2021 Rankings Update: Best Forwards

As basketball becomes a more positionless sport, versatility has become more and more valuable.  The days of the traditional power forward are fading as players are expected to show and ability to score and defend on the perimeter and in the interior.  The modern forward is expected to battle inside for points and rebounds while also possessing shooting and ball-handling skills.  The players on this list have all of those skills and more. <b>[player_tooltip player_id="88416" first="Tiarra" last="East"], Butler- </b>While she has the size to play inside, East often prefers to run the offense for the Bearettes, making her a point-forward.  She excels in this role, consistently getting inside to either score or set up buckets for her teammates.  East was also her team’s leading rebounder this season, showing the ability to battle inside along with her perimeter play.  Other than a consistent outside shot, East possesses all the skills a coach could want out of a forward. <b style="font-size: 1rem;">[player_tooltip player_id="88417" first="Elise" last="Ellison-Coons"], Dunbar- </b>Toughness and hustle are prerequisites to be a successful forward, and Ellison-Coons has it in bunches.  She consistently outbattles bigger players inside for buckets and rebounds and locks down players of all sizes and abilities on the defensive end.  Ellison-Coons also has the ability to play on the perimeter with an impressive outside shot, making her difficult to deal with on both ends of the court. <b>[player_tooltip player_id="31848" first="Mya" last="Meredith"], Scott- </b>Unfortunately Meredith missed last season with a knee injury.  Her team obviously missed her, as Scott struggled to find points and wins all season long.  If she is able to return at full force next year, Meredith will show off her awesome scoring skills from every level to go along strong ball-handling and rebounding and have a chance to be the top player in the state. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="31866" first="Casey" last="Coleman"], Rockcastle County- </strong>After starting her career as a post player, Coleman has shifted her game in the last season to play more on the perimeter.  This move has raised her stock significantly, as Coleman has played well on the perimeter, showing off strong ball-handling and a nice outside shot.  Combined with her natural size and ability to score inside, these skills make Coleman an intriguing and versatile player. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="88423" first="Kenady" last="Tompkins"], Scott County- </strong>Tompkins has shown the ability to be a dominant player.  She had games last season where she was unstoppable, using her size, athleticism, and ball skills to score in bunches and pull down a ton of rebounds.  However, she played on a stacked Scott County team and therefore often took a backseat, especially to [player_tooltip player_id="31811" first="Malea" last="Williams"], who played basically the same role as Tompkins.  Next year it will be Tompkins team, and we’ll get to see what she can really do. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="36208" first="Ella" last="Thompson"], Bethlehem-</strong> Perhaps the most low-post centric player on this list, Thompson fits the mold of a modern power forward perfectly.  She was a great inside scorer and rebounder this past year, dominating on the inside for a Banshee team that almost made it to Rupp.  Crucially, Thompson also showed off a good outside shot, adding a valuable wrinkle to her game and giving her enough perimeter ability to fit into this group.