The same question is often asked about Villa Rica’s Deasia Merrill: Is she still around? It seems like Merrill has been playing forever – especially to the Wildcats’ opponents – but the truth remains that this is fourth and final season.
Merrill has been playing at a high level since she joined the varsity team as a freshman. The 6-foot-2 forward has been a double-double machine and has helped the Wildcats go 83-12 since she came along. She is the school’s all-time leading scorer.
Merrill is a college-ready player who has signed with Kentucky. She is quicker than she appears, gets up and down the court well, and has a good range on her jumper. She recently scored her 2,000th career point – the same night coach Tammy Norred earned her 400th career victory.
Here’s a look at nine other top players in Georgia:
Zamiya Passmore, Locust Grove: The 5-foot-6 senior is very quick and thrives in an up-tempo game. Capable of scoring in bunches; she had 37 last season against Central Gwinnett. She has a nice range on her shot and is a good distributor of the ball. She was a first-team all-state selection last year and is off to another good start.
Jada Claude, Whitewater: A 6-foot senior, Claude like to use her quickness to attack the basket. She is an athletic player with good jumping skills who likes to play a fast-paced game.
Taziaha Fanning, Harris County: Fanning, a 6-foot senior, will have more responsibility this year now that Jessika Carter has graduated and moved on to play at Mississippi State.
Demeara Hinds, Lithia Springs: The 6-3 junior has come a long way since her freshman season, when she basically started play organized ball. She averaged 13 points and 10 rebounds last year and was named All-Region 5.
Da'Mauri Flournoy, Carrollton: Big things come in this small package. The 5-5 guard is one of the top sophomores in the state. A point guard, Flournoy is super quick and excellent distributor of the ball. She had 127 assists last year, the third-most in school history, and averaged 12.5 points.
Shontrice Austin, Columbia: A 5-6 senior guard, Austin averaged 18.7 points last year, third-best in DeKalb County, and averaged 6.0 rebounds. A good shooter with a lot of drive and determination.
Lanee Edwards, Southwest DeKalb: The 5-4 senior guard is a good leader on the floor. She's also capable of scoring and averaged 15.2 points last season, No. 6 in DeKalb County. Plus you have to play good defense to get playing time for the Panthers.
Alice Anne Hudson, Starr's Mill: Hudson, a 5-10 junior guard, was Fayette County's Freshman of the year in 2017 and first-team All-Region 3 last season. Hudson is an excellent 3-point shooter who is capable of heating up from the floor, as she showed while posting 25 against Whitewater earlier this month.
Aliyah Hindsman, Villa Rica: The junior is often overshadowed by being on the same floor with Merrill. She's a good floor leader and solid scorer. Hindsman went for 34 earlier this season against a good Lithia Springs team.
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