Top Postseason Performances Pt. 2

<p><strong>Top Postseason Performances</strong></p> <p>February and March are the two craziest months of the GHSA season. With the season now wrapped up, here’s a look at some of the top performances of the GHSA State Playoffs that I witnessed, sans the State Championships.</p> <p><strong>2022 6-2 CG Julius King Jr. – First Presbyterian Day<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/01/IMG_0146-1-rotated.jpg"><img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-1112659 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/01/IMG_0146-1-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a></strong></p> <p>With running mate [player_tooltip player_id="948588" first="Jordan" last="Jones"] out with an ACL tear in the second quarter, Jay King did all he could to carry the Vikings in their 59-54 Elite Eight loss to Christian Heritage. King was electric with the ball in his hands, working hard to score every hoop. His ability to create off the dribble and score from distance is eye-popping. He buried five threes, all of them coming off the bounce with no easy catch-and-shoot opportunities. King’s overall offensive prowess makes him an attractive player. He tallied 24 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal.</p> <p><strong>2024 6-3 G [player_tooltip player_id="1055485" first="Jax" last="Abernathy"] – Christian Heritage</strong></p> <p>The legend of [player_tooltip player_id="1055485" first="Jax" last="Abernathy"] will continue to grow. The freshman grabbed Region 7 Player of the Year honors and took his team to the Final Four. He has a quiet demeanor on the floor but when the ball is in his hands, he has a great first step that catches defenders off guard. Abernathy is a well-rounded three-level scorer. When he gets in the lane, he has the body control to score when off-balance. Jax can snap off quick eurosteps to finish in traffic and is a savvy passer as well when getting downhill. He had 25 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 1 block in the Elite Eight.</p> <p><strong>2021 6-3 C Evan Lester – Christian Heritage</strong></p> <p>The physicality of Georgia Southern football-signee Evan Lester was key in the Lions’ Elite Eight win. Lester played one of his finest games, finishing with 19 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists and 1 steal. He was a nuisance on the glass and showed good feet when attacking off the dribble. When he caught the ball in the high post, he made good decisions, kicking it to open shooters.</p> <p><strong>2021 6-10 F [player_tooltip player_id="754230" first="Jabari" last="Smith"] – Sandy Creek – Auburn</strong></p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="754230" first="Jabari" last="Smith"] played like a future NBA lottery pick in Sandy Creek’s demolition of Hart County. Smith poured in 30 points, 15 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals and 6 blocks. He hit outside shot after outside shot when he wasn’t in the post hitting turnaround jumpers. His length allowed him to clean up misses and alter everything at the rim.</p> <p><strong>2021 5-6 G Shane Erkins – Sandy Creek</strong></p> <p>It was a career day off the bench for Erkins as he cashed in three three-pointers and finished with 16 points. He was able to find open spaces on the perimeter and knocked down shots when asked to.</p>