'22 Rankings Projections: Who Can Make the Biggest Leap?

With the spring season getting underway, it has been great to get out to practices and weekend events to see all the region’s budding talent. From what I have watched post the rankings unveil, a handful of players have played at a much higher level than their ranking suggests. So, it made me wonder: what player can potentially make the most significant jump when the rankings get updated in June? Here are a few of the players who are in the top 50 who I think can shake up the rankings in the next couple of months. [player_tooltip player_id="263857" first="Aizhanique" last="Mayo"] - Notre Dame Fairfield/ Bria Holmes Elite - 5’9’’ - CG (pictured above) PGH-NE Rank: #6 Potential June Rank: Top 2 Mayo comes in as my 6th ranked player in the region. Some might inquire, "How big of a jump can someone make if they are already top 6?" The answer is as simple as, Mayo has the talent and skill set that can propel her to be in the conversation as the best player in New England. My initial reaction to watching Mayo’s film was jaw-dropping. Seeing her strength and power as a point guard was unlike any player on this list. The touch on her floater and her innovation off the bounce was highly impressive, but admittedly I did not see enough of her game initially to give a complete evaluation. Over the past week, after watching more film and talking about Mayo to coaches around the area, it validated what I initially thought that she is one of the best players. I am a huge fan of players who make the extra effort to move the ball and get their teammates involved in the offense’s flow, and Mayo is excellent at that. She throws terrific post-entry passes and is so unselfish in transition, rewarding her teammates for filling lanes on the fast break. Combining her court vision with her three-level scoring, I do not doubt that Mayo isn’t going to make a lot of noise before the June update.   https://x.com/briaholmeselite/status/1362949181552418817   [player_tooltip player_id="263799" first="Samantha" last="Dewey"] - Brooks/Lady Rivals - 6’2’’ SF/PF <img class="size-medium wp-image-269663 alignnone" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/03/0FZpujLLTAWfpFG859bM2Q-scaled-crop-2048x1345-1617677106-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> PGH-NE Rank: #12 Potential June Rank: Top 7 Dewey is an athlete you have to see in person because she does all the little things well that the film does not show. She is an intelligent player off the ball and is great at reading the defense and getting herself open to score. I knew Dewey was excellent on the block and around the basket; Her size, strength, and polished inside game are nearly impossible to defend. What I did not know is how creative she was on the wing. I witnessed her ability to get her shot off against some of the best on-ball defenders using jabs and stepbacks to separate. She is so confident with the ball in her hands, and her offensive IQ is sky-high. Dewey has range extending beyond the three-point line, and when you add up all of her offensive tools, you can argue Dewey being the most complete offensive player on this list. https://x.com/BashHoopsNE/status/1376309545828487174   [player_tooltip player_id="264770" first="Victoria" last="Morales"] - Proctor Academy/Lady Rivals - 5’7’’ - PG PGH-NE Rank: #31 Potential June Rank: Top 15 Morales is one player in particular that I have to see in person this spring. Just based on her games at Proctor this past winter, it is evident that she has top 5 point guard potential. Her playmaking off the dribble and her defensive intensity immediately stand out. She is one of the best scoring point guards in the class, and her shooting touch from the outside adds another dimension to her game, creating a nightmarish scenario for the opposing defense. In particular, I try to make an effort to see point guards in person because the film does not highlight aspects of their game and certain intangibles a floor general possesses. I know Morales has elite talent, and when I watched her compete this past season, she drew me in immediately with a high-energy brand of basketball. Therefore, Morales can make a considerable jump this spring when I see her in person because she feels like a terrific player at galvanizing a team and captivating her audience with her skills and leadership.   https://x.com/ProctorHoops/status/1379060151399944197   [player_tooltip player_id="263787" first="Jenesis" last="Perrin"] - Lawrence Academy/Bria Holmes Elite - 6’6’’ - PF/C PGH-NE Rank: #39 Potential June rank: Top 12 Perrin can make the biggest potential-jump out of anyone on this list. She is a player who has all the physical tools to be a top 12 player. Her size, athleticism, and strength are unmatched compared to the other girls in the ’22 class. With Perrin, her rise to the top tier of the ranks depends on how quickly her skill set can catch up to her physical gifts. When watching the 6’6’’ center, you can tell that she needs a little more experience and repetitions to become more fluid and potent on offense like some of the other forwards ahead of her. She has the potential to be the most prominent two-way force in the region once everything clicks. Perrin has the work ethic and the raw ability to dominate a basketball game, and what is frightening is that her game can come together in weeks because of her on the court dedication. If that happens, then she automatically jumps to the top 12 range because no one in the region is more intimidating in the paint than Perrin.   https://x.com/briaholmeselite/status/1296613359824117763   [player_tooltip player_id="263834" first="Avery" last="Burns"] - Deerfield Academy/Bay State Jaguars - 5’7’’ - PG PGH-NE Rank: #47 Potential June Rank: Top 35 Burns can make a big jump on this list solely because she is one of the best shooters in her class and arguably has the most range of anyone on the list. Combined with playing with the Bay State Jaguars, who play uptempo basketball, which fits Burns’s style of play, I can see the 5’7’’ point guard make her presence felt this spring. I saw Burns at practice a couple of weeks ago, and she has the utmost confidence in her jump shot, pulling from 5 plus feet beyond the line, and is a great shooter when fatigued. With so many playmaking guards and forwards on her team, I can see Burns getting a lot of clean looks from behind the arc, and her ability to stretch the defense well beyond the line will open up the floor for the lane penetrators at the guard and wing spot. Burns can also put the ball on the deck and score off the dribble for when she is run off the line. Her scoring versatility and impact on a team shooting the basketball give Burns a path to crack the top 35 by the end of spring.   https://x.com/SwishCapeCod/status/1356408182139183104