Rankings Preview: 2021

Christmas time is a time for many good things. When it comes to Prep Girls Hoops Indiana, it’s a time for our midseason update to our rankings in all graduating classes. Not only will we be updating our rankings, but we will also be expanding our rankings. In regards to the Class of 2021, specifically, we will expand from 225 players to 250 players, and it will be the last true expansion for this Senior class. With that said, as we extend the list by 25 spots, I wanted to take the time to preview five young ladies who are currently outside of our Top-225, but who are sure to make it once we expand to 250 players. This isn’t everyone who will be added, obviously, but these five have really stood out over the Fall or already this Winter since we posted our last update in September. &nbsp; <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Cailynn Dilosa, 2021, 5-2 PG, Merrillville H.S.</strong></span> I had the opportunity to see Cailynn for the first time in mid-August at a Lady Ballers Insider event at Warsaw Community High School in Northern Indiana. She is extremely quick/fast, long for her height, but what most impressed me was the fact that she didn’t seem to force the action. She took care of the ball well, and yes, she played much faster than most girls on the floor, however she picked her spots well and changed speeds nicely. I didn’t really get a chance to see her shoot it outside much, if at all, but she was a legitimate on-ball defender who hounded opposing guards. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="130395" first="Kaylee" last="Kear"], 2021, 5-10 PF, Cowan H.S.</strong></span> I had seen Kear on film the last couple of seasons, but honestly that doesn’t do her or her game any justice. After finally seeing her in person in early November, she has a lot of upside for the small college level. Kaylee is built strong and physical, almost like a post, but she is a really nice athlete, she has quick feet, and she has good balance/body control. She was assertive from the mid-post, and she finished with either hand and used an array of shot-fakes and post-moves once at the basket. She also has some touch at 15-feet. Additionally, I felt like she did a really nice job of sitting down and defending the ball when she had to. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Macayla McGowan, 2021, 5-11 SF, New Castle H.S.</strong></span> Macayla has grown three or four inches since arriving in high school, and that, coupled with getting a little stronger, has really helped her game take off. She is extremely long, fairly fluid, and she has put in the time to work on her skillset. Her handle is better, but it’s her perimeter stroke that has become much more consistent. Minus a key graduate and a key transfer, she could become New Castle’s leading scorer this season. She will still need to continue getting stronger, but I think she has a really nice future as a small college prospect. She’s just so smooth and steady on the wing. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Sayla McIntosh, 2021, 5-4 CG, Muncie Central H.S.</strong></span> Sayla is not very tall, and she’s thin at that, but she has good speed and quickness, and she plays with a nice motor. She is extremely long, fluid, and smooth with the ball. She is definitely programmed as a shooter/scorer, and her shooting mechanics are near textbook. When she catches with any space, she gets it away fairly quickly and accurately, but she can also create space off the bounce. I’ve also seen her become a much more intent defender the last couple of years. Strength would obviously help, but if she can learn to be a little more of a point guard than a ’2’, I think she is a legitimate small college "sleeper". <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Treasure Nickelson, 2021, 5-9 CF, Crawford County H.S.</strong></span> I’m almost a little embarrassed that Treasure has been omitted from our rankings in the past, because she has been nothing but consistently productive throughout her career. She is a fairly strong, tough-nosed, and physical forward who can play comfortably at all three levels. She can use her strength and physicality inside to score against like-sized defenders, but she can also step outside and attack bigger defenders off the bounce. Ultimately, she’s probably more of a mid-post face-up ’4’, but she is a nice all-around basketball player who has helped Crawford County to 58 wins in a little over three years.