With summer ball winding down, here’s an early preview of some of the top players in the GHSA’s newly formed Class 4A-2A Private.
2029 6-4 F Peyton Frazier – GAC
Last season’s Class 3A-1A Private Freshman of the Year had a meteoric rise over the summer following a monster campaign on the circuit posting 25.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game after averaging 9.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.6 blocks during the high school season. Frazier’s elite length and skill on the perimeter make her a matchup nightmare. She can shoot the three, creatively attack downhill and finish around the rim with turnaround jumpers, difficult to contest. Her physicality inside the paint has upticked. Her springiness as a rebounder and shot blocker allow her to dictate what happens in the post. Houston, Providence, South Florida, Miami, Texas A&M, Georgia, Georgia Tech, North Carolina A&T, Princeton, Mississippi State and Michigan have all piled in with offers this offseason.
2028 6-3 C Loriel Murray – Holy Innocents’
The physical double-double machine is a household name with Power 4 schools as Florida, Central Florida, Alabama, Michigan and Wake Forest are a few that have popped bids recently. Murray uses her size and strength extremely well when posting up and battling for rebounding position. She has strong moves on the low block, able to dislodge defenders out of the way to power up with either hand. Murray effectively rolls to the rim out of high ball screens, catching and finishing on the move. Her face-up game is coming along nicely, a threat to score from the mid-range and with turnaround jumpers out of the post.
2028 5-9 G Riley Gallagher – Lovett
Riley Gallagher won Region 5-2A Player of the Year last season over blue-chip prospects with High Major offers. Already nearing in on 1,000 career points with 903 through two seasons, the softball star poured in 23.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 3.5 steals per game while netting 61-161 (38%) of her three-point attempts. Gallagher has great body control, coordinated as she slices through defenses with euro steps and when creating separation along the perimeter with step-back jumpers. While the diamond seems like her main focus, Riley’s skill on the hardwood would land her plenty of offers if she chose that route.
2027 5-9 W Michel Robbins – Hebron Christian
Offers have been filing in over the summer with St. John’s, UNC Greensboro, Air Force and Jacksonville State all getting involved. The end-to-end athletic guard has improved her jump shot while maintaining her 94-foot defensive expertise. Robbins is a lockdown defender with her speed and agility. She’s able to force turnovers, routinely converting them into layups. Her playmaking off the bounce is three-pronged. Robbins can get to the rim, net the mid-range pull-up or find the open man with her court vision. With her three-point shot becoming more consistent off the catch, Robbins has rounded herself into one of the most effective two-way guards in Georgia.
2027 5-7 G Mia Huckaby – Hebron Christian
Huckaby is poised for a breakout season in a more prominent role. Mia has momentum heading into her senior season after scoring a game-high 14 points in the state championship before spending time with the Puerto Rican national team over the summer. Huckaby is a wired-to-score guard. She shoots the three exceptionally well but is more than just a sniper. Mia has a great nose for the ball, tracking down rebounds off the rim. She’s got shifty moves downhill able to score with both hands. Her court awareness is impressive as well with her ability to find the open man. Huckaby is flying under the radar with offers hopefully right around the corner.
2027 5-4 PG Madison Bennett – Trinity Christian
The speedy high-octane guard nabbed an offer from New Orleans back in March after exploding her junior season to average 22.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 3.3 steals. Bennett’s quickness in the full court leads to coast-to-coast drives and pull-up threes, her main weapon as she blasted 115-358 (32%), bringing her career total to 251 made threes at a 32% rate. Madison is a microwave scorer with how quickly she can get hot. She will face her fair share of face guards and double teams this year but expect the production to remain steady for the elusive playmaker.
2028 5-11 G Amelia Newman – Whitefield Academy
Millie’s stock is heating back up, earning offers from Jacksonville State, Furman and Providence over the summer. The big guard has three-level scoring tendencies. Newman’s got a pretty three-point shot but is also adept at using her frame to get to the basket, drawing fouls in the process. Amelia netted 16.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. The softball standout uses her length on defense to play passing lanes and block shots. Her versatile production along with her size give her value at the next level.
2027 6-3 C Aila Courtenay – St. Francis
Georgia’s most physically dominant post player, Aila Courtenay has fully cemented herself as the state’s premier big, a four-star prospect with a final five of Stanford, Florida, Oregon, Georgia Tech and Alabama. When Courtenay touches the ball, good things happen. She’s a workhorse inside who buries opponents under the rim when sealing. Aila has great footwork, not just functionally with placement but with her nimbleness as well. She scores with her back to the basket using up-and-unders and powerful drop steps utilizing her brute strength to score at will with either hand. Coming off a season in which she averaged 9.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.5 steals, if Courtenay gets the touches she should – if St. Francis is ever forced to play in the halfcourt – don’t be surprised if she doubles her production across the board.