The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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30 ■ THE WOLFPACKER guard and No. 21 overall player nationally by Collegiate Girls Basketball Report, was named the 2020-21 Virginia High School Girls Basketball Player of the Year by MaxPreps after averaging 22.2 points and 5.3 rebounds per game while maintaining a 3.7 assist-to- turnover ratio during her senior season. She led Princess Anne High to a perfect 10-0 record and the Division Five Virginia state championship in 2021 while shining in the biggest moments. She scored 32 points in the state title game after notching 26 points and 10 steals in the semifinals. "Aziaha has a scorer's mentality," Moore said. "Her ability to shoot the three with range as well as get to the rim allows her to score in bunches. She has the size and the strength to be a factor on the boards as well. "We also like the fact that she comes from very successful high school and travel team programs. She knows how to win." "She's a lefty scoring machine," Dan Ol- son of Collegiate Girls Basketball Report said. "James has continued to elevate her game, gradually moving up the national ranking board. A proven scorer with range, James beats you off the dribble or from deep. She has a knack for scoring in bunches." The basketball star from the Tidewater area also faced tragedy during her high school career. Her older brother Ashley "A.J." James, who was a men's basketball standout at Green Run High School in Vir- ginia Beach, Va., passed away in an acci- dental shooting during Aziaha's junior year playoff run. Within a week of losing her brother, James returned to the court and poured it out in an incredible performance for Prin- cess Anne High in the state quarterfinals. She scored 41 points on 19-of-32 shooting and produced nine rebounds, six steals and five assists in a 91-48 victory. "I had all my family and friends at the game," James said. "Everybody was sup- porting me. When I hit that last point, every- thing came into me all at once and just ex- citement. A.J. would've loved it. Everybody loved him. He was a very good person." The Crafty Big Hart was the last of the 2021 class to an- nounce her commitment, but she certainly isn't the least. She'll bring her 6-5 frame to Raleigh and will immediately be the tallest player on the team along with 6-5 junior center Elissa Cu- nane, a two-time All-American and unani- mous first-team All-ACC selection. "Hart is a true low-block presence," Mi- chael T. White and Bret McCormick of All Star Girls Report noted in a scouting report. "She has great footwork, possesses good hands and finishes with either hand. She can also step out beyond the three-point line." The four-star talent is the second-highest- ranked player in the Wolfpack class, with ESPN HoopGurlz listing her as the No. 5 center and No. 64 overall player in the country. She's also rated as the No. 4 center and No. 40 overall prospect nationally by Collegiate Girls Basketball Report. Hart averaged 17.0 points, 14.0 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and 1.5 steals per game while helping Farmington High achieve a program- best 29-9 record as well as the school's first appear- ance in the Minnesota state playoffs during her junior season. The Tigers reached the Class 4A fi- nals before the game was canceled due to the CO- VID-19 pandemic. S h e t h e n l e d Farmington High to a 21-0 record during her senior season before being upset in the quar- terfi- nals of the state playoffs. The playoff loss ended a 38-game winning streak for the Tigers. Hart was a three-time first-team all-con- ference honoree and earned a spot on the Minnesota Girls Basketball Coaches As- sociation All-State team in 2020 and 2021. She also competed in the 2019 USA Bas- ketball Women's U16 National Team Trials, where she made the final 42. "Sophie is a very skilled post player, which fits well with our four-out, one-in system," Moore said. "She's a presence on the block on both ends of the court and a force on the boards. Sophie runs the floor well in transition and continues to expand her range. She too is used to playing and winning on great teams." Home-State Hooper Timmons became the first of the 2021 Wolfpack class to commit when she an- nounced her decision over Memorial Day weekend in 2020. She was ranked as a four- star prospect, and the No. 16 combo guard and No. 40 overall prospect in the 2021 class by Collegiate Girls Basketball Report. She spent her first three seasons of high school basketball at North Mecklenburg High before transferring to Independence High ahead of her senior campaign. In her three seasons at North Mecklenburg, she averaged no less than 24 points per game. During her junior campaign, she posted 24.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.9 steals and 2.6 assists per contest. "Everything she has accomplished and her skill set is based off of her work ethic," said Jennifer Baker, Timmons' head coach at North Mecklenburg. "She made herself a bet- ter player. She came in and she did the extra work in the weight room to get bigger Incoming center Sophie Hart is listed at 6-5, which means she will tie with returning All- American Elissa Cunane as the tallest player on next year's roster. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS Guard Jessica Timmons became the first Wolfpack player in the 2021 class to commit when she a n n o u n c e d h e r pledge on Memorial Day weekend in 2020. PHOTO COURTESY NC STATE ATHLETICS