By Billy G. Baker
Publisher
Moncks Corner - This month’s Modern Turf Recruiting Feature will focus mainly on basketball but we will dab a little it in prep football recruiting as well.
Twitter was lit up last week with a report that USC women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley was visiting Heathwood Hall. Naturally, everyone wanted to know if she had stopped by to pay a recruiting visit to Heathwood Hall junior point guard Lauren Jacobs who had recently helped the Highlanders win their second straight SCISA AAAA basketball title with a 23-point effort.
Heathwood Hall head coach Brianna Zimmerman has “cleared the air” on what actually happened. “Coach Staley was visiting the school with her adult niece, who has a three- or four-year-old child, and they were taking a tour of the school for the possibility of enrolling the young toddler at Heathwood Hall,” said Coach Zimmerman. “Coach Staley is super close to her adult niece and she was just being supportive in visiting the school with her.
“Having said that, I will say that South Carolina has told Lauren (5-9 guard) that she is on their radar, but they are focused on closing out the 2024 class, and have not extended many offers at all to 2025 players at this point,” said Coach Zimmerman. “Lauren is certainly interested in the USC women’s basketball program. She does have offers right now from SEC schools Auburn, Florida, and Ole Miss among about a dozen other smaller colleges.”
Coach Zimmerman also said that Jacobs is a natural shooting guard for the next level but plays point guard on her team out of need. This past year Jacobs averaged 31.5 points, seven rebounds, 2.1 assists and 4.2 steals a game. He made 50 per cent of her two-point shots from the field (287 of 578) and he also hit 35 per cent of her three-point shots making 59 three-pointers during the season.
“I can honesty say that the bigger the moment in a game the better Lauren play,” said Coach Zimmerman. “Whether we need a three-point shot with the game on the line, or a steal to take to the basket like a scoop and score, she is at her best under pressure, We are thankful we have her for one more season.”
The HSSR visited with South Carolina junior basketball commitment 6-7 Hayden Assemian after he helped lead Powdersville to the AAA state title against Darlington at the Florence Center on March, 2. Assemian shared some thoughts with the HSSR, “We came out and played hard and executed the game plan very well,” said Assemian who had. “I am a commitment to South Carolina. I chose them over Wake Forest and a few other schools. I still have one more season of high school. I have been recruited as a power forward type for college. It feels great to have helped my team win a state championship.”
For the state title game, Assemian had 12 points, making 5-of-7 field goals and grabbing a team high 12 rebounds with two blocked shots. “I like the coaching staff at South Carolina very much and they are having a very good season. I can see myself getting early playing time with the Gamecocks.”
Treasure Davis (what a great name for a prospect) of Dillon is a special 8th grade 5-7 combo type guard who is going to make headlines when she visits the Rock Hill Showcase June 14-16 where she is certainly to grab the attention of college coaches allowed to come tan observe teams in action during the open period approved by the NCAA.
“Treasure is truly a special talent,” said Dillon head girl’s coach James McMillian. “Her father is 6-2 so I can see her getting to 5-9 or 5-10 by her senior year. She is going to get stronger to because all of our players are involved in weight lifting.
“Treasure is more than a scorer, and she is getting better and better at managing the game while she is on the court and making her teammates better also,” said Coach McMillian. “One area she needs to get better in is being a vocal leader on the court and I think that will come as she grows older.”
Davis, who will be named to the 2023-24 HSSR all-state team when the team is released around March, 15 averaged 17.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4,8 steals and 2,4 assists a game this season.
Camden High freshman combo guard Braylin Mungo (5-7) has been playing in the shadows of high school All-American teammate Joyce Edwards this season, but she has great potential at the next level also.
Mungo scored 9 points in the state title game. This season she has averaged 12.8 points a game along with 4.3 assists and 3.7 steals a game.
Speaking of 2025 HSSR football prospects here are our top six players tight now. 1. Amare Adams-South Florence, DL-6-3, 281-Clemson Commit 2. Demarcus Leach-Abbeville-DB-6-3, 190 3. Sheldrick Sarratt-Gaffney-OL-6-5, 310 4. Cutter Woods-Westside-QB-6-2, 195 5. Brady Ambrose-Catawba Ridge-TE-6-4, 230. Note: Top 100 2025 List Released Next Issue Top
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