Georgia’s Top 10 2019 Preseason Teams
Top 10 Teams All Classification
Last season’s number one team in the state of Georgia brings their entire team back. Not some, not a few, but literally the entire team from a team that went undefeated in arguably the toughest classification in Georgia. Head coach Hilda Hankerson is a legend in the coaching circle with over 20 years of experience. Add six division prospects seniors Lydia Freeman 6’4 C, Carly Hooks 5’7 G, juniors Brianna “Snoop” Turnage 6’2 W/F, Olympia Chaney 5’9 G, and sophomore Ta’Naya Latson 5’9 W. The group headlined by 5 star junior point guard Raven Johnson, a 5’10 PG.
1.Westlake High school
Raven Johnson is considered one of the nations and not just Georgia’s top prospect. She is a silky smooth point guard who has lead Westlake to back to back state championship. The junior gang at Westlake has dominated high school basketball from the time they walked in the doors. Snoop is a mismatch nightmare against every team in the state. At 6’2 and athletic she guards multiple position. Then on the offensive end she scores anywhere on the floor. Olympia Chaney and Carly Hooks would be a dynamic duo at any other school in the state. Both score the ball with ease. Add in Ta’Naya Latson who maybe the number one sophomore in the country and Westlake seems to be poised to run the table again.
2. Lovejoy High School
The 6A state runner up is back and loaded with more talent. The usual suspects are still there. Anaya Boyd and Genesis Bryant make up a two headed monster that has been killing teams since their freshman year. Georgia Metro Player of The Year, 2019 6A POY, 2019 Region POY, and 3x All state member 6ft point guard Anaya Boyd accolades lineup left and right. Ranked number 28th in the country by ESPN Anaya Boyd is on pace to be the best player in Georgia. Genesis Bryant is not far behind. 2017 6A Player of the year, 2017 Region POY, and 3x 1st team all-state member. Genesis Bryant’s resume is not thin either. ESPN #67 ranked player Genesis Bryant has one thing and one thing only on her mind winning another state championship. That gives coach Cedric King the best duo in the state for one more year.
La’Nya Foster and Bryana Hardy remember the names. These two underclassmen are primetime players who will make a impact for Lovejoy this season. Bryanna Hardy is a 6’2 athletic forward. Hardy’s ability to guard 1-5 makes Lovejoy pressure defense as the most versatile it has ever been. La’Nya Foster will be in the race as best freshman in the state. The 6 ft wing can score from anywhere on the floor. She will be one of Georgia’s fastest rising stars this season.
3. Carver Columbus
Olivia Cochran, it is that’s simple when it comes to why Carver Columbus is one of the best teams in the state. Olivia Cochran is arguably the best player in the state of Georgia regardless of position. Over three years there has been no one person or team who can stop the senior. With her recent commitment to the University of Louisville, Olivia’s only focus is repeating as state champion.
Olivia’s partner in crime is no slouch herself. 5 star 5’10 guard Kionna Gaines is a monster. Her stellar play in last year’s state playoffs gave notice that Carver had a second star in the making. Gaines used her play to help Cochran win a state championship while cementing her own name amongst the states elite players. Not to mention her jaw dropping ability to dunk at any moment makes Kionna a fan favorite. Carvers pressure defense caused problems last year. Add that pressure defense, with two high major division one players and Carver Columbus is one of the top teams in Georgia.
4. Forest Park
Forest Park lady panthers went through all of last year as the consensus number 2 team in 6A behind Lovejoy. A total of 3 out of their 5 losses came to state runner up Lovejoy and a 4th loss came by way of the eventual state champs in the final 4. Besides those losses Forest park dominated the state of Georgia. With 6’4 C Sania Feagin back, Forest Park is poised to make a run at a state championship. Feagin has once in a generation potential. Her ability to run the floor and rebound are off the charts. The athleticism Sania possess plus the shot blocking ability allows her to change games by herself.
The problem for the rest of the state is Feagin is not alone. 6’2 junior forward Jasmine Stevens and senior 5’6 PG Symone Rowland will give Feagin room to work with their ability to shoot the ball and stretch the defense. Much more will be asked of Stevens this season as she has to become a leader for the talent heavy lady panthers. Senior 5’9 W Joi Reid returns off a ACL tear. This is important because before her injury Reid was at moments Forest Park second best player.
5. St Francis
Talent! Talent! Talent! Is all you can say about St Francis. Westlake and Lovejoy are the only two teams in the state of Georgia that can compete with St Francis’s talent. There are at least 8 girls on this team that hold division one scholarships. Yet, this is another year we say St Francis has everything in their favor this year to win a state championship.
