BCS Power 48 South
Girls Analysis

BCS Power 48 South Top Performers

Kylie Watkins2025 6-0 F Kylie Watkins – L.E. Elite 2023 – White County
Kylie Watkins is on the precipice of becoming a well-known name statewide in Georgia’s 2025 class.  She first caught my eye exactly a year ago as a young highly-skilled long-armed forward. This weekend she flashed her upside once again, erupting for 21 points, 17 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 6 blocks in a 64-53 win over Hoopers NY 2024. Watkins is destined to become an All-Region and possible All-State player. She is too uniquely talented not to. She does so many things well as the box score confirms. She runs the floor gracefully, catching and finishing on the move. She has great footwork with her back to the basket and is a true three-level scorer. She spent a lot of time atop the perimeter. Watkins hit a three, scored on two mid-range pull-ups, netted a floater and of course converted on a pair of putbacks. Kylie has the ability to serve as a point-forward. While adding strength to her frame and more creativity to her handle will help her long term, she does enough with the dribble to keep defenses honest. It’s her passing and decision making which really gets defenses scrambling as she can see overtop most defenders and deliver accurate passes if she doesn’t decide to hunt her own offense. Defensively, even when giving up weight inside, Watkins is so good at blocking shots without fouling and rebounding the ball at its highest point. Kylie’s growth will be expedited this upcoming season in the newly formed Region 7-3A, a juggernaut which houses defending 3A State Champion Lumpkin County along with new additions perennial powers Wesleyan and Pickens. I expect Watkins to take off her junior season and to be a major contributor in Year 2. College programs should quietly keep tabs on her progression.

Emma Lightsey2025 5-5 PG Emma Lightsey – L.E. Elite 2023 – White County
White County keeps pumping out good ball players and I think Emma Lightsey has a chance to really take a leap forward her sophomore season. The quickness and playmaking of Emma wowed me this weekend. She saw plays develop before they happened, trusting her teammates with lead passes that put them in the perfect position to score. I liked her synergy with Kylie Watkins, a formidable inside-out two-man game that can flourish in pick-and-roll settings. Lightsey’s court vision coupled with her consistent three-point shooting and ability to finish with either hand at the rim make her a really solid young player. She had 10 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 1 steal vs. Hoopers NY 2024. Lightsey is on a fast track to becoming a college point guard.

 

2024 5-10 PG Tianna Thompson – Southeast All-Stars Red – Galloway
Tianna Thompson doesn’t shy away from the big stage. Already a two-time Class A-Private First Team All-State selection, the blue-chip prospect put forth a dominant performance on Saturday in front of a handful of High Major coaches. Thompson dazzled in a 73-56 win over DME posting 24 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. Regarded as a top five prospect in Georgia’s talent-rich 2024 class, Tianna made a strong statement as being the best of the best with her play this weekend. Already known as a stat sheet stuffer and a top-end playmaker, the length and strength of Thompson allowed her to impact the game on both ends of the floor. Wiry, Thompson has great functional strength, able to consistently convert through contact. She opened up with a pair of strong And-1 finishes in front of new UGA Head Coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson who was sitting baseline. In total, Thompson would convert three And-1s and go 8-9 from the foul line. She reads the defense exceptionally well and attacks cracks, sliding into the paint to finish with either hand.  Thompson balanced her offense with a pair of three-pointers, hitting a pull-up and a step-back. Florida State is the latest to offer back in April. Tianna should be swimming in offers by the end of the Summer.

Kate Harpring2026 5-9 G Kate Harpring – Southeast All-Stars Red – Marist
It’s not really going out on a limb to project that Kate Harpring will become a four-time All-State selection and an immediate gamechanger in the state of Georgia come Day 1. Recently earning an offer from her NBA father’s alma mater Georgia Tech, Harpring will have her pick of the litter in four years. Joining the defending Class 4A State Champion Marist who graduates their entire starting five, it’s not far-fetched to think that the War Eagles will actually have more individual star talent on the roster now with Harpring and Isabella Ragone, a rising freshman that came through the Mill Creek feeder system, ready to plug and play. Harpring’s feel and polish are unmatched for her age. She doesn’t rely on freakish athletic gifts to get by, but instead has an elite skill set that makes things look easy. Kate is fantastic around the rim finishing with her left hand. She was able to get to the hoop and use her off-hand thrice in a win over DME. Harpring has a eurostep through traffic and a floater over length. She is a very efficient scorer that gets to her spots and isn’t a high-volume, low-percentage shooter. While her three-level scoring is impressive, her defense is equally as sound. She is an active on-ball defender that moves her feet and can guard without fouling. She fights overtop screens and can beat her man to spots to cut off drives. Kate dumped in 21 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals on Saturday. She will keep Marist in the state title picture and receive great structured coaching from Kim Hixon.

