Team 7
Coach: Colby Lewis
#16: 5’5 ’27 Leia Rios (Knightdale)
Starting things off, we look at a player who consistently stood out through her shooting ability, Leia Rios. She’s a smart, balanced guard prospect with an understanding of how to make an impact with or without the ball in her hands. Next in her development process is working to become a craftier ball-handler, as it would make her a more complete player. Coach Lewis on Rios: “Leia immediately made an impression in her first game, showcasing her knockdown shooting ability. She shoots the ball with confidence, has deep range and a quick release. She consistently made the defense pay if given space. Her shooting ability opened up driving lanes for both herself and her teammates. Rios forced defenders to closeout hard, which allowed for her to attack off the bounce. She was one of the best pure shooters in the camp and earned Top Performers honors at the camp. Rios can continue to improve her ability to make plays off the bounce, as that will help her develop a more well-rounded offensive arsenal.” Rios should be a key piece for Knightdale over the foreseeable future.
#23: 5’6 ’27 Jordan Speller (Grace Christian)
Next, we look at a player who has established herself as a nationally recognized talent, Jordan Speller. She’s a smart, crafty, all-around guard prospect with the vision, athleticism, and scoring polish to dominate a game. Next in her development process is working on playing with a consistent motor, as it would make her a more complete player. Coach Lewis on Speller: “It’s easy to see why Jordan Speller is one of the top point guards in the country and a priority for several high major programs. The lefty guard earned MVP honors at the Lady Top 80. Speller is a quick, shifty guard who has the ball on a string and puts constant pressure on opponents with her ability to create paint touches. She is able to weave into the heart of the defense where she is able to finish in a variety of ways at the end of drives, despite her size, and also routinely makes quality reads finding her open teammates. She also showcased the ability to knock down shots from behind the arc, which makes her even more difficult to stay in front of. More importantly the team needed big plays in crucial moments, Speller did not shy away from the spotlight and came through in key moments. She thrived during those key moments. The next phase in her development will be to become even more efficient by doing more with less, understanding that she’s able to beat her opponents in less dribbles. This will prevent the defense from having a chance to load up to her, which will in turn make her tougher to contain.” Speller was arguably the top player on display and should continue to turn heads over the coming years.
#25: 5’6 ’26 Keysha Mizzell (Rocky Mount)
Moving forward, we look at a player who offers terrific balance as a floor general, Keysha Mizzell. She’s a skilled, poised point guard prospect who plays with pace, gets others involved, and knocks down shots at a high percentage. Next in her development process is working to get stronger, as it would make her a more physically imposing player. Coach Lewis on Mizzell: “Expect Keysha Mizzell to have a big junior year at Rocky Mount. Mizzell is a playmaker with a well-rounded skillset. When looking at her stats from last high school season, she shot 37% from behind the arc, but at camp she excelled creating off the bounce and getting downhill. This shows she has the ability to beat you from multiple levels on the court. She did a nice job of pushing the ball in transition and putting pressure on opponents. There were times when she could have been more aggressive and assertive when it came to looking for her perimeter shot, especially because she has nice form and rotation on her shot.” Mizzell enjoyed a quality showing at camp and should be a leader for Rocky Mount going forward.
#32: 5’7 ’28 Cassidy Johnson (Victory Christian)
Continuing forward, we look at a player who provided consistent energy throughout the day, Cassidy Johnson. She’s a young, scrappy guard prospect with a high motor and willingness to make hustle plays whenever possible. Next in her development process is working to become a better ball-handler, as it would make her a more complete player. Coach Lewis on Johnson: “Cassidy Johnson was one of the younger players at camp and is still developing her overall offensive skillset, but she was a willing learner and brought a lot of intensity to the defensive end. Not many players in a camp setting are as excited about playing defense as Johnson was. She would dive on the floor for 50/50 balls, helping her team secure possession, and she was engaged in help. Her positive energy was contagious. The next phase in her development would be to continue to improve her ball handling and shooting ability to make her much more of a threat on the offensive end.” Johnson highlighted a lot of positive flashes at camp and will be a prospect to monitor at Victory Christian over the coming years.
