2021 Small Forwards/Wings

The class of 2021 has several players with the versatility that fit this position well.  Prospects tabbed with this position title usually bring a combination of size, athleticism, and toughness to the floor for their team. The most important expectation when evaluating them is, do they impact the game with more than just scoring. Are they good defenders, good rebounders, and do they find easy scoring opportunities using their talents? To be effective at this position does not require advanced ball-handling, although it does add significant value, instead, they should be efficient with their touches. This list has several prospects that will end up at various levels of college basketball but are all important parts of their high school teams and more importantly have the ability to add to several statistical categories when on the floor. [player_tooltip player_id="148895" first="Gabbi" last="Cartagena"] | 5’9" | Jackson Cartagena is a player that coaches want to get eyes on soon. She is an aggressive driver from the perimeter and is a capable shooter behind the arc when left unchecked. On film, you can see the motor that she plays with on both ends. She consistently defends and rebounds with a lot of energy. I was impressed with her ability to grab rebounds and bust out into transition where she has a good understanding of when to take it to the rim or use a soft touch floater that falls consistently. She has decent ball-handling but really uses her between the legs dribble to change directions and get by defenders while absorbing bumps. She gets to the foul line often, because of her drive first mentality, where she is a consistent converter. [player_tooltip player_id="118123" first="Keyarah" last="Berry"] | 5’11" | Rockmart When looking at Berry in person it is an understatement to say that she is a big-time athlete. She is not just long, but she also has the build of upperclassmen in college already. She is big, fast, and strong and it shows as soon as you turn on Rockmart’s game film. She can be used and relied on in a variety of ways playing everything from the point guard to the small forward position. Offensively, it is hard to stop her on any path she chooses. She is great on straight-line drives with the ability to finish in traffic and through heavy contact. She also has a very nice 1-2 dribble pull-up where her athleticism shows again with the elevation on her shot making it hard to contest. She has the ability to play out of the pick and roll where she really likes to step into her three-point shot when defenders go under the screen. She has a good chance to be an elite defender where she shows quickness to stay in front of small guards and the strength to bump bigger small forwards off their path without picking up fouls. Coach Andrea Clark does a good job of recognizing her versatility and changes her assignments multiple times in games to slow down players throughout games. [player_tooltip player_id="118124" first="Shaquice" last="May"] | 6’0" | Rockdale County May is a confident small forward that is not afraid of big moments. She is a natural leader and does whatever is needed to help her team win. She has good ball-handling and often times handles point guard responsibilities for her team. She has good speed with the ball in her hands which makes her very effective when attacking in transition. She is a good finisher at the rim and can shoot the ball well in catch and shoot situations or off the dribble. Defensively she is very versatile. She can guard both perimeter and interior players effectively. She has a few dribble moves but is most effective when slashing where it is easy to identify her basketball IQ through timely back door cuts or aggressive flashes from the weakside wing when she recognizes space. [player_tooltip player_id="118104" first="Tomisin" last="Adenupe"] | 6’1" | Walton Adenupe is a long and athletic small forward with a decent skill set, but she relies primarily on her energy and effort to lead her team. She is an average ball-handler that looks to get downhill in a hurry when catching the ball around the perimeter. She also shows an ability to contribute in the paint out of high low situations where she has more space to work. She attacks the glass on both ends of the floor where her activity helps her grab a lot of offensive rebounds and get to the foul line. She has a quick second jump which helps her convert on offensive putbacks. She showed the ability to knock down shots from behind the arc but usually attempts them to keep the defense honest when sagging off to defend her drives. She uses her length well as a defender and is capable of picking up a block here and there when guarding drives against other perimeter players. [player_tooltip player_id="118130" first="Kourtney" last="Rittenberry"] | 6’0" | South Gwinnett At 6’0", Rittenberry does a good job of using her length to her advantage around the perimeter. She has decent athleticism and uses strong rips with long first steps to get by defenders. She is very good in transition where she knows how to use her body to shield the ball from chasing defenders. She is a good finisher with either hand but is still working on finishing through contact. She has good ball-handling and a nice shooting touch with range out to the three-point line. Her long arms assist her in being a solid defender around the perimeter where she can keep pressure while maintaining good space. She has the potential to be a good rebounder when she is intentional about crashing the boards. [player_tooltip player_id="118115" first="Sade" last="Harrell"] | 5’11" | Heritge-Conyers A strong and physical small forward that can do a little of everything. She is an offensive threat around the perimeter and around the post area. She has a good catch and shoot rhythm three that she likes to shoot when left open by defenders. She is very aggressive on the inside and does not run from contact. She can take bumps and keep her focus on her attempts which helps here convert layups through fouls. She has a big frame and when she gets a head of steam on drives there is not much that can be done to slow her down. She is a vocal leader as well and communicates on both ends of the floor. Because of her toughness, she can be used to set solid screens and has great hands when catching in traffic. She reads defenders quickly to determine what move is needed to get a good shot attempt. Defensively she can make it tough for other players to find easy baskets. She does not give up on plays and has a good motor on that end of the floor.