Sandy's Spiel Showdown
Girls Analysis

Sandy’s Spiel Showdown Girls Top Performers


PRO Movement
Store Banner

 

Christina Collins2023 5-7 G Christina Collins – Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe
Tucked away in Northwest Georgia, closer to Chattanooga, Tennessee (8.6 miles) than Atlanta (110 miles), its easy for Christina Collins to slip through the cracks when talking about top players in the state. While she makes up for her obscurity during the travel ball circuit, not enough fans and college coaches know about Collins in my opinion. She is the engine that makes LFO go. When she was hurt as a sophomore the Warriors went 0-19. Healthy last season with a new cast around her, Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe finished 28-2 losing in the Class 3A Elite Eight to GAC. This season, LFO is off to another undefeated start and Collins is to thank. The All-State guard does a little bit of everything for a team that presses relentlessly and launches three-point shots the first chance they get. The Warriors aren’t huge by any means but Collins plays like she is, able to contribute from any position on the floor. She’s power-packed, using her strength to block out bigger opponents which allows her to snag rebounds and ignite the Warriors’ transition game. Collins serves as both a scorer and distributor for LFO. She’s strong with the ball in her hands, able to attack off the dribble and plant her foot to change direction and get downhill. Christina sees the floor well in traffic. Aside from her ability to get into the paint, Collins is a solid outside shooter that can sink the open three and has a good touch from the foul line. In Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe’s 70-34 rout of Denmark, Collins collected 15 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, 6 steals and 2 blocks. The physical guard should draw attention from college coaches of multiple levels. D-II could be a very good fit, but I wouldn’t be shocked if a Low Major program fell in love with her toughness and ability to impact that game in different ways.

Brooke Moore2023 5-11 W Brooke Moore – North Cobb Christian
Adversity surrounded the participants in Game 1 of the Sandy’s Spiel Showdown as a bad wreck shut down the highway and rendered the North Cobb Christian team bus stuck along with anyone else traveling to Cherokee High School. The first game of the day started 20 minutes behind schedule and with North Cobb Christian already with a tall task at hand in Class 7A No. 9 Hillgrove, things could have gotten ugly, but Brooke Moore put the Eagles on her back and nearly lifted them to a signature come from behind win, losing 53-51. The Liberty-signee stayed aggressive throughout, getting to the basket and drawing fouls. Moore went 12-12 from the free throw line, part of her ledger that read 25 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and 5 blocks, showing off her entire repertoire. Hunting her offense and staying in attack mode have always been areas of focus for Moore and on Saturday she did exactly what her team needed. While her offense was invaluable, her defense was also key and a main reason why I’ve held Moore in such high regard, due to her ability to influence games on both ends of the floor. Her length and athleticism are graceful to watch when her motor matches her talent. Moore is one of the toolsiest players in all of Georgia giving her a high ceiling at the next level.

Aryelle King2023 5-5 PG Aryelle King – Hillgrove
Hillgrove has a deep roster full of young talent, sometimes making it hard to standout. On Saturday, it was the wily veteran, one of just two seniors that sees the floor, that put her stamp on the game with her quickness as a playmaker. King posted 7 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals and 1 block. Aryelle proved that being a pass-first point guard still has value as she was able to breakdown defenders to set up teammates for easy looks. King scored all seven of her points in a third quarter spurt, scoring on a layup, a putback and a three-pointer. Knowing the Eagles had a miniscule bench and limited ball handlers, King attacked defensively using her on-ball pressure to force turnovers. Aryelle holds an offer from NAIA Bluefield.

Bryanna Preston2024 5-10 PG Bryanna Preston – Lovejoy
Entering as the event’s highest profile prospect, the four-star guard lived up to the billing by tormenting Cherokee with her playmaking and pull-up jumper in Lovejoy’s 65-55 win. Even against Cherokee’s 2-3 zone, Preston found paydirt time and time again by either getting into the teeth of the defense before finding the open man or stopping on a dime with her mid-range game, netting six jumpers in addition to a three-pointer. Preston is so quick and wiry she made getting to her spots look simple as Cherokee struggled to even contest her pull-ups. What really impressed me was how effortless it looked for Preston to create with her left hand. Capable of attacking either side of the floor, when Bryanna went left she had total control and could whip passes into the opposite corner as she floated out of bounds on drives. Bryanna finished with 27 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 steal. Preston continues to add to her game each season as she becomes more and more well-rounded. High Major programs are rightfully battling for her services.

La'Nya Foster2023 5-10 W La’Nya Foster – Lovejoy
Signed to Austin Peay, the Govs are getting a workhorse swingman that is skilled and tough enough to provide versatility at multiple positions.  Foster has a great nose for the ball and is an aggressive rebounder. She’s physically strong, able to muscle her way onto the glass and can finish through contact as she absorbs bumps in the paint. Foster scored from all three levels on Saturday, hitting four mid-range jumpers, a three and converting on two hoops inside, one coming via a left-handed drive.  Anytime Bryanna Preston needed a safety valve, Foster was there to catch and shoot. Foster finished with 17 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 1 block.

Riley Simmons2024 6-0 F Riley Simmons – Cherokee
Cherokee was on the ropes early, losing Toni Warren to a knee injury at the 2:36 mark of the second quarter. The Warriors trailed 31-24 at the time she exited and would eventually fall behind 55-37 after three quarters, but Riley Simmons and company kept competing with Lovejoy till the final buzzer, losing 65-55 instead of packing it in. In what was a physical game, Simmons was on the floor a lot, crashing to the ground after being fouled and going after loose balls. An ice bath was well warranted for Simmons post game as a few times it looked like she would have to sit out and miss time, but Riley was able to shrug off the trainer multiple times showcasing her toughness. Simmons would finish with 22 points and 7 rebounds, scoring in a variety of ways. I loved how aggressive she was and how she understood that with Warren injured someone needed to step up and score. Riley attacked off the dribble, hit step-back jumpers, nailed a three, converted an And-1 and ran the floor for points in transition. Her most impressive move came in the fourth quarter as she created off the bounce by spinning off a defender going into a mid-range pull-up. Simmons has a great frame with size and strength but its her shooting touch and improving confidence as a ball handler that really gives her an enticing future. Riley’s tough in the paint and is a real mismatch as a stretch-four with her three-point shot. D-III programs Berry and Piedmont have offered. It would be hard to envision her not garnering offers from D-II programs and possibly even higher with another year of development especially if her perimeter skills keep improving.