2023 rankings update: Meet the biggest stock risers

Sophomore year might be the most important season in a player’s high school career. It’s certainly a transition period when it comes to prospect rankings. That’s when the field stars to separate, and it becomes more obvious where players fit in terms of their next-level aspirations. It’s also the season when a high percentage of players stop growing taller and others who have had a big growth spurt adapt to their new-found height. All of the above serves to explain some of the key reasons why the Prep Girls Hoops Class of 2023 rankings have shifted so much this time around. It has been eight months since the rankings were last updated and a whole lot has changed. As a result, many of the smaller guards in the class have been leap-frogged by those who have had a growth spurt. And many of the players who grew a lot in 2020 have now adapted to their alternative dimensions, which has raised their level of performance significantly. Today we’ll begin with the notable stock risers, those players who have taken the biggest leap forward. We’ll follow tomorrow with a look at the newcomers. One of them is making her debut in the Top 25 – I can’t recall that happening before – and six in total have landed in the top 100 right out of the gate. Let’s begin with the changes at the north end of the list. <strong>MOVING UP IN THE TOP 30</strong> <img class="alignnone wp-image-187393 size-thumbnail" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2020/07/Abby-Krzewinski-scaled-e1625089866460-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /> In the top 10 there has been just one minor adjustment as guard [player_tooltip player_id="108321" first="Aby" last="Shubert"] of Kasson-Mantorville (Fury 2023 UAA) rises a single position in the rankings from #10 to #9. The biggest stock riser in the top 20 is Wayzata forward [player_tooltip player_id="108312" first="Abby" last="Krzewinski"] (photo above), who has returned from an ACL injury looking 100 percent. The 5’11 power forward has been outstanding since returning to the Fury 2023 UAA lineup. She looks bigger and stronger than before and just as explosive. Nobody plays harder. We believe Abby was ranked too low last year and her strong return just reinforced that notion. That’s why she moves from #17 to #11 in the Class of 2023 rankings. <img class="alignnone wp-image-209025 size-thumbnail" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2020/10/82_Taryn-Hamling_1-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /> Meanwhile, Grand Rapids guard [player_tooltip player_id="108316" first="Taryn" last="Hamling"] from Minnesota Stars Hersch has entered the top 20 for the first time having moved up five positions from #22 to #17. Hamling is skilled, smooth and versatile. She had an excellent winter with the Thunderhawks and has been equally good this spring. Hamling can shoot, score and defend at a very high level. She was the first player in Minnesota’s class of 2023 to make a college commitment. Two years from now she plans to be at North Dakota State University. There are five changes of note among those in the 20 to 30 range: <img class="alignnone wp-image-209115 size-thumbnail" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2020/10/21_Brynn-Senden_1-1-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /> Guard [player_tooltip player_id="108345" first="Brynn" last="Senden"] of Wayzata (Stars 2023 Hersch) has never backed down from a challenge and over the past year has continued to prove the doubters wrong. The feisty point guard took on all comers this winter with great success and has done the same in AAU. Brynn moves up nine spots to #21, a rise of 30 positions in the past 18 months. Forward/wing [player_tooltip player_id="108317" first="Shantell" last="Harden"] of St. Louis Park (Suns 2023 Blue Star) has been a terrific college prospect for a long time, but over the past 18 months her improvement has been noticeable. Shantell is smooth and athletic, and of late she has been much more aggressive. That has led to increased interest in her services. That moves her up two positions to #24. Making her debut in the top 30, and very loudly announcing her arrival in the Class of 2023 rankings, is 6’2 forward [player_tooltip player_id="302254" first="Vanessa" last="Saidu"] of Park Center (43 Hoops McCoy). I don’t recall a player making her debut that high before but Saidu’s impact has been impossible to miss. We’ll tell you more about Vanessa in our rundown of the newcomers. For now let’s just welcome her to the party! <img class="alignnone wp-image-209221 size-thumbnail" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2020/10/184_Dani-Nuest_1-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /> It has been quite a year for [player_tooltip player_id="108338" first="Dani" last="Nuest"] of Becker (Comets 2023 Elite), who won a Class 3A state high school championship with the Bulldogs and carried that level of success right into the AAU season where she has been nothing short of outstanding. Dani, who has become a force on both sides of the ball, moves up eight positions to #27. <img class="alignnone wp-image-209210 size-thumbnail" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2020/10/166_Ava-Privet_1-1-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /> Entering the top 30 for the first time is athletic guard [player_tooltip player_id="186117" first="Ava" last="Privet"] of Caledonia (Wisconsin Playmakers), who had an outstanding sophomore season in high school. Ava has super light feet, a quick first step, a terrific shooting stroke, and that certain ‘it factor’ that lets you know she’s here to make a difference. Ava rises five more positions