Class 1A Upper/Lower State Biggest Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>USE CODE “baxley30” FOR 30% OFF THE FIRST PURCHASE OF ANY SUBSCRIPTION</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Playoff basketball is officially here! I got to check out the Class 1A Upper State and Lower State Championships via the NFHS Network on Thursday, February 27th. Check out the six prospects who stood out to me the most in Florence:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1225770' first='Joshua' last='Goodman'] (Denmark-Olar) - Two Vikings ran the show for them in Thursday's win. The first is [player_tooltip player_id='1225770' first='Joshua' last='Goodman']. Goodman is the 2024-25 Class 1A Player of the Year so he will have a target on his back in Florence. So far, he has backed up the award with his play. Joshua had 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 blocks while having a major impact on both ends of the floor. Goodman's first of two made threes came in the corner and capped a 14-2 run in the first quarter. Physically, he has a good combination of size and strength which help him make plays off the dribble, finish at the rim, and protect the paint. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1951732' first='Terance' last='Hinton'] (Denmark-Olar) - Terance was the other Viking who excelled in their win over Bethune-Bowman. Hinton was terrific in transition because he was composed with the ball at high speeds. He forced a couple of turnovers himself, but it felt like after every rebound and turnover his teammates knew to find him because he would make things happen. Despite being listed at just 5'7", Terance is fearless in attacking the rim and battles through contact. He even had a pair of clever passes after getting paint touches off the dribble. Hinton racked up 21 points, 4 assists, and 4 steals in the win.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Kaden Woods</strong> (Bethune-Bowman) - Kaden had a good showing as the Mohawks came up short in the Lower State Championship. He did a good job of using body feints and dribble moves to create space for jump shots. Woods connected from both the perimeter and the mid-range, while also getting downhill on a couple of occasions. Kaden put up 14 points for Bethune-Bowman in their season-ending loss. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1848143' first='Jaden' last='Baylor'] (Abbeville) - Switching over to Thursday's Upper State Championship between Abbeville and CA Johnson, [player_tooltip player_id='1848143' first='Jaden' last='Baylor'] had a monster showing to her the Panthers advance. Baylor had a game-high 27 points with 5 3PM in the win. He was most effective from the left side of the court where he knocked down most of his perimeter shots. Jaden moves well with his big frame and displayed both a good handle and strength through contact to go with the knockdown shooting.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2887660' first='Jaylen' last='Baylor']</strong> (Abbeville) - Jaylen was also key to the Abbeville win. Baylor positively affected the game without needing the ball in his hands often. He only scored 4 points, which came on back-to-back possessions, but he hauled in 17 rebounds. He was also very impactful in passing lanes, deflecting passes and forcing turnovers. Both the rebounding and defense can be attributed to Jaylen's length - listed at 6'0" with a plus wingspan.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1848632' first='Tony' last='Odom'] (CA Johnson) - Odom was solid despite the loss in Florence. He runs the show for CA Johnson as the team's Point Guard, balancing their offense and putting his teammates in position to score while also getting his own shots. Tony is a good scorer off the bounce and can pull up from the free-throw line or take an extra dribble and finish with a runner or floater. When given cushion from the outside, Tony can even be a weapon from the outside. He finished with 11 points, 4 assists, and 2 steals against Abbeville.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->