Week Two: Thanksgiving Performances Across The State
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Week two of the Georgia basketball season is usually filled with holiday tournaments and showcases and this year was no different. I made the trip to Jacksonville, FL for the Insider Exposure Thanksgiving Classic which drew 13 teams from the peach state. There were a lot of good matchups throughout the two days I attended which also created an opportunity to see teams from Florida and North Carolina.
Here are the teams that I was able to see: Charlotte (FL), Cardinal Mooney (FL), Galloway School (GA), Holy Innocents’ (GA), Jones (FL), Lake Mary (FL), Luella (GA), Mt. Paran (GA), Palm Bay Magnet (FL), San Jose Prep (FL), Westminster (FL), Westminster (GA), Winston Salem Christian National (NC), Woodstock (GA)
Here are the players listed in three categories. Impact Players, Impression Makers, and Want To See More are used to help describe the type of game the players listed had.
Impact Players
Kiara Williams Kiara Williams 6'1" | PF Palm Bay Magnet | 2024 State FL | 6’0 | F | 2024 | Palm Bay Magnet (FL)
Extremely physical in every aspect of post play. She moves opposing players’ bodies with intentionality. Whether fighting for position on the block, fighting for position on the high post, or fighting for position to get the rebound, just know that she fights. She was tough. When she made up her mind to do something there was little anyone could do to stop her.
Dominika Paurova | 6’1 | W/F | Winston Salem Christian National (NC)
Dominika uses size, skill, and a good IQ to impact the game. She showed versatility through her ability to switch seamlessly between perimeter and post play. Showed an understanding of the differences to effectively defend in both areas as well. She kept her team in it early. She put the ball on the floor and made determined drives in the first quarter finishing and getting to the line while showing shot-making ability throughout the game.
Olivia Hutcherson Olivia Hutcherson 6'0" | PF Holy Innocents' | 2023 State GA | 6’0 | F/W | 2023 | Holy Innocents’
Olivia put together the most impressive game that I saw over the two days. She opened up the game with a block on the perimeter and took the tipped shot all the way to the rim for a finish in transition. She would go on to do this three different times. A true tweener by definition she is able to do a lot of things on the court through an elite level of athleticism and the best motor in any game she plays no matter the opponent. Her outside shooting is the only downside to what she brings to the floor but that is heavily overshadowed by all the things she does well. Finishing through contact, rebounded, defending, and unselfishness are guaranteed if she is in the game.
Ariana Dyson Ariana Dyson 6'1" | PF Luella | 2023 State GA | 6’1 | F | 2023 | Luella (GA)
Ariana plays well on both ends of the floor relying heavily on a gritty style of play. She opened the game with a good defensive stop by taking the charge on a basket that would have counted and went on to take two more. That’s the toughness and sacrifice that any coach would fall in love with. She was very active on the boards and showed great hands-on catches in traffic. She is not affected by physical play and is usually the aggressor in the situation doing it without picking up unnecessary fouls.
Evelina Davlakou Evelina Davlakou 5'6" | PG Luella | 2022 State GA | 5’5 | PG | 2022 | Luella (GA)
I have been high on Evelina since the first time I watched her play two summers ago. She runs the PG position as well as anyone. She initiates the fastbreak extremely well using vision, speed, and an understanding of the benefits of keeping pressure on teams in transition. She is a skilled finisher and does great as a smaller guard using her body to get space between the ball and defenders looking to contest those attempts. She uses her voice as a leader on her team well. Jacksonville has a good one coming in next year.
Kara Dunn Kara Dunn 6'0" | SF Mt. Paran Christian | 2022 State #70 Nation GA | 6’0 | G/W | 2022 | Mount Paran (GA)
Kara had a complete game on both ends of the floor in a very close game against Charlotte (FL). She attacked the basket with fearless determination and scored it herself or made last-second dishes to open teammates. She showed some nice focus with multiple finishes in traffic. A true competitor whose will to win is sure to carry her team deep into the playoff season. The Georgia Tech signee is a great fit for the culture Nell Fortner has built there.
Casey Miller Casey Miller 6'2" | C Woodstock | 2023 State GA | 6’2 | C | 2023 | Woodstock (GA)
Casey was a monster in her game against Lake Mary (FL). She is big and physical in the post. Casey did well sealing defenders once she had a position on the block. She scored three consecutive baskets on the low block to start the game. She has a good understanding of rim running and takes advantage of those benefits. Her footwork is very impressive. She uses it well and knows the positions to catch on the interior to get the best angles for scoring. A smart player that chooses her post moves very well. A true post player in every sense.
