Rankings Return: 2023 Small Forwards
The featured image is of Kaleah Toomer Kaleah Toomer 5'10" | SF Ben Davis | 2023 State IN of Ben Davis High School and the Indy Magic 16U BlueStar team. The wing group in the Class of 2023 has a…
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Continue ReadingThe featured image is of Kaleah Toomer Kaleah Toomer 5'10" | SF Ben Davis | 2023 State IN of Ben Davis High School and the Indy Magic 16U BlueStar team.
The wing group in the Class of 2023 has a little bit of everything to offer. There are long, tall prospects, strong and physical prospects, athletic prospects, and skillful prospects. There are girls who can play at just about any level collegiately, and there are several already drawing offers/interest from a wide variety of schools. 38 of them made our most recent Top-125 rankings last Tuesday, and to follow we take a look at those prospects, as well as add information on several of the newcomers and players who have risen significantly throughout the rankings since our last full update. We will be following up with the frontline prospects in the Class of 2023 very soon.
Newcomers
The other day I wrote an article touching on seven newcomers to the Class of 2023 rankings, but they were a mix of all positions. Highlighted in that article from the small forward position were
Brooklyn Peterson
Brooklyn
Peterson
5'10" | PF
Mitchell | 2023
State
IN
,
Autumn Rucker
Autumn
Rucker
5'8" | SF
Pike | 2023
State
IN
, and
Lydia Betz
Lydia
Betz
5'10" | SF
Forest Park | 2023
State
IN
, but there are several additional new small forwards as well.
Eva Fisher
Eva
Fisher
5'8" | SG
Northridge | 2023
State
IN
,
Leah Petty
Leah
Petty
5'8" | SF
Warren Central | 2023
IN
,
Alexia Cole
Alexia
Cole
5'9" | SF
Pike | 2023
State
IN
,
Taylor Double
Taylor
Double
5'10" | SF
Huntington North | 2023
State
IN
,
Anjelicia Del Valle
Anjelicia
Del Valle
5'9" | SF
Portage | 2023
State
IN
,
Olivia Marks
Olivia
Marks
5'9" | PF
South Central (Union Mills) | 2023
State
IN
, and
Mya-Lee Jackson
Mya-Lee
Jackson
5'8" | SF
Merrillville | 2023
IN
all make their first appearances on our 2023 rankings list. Fisher is a skillful and talented athlete who is a ball of energy in every direction. She plays a point forward role for Northridge at times. Petty and Cole are also nice athletes who play with some patience and look to attack off the bounce first. They have scorers’ mentalities. Double and Jackson are solid, strong athletes who seem to play with good motors and a lot of discipline. Del Valle is another energetic player who focuses a lot of her attention at the defensive end of the floor. And Marks is an intriguing, under-the-radar, point forward type who can do a little of everything at all three levels offensively.
Stock-Risers
Monday I added an article talking about the top stock-risers in the Class of 2023, regardless of position. Wings
Monica Williams
Monica
Williams
5'10" | SF
Lawrence North | 2023
State
IN
,
Ava Couch
Ava
Couch
5'10" | SF
Indy North Central | 2023
State
IN
, and
Bailey Kelham
Bailey
Kelham
5'10" | SF
Garrett | 2023
State
IN
were included in that highlighted group of prospects. At the same time, regardless of their movement within the rankings, I felt like
Kaleah Toomer
Kaleah
Toomer
5'10" | SF
Ben Davis | 2023
State
IN
,
Nevaeh Jackson
Nevaeh
Jackson
6'0" | SF
Fort Wayne Northrop | 2023
State
IN
,
Linzie Wernert
Linzie
Wernert
5'8" | PF
Lanesville | 2023
State
IN
, and
Teegan Acres
Teegan
Acres
5'10" | SF
Hamilton Southeastern | 2023
State
IN
all showed nice improvement in their games throughout the course of the Summer. I was only able to see Toomer through video during the Winter, but she popped on tape because of her high-level athleticism. In person, she is even more intriguing to watch. She has nice length, a wiry strong, athletic frame, but she’s also somewhat skillful and can handle, create in transition, and knock down open jumpers. I felt like Jackson has really expanded her game since last Summer. A year ago, to me at least, she was a mid-post to low-block forward, probably more of a ’4’ in most aspects. This Summer she played exclusively around the perimeter, she showed an improved handle, the ability to make shots outside at times, and most importantly, she defended the wing well with her length and athleticism. Wernert is your typical Southern Indiana ballplayer…she’s tough-nosed, physical, versatile skillfully, and she plays with a nice feel and basketball IQ. But this Summer I was most impressed with her athleticism, ability to make shots outside consistently, and her intensity at the defensive end of the floor. Watch out for Lanesville this year in Class 1A. Acres, like Jackson, I felt really transitioned her game this year. She has always been a solid all-around athlete with length, but she was most comfortable in the mid-post a year ago. Now she’s handling the ball comfortably outside, looking to shoot/score from the perimeter on each catch, and she is undoubtedly a pure wing at this point in time. I really like her versatility and work ethic as well.
Final Thought
With 38 prospects already listed in just a Top-125, the wing position is proving to be one of great depth in Indiana’s 2023 class. While there isn’t anyone in the Top-5 yet, there are a nice array of Division-I prospects, as well as a plethora of elite level small college prospects spread throughout these rankings. And, like I said above, you can find just about anything you’re looking for…there are point forwards, shooters, slashers, athletes, physical wings, and more. Many of them possess two or three of those traits, and I have a feeling there are a number of college programs who will find answers in recruiting this position group in the Class of 2023.