Prep basketball 2009-10 Players to watch

BOYS

Deuce Bello (HP Westchester, 6-5, Jr., W) -- Exceptional athlete with explosive leaping ability, Bello is a prime Division I prospect with offers from Wake Forest and others.

Tabarrus "Tab" Hamilton (West Forsyth, 6-2, Jr., W) -- Hamilton might be the best Forsyth County player few have heard of. But he's a big-time athlete with a 3-point shot and mid-range game, and he drew notice at several offseason camps.

Tyler Lewis (FCD, 5-10, So., PG) -- Still young and gangly, he might not look like one of the best players around, but he has talent.

Stargell Love (Quality Education, 6-2, Sr., PG) -- A highly competitive point guard with above average strength, Love has several Division I offers.

Georges Massoda (FCD, 6-8, Sr., P) -- Massoda, an exchange student from Cameroon, is still raw but loaded with potential and has signed with High Point. A great defender and rebounder, he's still refining his offense.

Quincy Miller (Quality Education, 6-8, Jr., W) -- Rated by most recruiting services among the nation's top 10 in the Class of 2011. According to his coaches and recruiting Web sites, he has Division I offers from many top programs, including Duke, Kentucky and Wake Forest.

William Peay (Reagan, 5-10, Sr., G) -- Peay, a Journal All-Northwest pick last season, leads a Reagan team that has nine seniors and could be the area's best in 4-A.

Anthony Thomas (W-S Prep, 6-7, Sr., W) -- Thomas, who played at Parkland and last season at Veritas Christian and QEA, is a long, sleek player who can handle the ball and shoot. He has committed to Appalachian State.

Aaron Toomey (McGuinness, 6-1, Sr., PG) -- He won't have the supporting cast he had during a 2009 state-championship season, but he's a terrific ball-handler with a deceptive game and a penchant for getting to the foul line.

LaMaurice Williams (Glenn, 5-11, Jr., G) -- Williams, a D-I prospect, averaged 11 points last season, and Coach Lee Reavis says he has developed a mid-range shot and can drive to the basket better.

GIRLS

Hannah Allgood (FCD, 5-10, Sr., F) -- Allgood was an All-Northwest pick last season and had D-I recruiting interest but chose to play volleyball at East Carolina. She will be trying to improve on last season's averages of 14 points and 7.8 rebounds.

Alana Beroth (Reagan, 6-2, Sr., C) -- Beroth's height is an asset, she has signed with ECU, and she has improved since averaging 10.3 points, 9.8 rebounds and 5.6 blocks last season.

Megan Buckland (McGuinness, 6-0, Jr., PG) -- The MVP of last season's 1-A title game, she competed in the U-16 USA Basketball Trials last summer. Buckland is two inches taller than last season and already has three offers each from ACC and Big East programs.

Millesa Calicott (Mount Tabor, 5-11, Jr., W) -- The well-rounded Calicott has offers from Elon and Appalachian and is being recruited by many other programs, including several in the ACC.

Jazmine Charles (Central Davidson, 5-9, Jr., G/F) -- Charles can, and will be asked, to do it all for Central. She can play any position and pile up big numbers, and she's had recruiting interest from North Carolina, UCLA and others.

Mallary Clay (Ashe County, 5-8, Jr., G/F) -- The extremely versatile Clay averaged 10.5 points and 5.2 rebounds last season and will be expected to carry a much larger load.

Tori Cook (West Forsyth, 5-7, So., G) -- Could emerge as one of the area's best after averaging 11.7 points, 5.3 assists, 9.3 rebounds and 4.4 steals and making the All-Central Piedmont team as a freshman.

Breannah Davis-Bloom (Carver, 5-6, Jr., G.) -- Last season, Davis-Bloom was all-conference, was an 81-percent FT shooter and averaged 15 points, 6.1 assists and 4 steals.

Whitney Knight (Reynolds, 6-2, Jr., G) -- Knight won two NCHSAA 1-A titles with McGuinness, competed in the U-16 USA Basketball Trials last summer and has a long list of Division I offers. She also tried a dunk in a game last season.

Kelsey Long (East Surry, 5-8, Sr., G) -- Long was last season's Northwest 1-A player of the year after averaging 12.9 points and 3 assists. She has signed with Belmont Abbey.

Teams to watch

BOYS

Mount Tabor: Yes, the Spartans lost three Division I guards from their NCHSAA 4-A championship team, and yes, they will take a step back, especially early. But Alex Fagg is a solid center and returning starter, and Coach Andy Muse likes his young talent.

Quality Education Academy: The Fighting Pharoahs will play a national schedule against other powerhouses. Junior Quincy Miller, a 6-8 Chicago native, is among the nation's top-rated players in the Class of 2011.

Reagan: Coach Howard West has a team that should ride experience to 20 wins or more. The Raiders have nine seniors and might be one of only two Forsyth County teams (with QEA) capable of challenging W-S Prep.

West Forsyth: Mike Pennington coached NCHSAA 3-A championship and runner-up teams at Parkland and now has the type of athletic players at West that he routinely had at Parkland.

W-S Prep: The Phoenix have eight returning players, three strong transfers -- including 6-8 Anthony Thomas (Appalachian State) -- and freshman Greg McClinton, a top up-and-comer. Another NCHSAA 1-A should be the only goal for this team.

GIRLS

Bishop McGuinness: Four straight NCHSAA 1-A titles and counting, McGuinness has one of the area's top players in junior PG Megan Buckland, who will have to lead the way until new players get up to speed.

Carver: The Yellowjackets have a skilled backcourt of Breannah Davis-Bloom and Taqeria Rhyne and a new coach -- former Carver star and state-championship point guard Porsche Jones, who knows what it takes to win.

Mount Tabor: The Spartans have owned the Central Piedmont recently and still have plenty of talent -- including junior Milessa Callicott -- to keep Reynolds from taking over.

Reynolds: Coach Monty Gray has been collecting talented players for a few seasons and, with the addition of 6-2 junior Whitney Knight from McGuinness, has some of the area's best talent. Knight's presence makes the Demons CPC 4-A favorites.

West Forsyth: The Titans haven't been competitive for a while, but they now have a rising star in sophomore Tori Cook, two quality freshmen and a new coach -- LaQuanda Barksdale Quick, who starred at West Forsyth, North Carolina and in the WNBA and has been working her team hard.