Bridget Utberg Bridget Utberg 5'6" | PG Woodstock | 2022 State GA | 5’5 | PG | 2022 | Woodstock
Bridget is the type of player that goes out, does the work, and then puts her travel suit back on and goes home. For that reason, I believe she goes unnoticed for all she does in games. She came out with good energy. She has a ton of ball-handling ability and plays a quick and shifty game. Pairing her dribble combinations with the extremely crafty finishes at the rim is sure to provide highlight material for each game. She’s headed to Central Michigan and has a chance to pick up several conference accolades.
Jordan Boddie Jordan Boddie 5'9" | CG Lake Mary | 2023 State FL | 5’6 | PG | 2023 | Lake Mary (FL)
I like Jordan a lot. Not only is she skilled and tough but she has the willingness to do whatever her team needs to win and her coaches lean on her a lot in games. She spent several possessions in the high post to facilitate scoring for her team against the zone and she did it very well. She went off in the second half. Passing and scoring. She used speed in transition to get to the rim and showed that she was a deep ball threat off the catch and shoot and the bounce. She has good recognition of defenders and knew when she had the space to shoot the jumper with a limited contest. She’s a good player still very much under the radar.
Impression Makers
Kiana Wilson Kiana Wilson 5'8" | PG San Jose Prep | 2022 State FL | 5’7 | G | 2022 | San Jose Prep
When looking at Kiana you get the feeling she is a hooper. She has a natural feel for the game and seems to do good things with little effort required. She has a strong build and absorbed contact with ease. She has great athleticism and a lot of bounce to her game which showed in transition when weaving through traffic and when adjusting finishes at the rim around defenders. She was most effective in the halfcourt when making straight-line drives but she can put together some moves to create for herself.
Aysia Hinton | 5’8 | G | 2023 | Winston Salem Christian National (NC)
Aysia grabbed my attention on the defensive side of the ball. She showed determination and relentless effort both on and off the ball. She was tasked with making Emma as uncomfortable as possible after knocking down all four of her attempts from deep in the first quarter. She got the job done by using a lot of physical toughness to fight through off-ball screens. She scored on the offensive end out of sets that created easy scoring opportunities for her.
Emma Risch Emma Risch 6'2" | PG Palm Bay | 2023 State #23 Nation FL | 6’1 | SG | 2023 | Palm Bay Magnet (FL)
She came out of the gates on fire. She is deadly from distance and opened up 4 of 4 from deep. She was by far the best shooter that I saw between the two days. She did it off of actions designed to get her open looks and she hit from the wings and top of the key. She was slowed down a lot after the opposing team made a commitment to not let them beat her but there is no question that with her size and shooting prowess she will be a welcomed addition at Notre Dame.
D’Yanis Jimenez D’Yanis Jimenez 5'9" | PG Charlotte | 2023 State FL | 5’8 | G | 2023 | Charlotte (FL)
It was tough sledding in her first game but you could clearly see she was a player. I like her activity on defense, two back-to-back steals in the early minutes of the game. Showed some play-making ability finding her shooter on the wing in a broken play and then came back and hit her again cutting to the rim in transition. She gets her hands on a lot of passes. She really got it going in their second game. She connected from everywhere on the floor. Showed great ability to get separation and knocked in several step-back jumpers between the two games I watched.
Aryana Hicks Aryana Hicks 5'4" | PG Charlotte | 2022 State FL | 2022 | 5’5 | PG | 2022 | Charlotte (FL)
I’m glad I had a chance to see Aryana twice. She looked a lot better in the second game. She shot it well from deep and also showed some nice floater game. She really kept Mt. Paran honest as a true second scoring threat where they were not able to dedicate as many defensive resources to D’Yanis. She showed a lot of quickness in the half-court with great acceleration out of her crossover to get past defenders.
Ciara Alexander | 6’0 | F | 2023 | Holy Innocents’ (GA)
She passes the eye test easily. She either spends a lot of time in the weight room or she has been fortunate to have great genetics. She is a physical specimen. On the court, she runs the floor hard and when putting the ball on the floor from the high post she is tough to slow down. She has good awareness on both ends and the quickness and strength to cover ground quickly.
Lena Girardi Lena Girardi 5'10" | SF IMG Academy | 2025 State FL | 5’11 | W | 2025 | Westminster (FL)
Lena has a ton of upside. A very crafty freshman wing that really reads defenders well when choosing what moves to go to. She worked her jab well to get defenders going either direction then took off with a quick first step. She’s a capable shooter as well from both the mid-range and three-point line already and I expect that to continue to improve.
