Class of 2022: Top Small Forward Prospects
The class of 2022 in Indiana has a lot of big-time potential, and as we recently updated the player rankings, I wanted to take the time to touch on each position group one by one. The Small Forward position is…
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Continue ReadingThe class of 2022 in Indiana has a lot of big-time potential, and as we recently updated the player rankings, I wanted to take the time to touch on each position group one by one. The Small Forward position is one of great strength in 2022, as all of our Top-10 prospects appear within the top 24 spots of our overall Top-100 list, including our #1 prospect overall. There is a nice combination of point forwards, slashers, and power wings in this group. Below we take a look at the Top-10 Small Forward prospects in Indiana’s Class of 2022.
Overall |
Prospect |
Ht. |
Pos. |
High School |
Grassroots |
1 |
Ayanna Patterson |
6-3 |
W |
Homestead | Always 100 Attack 17U |
3 |
Kate Clarke |
6-0 |
W |
Carmel |
Indy Magic-Andrus 17U |
10 |
Natalie Niehaus |
5-9 |
W |
Castle |
|
12 |
Myah Montgomery |
6-0 |
W |
Southridge | Indiana Elite S.W.I.S.H. |
15 |
Katie Egenolf |
5-10 |
F |
Center Grove |
|
17 |
Jaelynne Murray |
5-9 |
W |
Pike |
Indy Lady Impact 16U |
18 |
Rayah Kincer |
5-9 |
W |
Franklin Central |
Nike Gym Rats Gold 16U |
22 |
Davina Smith |
5-10 |
F |
Merrillville | Indiana Lightning |
23 |
Kuryn Brunson |
5-9 |
W |
Franklin Community |
Team Indiana Red Storm |
24 |
Ellie Wilkerson |
5-9 |
W |
Plainfield |
Indiana Showcase-Sinclair 17U |
A Top-5 prospect by most National recruiting services and numerous high-major Division-I offers, Ayanna Patterson of Homestead High School has clearly already made a name for herself in the broad scope of things. But what impresses me the most about her, is that she continues to work on developing her game, and she has put in time strengthening her frame. She has done a better job of seeking out contact and finishing through it this Spring, and as she finishes growing, I look for her to be built more like a power forward with a guard’s skillset.
One of the better prospects who very few people are aware of at this time is Myah Montgomery of Southridge High School. Myah is an extremely long, fluid, and somewhat bouncy wing who has a very diverse skillset. She comes from an athletic family where her 2021 brother has already excelled in three sports, but Myah is making a name for herself as well on the hardwood, as she went for a season high of 38 points in a game this past Winter. As she gets stronger and finishes growing, look for her to really start drawing the attention of college programs.
Another lesser-known prospect in this class is Merrillville High School’s Davina Smith. She is a long, wiry strong forward who plays with great versatility. She is outstanding at times in the mid-post, she’s comfortable around the perimeter, and she can also handle it in transition and make plays for others. As she gets stronger, look for her to get more of an opportunity at Merrillville. Her older sister, Daijah, was a 2018 graduate of Gary Lighthouse College Prep Academy, where she scored more than 2100 points in her career.
Let’s also not forget about Kuryn Brunson of Franklin Community High School. The strong, playmaking wing was putting together a really nice Freshman season before suffering a severe injury that has kept her out of grassroots basketball this Spring and Summer. She is a powerful, point forward type, who can create offense off the dribble for herself or others. She can be a matchup problem, because she has the strength of a power forward but the skill and athleticism of a wing.
Feature image of Ayanna Patterson of Homestead High School. Image submitted by the family.