PGH Top 250 Expo: 2023 Part 2
The wide array of talent that was present at this past weekend’s Prep Girls Hoops Top 250 Expo included a list of players representing next year’s senior class. The Rhodes Sports Center in Myrtle Beach was the site for last…
Access all of Prep Girls Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThe wide array of talent that was present at this past weekend’s Prep Girls Hoops Top 250 Expo included a list of players representing next year’s senior class.
The Rhodes Sports Center in Myrtle Beach was the site for last weekend’s festivities as approximately 80 participants showed up. There was plenty of exciting basketball that was played and everyone that attended had the opportunity to impress in front of college coaches.
Who stood out from the Class of 2023? Here is a list of players from last weekend’s event that had us talking about it.
Maliyiah Mason Maliyiah Mason 6'0" | SF Gray Collegiate | 2023 State SC – Gray Collegiate – It will be a sight for Palmetto State hoops fans to get used to with Mason making the move from the Yellowjackets of Irmo to the Eagles of Gray Collegiate Academy. Mason will give any team a great deal of rebounding and a great deal of tenacity. As hailed as she is for her scoring, Mason will also make accurate passes to teammates. Getting steals is another aspect of her overall defensive talents. Along with what she has done during the high school season, she has also played for A’ja Wilson Elite on the travel circuit.
J’Adore Young J’Adore Young 6'4" | C Greenville | 2023 State #27 Nation SC – Greenville HS – When seeing how Young plays, it should be no shock to anyone on why she recently received offers from Presbyterian College as well as USC Upstate. One of the hallmarks of any big is how well they rebound either on the defensive (or offensive) glass and Young can crash the boards with some of the best in the state. Another hallmark of any big is how well they can block shots. Young is extremely adept at that too, having averaged nearly five rejections per contest for a Red Raiders team that posted a 15-3 record and was one victory shy of last season’s Upper State final.
Josie Workman Josie Workman 5'11" | SF Byrnes | 2023 State SC – Byrnes HS (Duncan) – Workman plays for a Byrnes team that finished 13-4 last season and tops in its 5A Region 2 and will be a reason why the Rebels should be a team to watch this upcoming season. She impresses with her ball handling skills along with her skill for making tough shots. Workman also will grab her fair share of rebounds. She is also excelling in her transition game and will give a team plenty of production from behind the 3-point arc. She puts in the work (man) on defense as well with how she gets opposing ball carriers into precarious spots that lead to turnovers.
Peris Smith Peris Smith 6'2" | PF North Augusta | 2023 State SC – North Augusta HS – There is a definite toughness to her style of play that one can instantly notice. Smith can be creative with how she is able to get to the rim and there are occasions where she will go strong to the cup even against a slew of defenders. She gives any team she is on – including the Yellow Jackets – a great deal of rebounding and a great deal of shot blocking. Smith will put up a sizable number of points as well, making her a game-by-game double-double possibility. She is a presence in the paint to be reckoned with.
Jessica Woods Jessica Woods 5'7" | CG Westwood | 2023 State SC – Westwood HS – Westwood is, yes, good with Jessica Woods Jessica Woods 5'7" | CG Westwood | 2023 State SC . She is a combo guard that brings a uniqueness and craftiness to her game. Her speed allows her to weave her way through defenders as she either find the rim or finds one of her teammates to feed the ball off to. It also enables her to be effective with getting out in the open floor in transition situations. Woods can create her own shot and a number of those shots will be from 3-point range. Woods averaged nearly 13 points per game this past season with the Redhawks and played for Team Curry 17U during the travel season.
Anaya Muhammad Anaya Muhammad 5'6" | PG Woodmont | 2023 State SC – Woodmont HS – Speaking of combo guards … there is a reason why she is in the top 10 of Prep Girls Hoops’ 2023 rankings. With as good a scorer as she is, she will automatically make things difficult for defenders as they have to game plan for the possibility she will drive to the basket or shoot the 3. Those long range jumpers she can nail from anywhere on the court. With her speed and court vision, Muhammad can arrive from out of nowhere to steal the ball and go the other way with it for a transition layup. Passing and rebounding have also become important aspects to her skillset. She has played travel ball with FBC Carolina Elite Parks 16.
MacKenzie Massey MacKenzie Massey 5'7" | SG Socastee | 2023 State SC – Socastee HS – Massey will have opponents looking messy. And one way she does this is with her impressive ball handling skills that can throw defenders off balance. Another way is how her own defense can throw opposing ball carriers off balance and how those could turn into possible steals and/or transition plays. She puts plenty of emphasis on sharpening her midrange game and will make heads up plays such as passes to open teammates. Massey also has flourished as a 3-point specialist and is one of those “right place, right time” players that brings grins to a coach’s face.