Trinity Layton | 5’11 | W | 2023 | Luella (GA)
This was my first time seeing Trinity play in person and I left with a lot of positives. Trinity started her game with great energy and never let up. She is constantly going when in the game and she embraces the emphasis on defense at Luella. She has good length and great mobility which translates to a lot of deflections and steals. A strong finisher at the rim and showed some shooting ability when getting the ball in her spots. She brings double-double potential to the floor because she is an exceptional rebounder from the guard position.
Karson Martin Karson Martin 5'8" | CG Woodstock | 2023 State GA | 5’7 | G | 2023 | Woodstock
Karson the other half of the 1-2 punch at Woodstock. She is consistently accurate beyond the arc and moves very well when off the ball. Her ball-handling is very good but she does not waste her dribbles. She was very intentional when putting the ball on the floor to create for herself and has good footwork getting in and out of her moves quickly. Her ability to place passes on post entries played a big role in the performance Casey Miller Casey Miller 6'2" | C Woodstock | 2023 State GA had in their game. A selfless teammate that recognizes opposing teams’ weaknesses and exploits them. This was the first time I had seen her in live game action but I’ll be looking for an opportunity to catch her again.
Brittany Wilson Brittany Wilson 5'5" | SG Evans HS | 2022 State FL | 5’6 | PG | 2022 | Jones (FL)
The best way to describe Brittany is “tough as nails” at the lead guard spot. She makes quick decisions and knows when to get the ball out of her hands. She was great in the press picking up several steals and using her defense to create offense. Good ball-handler that also has the vision and passing ability to hit her teammates wherever they are open. Took on a lot of pressure in their matchup against Luella and although she was not perfect she still impressed.
Want To See More
Terissa Lavoile-Brice | 6’0 | C | 2023 | Winston Salem Christian National (NC)
Got to the foul line a few times throughout the game through good activity on the offensive glass. She is aggressive in her attacks to the rim. She showed her catch-and-shoot jumper from the corner and was a consistent scorer around the rim on her attempts.
Taelyn Carey Taelyn Carey 6'1" | SF Westminster Academy | 2023 State FL | 6’0 | F | 2023 | Westminster (FL)
Taelyn was not afraid to mix it up with opposing players when it was time for physical rebounding. She played well through the contact. She showed a little offensive game in the paint with two or three nice post moves. She worked her pivot well on the block and got defenders guessing leading to some easy scores.
Stella Chartrand Stella Chartrand 5'9" | SG Westminster | 2024 State GA | 5’10 | SG | 2024 | Westminster (GA)
Stella is a shooter that moves very well when hunting for her shot attempts whether in set actions or read and react situations. She opened up hot going 3 of 3 on her first three shots from distance. She moved pretty well on defense and used her length at the position to her advantage. With her shooting ability, she has a good chance to be a 1000 point scorer in her high school career.
Lauren Fernando | 5’9 | G | 2022 | Westminster (GA)
Great IQ and relocations after each post feed leading to some nice looks on inside out play. She looked good leading the break where she found open teammates. She had a string of positive plays showing court vision and good shooting catch and shoot. Very consistent from the FT line as well.
Camryn Berry Camryn Berry 5'10" | PG Luella | 2023 State GA | 5’10 | G | 2023 | Luella (GA)
Camryn benefits a lot from the style of play at Luella. The uptempo offense and aggressive defense plays to her strengths perfectly. She kicked off her offense with two threes showing a nice stroke from distance. Throughout the game, she finished at the rim through contact and used some good reads to put the ball on the floor and get to the line after converting. She is good in transition and knows how to run lanes especially when the defense is at a disadvantage. Looking forward to watching her again.
Paris Gaines Paris Gaines 6'3" | PF Jones | 2022 State FL | 6’3 | C | 2023 | Jones (FL)
Paris has big-time player potential with a combination of size and athleticism. There were times in the game that made you think she could be the best player on the floor. She is a lot to handle when she is determined whether scoring, defending, or rebounding.
Jessica Fields Jessica Fields 6'1" | PF Mt. Paran | 2025 State GA | 6’1 | F | 2025 | Mount Paran (GA)
Jessica battled hard on the inside. She grabbed a lot of rebounds in traffic and defended well in transition. She showed some post offensive work as well get a couple of baby hooks to go. She grabbed a steal and pushed the break on one possession that ended with her making a nice pass to a teammate running the lane. A lot to look forward to from this young freshman.
Kyra Frazine Kyra Frazine 5'11" | CG Lake Mary | 2022 State FL | 5’11 | W | 2022 | Lake Mary (FL)
Kyra is a bit of a tweener. She has more of the mechanics to play on the interior but shoots the ball extremely well. She opened up with three straight from deep including one to beat the clock at the end of the first quarter. With that shooting ability, her shot fake will be a great asset to create driving opportunities.