With summer ball winding down, here’s an early preview of some of the top players in the GHSA’s newly formed Class 1A.

2027 6-0 C Tyliah Benjamin – Wilcox County
The two-time defending Class A D-II Player of the Year has led Wilcox County to back-to-back championships. Benjamin is the most dominant force in the classification with her ability to completely control games from inside the paint. Tyliah is impossible to keep off the glass. She scores on putbacks, drop steps and is a very good shot blocker for her size. Benjamin recorded 20 points, 14 rebounds and 5 blocks in last year’s state title game, following her 13-point, 21-rebound, 5-block performance the year prior. During the season, she averaged 11.9 points, 13.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 3.2 steals and 2.6 blocks as the Patriots finished 29-1.

2027 5-6 G Shamauri Martin – Wilcox County
Shamauri is the straw that stirs the drink in the backcourt for Wilcox County. The two-time First Team All-State guard averaged 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 4.1 steals en route to her second straight state title. Martin has a good feel for the game, rarely seen at the small public school level. Shamauri is a talented playmaker who pitches the ball ahead. The ball doesn’t stick in her hands as she is always willing to make the extra pass, passing away a good shot for a great shot. Martin’s motor is influential. She is able to weave through pressure and on defense, is quick to cover ground.

2028 5-8 W Samaria Young – Washington-Wilkes
Samaria is listed at 5-foot-8 but plays much bigger. Young plays with great energy. The lefty is a skilled slasher with expanding range on her jump shot. She uses her wiry length to disrupt on defense. A quick first step gets her to the rim routinely. Samaria finds herself around the ball more often than not and when the ball is in her hands, good things usually happen. The two-time state runner-up averaged 12.5 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 3.1 steals during an All-State campaign. Young’s consistent production both during the high school season and with the Georgia Sting could propel her to landing on college radars.

2027 5-6 G Ja’Kari Northcutt – Atkinson County
The reigning Region 2 A D-II Player of the Year is an explosive scorer. Northcutt has poured in upwards of 20 points per game throughout her career, the quickest in school history to 1,000 points. She calmly converts steals into breakaway layups. In the halfcourt, Northcutt is a threat to launch threes and can pick apart defenses with sharp passes. She is strong getting to her right hand and implements pull-up jumpers from the mid-range.

2027 5-9 F Jamesen Hollomon – Schley County
Jamesen has steadily raised her production each and every season. Hollomon is a positionless do-everything player for Schley County. While she is most likely a combo-forward at the next level, Hollomon blends speed, strength and overall skill to take over games. She’s adept at securing rebounds and pushing coast-to-coast. Jamesen has power combined with crafty footwork to burst through defenses. She’s a capable low block scorer who is comfortable stretching the floor from the wing with a shifty handle. Jamesen’s robust game led to averaging 18.9 points, 9.4 rebounds, 4 assists and 3.4 steals as a junior. Pound-for-pound, you could argue Hollomon is the most complete player in the classification.

2027 5-8 G Aalunah Edwards – Turner County
Aalunah passes the eye-test with her size and athleticism in the backcourt. Edwards has quality length with a strong frame. She’s highly active on both sides of the floor, racking up production. Her wingspan and anticipation result in steals and blocked shots. Aalunah is at her best when attacking the rim with her right hand but also has shown the ability to finish going left. She does a nice job getting the ball inside with touch passes.

2028 5-7 SG Ava Thompson – Towns County
Ava paces Towns County with her perimeter shot. The knockdown shooter stretches the floor and converts at a high rate when her feet are set. When she doesn’t have the ball, she cuts to open spaces on the floor to get open. Ava has strong fundamentals, using ball fakes to get defenders out of position. Thompson earned First Team All-Region honors last season averaging 15.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.4 steals.

2027 5-8 G Janiah Norman – Lincoln County
Rangy stat sheet stuffer has length and motor. Norman touches the box score in nearly every column averaging 15.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game as a junior. Norman is a good shot blocker from her guard position, averaging over a swat per game over the course of her career. A streaky three-point shooter, when closed out on hard Janiah gets to the bucket easily with a quick first step. That same quickness is used to defend laterally along the perimeter.