Small-Town Stars at the Battle of the Bay Showcase

<!-- 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>The 2025 Battle of the Bay Showcase continued on Saturday, December 20th at Carvers Bay High School in Hemingway, South Carolina. 13 Palmetto State teams took the floor in loaded slate of games, including several smaller schools who I don't get to see as often. Check out six "Small-Town Stars" who stood out at the Battle of the Bay Showcase.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" /> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2559202"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69497565d59ec"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">First up on my list of Small-Town Stars at the Carvers Bay Battle of the Bay is Waccamaw's [player_tooltip player_id='2559202' first='Joel' last='Hodo']. Hodo and the Warriors opened up Saturday's slate with a comfortable win over Hannah-Pamplico. Joel had a solid performance in that game, particularly in producing 5 steals and 1 block on the defensive end. He was very active around the ball at all times, punishing loose ball-handling, helping in the right spots, and rotating to help protect the rim. Hodo also did a great job of turning these stops into transition scores, but he will need to become a more consistent finisher or shooter to really catch the eye of a college coach. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["3257705"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69497565d5a50"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Kamp is another AAA Shooting Guard who caught my eye. He made a pair of threes in the first quarter for the Blue Jackets, and his shooting gives their offense spacing and a guy whom they can run actions for when they need a bucket. Lucas will also make the extra pass around the perimeter or dump-off to a big on drives. On the defensive end, he has very good instincts and will jump passing lanes to get run-out layups. Kamp finished with 10 points and 5 steals in a win over Cloudland (TN). </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2013329"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69497565d5a99"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Tahj left a good first impression on me in Green Sea Floyds' win over a ranked Class A foe, Charleston Math &amp; Science. He is one of just two seniors on their roster, and although he won't say much, he is a guy who leads with his play on the floor. Brown knocked down three threes on five attempts, including a big one in the second half when his team needed it. He showed comfort playing against a zone, making the right pass into the gaps or cutting without the ball for a layup. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2367665"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69497565d5adf"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">The highest-ranked prospect in this list of Small-Town Stars from the Battle of the Bay Showcase is [player_tooltip player_id='2367665' first='Deron' last='Ross']. He went for 14 points and 5 rebounds for Darlington. Ross was at his best when getting the ball into the paint off the dribble, where he could finish through contact at the rim, hit floaters over shot blockers, or pull up in the mid-range. Deron had a crucial stretch in the second half where he was very engaged defensively, drawing a charge and just making life difficult for the opposing offense. If that is how efficient Ross will be on offense and effective he will be on defense for the rest of the season, look out for a deep run from the Falcons.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2299732"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69497565d5b23"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Deyon exploded for 33 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals in a close loss for AA Mullins against AAAAA Berkeley. Ford did everything he could to put pressure on the rim: beating his man off the dribble, leaking out in transition, working the offensive glass, and getting to the free-throw line. Ford recently crossed over the 1,000 Career Point mark, and nights like Saturday were reasons why he is one of the top scorers in Mullins history. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2753938"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-69497565d5b6b"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Rounding out my list of Small-Town Stars on day two of the Carvers Bay Battle of the Bay is [player_tooltip player_id='2753938' first='Jamie' last='Graham']. This was my first time seeing Graham in a Carvers Bay jersey, and he was terrific in their win over Ragin Prep. He is a guy who the Bears need on the floor in close games, not only because he is a trusted ball handler and one of their best scorers, but because he is an elite free-throw shooter who can ice a game at the line. When the shots are falling like they were on Saturday, there aren't too many better players in the Lower State of Class 1A than Ace. He finished with 29 points in the win. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->