Rankings Review: 2023 Front-Liners
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The featured image is of University High School and Indy Magic BlueStar-Scott. While the Class of 2023 has a strong group of perimeter players, I feel like the frontline prospects get pushed to the back a little bit. It is…
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Continue ReadingThe featured image is of University High School and Indy Magic BlueStar-Scott.
While the Class of 2023 has a strong group of perimeter players, I feel like the frontline prospects get pushed to the back a little bit. It is definitely an intriguing group of forwards and posts, and there are some real gems in there. Several of the prospects have inside-out ability, and there is quite a bit of athleticism as well in this group. Below is a look at those 41 prospects, along with some added information and analysis on a handful of girls who have stood out since our last rankings update in December.
Stock-Risers
Leah Bachmann Leah Bachmann 6'0" | C Columbus East | 2023 State IN , Columbus East H.S. – Leah had a really nice Sophomore season, as she went from being a nice bench player as a Freshman, to someone the Olympians couldn’t take off the floor at times. She is strong, physical, and she plays with a nice motor. Plus she’s dependable at the line, shooting 75%.
Layla Gold Layla Gold 6'0" | SF Cathedral | 2023 State IN , Park Tudor H.S. – Even a couple of years ago it was apparent that Layla possessed a lot of potential. Last year, she settled for a lot of jumpers, but now she looks stronger, more assertive, and she has turned into a multilevel forward who does some of everything. She is an extremely long, fluid athlete too.
Taylor Guess Taylor Guess 6'1" | PF Ben Davis | 2023 State IN , Ben Davis H.S. – Ben Davis has a pair of nice Sophomore “bigs”, and Taylor is probably the one with the most upside right now. She is long, wiry strong, she runs the floor well North/South, and she has really good bounce to her. She can score it a little in the mid-post, but she can defend all over.
Brooklyn Smitherman Brooklyn Smitherman 6'4" | C Noblesville | 2023 State IN , Noblesville H.S. – The amount of growth Brooklyn’s game has shown over the last two years has been tremendous. She runs the floor North/South well, she plays with a motor, plus she has decent hands and is starting to finish much more consistently around the basket. Plus, she’s 6-4.
Amber Tretter Amber Tretter 6'1" | PF Forest Park | 2023 State IN , Forest Park H.S. – Amber is an extremely long, somewhat slender frontline prospect. You wouldn’t assume this by looking at her, but she is probably one of the most physical kids on this list. She scraps for rebounds, dives on the floor, and causes tie-ups. She’s also bouncy, smooth, and has touch to 15-feet.
Keep an eye on…
Cristen Carter Cristen Carter 6'3" | C Ben Davis | 2023 State IN , Ben Davis H.S. – Like her classmate above, Cristen is a really nice all-around athlete. She is a little taller, stronger, and more physical. She prefers to play with her back to the basket on offense, and she’s a nice shot-blocker/rebounder on defense. Building a face-up game will be her next step.
Kelsey DuBois Kelsey DuBois 6'2" | PF University | 2023 State IN , University H.S. – I’ve always enjoyed Kelsey’s inside-out skillset, and when she puts her mind to it, she can be almost dominant in games. She is strong and physical around the basket, plus she can finish with either hand. But outside, she has a solid handle, she can pass it well, and she has touch to ’3’.
Campbell Moore Campbell Moore 6'2" | C West Lafayette Harrison | 2023 State IN , West Lafayette Harrison H.S. – Campbell was a JV player last year, but this season, she offered size, strength, and physicality to a lineup that graduated quite a bit of production in 2020. She is a lefty who averaged 6.6 points and 4.8 rebounds this year, but she also showed much-improved skill.
Ashlee Schram Ashlee Schram 6'3" | C Tipton | 2023 State IN , Tipton H.S. – Ashlee averaged 10.5 points and 10.4 rebounds as a Freshman, but it seemed like no one knew who she was until Tipton made its run this year. She has great size, strength, and she plays with a motor. But she also has soft hands, length, and touch to near the 3-point line.
Jalyn Shelby Jalyn Shelby 5'11" | PF Evansville North | 2023 State IN , Evansville North H.S. – Jalyn has a strong frame with broad shoulders, and while she can and will be physical around the basket, the intriguing part of her game is outside. She is quicker laterally than she might look, plus she has nice touch and the ability to consistently knock down the 3-pointer.