Class of 2021: Top Small Forward Prospects
The class of 2021 in Indiana has really improved over the last year, and collectively they had a great Spring. As we recently updated our player rankings, I wanted to take the time to touch on each position group one…
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Continue ReadingThe class of 2021 in Indiana has really improved over the last year, and collectively they had a great Spring. As we recently updated our player rankings, I wanted to take the time to touch on each position group one by one. The Small Forward position in Indiana’s 2021 class doesn’t possess quite the depth of the 2020 class at the top, but they are a consistent group of really nice basketball players/prospects. Below we take a look at the Top-20 Small Forward prospects in Indiana’s Class of 2021.
Overall |
Prospect |
Ht. |
Pos. |
High School |
Grassroots |
15 |
Ryin Ott |
5-10 |
W |
LaPorte |
Always 100-Wright |
21 |
Lilliann Frasure |
5-9 |
W |
North Judson-San Pierre | Indiana Flight UAA |
22 |
Vanessa Shafford |
5-9 |
W |
Linton-Stockton | Indiana Elite Platinum 17U |
39 |
Mary Wilson |
5-9 |
W |
Center Grove | Nike Gym Rats Gold EYBL |
40 |
Kami Miller |
5-9 |
W |
Gibson Southern | |
42 |
Grace Adams |
5-11 |
F |
Penn |
|
43 |
Laini Joseph |
5-9 |
W |
Winamac | Indiana Elite Lightning |
45 |
Alexis Gibson |
5-8 |
W |
Jeffersonville | Team Indiana Rising Stars |
47 |
Tally Seitz |
5-9 |
W |
Carmel | Indy Magic-Andrus 17U |
49 |
Tyra Ford |
5-8 |
W |
Anderson | Lady Legit 17U |
51 |
Tyranny Brown |
5-7 |
W |
Heritage Christian |
Midwest Elite EYBL |
53 |
Alivia Terry |
5-8 |
W |
Indy North Central |
Indiana Flight UAA |
61 |
Maycee Woods |
5-8 |
W |
Plainfield | Indiana Flight-Duke 17U |
67 |
Kylee Stepp |
5-11 |
F |
West Vigo | Indiana Flight-Duke 17U |
69 |
Gracie Adams |
5-9 |
W |
Lanesville |
Indiana Flight Grey/South |
74 |
Kylee Shelton |
5-9 |
W |
Bloomfield |
Indiana Elite S.W.I.S.H. 17U |
80 |
Jaclyn Emly |
5-8 |
W |
Silver Creek |
Indiana Flight Grey/South |
82 |
Anna Henderson |
5-9 |
F |
West Lafayette Harrison | |
83 |
Emma Henderson |
5-9 |
F |
West Lafayette Harrison | |
90 |
Maddie Patterson |
5-9 |
F |
Danville Community | Indiana Flight-Duke 17U |
The combination of her length, fluidity, and versatile skillset has kept Ryin Ott of LaPorte High School as our obvious top prospect at the small forward position in 2021. She impacts the game in so many ways at both ends of the floor. She can defend multiple positions with her length and quickness, she’s much tougher than her slender frame might suggest, and she’s a solid rebounder from the wing. Offensively, she is at her best when she’s the primary ball-handler and making plays off the dribble as a point forward, but she can also attack the basket for scores, and she’s a capable perimeter shooter. Her college interest has really picked up due to her strong play this Spring and Summer.
Lilliann Frasure of North Judson-San Pierre High School and Vanessa Shafford of Linton-Stockton High School share more than just hyphenated high school names. These two are two of the most consistently productive basketball players in the entire state, regardless of class. They flat out do it all for their teams. They handle the ball at times and run offense, they score it well by attacking the basket, they can knock down an open rhythm jumper, and they rebound their position very well. Both should continue putting up numbers as Juniors, and both should help lead their Class 2A Top-5 high school programs deep in the state tournament this season.
One prospect I’m guessing many of you aren’t terribly familiar with is Tally Seitz of Carmel High School. She is a strong, physical, but versatile wing forward who has a well-balanced skillset. She can handle the basketball and run offense, she’s a solid perimeter shooter, but she’s also strong enough/physical enough to play in the mid-post and act like an undersized ‘4’ at times. Her incredible versatility makes her a very nice plug-and-play kid who fits into most lineups well and adds consistency, toughness, and energy.
One prospect who I think is primed for a breakout season in 2019-2020 is Maycee Woods of Plainfield High School. The long and slender wing is a really nice, fluid athlete, she plays with a great motor, and she has become a dangerous perimeter shooter who can also get to the paint and score. The fact that she can now score it consistently at each level really opens up the possibilities for her offensively. She also seems to be defending with a much greater sense of urgency, and she has the right physical makeup to be great in trapping situations or simply affect passing lanes with her length and quickness.
While she led Bloomfield High School in scoring in 2018-2019 at 14.7 points per game, I’d anticipate Kylee Shelton to see a significant uptick in statistical output in 2019-2020 due to the graduation of do-everything front-liner Malea Toon (14.5 ppg, 7.4 rpg). Kylee is a wiry strong forward who does a variety of things very well. She has length, she’s a solid athlete in all directions, and she’s skilled. She can handle the ball and run offense like a point forward, she can knock down an open rhythm jumper, but she’s probably best attacking the basket and acting as either a playmaker for others or scoring it around the basket herself.
Feature image of Ryin Ott of LaPorte High School. Image courtesy of the Northwest Indiana Times at nwitimes.com.