2021 rankings update: Introducing the newcomers

It happens every year when we update the Prep Girls Hoops rankings of the senior class. It seems there is always that one player who comes out of nowhere to grab a spot well up the list and make her case for a better college basketball opportunity. The most obvious example was that of [player_tooltip player_id="1490" first="Anna" last="Counts"]. The big forward from Providence Academy made her rankings debut midway through her senior season in 2017-18, arriving from the hinterlands into the top 50. We wrote about Anna’s debut at the winter update. Minot State coach Mark Graupe read the story, immediately requested film, travelled to the Twin Cities to watch Counts play and shortly thereafter offered her a scholarship to play basketball in the Northern Sun conference. Counts is a junior now, halfway through a solid collegiate career for the Beavers. Last season she appeared in 27 games, averaging 7 points and 6 rebounds per game while leading the team in blocked shots. It’s a cool story and one that reinforces why we do what we do here. That brings us to [player_tooltip player_id="231693" first="Ashlyn" last="Bigelow"], the Kasson-Mantorville guard who is that player this time around. After being passed over in previous iterations of the rankings – most recently being left off the list thanks to a human error courtesy of yours truly – the 5’9 guard not only made the rankings this time, she made the top 50. That’s the biggest introductory splash we’ve seen since Counts. Now, in our final installment analyzing the 2021 rankings update, here is a look at Ashlyn and the other five newcomers who have now been added to the 2021 Top 150. <strong>#49 – [player_tooltip player_id="231693" first="Ashlyn" last="Bigelow"] – 5’9 point guard, Kasson-Mantorville (So. Minnesota Fury)</strong> We have written a lot about Ashlyn over the past six months. How could we not? Regardless of class, regardless of position, regardless of the event we were reporting on, Bigelow was one of the top performers week after week after week. We have always liked and respected her game. We have always believed she could play at the next level. Honestly, though, we weren’t quite ready for this. Simply put, Ashlyn invested in herself over the past year, putting in a ton more work to get better. No doubt motivated by the compete level and desire of her talented young teammate [player_tooltip player_id="108321" first="Aby" last="Shubert"], Bigelow went all in last winter and spring. By the time the shutdown ended in June, Ashlyn was ready for prime time. The rest is history. Bigelow has committed to play Division I ball at Army and she’s now a top 50 prospect in the class of 2021. Enough said. <strong>#110 – [player_tooltip player_id="231694" first="Allisa" last="Knight"] – 5’11 forward, Belgrade-Bruton-Elrosa</strong> A couple of years ago we watched Allisa play one summer on the Comets 2021 Elite squad and she did a lot of really good stuff. Her improvement since that time is notable at the high school level where she is an often-dominant performer who helped her team get to the state tournament for the first time in March. Knight is long, lanky and athletic. That length is, without a doubt, her greatest asset and she uses it as an excellent rebounder (7.3 per game) and shot blocker (led her team) who makes life difficult for opponents on a regular basis. Allisa also has touch. She led BBE in scoring last year at about 13 ppg while shooting 58%. Her mid-range game has grown nicely and the turnaround jumper is a weapon. Knight has been a little under the radar but that didn’t stop coach Karla Nelson at MSU-Moorhead from making an offer that was too good to refuse. Knight’s best basketball is well into the future. <strong>#125 – [player_tooltip player_id="231695" first="Mackenzie" last="Jones"] – 5’9 forward, Willmar (Comets Elite)</strong> In my observation it seems as though Willmar plays a fairly structured game that is built around defense, so there isn’t a lot of opportunity to showcase one’s assets on an individual level. AAU basketball, as we all know, is pretty much the opposite. After spending a summer as a member of the high-octane Comets 2021 Elite squad, we now see Jones in a much brighter light. So have the college coaches, which is why Mackenzie has earned an opportunity next season at Southwest Minnesota State. Jones demonstrated clearly that she is a standout shooter who has the ability to create her own shot. She can also get to the rim through traffic. She possesses nice court vision and is a good passer. We particularly love her physical nature and willingness to bump and bang with opponents on a regular basis. Put all of that into the mix and you have a player who clearly belongs in the top 125. <strong>#133 – [player_tooltip player_id="231696" first="Maleah" last="Scott"] –5’6 guard, Farmington (Minnesota Stars Zabel)</strong> Maleah plays on one of the state’s best high school teams featuring a roster loaded with scholarship-level talent including a couple of the state’s very best performers. It can be difficult under those circumstances to showcase just how much you are capable of. This summer, playing for Bri Zabel’s Minnesota Stars team, Scott had the opportunity to play a primary role that required her to score, defend and lead. She did all three and a whole lot more. The AAU season turned out to be one big coming out party for Scott. She made the All-Tournament team at the AAU State Tournament and garnered a spot on our Hard Hat All-Star Team all the while playing with so much more confidence. Scott will probably run track at the collegiate level but she’s clearly ready for a great senior season of basketball. <strong>#142 – [player_tooltip player_id="231697" first="Sarah" last="Kingland"] – 5’11 forward, Owatonna (Air Minnesota)</strong> Sarah has been knocking at the door of the top 150 for the past year or so, and with her steady improvement over a long period of time she finally made the grade this time around. Kingland has nice length which serves her well on both ends of the floor. She is a quality shooter with good mechanics and a quick release. That, along with a deft touch around the basket with either hand, enabled her to lead Owatonna in scoring last season at nearly 14 points per game. She also averaged about 6 rebounds which tells you all you need to know about her ability and willingness to get boards. Kingland is a three-sport athlete who is involved in student council, concert band, choir and who knows what else. I tell you this because it offers hints that her game will expand significantly at the collegiate level once basketball becomes the focus. <strong>#145 – [player_tooltip player_id="231698" first="Bianca" last="Benson"] – 5’5 point guard, Totino-Grace (Minnesota Suns)</strong> To say Bianca had a great fall would be a serious understatement. We have watched her play in the shadows of [player_tooltip player_id="110895" first="Carla" last="Meyer"] at Totino-Grace, and we have watched her man the point for the Minnesota Suns. This fall, however, we saw a shiny new version of Benson’s game thanks to the opportunity offered at the Prep Girls Hoops Top 250 Expo and the Fall Exclusive. How well did Benson play at those events? Really, really well. At the Top 250 she made our colleague Mason Asher’s list of top 2021 shooters and top 2021 defenders. She shot it very well from distance, moved the ball at a high tempo, and demonstrated solid game management and distribution skills. Benson now appears to be making the most of her capabilities which is why she has some nice D3 opportunities in consideration.