Exposing More of the “Guard-ed” Treasures in the 2024 Class
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The natives know about the schools off of the beaten paths, and the basketball courts where many talented players on the First Coast work on their craft. The local newspapers write about them regularly and these players are known throughout…
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Continue ReadingThe natives know about the schools off of the beaten paths, and the basketball courts where many talented players on the First Coast work on their craft. The local newspapers write about them regularly and these players are known throughout the counties on the First Coast: Nassau, St Johns, Clay, Duval, and surrounding counties in the Jacksonville Metropolitan area. In this article, we expose some of the basketball treasures of the 2024 class that you may not know much about. This class is full of talent and their names are sprinkled all over the PGH 2024 rankings. These are some of the Treasures you will read more about this summer and next basketball season.
Kelly Cramer Kelly Cramer 5'9" | PG St. Joseph Academy | 2024 State FL ( St Joseph Academy) (pictured above) had a monster year at SJA, averaging 19.2 points per contest. Cramer is the real deal and can do it all on the basketball courts – score, rebound, assist and defend. She plays with a lot of energy and does so on both sides of the ball. Cramer is an aggressive attacker of the rim. If there is a path to the rim, she is taking it. Last season she attempted 210 free throws which illustrate her ability to get to the goal and draw fouls. She can score from all areas of the court and is most effective in the midrange and paint. She did connect on 13 three-pointers for the season, but she was more effective on her drives and two-point shots, where she shot an amazing 52 percent for the season. Defensively, Cramer was solid and averaged 3.8 steals per game.
Riley Talbert Riley Talbert 5'9" | SG Bishop Kenny HS | 2024 State FL (Bishop Kenny) Talbert Was impressive in the 2021 basketball season at Bishop Kenny. She is a smart player who does it all on the court. She wasn’t flashy, but she was so productive. Talbert averaged 7.9 points per game. She can rebound pass it, and score the ball. Bishop Kenny had some very talented Sophomores and Talbert was equally as productive as the other talented Sophomores on the team.
Kendall Shorstein Kendall Shorstein 5'5" | SG Episcopal School Of Jacksonville | 2024 State FL (Episcopal/ PGH #225) has really taken her game to another level over the AAU season. As a Freshman, Shorstein was one of the most accurate three-point shooters on the First Coast. This past season, she averaged 7.1 points per game, including 18 three-pointers. Shorstein is more than a three-point shooter. She can handle the ball and has shown that she can get to the basket and get in the paint for easy buckets.
Ansley Hicks Ansley Hicks 5'6" | CG Paxon | 2024 State FL (Paxon/ PGH #81). Hicks plays an aggressive attacking style of basketball and can score on all levels of the court. Last basketball season, she averaged 15 points per game. Hicks was also solid on defense, finishing the season with 62 steals. She can penetrate, shoot in the lane, and can knock down the three. She is also excellent in transition play where she can attack the basket. Hicks is a smart and very unselfish player who makes the right basketball play when on the court.
Mary Kate Kent Mary Kate Kent 5'6" | SG St. Johns Country Day | 2024 State FL (St Johns Country Day/ PGH #66). Kent is one of the top young shooters on the First Coast. Last year she connected on 69 three-pointers and averaged 12.5 points per game. The three-point shot is Kent’s calling card, but she does have other strong aspects of her game. She is a tenacious defender, full of energy, and can handle the ball. She is also a confident player who this past season played alongside Taliah Scott Taliah Scott 5'8" | SG St. John's Country Day | 2023 State #31 Nation FL , one of the best players in the state. The value of that experience alone was and will continue to be worth a pot of gold.
Autumn Nesmith Autumn Nesmith 5'6" | SG Orange Park | 2024 State FL (Orange Park/ PGH #200) has really played well over the Spring AAU season and has taken her game to a new level. Last season her three-point shooting was very good and she played her role very well for the Orange Park Lady Raiders. Nesmith connected on 22 threes last season, including a game-winner against Ponte Vedra. Over the AAU season, Nesmith has continued to let the three fly, and she is doing more and more on the courts. Her ball handling and defensive contributions have improved and she will be counted on heavily this upcoming season with the departure of some dynamic senior players.
Hailey Revak Hailey Revak 5'4" | SG Orange Park | 2024 State FL (Orange Park/ PGH #147) Revak played well last year in her role as the three-point specialist, knocking down 38 threes for the season. What was impressive is that she excelled in that role in the playoffs where she was very instrumental in the playoff win against Tallahassee Rickards. Revak has played well in the early AAU season and continues to expand her game which will lead to an expanded role with Orange Park next basketball season.