this time around to #28. <strong>TOP 10 OVERALL STOCK RISERS</strong> <strong>+39 –</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="186118" first="Lauren" last="Pawlyshyn"] <strong>– guard, Prior Lake (FBC Real 2023) #51</strong> What a summer Lauren is having! We were super impressed by the growth in her game when we saw Pawlyshyn play this winter. During the AAU season she has raised the bar even higher and is truly coming into her own. Lauren has terrific handles that enable her to be quite creative one-on-one. She also shoots the ball extremely well and can score in droves. That’s why she is up 39 positions to #51. <strong>+39 –</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="186130" first="Shawna" last="Bruha"] <strong>– guard, Burnsville (MN Diamond Elite) #66</strong> Shawna has always been very skilled but over the past couple of seasons she got a lot bigger and a lot stronger and that has made all the difference in the world to her prospects of being effective at the next level. Bruha has great handles, can shoot the ball from distance at a high percentage, and knows how to direct an offense for maximum productivity. She’s now #66 in the class. <strong>+32 –</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="186115" first="Jordan" last="Langbehn"] <strong>– guard, Elk River (Fury 2023 Premier) #49</strong> I think in the past we probably underestimated the feisty guard. I also think she has improved a ton. That combination has led to a 32-position rise for Langbehn and a spot in the top 50. Jordan is a quality all-around performer who makes big plays at big moments and hustle plays all day long. The thing that separates her from the pack is a very big motor which never seems to stop running. <strong>+31 –</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="148330" first="Ella" last="Pritchard"] <strong>– forward, Cristo Rey (MN Diamond Elite) #47</strong> Ella has kind of flown under the radar for a long time. Playing in a low-profile private school program in Minneapolis, Pritchard hasn’t received the level of notoriety normally bestowed upon long, athletic forwards who can put the ball in the basket. Pritchard is a 1,000-point scorer and prodigious rebounder with a high ceiling who is now playing with poise and maturity. That has moved her up to #47 in the class. <strong>+26 –</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="220845" first="Molly" last="Garber"] <strong>– forward/wing Blaine (Metro Stars 3SSB) #96</strong> It can take time for tall, lanky players to adapt to their height, and it’s not unusual to see players improve dramatically a year or so after they grow. That may be the case for Molly, whose impact has grown accordingly this season. She did enough last year to earn her way into the rankings. This spring she has taken her game to a new level of consistency and production, moving her into the top 100. <strong>+24 –</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="148325" first="Emily" last="Bowron"] <strong>– guard, Rochester Lourdes (Stars Hersch) #41</strong> There are a ton of great guards in the Class of 2023 and it’s not easy to stand out, particularly if your forte is steady excellence rather than flash and dash. Emily has proven over the long haul to be a high-quality, highly consistent performer, a workhorse who goes about her business with little fanfare and just gets the job done. She’s crafty and quick and skillful, which has earned her the #41 ranking in the class. <strong>+18 –</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="148340" first="Shannon" last="Fornshell"] <strong>– forward/wing, Wayzata (Metro Stars 3SSB) #42</strong> It is an evolution that has been fun to watch over the past couple of years as we have seen Shannon progress from a quiet, somewhat awkward junior varsity contributor to the starting lineup of one of the premier high school programs in the state. Over time she has gotten stronger, smoother and more confident, and the results speak for themselves. This very lengthy prospect is now at #42. <strong>+18 –</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="220842" first="Jordan" last="Anderson"] <strong>– forward, Buffalo (Comets Elite) #101</strong> Jordan is one of the most deceptively effective players around. She’s never going to wow you with her speed, and she’s not going to dazzle you with killer crossovers and the like. What’s she’s going to do is beat you inside with guile and grit, finish at the rim with one hand or the other, knock down long-distance shots all day long, and consistently rebound the heck out of the basketball. <strong>+17 –</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="220832" first="Jordan" last="Munson"] <strong>– guard, Tracy Area (Fury 2022 Premier) #85</strong> Better competition, a bigger stage, same results. That has been Jordan’s journey so far in 2021 as the crafty guard from Tracy has proven that she can produce not only on a small-school platform but also in AAU against some of the state’s best players. Munson has super light feet, excellent quickness, very nice handles and a size-large engine, all of which has earned her a jump to #85. <strong>+15 –</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="186134" first="Jenna" last="Kluxdal"] <strong>– forward, Jordan (Fury 2023 Premier) #72</strong> We make a habit of perusing the box scores as often as possible during the high school season. While these brief statistical compilations certainly don’t tell the whole story they can definitely get your attention. That was the situation this winter as Kluxdal began putting up points (about 15 per game) on a highly regular basis. That, combined with her overall improvement, has moved Jordan up to #72.