2021 rankings update: Best available point guards

There are some terrific point guards in the Prep Girls Hoops class of 2021, and several have continued to rise in the rankings which have just been updated. The top five floor generals to make a college commitment to date – all coincidentally from outside of the Twin Cities Metro – are destined for success at the Division 1 level: <ul> <li>#4 [player_tooltip player_id="2098" first="Katie" last="Borowicz"] of Roseau (Stars 2021 Hersch) committed to Minnesota</li> <li>#5 [player_tooltip player_id="2126" first="Gianna" last="Kneepkens"] of Duluth Marshall (Fury 2021 UAA) committed to Utah</li> <li>#14 [player_tooltip player_id="109739" first="Paige" last="Meyer"] of Albany (Comets 2021 Elite) committed to South Dakota State</li> <li>#21 [player_tooltip player_id="2122" first="Julia" last="Bengtson"] of Becker (Comets 2021 Elite) committed to Eastern Illinois</li> <li>#24 [player_tooltip player_id="109752" first="Miah" last="Monahan"] of Glencoe-Silver Lake (Fury 2021 UAA) committed to Eastern Illinois</li> </ul> So who is next? And what exactly is a point guard? Good questions, both of which are up for plenty of debate. These days players are so much more versatile that most guards bring the ball up the floor and distribute it effectively. We try to identify which slot a player is most likely to fill at the next level but nothing is carved in stone. For example, #37-ranked [player_tooltip player_id="57096" first="Mia" last="Huberty"] of Big Lake (Stars 2021 Hersch) has played plenty of minutes in the 1 spot and may do the same in college. Ditto for #31 [player_tooltip player_id="2134" first="Lilli" last="Mackley"] of Hill-Murray (MN/WI Force 2021),  #42 [player_tooltip player_id="57093" first="Andrea" last="Tribble"] of Robbinsdale Cooper (Suns 2021 Bluestar), #61 [player_tooltip player_id="109760" first="Takara" last="Mason"] of Tartan (FBC 2021 North) and #80 [player_tooltip player_id="57170" first="Kelsey" last="Willems"] of Chaska (43 Hoops 2021). All are strong candidates for scholarship-level programs, but will likely not be primarily point guards. Of course that's just my opinion and coaches may ultimately decide otherwise. So who are the best pure PGs who have yet to make a college commitment? <strong>THE TOP TWO</strong> Without a doubt the two most intriguing prospects are #9 [player_tooltip player_id="109735" first="Jade" last="Hill"] of Minneapolis South (Fury 2021 UAA) and #13 [player_tooltip player_id="109736" first="Ellie" last="Dague"] of Henning (North Tartan 21 EYBL). Both have long been considered strong Division 1 candidates and still are. Hill was the #1-rated player in the class when it was first ranked in the fall of 2017 and Dague was top 5. The top 10 among the 2021s has been reshuffled a few times over the past three years, thanks largely to the rise to prominence of Kneepkens, #1 [player_tooltip player_id="6389" first="Adalia" last="McKenzie"] of Park Center and new #2 [player_tooltip player_id="13045" first="Sophie" last="Hart"] of Farmington. Dague’s rating was affected by a long injury absence. Now that the AAU summer season is actually under way it will be most interesting to see what the two guards do. After spending her entire AAU career with her family’s Tayler Hill Elite squad, Jade moves to the Fury. It’s an interesting switch that will probably tell us a lot more about Jade’s potential at the next level. It can be challenging to adapt to new systems and different approaches to the game, but it can also reveal a much greater depth and breadth of ability that may not have always been evident in the past. That’s what we expect from Hill. The 5’9 guard is a highly-gifted athlete with quick feet, excellent handles and elite skills. It might take a little time to adapt but we expect Hill is going to prosper in this new environment. Her college prospects will be impacted accordingly. The Fury’s top 2021 squad has already had seven college commitments. Dague returns to action this coming weekend in Iowa at the Great 8 Showcase in Ames where North Tartan’s teams will make their season debut. I have attended several EYBL workouts this month and Ellie has looked right at home on a loaded squad. After nearly two years of injury issues, Dague completed the entire high school season without incident and had a really good year while leading her team to the state tournament. At 5’10 she has size and strength. Dague is deceptively quick and skilled enough that you cannot tell if she is right- or left-handed. That’s pretty rare! As time passes in her comeback Ellie has gotten quicker and more agile and is gradually returning to the form that made her a power 5 recruit as a freshman.  The rubber hits the road Saturday afternoon at the All-Iowa Attack fieldhouse when NT faces a strong Minnesota Comets 2021 Elite squad that includes Meyer plus Bengtson, #39 [player_tooltip player_id="109747" first="Faith" last="Alberts"] of Parkers Prairie and Becker stars #52 [player_tooltip player_id="29532" first="Megan" last="Gamble"] and #73 [player_tooltip player_id="109774" first="Courtney" last="Nuest"]. <strong>THE RECENT STOCK RISERS</strong> In our rundown on the top stock risers in the 2021 update yesterday we profiled several very good point guards who are also candidates for scholarship-level basketball. You can refer back to that story for the details but they are: <ul> <li>#30 [player_tooltip player_id="109748" first="Ivane" last="Tensaie"] of Concordia Academy (North Tartan 2021 Elite)</li> <li>#45 [player_tooltip player_id="109756" first="Peyton" last="Blandin"] of Farmington (North Tartan 2021 Elite)</li> <li>#67 [player_tooltip player_id="57132" first="Lily" last="Peterson"] of Crosby-Ironton (Suns 2021 Bluestar)</li> <li>#79 [player_tooltip player_id="109777" first="Macy" last="Holtz"] of Plainview-Elgin-Millville (Southern Minnesota Fury 2021)</li> </ul> <strong>FIVE MORE PROSPECTS TO SEE</strong> Here are five more talented point guards who should be considered scholarship-level possibilities in the class of 2021: #50 [player_tooltip player_id="6410" first="Natalie" last="Holte"] of Shakopee (Stars 2021 DeSart) cracked the top 50 last fall and is a proven competitor at the 4A high school level. The 5’6 Holte is a crafty floor leader with nice handles and excellent game management skills. #56 [player_tooltip player_id="109758" first="Destinee" last="Bursch"] of Eden Prairie (Fury 2021 UAA) sometimes gets overshadowed playing on a pair of talented teams but the 5’9 junior is one of the more skilled guards in the class. Over time her distribution has improved while her one-on-one abilities have continued to impress. #57 [player_tooltip player_id="57095" first="Chyna" last="Young"] of Apple Valley (North Tartan 2021 Elite) is another refugee of the Tayler Hill Elite program. The 5’7 Young is strong and skilled. She takes care of the ball and moves it well, and is a quiet, efficient practitioner. #75 [player_tooltip player_id="109769" first="Tatum" last="Brostrom"] of Prior Lake (Fury 2021 Yellow) has established herself as a solid floor leader with quick feet, nice handles and plenty of range. The 5'6 athlete has a big personality, defends with passion and is a star in the classroom. #86 [player_tooltip player_id="109773" first="Jayla" last="Reliford"] of Robbinsdale Cooper (43 Hoops 2021) is one of the most dynamic players among the 2021s, with outstanding speed and a big box full of tools. The 5’4 junior can score in multiple ways, and excels one on one, but is also a very good distributor.