Stock-Risers: 2023 Small Forwards

<span style="font-size: 8pt;"><em>The featured image is of [player_tooltip player_id="59728" first="Lydia" last="Betz"] of Forest Park High School.</em></span> Last Monday we released our December rankings update for the Class of 2023. Since it coincides with the midpoint of the 2020-2021 high school season, I felt like it was a great opportunity to highlight five young ladies who have either played well following our September update, or who have gotten off to nice starts to their Sophomore seasons. Below are five forwards who are quickly gaining the respect of their teammates and opponents as the season turns toward the home stretch. &nbsp; <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="59728" first="Lydia" last="Betz"], 2023, 5-10 SF, Forest Park H.S.</strong></span> Lydia is a multifaceted forward who has helped Forest Park to their best 11-game start since the 2009-2010 season. She has some strength, broad shoulders, but also good length, and solid all-around athleticism. She can handle the ball in transition, start the offense at times, plus she has really nice touch around the perimeter. She looks more like a power player, but she has quite a nice skillset and game outside. She can, and will, mix it up inside the arc from time to time as well, so she’s able to play like a true wing but can post, rebound, and defend the interior. As she continues to develop her perimeter skill, look for her game to keep growing over these next two and a half seasons. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="59747" first="Riley" last="Flinn"], 2023, 5-11 SF, Harrison H.S. (West Lafayette)</strong></span> Riley’s game has changed so much since I first saw her in the Spring of 2019, and a lot of it has to do with her fast growth. At that time she was a 5-7 combo guard who could play a little point, shoot the ball coming off screens, etc. When I saw her this Summer/Fall, I felt like she was closer to 5-9, but now she’s every bit of 5-11. She still maintains a great deal of her perimeter skill, but because she has grown so fast, it will take a little time for her to gain strength and be truly explosive. She does still have some fluidity, but as a 5-11 playmaking type of forward, she now creates so many different matchup problems for opponents, because she can play effectively at all three levels. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="59749" first="Brea" last="Garber"], 2023, 6-0 SF/PF, Fairfield H.S.</strong></span> I’ve been a big fan of Brea’s since I first saw her in the Summer of 2019 at the Run 4 Roses Classic in Louisville. Since then, she has grown, gained a little strength, but continued to develop her skillset. She has some ball skill, touch at all three levels, and she is incredibly versatile on Fairfield’s schedule. Previously, I have compared her to being a little like Butler University Freshman <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="64112" first="Abby" last="Stoddard"]</strong>, and ironically Brea picked up a Bulldog offer not too long ago. I think once she is finished growing, Brea has a frame that should be able to handle good muscle-mass. At her height, with her skill and added muscle, she has the potential to develop into a real problem. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="178232" first="Ava" last="Weber"], 2023, 5-9 SF/PG, Corydon Central H.S.</strong></span> Ava is both a solid prospect and a really nice all-around basketball player. She has a fairly strong frame, she can absorb contact and get to the basket to finish, but she also possesses really nice playmaking skill. She can put it on the floor and run offense, create for herself or others, and she can put up points in bunches. She is an attacking style of scorer and needs to add a perimeter jumper to her repertoire, plus she could stand to be a bit quicker laterally, especially defending the ball. But her understanding of the game, her fundamental skillset, and her ability to make plays off the bounce, all make her a tough matchup for the Lady Panthers. <span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="155437" first="Monica" last="Williams"], 2023, 5-9 SF/PG, Lawrence North H.S.</strong></span> I don’t know that many girls in Indiana’s 2023 class are rising as quickly as Monica. She has always been a long, wiry strong, quick/fast, and athletic prospect. But over the years she has done a tremendous job of developing her skillset and stretching her game away from the basket. During the Spring/Summer of 2019, she was more of a face-up ’4’ who relied on offensive rebounds and short jumpers to score. Now, she is shooting the 3-pointer much more often and more consistently, plus she’s handling the ball for the Wildcats and making plays for herself or others. I still think she’s a point forward more than a true guard, but she has always been an elite, quick-footed, on-ball defender.