2022 Rankings: Stock Risers

Mindy McCarthy March 8, 2021 @ 05:02 PM

Powell is someone who is flying under the radar it seems, but she certainly deserves to be in the conversation when discussing the top post players in the state. She is a force in the paint preventing opponents from scoring anywhere near the basket. She rebounds well continuing possessions for her teams or ending the possessions of her opponents. Her dominance is on the other end of the court as well as she knows how to seal off her opponents for the entry pass. She has a nice array of post moves that she uses to score her points making her difficult to guard.

Reece Johnston Reece Johnston 5'11" | SG South Mecklenburg | 2022 NC | South Mecklenburg | SG

Johnston may not be a senior quite yet, but she exudes leadership when she is on the court. She is constantly moving around on the court finding the gaps on defense where she can show off her shot or find her open teammates for them to score. Her perfectly timed passes into her teammates shows her IQ on the floor. She is an effective rebounder on both ends of the court following shots to grab them and fight for each possession.

Mary Spry Mary Spry 6'0" | PF Jesse Carson | 2022 State NC | Jesse Carson | PF

Spry is a force in the paint blocking shots and making it difficult for anyone trying to score near her. She runs the floor well making sure she is there on fast breaks to get the pass and score. She has a variety of post moves that she uses to score and does a great job sealing off her defender. She can even shoot from behind the arc as well showing off her versatility. She can handle the ball, too, using fakes to get around her defenders. She finished with 16 points in the first round of the playoffs.

Katie Houpt Katie Houpt 5'10" | SF South Mecklenburg | 2022 NC | South Mecklenburg | CG

Houpt is an adaptable guard who seems to thrive off making her decisions based on what the defense is giving her. She can drive baseline making some floaters or drive right down the lane to the basket fighting through any kind of contact that might be waiting for her. Moving the ball to the basket isn’t her only strength as she can make shots from all over the court, especially from behind the three point line.

Madison Skinner Madison Skinner 5'9" | SG Providence | 2022 NC | Providence | SG

Skinner shows that she knows exactly where she should be on the court at all times to make sure she is contributing for her team. She runs plays well, and she sets herself up to show off her shot. It’s as if her teammates know her shot is going in each time she is able to put it up. She handles the ball well, too, and she knows how to cause problems on defense making it difficult for guards to get by her. She seems to grab loose balls and cause deflections using her length to create these problems.