HypeSouth Hardwood Invitational

HypeSouth Hardwood Invitational Top Performers


PRO Movement


2024 5-9 W Des’Teyn Seaton – Northside-Warner Robins
Energy, athleticism and overall activity are hallmarks of Desteyn Seaton’s game. Seaton first caught my eye back on March 21 at CTC Comeback with her aggressive style of play. She attacks relentlessly whether it be hunting her offense, crashing the glass or getting after it on defense. Seaton is a positionless player for the Eagles. She can initiate the offense one trip down and then the next find herself on the block. She scored at all three levels, finding her points on pull-ups, hitting a pair of threes, earning putbacks and going 3-4 from the line. Seaton has a quick first step getting downhill and uses a floater when she can’t get all the way to the rim. Desteyn poured in 19 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 1 block. If her offensive game continues to refine itself, I expect her to be on college radars soon.

2024 5-4 PG Alaya Grane – Northside-Warner Robins
Alaya Grane showed her toughness on Saturday when she went down with an injury in the fourth quarter but returned to action in crunch time and immediately hit a floater on her first touch. Though the Eagles fell 51-49 to No. 6 Baldwin, the sophomore duo of Grane and Seaton turned heads. At 5-foot-4, Grane is shifty quick with the ball. She has added some weight to her frame to be able to get into the lane and not be bumped off course by bigger defenders. Grane finishes with either hand and tends to be a foul magnet when slicing into the defense. Grane went 5-8 from the foul line and sank a pair of threes. Alaya creates her own offense off the dribble and is a threat to shoot going any direction. Even with her high usage rate, Grane still manages to impact games defensively. She can be a pest with her on-ball defense and times her jumps well when contesting shots. She finished with 19 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks. Grane is one of the very best Middle Georgia has to offer.

2025 6-3 C Janaye Walker – Baldwin
The pure size of Baldwin is the first thing that jumps out at you when the Class 4A school walks off the bus. It’s even more jarring when you realize nearly all their elite height comes from their freshman class. Janaye Walker, daughter of Head Coach Kizzi Walker, is an intimidating post presence. Walker is a big body that likes to rough up smaller opponents and power her way to hoops inside. Janaye demands immediate attention any time a shot goes up and will see double teams and dig downs often throughout her career when she catches post feeds. Walker has a strong drop step and a soft touch. Her free throw form is pure, which may hint at upside on growing her scoring range out to 15-feet eventually. Walker finished with 12 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists and 4 blocks.

2024 5-8 PG Madison Ruff – Baldwin
Turning defense into offense was Madison Ruff’s specialty. A terrific athlete with strong legs and the ability to change directions quickly, Ruff was a blur in transition, jumping passing lanes and sprinting down for uncontested layups. Not many can match Ruff’s speed and explosiveness. She plants her foot and springs towards passes on defense while on offense she turns corners and bursts her way to the rim using eurosteps and finishing with both hands. Ruff is great at getting downhill. Adding a consistent outshot to her repertoire will be key to her development. She has the tools to be a D-I playmaker but she has to be able to keep defenses honest by taking and making shots from the perimeter. Ruff compiled 12 points, 1 rebound and 4 steals in the win, scoring all six hoops in the paint.

2025 6-0 F Kassidy Neal – Baldwin
The skill of Kassidy Neal exuded when it mattered most, hitting a baseline jumper at the buzzer to lift Baldwin to a 51-49 win. Neal is an interesting player. She’s a big body that looks like a traditional low post banger at first glance, but Neal is skillful and can exploit mismatches. She helps handle the ball up top and has three-point range when left open. Neal did a great job rebounding and could help start the fast break by pushing the ball herself. Kassidy scored on a floater, a pull-up jumper, a three and a putback as she hurt Northside-Warner Robins from everywhere on the floor. Neal led Baldwin with 13 points, 15 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 1 block.

2023 5-8 G Jada Morgan – Warner Robins
Bully-ball was in full effect as Jada Morgan went for 17 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal in Warner Robins’ 51-46 win over Preseason Class 7A No. 2 Marietta, the defending state champs. Morgan eased into the flow of the game and didn’t force much. She warmed up after a slow first quarter and started to find her niche in her newfound offense. Capable of playing either on or off the ball, with Nevaeh Mack in foul trouble, Morgan transitioned to more of a primary ball handler as the game progressed. Morgan had a few of her trademark hardnosed drives to the rim, bulling past anyone who dared to stand in her way. If she missed her first attempt, Jada would be quick to gobble up the offensive rebound and convert her second chance. While Morgan still has room for growth, getting more efficient downhill using less dribbles to get there, what impressed me most was her playmaking. Morgan would get into the paint and look to either kick out to shooters or drop it off to her posts. When Morgan is creating for others and scoring like she did on Saturday, Warner Robins is tough to beat.

