Class of 2022 Player Rankings: #21–30

As the much-needed high school hoops season nears, I thought it’d be best to look back at the performances from our ranked players a season ago to evaluate their success then, and to project their development moving forward. In today’s piece, we will look at each 2022 prospect ranked from #21–30. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="174477" first="Claire" last="Williams"] - PG - Omaha Central</strong> Claire is an excellent slasher. She pounds the ball hard and gets low to the ground to drive past defenders. In the open court, she makes great decisions with the basketball. One of the more critical shots for a guard to have is a floater. She is a good layup finisher but sometimes a player will need that intermediate shot before they reach the shot blocker. She has a great teardrop. She is an excellent cutter off the ball as well, making her a threat within each moment of a possession. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="174478" first="Brooklyn" last="Busby"] - SG - Omaha Northwest</strong> Brooklyn thrived in her role, primarily as a spot-up shooter, during her first two years for the Huskies. In moments here and there last season, we began to see the potential of her playmaking and attacking abilities off the dribble. As she develops her motor skills and grows more comfortable as her role expands, I can see her as a solid secondary ball-handler who can create and score. She has nice shooting touch and good control of the ball, which will speed up her offensive development. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="174479" first="Darian" last="Winkelbauer"] - CG - Millard North</strong> One of the better wing rebounders you’ll find, and an excellent spot-up shooter, particularly from the corners. I had the pleasure of watching her play at the Prep Girls Hoops Nebraska Top 250 Expo in October and she ran the point successfully. She gets going quickly out of a standstill, and with that advantage, she made several nice drive and kicks for open shots. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="94540" first="Grace" last="Huntwork"] - SG - Gretna</strong> In limited minutes for the Dragons last season, Grace provided savvy and feel. She drifts into open space as soon as that space is vacated. This applies to both offense and defense, where she is either filling in a gap, or punishing a defense for not filling in their own. She has an exaggerated rhythm dip on her perimeter shots. It will increase the minimum amount of space she needs to get her shot off, but I don’t think it should affect her accuracy. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="174480" first="Brooklyn" last="Wrice"] - PG - Papillion La-Vista</strong> Brooklyn did a little bit of everything in her sophomore year. She was a catch and shoot threat, but also quick enough to get to the rim. She proved she can make many of the essential pass types for a point guard, her most refined variation being the entry pass. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="94541" first="Bella" last="Keaton"] - PG - Fremont</strong> Bella will have an opportunity to earn a large share of the point guard duties this year. Fremont’s leading assist-getter from last season has graduated. [player_tooltip player_id="94501" first="Taylor" last="McCabe"] can and will certainly run point, but she does just as well off-the ball. She always brings energy and competitiveness to both ends of the floor, and is an excellent help defender. The success rate of her double teams seems to be very high, although I have no data to back that up. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="94511" first="Sydney" last="Jelinek"] - SF - Norris</strong> The lengthy wing proved to be a difficult matchup for the opposition throughout the 2019-2020 season. At 5’11" she can put the ball on the floor and drive it hard. Her length is usually good enough to reach out beyond the outstretched arms of the defense, but if not, she can readjust and finish through contact. She likes to receive the ball on the move, whether it’s a cut across the lane or a dribble handoff. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="174521" first="Karly" last="McCord"] - C - Fairbury</strong> With her clean footwork and consistent effort, Karly makes scoring look easy at times. She does her work way before the ball arrives, sealing her defender and positioning herself where she would need to be if she did have the ball. Once that ball hits her hands in the post, she executes her move quickly to avoid wasting the advantageous position she worked to get. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="174482" first="Dani" last="Peterson"] - PF - Bellevue West</strong> The Bellevue West ball-handlers owe a lot to Dani and her terrific screen setting. She can completely eliminate one, or both defenders involved in the screening action. I don’t see a path to being an intimidating pop option, but she has nice footwork on the roll. When in the lane she is strong with the ball, and can score through contact. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="174481" first="Taniya" last="Golden"] - C - Omaha Northwest</strong> Taniya is just one of the many talented 2022 player on Northwest’s roster. Her rebounding was crucial and her defense was the anchor for that team last year. She averaged 3.5 stocks (steals + blocks) as a sophomore, which proved to be a deterrent for many opposing ball-handlers who had tough decisions to make while near the rim.