Georgia Cup II

Georgia Cup II: Girls Top Performers

Jakia Little2022 5-8 G Jakia Little – Bostic Next Level – Northeast Macon
The All-State guard impressed on Saturday, leading Bostic Next Level to a 47-36 win over the Macon Mystics. Jakia Little has been a high-octane scorer her entire career, dumping in 21.4 points per game as a sophomore before balancing out her game to average 18.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 5 steals as a junior. Little has a wiry and athletic build. She’s quick and shifty with the ball, able to get into the paint at will with how she slides past defenders. Little can break off eurosteps in stride to lose the defense. Jakia scored from all three levels vs. the Mystics. She drilled 3 threes, scored from the mid-range and of course finished at the rim. Little finished with 24 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist and 4 steals. She’s a serious prospect that demands attention especially at the D-II level.

2022 5-6 PG Jalexia Taylor – Bostic Next Level – Bleckley County
Jalexia Taylor provided a much needed second ball handler for Bostic Next Level, something that separated BNL from the Macon Mystics. Taylor, who averaged 18.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 5.6 steals at Bleckley County, impacted the game in ways other than just scoring. She was reliable against pressure and helped set up the offense. Taylor was quick to get into the paint where she displayed good decision making with her passing. Her energy on both ends of the floor resulted in 4 points, 6 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 block.

2022 6-0 C Jalexicia Hargrove – Bostic Next Level – Hancock Central
If you’re in need of a no-nonsense post presence that will battle for rebounds and draw contact inside, Jalexicia Hargrove may be the big for you. Hargrove has a strong build and uses her body well. She posts up hard and can use her drop step to square her shoulders and go into the chest of the defense. Tasked with banging with the multiple big bodies of the Mystics, Hargrove came away with 6 points, 13 rebounds, 3 steals and 1 block.

Jada Morgan2023 5-7 G Jada Morgan – Macon Mystics – Jones County
Watching Jada Morgan in a true game setting for the first time since CTC Fall League before her freshman season, it’s easy to see how she has already garnered two All-State selections in her young career. Morgan has a very good handle and can plant her foot and get downhill. She’s trimmed up her body over her first two seasons and has added a burst of speed to the basket while still maintaining her physical dominance over smaller guards. Morgan has a lot on her plate. She’s often played up, has been the primary ball handler on her team and has been flanked with younger guards still getting used to handling pressure. Either way, it is good experience for her and once she gets to the next level, things will come more easily with defenses not being able to solely focus on her. On Saturday, she helped break the press showcasing terrific arm strength to throw passes over top of the defense with one-armed touchdown catapults. In the half court, Morgan did her best work when she was able to get all the way to the rim and absorb contact. She made some nice dump off passes to create offense for her young bigs. Jada tallied 9 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks to pace the Mystics. Her work ethic, toughness and improvement as a playmaker will carry her a long way. D-I and D-II schools should have her name circled.

2023 5-2 PG Cameryn Morris – Atlanta Nets – Lithia Springs
It was my first look at Cameryn Morris on Friday night, a prolific All-State scoring guard from Lithia Springs. In a heated game which saw tempers flare numerous times, Morris and the Atlanta Nets came up short 41-36 against CAAT Lady Wildcats. Morris, who averaged 19.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 3.4 steals as a sophomore, is undersized but a dynamic athlete with a strong body and elite quickness. She loves to grab and go, igniting fast breaks and weaving through defenders as she goes coast-to-coast. Morris has wiggle when getting downhill, using her soccer background and fancy footwork to put pressure on the referees to call fouls when she barrels into the defense. Cam finishes with either hand and can make tough layups look easy with her touch. An area for improvement however, would be changing speeds. She is all gas, no breaks, which is usually good but on Friday it eventually played into the defense’s hands. She got too deep into the paint a few times and tried to get bailed out by tossing up wild shots. With the construction of the roster, it is understandable though. Morris is the one consistent source of offense so she has to force the issue at times as the Nets’ undisputed go-to player. She finished with 19 points (7-11 FT), 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 6 steals while being face guarded. Down the stretch, Morris took some plays off as she stood at half court and let her teammates play 4-on-4. I would have liked to see her still fight to get the ball and take control instead of retreating on defense but with the heavy lifting she had to do all game, it wouldn’t be surprising if she was simply running out of gas. Morris was very effective on both ends of the floor. She was aggressive on defense and turned deflections into steals and eventually points as no one could catch her in a foot race. Adding a three-point shot to her arsenal would do wonders. For a rising junior, she is extremely talented. Her height may scare off some college programs, but her skill and athleticism should draw plenty of interest and offers over the course of her career.

2022 5-10 C Wunmi Atiba – CAAT Lady Wildcats – East Paulding
In the middle of all the heat Friday night was the physical and effective play of Wunmi Atiba. She crashed the glass hard and drew fouls when powering up through the defense. She scored 8 of her team-high 10 points (4-6 FT) in the second half and collected 9 rebounds and 1 block to boot. Atiba has a quality touch around the basket and uses her size well.