at five rising juniors to watch this season in the 4A region.
Also, if there are more players that we missed, let us know who we missed and we’ll profile them in the future.
Sameera Smith, PG Eleanor Roosevelt: Smith has everything you want in a point guard and then some. Starting out with her shooting, she’s a confident shooter and has range well beyond the perimeter. She doesn’t settle for the three, weaving her way into the lane for a runner or layup often. Her shot creation stands out above the rest, but don’t discount her defense. Need a steal or a bad shot, Smith produces that, creating many scoring opportunities on the other end.
Jahnaiya Sutherland, SG/PG Eleanor Roosevelt: Sutherland plays extremely well off-ball on offense. She gets herself in open positions all over the floor and can execute a give-and-go with ease. Her aggressive play style comes off on both sides of the ball, taking charges and sacrificing her body for possession on defense, and making plays happen for points on the offensive side. Sutherland plays with intensity and it has paid off thus far.
Naadiya Al-Saalam, SG Charles H. Flowers: Al-Saalam’s play-style is full throttle, 100 percent energy until the final buzzer. She has excellent court speed, allowing her to track back for a closedown block or a quick layup on a fast break. She’s a quick release shooter, but a confident shooter, and it shows on the tape. Al-Saalam, on defense, is aggressive, which creates scoring opportunities on the other end if she helps cause a turnover.
Beulah Odiong, C/PF Charles H. Flowers: Odiong is the traditional stretch five, but her athleticism gives her attributes of a guard. She plays to her advantage, her height, able to collect passes down low for shots. It also gives her an advantage in the paint, hauling in rebounds and swatting away shots. Odiong plays with intensity and tenacity, and her drive really plays a role when she’s on the floor and helps to elevate her game.
Alaina Johnson, SG/F Charles H. Flowers: Johnson shows a lot of versatility on the court, able to play at both the guard and forward position. She was featured on JV last year, but should see some meaningful minutes this season on varsity. Expect her to be an important role player, a solid shooter with good court speed and a high basketball IQ. That will only bring another level of depth to this CH Flowers program moving forward.
There are plenty more players and regions to go over before the season starts, so be on the lookout for more player previews and profiles in the coming days and weeks.