BCS Elite 32
Girls Analysis

BCS Elite 32 Top Performers

Mataya Gayle2023 5-7 PG Mataya Gayle – Southeast All-Stars White – River Ridge
Entering the week as one of the best players in Georgia yet to see their recruitment truly explode, Mataya Gayle once again made a statement as being an elite playmaker that – yes – can shoot the three consistently and efficiently. After torching White County in the GBCA in June, finishing with 33 points on 7/11 shooting from three, Gayle bounced back on Day 2 of BCS Elite 32 with 18 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist and 4 steals against powerhouse Lady Gym Rats Riego, shooting 7-14 from the field, 3-6 from three with only three turnovers, none after the first quarter. Game 2 of the day saw the All-Stars cruise 59-37 over Southern Sky Elite, Gayle going for 10 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. Mataya shot 3-10 from the field and 2-9 from three with 0 turnovers. The knock on Gayle over the summer was that she didn’t shoot the three well enough. Since then, she has proven to be more than capable of filling it up from deep, but mustn’t lose her identity of being a dynamic slasher with a sharp pull-up game. If D-I schools can’t come to grips with her ability to score from all three levels, there’s nothing else Gayle can do to prove them wrong. If schools value a playmaker that will be the best athlete on the floor nine times out of 10 and will impact the game across the box score consistently than Gayle is the girl. Two more D-I schools rolled out offers today after watching Gayle this week, as Samford and Farleigh Dickinson now join Georgia State, UNC Greensboro, North Carolina A&T and Cornell while West Georgia represents the lone D-II. As I’ve been saying since last year, Gayle is a slam dunk at the Mid-Major level.

2023 5-11 F Kyla Cain – Southeast All-Stars White – Galloway
Kyla Cain did good things on Sunday, using her size and strength to battle in the paint. She had 7 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 2 blocks vs. Lady Gym Rats Riego and ended the day with 11 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals vs. Southern Sky Elite. Cain is a combo-forward that can spend time on the perimeter as a slasher and does her best work from 15-feet and in, using her physicality to score through contact. Kyla uses a floater to finish on drives when unable to get all the way to the basket. She started a few of her own fast breaks after securing rebounds, pushing full court going coast-to-coast. Kyla is a valuable defender, versatile enough to defend both inside and out. Offensively, her blend of quickness, strength and skill from the four spot is a major mismatch at the high school level. Cain received an offer from North Florida in 2021 and is a solid option for Low Majors and High D-II.

2023 5-11 PG Elle Blatchford – Southeast All-Stars White – Sequoyah
The Southern Miss-commit was steady as always, scoring in different ways and using her length to help rebound and defend. Blatchford hit three three-pointers over two games in which she compiled 17 points, 6 rebounds and 3 steals. In a guard-heavy lineup it’s easy to get lost, but Elle was able to find her niche playing off the ball and was able to help defend multiple spots on the floor.

Diana Collins2023 5-9 PG Diana Collins – Southeast All-Stars Black – Brookwood
One of the players that every Power 5 school in attendance had circled on their list, Diana Collins did not disappoint during her return to the States after playing with the Swedish National Team. Diana filled up columns across the stat sheet, opening up with 19 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks in an 80-53 win over ABC Lightning. Collins went 8-17 from the field. To wrap up Day 2 of BCS Elite 32, Collins nearly repeated her line, posting 19 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals. Her smooth approach to the game and natural ability to make everyone around her better is why she is regarded as the best point guard in Georgia and who I think is the best senior. Collins sank five threes on the day and would calmy walk into jumpers on the perimeter. The game moves slowly for Diana, the sign of a truly special player. Whichever High Major gets Collins is getting a polished playmaker ready to make an impact sooner rather than later.

Hannah Cail2023 5-7 CG Hannah Cail – Southeast All-Stars Black – Calvary Day
A sneaky good player coming out of Savannah, Hannah Cail had successfully flown under the radars heading into her final travel tournament. For schools in attendance this week, they got to see just how good Cail could be in the right system. Playing alongside other talented players, Cail shined as a three-point marksman. She drilled seven threes on the day, opening with 12 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals on 4-8 three-point shooting. In the afternoon portion, Cail went 5-11 from the field and 3-6 from beyond the arc to net 13 points, 3 rebounds and 4 steals. Hannah entered the event as the top priority for one program that made a point to attend every one of her games. She may be close to coming to a decision before her high school season starts. With only four offers in hand, schools that didn’t offer or waited till the last second to do so may be kicking themselves years from now.

Kendall Emener2023 6-1 PF Kendall Emener – Southeast All-Stars Black – First Presbyterian Day
After a slow first three quarters of the day, the Class A-Private All-State post really found momentum, finishing strong. Emener posted 11 points, 9 rebounds and 1 block in Game 1 and concluded the day with 8 points, 6 rebounds and 2 steals, shooting 9-19 from the field. Kendall used her strength to vacuum up offensive rebounds. With her size, Emener can be punishing in the paint. She made it a point to exploit her height advantage in Game 2, posting hard and finishing deep inside. Emener, who has stretch capabilities, hit a pair of mid-range jumpers on the day. While she may not be a game-changing shot blocker, Emener is a quality post defender that uses her body well to keep opponents away from the basket. Quickening her feet and becoming more agile will be areas that should improve once in a college weight room. With her size and overall skill, Emener is too good not to have multiple D-II offers by now. If D-I offers don’t ever materialize, Kendall has the traits to become a D-II All-Conference player in the right system. With the departure from the GHSA, this week was incredibly important for Emener’s visibility and I think she did enough to warrant phone calls from college coaches.

2023 5-10 W Nylah Nuri – Southeast All-Stars Black – Johns Creek
Nylah Nuri had maybe one of the best days out of anyone who was looking to improve their stock, entering the tournament without any known offers. Nuri, a strongly built swingman, shot the ball great. She finished with 11 points, 5 rebounds and 1 block in Game 1, shooting 4-8 from the field and 3-4 from three. In Game 2, Nuri scored inside and out, posting 8 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal. Nylah has a tight shot which has improved yearly into becoming a serious weapon. Teams will be solely game planning on stopping her this upcoming season which could make it tough to score as efficiently as she did on Sunday, but it will be great experience getting the lion’s share of the offense ran through her. Don’t be surprised if Nylah still manages to put up big numbers and begins to pop up on recruiting boards of all levels.