#36: 5’7 ’25 Laila Beard (South View)
Next, we look at a player who consistently outworked and outproduced opponents on both ends of the floor, Laila Beard. She’s a smart, well-rounded guard prospect with a high motor and the ability to make plays with or without the ball in her hands. Coach Lewis on Beard: “Laila made an impression with her coachability and willingness to do whatever was required to help the team. She is a fundamentally sound forward prospect who competed every single possession. She scored within the framework of the offense, whether it was finishing on drop-offs, offensive rebounds, or hitting the midrange jumper off the catch. Most importantly, she impacted the game on the defensive end. Even when defending bigger players, she worked to force tough catches and make her opponents work for anything they got. Beard can continue to improve her perimeter game which will help prepare her to potentially play more on the wing at the next level given her height.” Beard stood out as a leader during camp and should be poised for a strong senior season at South View.
#51: 5’8 ’27 Olivia Yancey (Jordan)
Moving forward, we look at a player who showcased an impressive level of polish, especially for her age, Olivia Yancey. She’s a skilled, team-oriented wing prospect with nice size, creation skills, and the ability to make an impact with or without the ball in her hands. Next in her development process is working on getting stronger, as it would make her a more physically imposing player. Coach Lewis on Yancey: “Olivia was the team’s leading scorer, all while doing so within the framework of the offense. There were times as her coach that I thought she could have been a little more assertive when looking to create for herself. Yancey was one of the more well-rounded prospects in attendance. She has a solid handle and can create for herself and others. Yancey is a good decision-maker, which will help her gain the confidence of her coaches when it comes to playing in key moments. More importantly, her defense was a key reason for this team’s success. She was very active on both ends of the floor and involved in every possession. In the last game, her defensive effort, forcing steals and picking up full court, was a big reason in our come-from-behind win.” Yancey proved to be an asset during camp and should be a focal point for Jordan over these next few years.
#53: 5’9 ’26 Altamise Leach (North Mecklenburg)
Continuing forward, we look at a player who Coach Lewis on Leach: “After missing last season due to a health issue and just starting getting back on the court a few months ago, Altamise is making tremendous progress and we are excited to watch her continue to make strides on the court this season. As a coach’s daughter, as you’d expect, she has a high basketball IQ and understands how to play the game the right way. Offensively, she shoots the ball well and understands how to move without the basketball, finding open cutting lanes for easy baskets. As she continues to regain confidence, her game will begin to take off. Leach can continue to work on improving her ball handling and ability to create off the bounce. Defensively, she is tough, competes, active on the ball, and engaged in help side rotations.” Leach enjoyed a quality showing at camp and should trend upward for North Mecklenburg over these next two seasons.
#57: 5’9 ’28 Mira Sigmon (Newton-Conover)
Next, we look at a player who showcased a lot of ability and long-term appeal, Mira Sigmon. She’s a smart, versatile wing/forward prospect with the necessary size, skill, and strength to cause problems for opponents. Next in her development process is working on getting quicker, as it would make her a more dynamic penetrating threat. Coach Lewis on Sigmon: “Next, we look at another freshman who played with confidence throughout the day. Mira is a skilled, multi-positional player who is able to fill in a lot of gaps on both ends of the floor. She has the potential to cause mismatches given her size at 5-foot-9 and her ability to make plays off the bounce. Sigmon showcased the ability to be a solid threat from behind the arc, but was also confident in her ability to put the ball on the floor. There were times, when she took one to two extra dribbles into traffic, getting her into trouble, but as she continues to play against older competition at the high school level, she’ll be able to make that adjustment. She can continue to improve her quickness as she has the skillset to play on the perimeter.” Sigmon did a lot of things well at camp and should emerge as a leader sooner than later for Newton-Conover.
#65: 5’10 ’27 Tandriyana Allison (Statesville)
Finishing up, we look at a player who displayed an understanding of how to anchor the paint on both ends of the floor, Tandriyana Allison. She’s a long, fluid forward/post prospect with the ability to finish, rebound, and alter shots defensively. Next in her development process is working to become a craftier ball-handler, as it would make her a more difficult matchup for opponents. Coach Lewis on Allison: “Lastly, we look at Tandriyana Allison, a sophomore post player whose best days are ahead of her. She is extremely coachable. Allison is a strong, physical forward who works hard to anchor the interior. Offensively, she is best finishing inside the paint on drop-offs and put-backs, but she did knock down multiple catch and shoot three-pointers when in rhythm. The next phase in her development will be to improve her overall ball skills and footwork.” Allison enjoyed a solid showing during camp and will be a prospect to monitor over the coming years at Statesville.