Who’s Next In 2022?
When our rankings were updated for the Class of 2022 towards the middle-end of March, I didn’t necessarily expand the list as much as I reevaluated positioning and adjusted some prospects accordingly. The plan all along was to expand the…
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Continue ReadingWhen our rankings were updated for the Class of 2022 towards the middle-end of March, I didn’t necessarily expand the list as much as I reevaluated positioning and adjusted some prospects accordingly. The plan all along was to expand the list in June to approximately 175 players, and that will remain the strategy moving forward. With that said, there are several prospects I already have in mind to be added at that time, and I wanted to highlight six unranked ladies who are likely to make their first appearance in June when we finish our next update.
Le’Aije Ellington, 2022, 5-6 CG, Warren Central H.S.
When I first saw Le’Aije last Spring, I was really impressed with her quickness and all-around athleticism. She has a wiry strong frame, she moves well in just about every direction, and she is just another really nice, talented guard at Warren Central right now. She is a good driving scorer, but she is at least respectable from behind the 3-point line, keeping defenses honest. I also like her ability to really get after it defensively, and in a reserve role this past season, she averaged an impressive 2.5 steals per game against one of the state’s toughest schedules and some of the better guards. She has a lot of upside.
Maddie Hudspeth, 2022, 6-1 C, Oregon-Davis H.S.
Maddie’s intrigue as a prospect is really trending up. She has grown about three inches in the last year, and her game has started to come around full-circle. She transferred into Oregon-Davis from nearby John Glenn this year, and she immediately made an impact for the Bobcats, averaging 7.6 points and 8.8 rebounds, while shooting a solid 69% from the free throw line on a Senior/Junior heavy roster. Maddie has a solid frame, some length, plus she works hard and moves fairly well in all directions. If she can continue developing her finishing moves, she could likely score in the mid-teens as a Junior.
Lyndsey Kobza, 2022, 5-10 SF, Kouts H.S.
Lyndsey is a versatile, Jack-of-all-trades type of forward prospect. She has a versatile offensive skillset to where she can play inside and post up a little, score the ball in the mid-post, or take care of it around the perimeter. She has a good understanding of the game and the ability to find open teammates, but she’s almost too unselfish and probably could score the ball at a higher level if she wanted. She’s a solid athlete, with some length and wiry strength, and I think she’ll turn into a more aggressive scorer these next two years. She averaged 6.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 2.3 steals for a good 17-6 Kouts team.
Jesse Ledgerwood, 2022, 5-5 PG, Washington H.S.
Though just a Sophomore, Jesse has already seen the ups and downs of athletics. Entering high school, she was going to have the opportunity to earn a key role on the Varsity team, but a knee injury derailed her Freshman season and some of her grassroots season in 2018-2019. She returned this Winter to play the point for a good and well-balanced Hatchet squad, averaging 6.5 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.1 assists, plus she shot 38% from 3-point range. Now that she’s starting to return to her old form, look for the fairly strong and versatile guard to show a significant jump in production as a Junior this coming season.
Skylie Lutz, 2022, 5-6 SG, Union City H.S.
I have previously mentioned how Union City has a really nice 2022 class, and I feel like that group can lead them deep in the Class 1A state tournament the next two seasons. Well, Skylie has been the leading scorer for them the past two years, and she is a really nice, athletic scorer who can make plays at both ends of the floor. She has a wiry strong frame, she is a capable perimeter shooter, but she’s better off the bounce attacking and creating offense for herself or teammates. She averaged 16.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 2.2 steals per game this season. She will likely exceed 1500 points in her career as well.
Annabelle Williams, 2022, 5-6 PG, Jac-Cen-Del H.S.
Under Coach Smith, Jac-Cen-Del has a really good thing going, and it seems like they graduate a really good kid or two each year and have a replacement waiting in the wings. Annabelle is one of those players, and she stepped right in and gave them steady play at the point as a Freshman, replacing the talented Lilly Simon (2018), who is playing at Findlay University. Annabelle has done a nice job of taking care of the ball the past two years, but this season she really stepped up and did more things like scoring and rebounding. In 2019-2020, she averaged 11.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 2.0 steals per game.