A 5’8 junior, lighting fast all state point guard in Mia Moore is the go to player for a loaded group. All she has done since walking through St Francis doors is get steals and get buckets. After the summer she has had I feel sorry for any team in single A-private with the job of stopping her. Senior 6’1 W Savannah Samuels finally gets a full year under her belt. Transfer rules by GHSA held Samuels out of the first half of the season and majority of the second half. Therefore Samuels was forgotten about by a lot of people. By the time she stepped on the floor she really never was able to get a rhythm for her new team. This season is a different story. Samuels has the ability to be single A player of the year. The ultra-athletic wing is virtually unguardable with the talent around her. Senior 6’3 F Amirah Abdur-Rahim has returned fully off a ACL tear. That gives St Francis another ESPN top 100 and Jr All-Star top 20 Georgia player. The do it all stretch forward brings an added dimension to a loaded team that they missed last year. Look forward to St Francis making a push for the state championship.
6. Spalding
The most slept on team in the state of Georgia hands down. That is the easiest way to describe Spalding girls’ basketball program. 75-South down does not get any love when it comes to sports writers. That is a shame because in Griffin, Georgia one of the best seniors in the state plays for one of the best programs in the state. All they both have done is win. No one thought Spalding would be back in the state championship last year, and there they were.
Senior 6’2 F Corianna Evans over the past two years would have been the best player in 4A if it was not for Olivia Cochran. Corianna can score inside and outside. While people see the scoring outburst what makes her special is the passion she plays with. That passion represents her Spalding County roots to the core. Win loose or draw whoever is matched up with Corinna has gotten that work.
It will be pivotal that junior 6’1 forward Elicia Threatt and junior 5’6 PG Kierstyn Milner be more than role players this season. Both players ooze with talent, but if Spalding wants to continue their winning ways those two must continue to be consistent. Spalding is one of the more physical teams in the state. Look for another head to head meeting between them and Carver Columbus. That will make for an epic third year in a row matchup between the two.
7. Holy Innoncence
While everyone talked about Wesleyan and St Francis last year, Holy Innoncence walked away with the state championship. 6’4 junior forward Jillian Hollingshead is not one to mess around with. Junior 5’7 point guard Cierra Foster is a vocal point to the scheme of Holy Innocence. Her and Hollingshead make a one, two punch that reminds you of Sue Bird and Lauren Jackson. Hollingshead’s ability, at 6’4, to be position-less puts pressure on the defense; while on the offensive end allows Holy Innocence the ability to pressure you with a legit rim protector. Foster is a crafty floor general with a college body now. She gets wherever she wants on the floor. This allows her team to get whatever look that they want.
8. Buford
Ms. Consistency, the simplest way to describe Buford Lady wolves program. No matter who is on the roster they win. Coach Gene Durden has one of the “ELITE” programs in the state of Georgia. Every Buford team will be discipline and fundamentally sound. They seldomly make a mistake or even turn the ball over. Buford most affective trait is their never quit attitude with is direct correlation with head coach Durden.
Tate Walters the 5’8 All State point guard is officially a senior. With two state championships under her belt she is a proven winner and leader. Her ability to be coach Durden on the floor was pivotal last year with a young team. Look for Walters to add more to her team this year with their improvement in maturity and experience.
9. Collins Hill
Regroup and reload is all coach Brian Harmon does. Majority of the teams on this list best player or players are coming back. The one exception is Collins Hill. Last year’s state runner up team graduated four division 1 players. Collins Hill on the other hand welcomed in four more division 1 transfers. This year’s teams best player was not even at Collins Hill last year. The transfers Collins Hill picked up, plus the always loaded talent at Collins Hill placed them into the top 9.
Junior 6’2 All State forward Sacha Washington transfers in from Parkview High School. Washington instantly gives Collins Hill an impact player and makes them a contender for the 7A state championship. From the same region, senior 5’8 guard Kamryn Collins leaves Mountainview for Collins Hill. Collins Hill knows Kamryn very being that she was first team all-region last season. This gives coach Harmon a another great one to punch.
Teams to watch
Mt Zion (6A)
Carrolton (5A)
Beach (3A)
Eagles Landing (5A)
Hebron (A-Private)
Luella (4A)
Photo: Anaya Boyd with Florida Head Coach; Photo Credit: @thatguhhnaya Twitter.