Niya Moon2023 5-5 G Niya Moon – D. Shine Lady Grinders – Elbert County
Little in stature but big in game, state champion Niya Moon went off as promised to me before the game, exploding for 27 points, 6 rebounds and 1 steal as the Lady Grinders stormed past FGB 63-55. Moon caught fire, drilling four threes and hitting three mid-range pull-ups. Niya got started using her quickness to sneak her way to the basket. Once the defense realized they were having a hard time keeping her out of the lane, they got burnt when Moon would attack off the dribble and stop on a dime with her jumper. While Niya is often times one of the smallest players on the floor, both in height and certainly weight, the jitterbug guard always makes a positive impact. Though her outside shot is a real strength, it’s her reliable aggressive on-ball defense that always carries Moon whenever she has an off night offensively. Small schools will want to take a good long look at Moon.

Annarose Tyre2025 5-7 PG Annarose Tyre – Georgia Flames – Lambert
Aggressiveness is no issue for Annarose. Tyre is always in attack mode, playing with a high motor. She will challenge defenses from all three levels. Annarose is a sharp slasher that does a good job of drawing contact. She went 8-12 from the foul line in a 53-45 win over Southern Sky 2023. Tyre is a dangerous three-point shooter as well. Her shot looks a bit unorthodox with how she positions her off-hand on the ball, but given space, she cashes in from deep at a solid rate. On the other end of the floor, Annarose is a scrappy defender that provides multiple efforts when rallying to the ball on rotations. She finished with 16 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and 1 block. The Region 6-7A Honorable Mention pick is part of an exciting young up-and-coming Lambert program.

Ellison Steinhauer2026 5-8 G Ellison Steinhauer – Georgia Flames – Pickens
The daughter of former Pickens boys head coach of 11 years Brad Steinhauer, Ellison’s knowledge of the game is apparent. Playing up against 2022 and 2023s of the Southern Sky, Steinhauer’s youth was a non-factor as she contributed 15 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist and 3 steals. The first thing that stood out about the rising freshman’s game was her activity. It felt like Ellison was involved in every play. She crashed the glass hard and used her wiry frame to attack off the dribble and draw fouls downhill. She went 7-7 from the line. Steinhauer is a nifty driver with good footwork. She had a pretty spinning layup and later completed a tough And-1 scoop through contact. Ellison should see substantial minutes right away at the varsity level. Steinhauer has a bright future to be excited about as a two-way difference maker.

Bella Martin2025 5-6 G Bella Martin – Georgia Flames – King’s Ridge
I heard Bella Martin was a hot commodity this offseason and she didn’t disappoint as to why. She earned All-Region honors as a freshman out of Region 6-A-Private. The younger sister of All-State shooter Isaac Martin and daughter of King’s Ridge boys head coach Bob Martin, has a strong compact frame. She’s a tough physical guard that can both shoot the three and mix it up in the paint. Martin plays off two feet on drives and is ball strong against pressure. Bella’s intensity on defense caught my eye. The nuances of being a strong defender are there. She has a great closeout on the perimeter and does a nice job of making opposing ball handlers uncomfortable. Bella hit a pair of threes on her way to posting 8 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 1 block in the Georgia Flames’ Sunday victory. I have a feeling we will be hearing a lot more from her over her next three seasons.

2022 5-9 W Natalie Martin – Southern Sky 2023 – Luella
Schools looking for a last second late pick up may want to check out Natalie Martin. The toolsy swingman filled up the stat sheet her senior season averaging 7.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 3.1 steals and 1.7 blocks. Natalie has elite length with arms that go on for days. She does a good job using her wiry frame, especially on defense as she gobbles up shots inside. “Slim” holds major value as a player that can guard both on the perimeter and in the post. Offensively, Martin is a slasher. She had a pretty up-and-under step-through on the block showing upside with her footwork. Martin went for 10 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals and 6 blocks vs. the Georgia Flames. Her athletic gifts and defensive prowess should land her an opportunity somewhere.