2021 Prospect Rankings: Don’s new additions Part 1

Some players enter the Prep Girls Hoops prospect rankings in the 9th grade and steadily work their way up the list. Others hover in the same general vicinity throughout their high school career. Then there are the late bloomers and hidden gems, those athletes who make their splash late. The following are players that are new to our list as they enter their senior season hoping to make a name for themselves with the college recruiters. <ul> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="194520" first="Tyler" last="Butler"] is a 5’9 Forward from Belleville East. Tyler is a high motor player that gets more out of her 5’9 build than many 6’0 players get our of theirs. She is scrappy and has a strong will to compete and win. Tyler uses both hands very well in the paint and can score against taller players with good footwork. As she continues to improve her perimeter game she will be a nice find for some college program.</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="194103" first="Brooklyn" last="Larson"] is a 5’9 Guard  from Rock Island. Brooklyn is a very good shooter than can be dangerous both coming off screens and with the ball in her hands. She is able to use her dribble to clear space for the open shot anywhere from 15 feet and out. Behind the arc she is best suited as a catch and shoot option either on the move or in a stationary spot. Brooklyn consistently hits at above a 40% clip on her shots from the 3-point line. Defensively she can be very good too by getting her hands on the ball to create steals/deflections. She has a wide range of schools showing interest so a chance at a strong senior campaign could pay big dividends for Brooklyn.</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="194119" first="Melissa" last="Schmidt"] is a 6'0 Forward from Plainfield Central. Melissa is a long and athletic player that uses that talent to be an effective rebounder and defender. In the paint she can contest and block shots and moves well enough to defend on the perimeter. Offensively her game is very similar in that her height leads her to be at or near the paint often but she is a capable shooter from the perimeter. Melissa has interest from small colleges but should be on the radar for more colleges this school season. She did not get a chance to show her game in the AAU season so the opportunity to raise her stock even further will be important to her as the season gets going.</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="194097" first="Emily" last="White"] is a 6'0 Wing from Sullivan. Emily is another player that is really fun to watch on the defensive end of the floor. Her length, anticipation and quickness make her a huge weapon at the top of a 1-3-1, 1-2-2 or a trapping press. Emily runs the floor well and can score too, especially in the lane and on the move. She just needs to find that right fit for her but she is certainly capable to helping a high level NAIA/D3 team by guarding the top player on the other team.</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="194116" first="Haylee" last="Sagle"] is a 5'11 Forward from Taylorville. Haylee is a versatile forward the would be nice fit for small colleges looking for a player that can run a point forward type role. She can handle the ball and makes nice passes to the open player. Haylee has had experience playing as a complimentary player and the go to player so she has the ability to play the game in any role her team needs her. She can use her strength and ball handling to get to the rim and score if the the opportunity presents itself.</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="194095" first="Natalie" last="Iberg"] is a 5'9 Guard from Greenville. Natalie is an exciting athlete that showed great improvement in her skill set during her junior season. She is also a very good volleyball player that will likely get offers to play both sports at the next level. Natalie uses her speed and jumping ability to be an excellent defender and a weapon in the full court game. Her strides came in her ball handling and outside shooting which should lead to a senior year where she turns some more heads.</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="193912" first="Keaton" last="Link"] is 5'10 Wing from Gillespie. Keaton is the kind of player that I love to watch, she is tall and long for a wing but shows a bit of a nasty side. Her elbows can be a weapon and she is not afraid to get in the lane and use them to her advantage. Her best skill is certainly her shooting, she has a nice stroke that she can repeat over and over. Keaton has mostly shown the 12-16 foot shot as her main sweet spot so showing improved range will be key to her continued development.</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="200938" first="Lauryn" last="Gribble"] Lauryn is a 5'10 forward from Harrisburg. Lauryn is a leader on the floor for a senior oriented program that has been at or near the top of SIRR for most of the past decade. She is long and athletic and will finish around the rim with either hand. She is relentless on the offensive boards which leads to many easy buckets for her each game. Lauryn is a nice defender and does a very good job of getting blocked shots.</li> </ul> I am very excited to include this group in our expanded rankings and hope to see each of them secure an opportunity to play in college. The 2020-2021 season should be an ever changing and exciting one and these girls will be front and center making it happen for their team. &nbsp;