2023 5-7 SG Tasia Agee – Warner Robins
Warner Robins’ top three-point shooter was more than just a one trick pony, showing an ability to get to the basket and score with floaters. She wasn’t a stationary shooter, able to use the dribble to get to spots on the floor. Agee had 16 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals and 1 block. She knocked down a pair of threes and went 4-5 from the line.

2022 5-6 PG Chloe Sterling – Marietta
The mark of a great player is being able to positively influence a game without having to score. Sterling had an off night offensively and didn’t take a ton of shots until late in the game when the Blue Devils were scrambling on their final few possessions but even with that being said, Sterling still kept Warner Robins on high alert with her elite ball handling and court vision. Chloe finished with 2 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 steals. Whenever she sucked in defenders, she’d make the right pass to an open shooter. Sterling implemented the drive-and-kick game, breaking down her defenders and getting two feet into the paint. The amount of attention she draws may make it hard for her to score her own points at times, but she can rack up the assists and elevate those around her.

2024 5-6 PG Taliah Grier – Central-Macon
Listed at 5-foot-6, Taliah Grier has some length and could squeeze out a few more inches. The left-handed point guard plays within herself. She doesn’t try to do too much and can make things happen within the flow of the game. She scored eight of her 10 points in the second half and tallied 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals in Central-Macon’s 46-43 win over Dougherty. The sophomore is a reliable ball handler that remains calm under pressure. She scores from the mid-range and can get all the way to the hoop.

2025 5-1 PG Jatiana Chambers – Dougherty
Only a freshman, there is a ton to like about Jatiana Chambers’ game. She’s a tiny guard but she’s got some size to her and won’t get pushed around by taller opponents. Chambers has a mature feel. She has poise and is a tough ball handler that does a good job getting past her man. Her jump shot is dangerous. She has a knack for getting to her spots, hitting three pull-up jumpers and canning a pair of three-pointers. Chambers finished with 13 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. Expect her to have a really strong career in South Georgia.

2022 5-5 G Kaylin Thompson – Dougherty
A strong athlete with an attacking mindset, Kaylin Thompson kept Dougherty in the game with her slashing. In the fourth quarter alone she went 6-11 from the foul line and attempted 13 free throws in total. Thompson opened up her scoring with a three-pointer and later hit a mid-range shot, but from there it was get to the rim at will. Thompson’s motor led to 19 points, 6 rebounds and 5 steals. It’s all gas, no breaks for Thompson who plays bigger than her size.

2022 5-10 F Ashley Gray – Washington County
The Alabama State-signee doesn’t have to wow you with flashy plays or elite size and athleticism. Ashley Gray plays within herself and beats opponents in multiple ways. She’s an active rebounder that gets into position when shots go up to collect putbacks, she will space the floor out to the three-point line and she will also defend at a high level. Gray is well-rounded, unsurprisingly so with her family background. She’s a versatile mismatch that posted 23 points, 9 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks.

2022 5-5 PG Jayla Cook – Redan
Dealing with a box-and-one defense for the majority of the game, being face guarded and denied, Jayla Cook still had her Raiders in a position to win against No. 8 Washington County, but fell 48-40. The energizer bunny tallied 15 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks. Cook plays at a breakneck pace, flying around the floor and doing everything she can to jumpstart her team. Learning to change speeds will help her at the next level. She can sometimes force the issue, but often she is able to get it back on defense. Cook scored on hesitation drives, floaters and flourished in transition. You never have to implore Jayla Cook to play hard. She brings it every single night.

2023 5-9 G Ziqueria Woolfolk – Veterans
In what was an ugly low scoring game, Ziqueria Woolfolk made a positive first impression in Veterans’ 38-32 loss to Jones County. Woolfolk is good athlete with a strong build on the perimeter. She always finds herself around the ball, helping on the boards and making plays on defense. Woolfolk’s shot is pretty. She knocked down one three-pointer and had a driving layup en route to 11 points, 6 rebounds and 5 steals. She’s a small school sleeper that has a chance at developing and playing in college.

2024 5-6 PG Shakiya Betha – Jones County
With the transfer of Jada Morgan to Warner Robins, the Greyhounds needed someone to step up and run the show. Shakiya Betha’s play on Saturday leads me to believe she will be a major part of Jones County’s future. Shakiya is a creative playmaker that can handle vs. pressure and organize the offense. She got past the first line of defenders and was able to hit the open man on numerous occasions. When her feet are set, Betha can knockdown the open shot with three-point range. She brings a scrappiness on defense and a willingness to rebound. Betha had 5 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks.