The Most Outstanding Power Forwards in the Class of 2023

The junior class of 2023 has plenty of outstanding power forwards. Here is a profile of some of them. &nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id="208283" first="<strong>Reena</strong>" last="<strong>Bhakta</strong>"] is a five-foot-eleven power forward who plays for Sunrise Mountain High School and her club team, Arizona Elite. As a freshman and sophomore, she played in 44 games for the Mustangs. As a freshman, she averaged 6.0 points per game and 4.6 rebounds. The numbers increased her sophomore season - 10.2 points and 6.6 rebounds. In both years she shot over 50% from the floor. The Mustangs finished with an overall 16-5 record and 10-2 in the 5A Northwest Region. Sunrise Mountain lost to Verrado in last seas<span style="font-size: 1rem;">on’s state tournament, 53-40.</span> Reena was nominated for one of the top stars of the week (January 18-24) with a 21 point performance in a 79-34 rout of Centennial. She played throughout the spring and summer with her grassroots team, Arizona Elite, and was outstanding in the Diamond Classic (Session 2). She combines size, athleticism, and a great work ethic and has improved her play each year. She is now ready for a great junior year. &nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id="208709" first="<strong>Katy</strong> last="<strong>Frost</strong>"] is a six-foot power forward for both Sandra Day O’Connor High School and Arizona Elite, her grassroots team. While the Eagles had an outstanding year in 2021 with a 23-4 record, they lost in the state quarterfinals to Perry High school, 57-49. Katy averaged 1.6 points per game as a freshman and moved that up to 6.3 as a sophomore. Her rebounding average per game also improved - 2.3 as a freshman to 5.8 as a sophomore. She also shot over 50% from the floor in both seasons. Katy was nominated for Player of the Week by WaFd Bank for the week of February 1-7 with a double-double in a win over Boulder Creek, 42-30. She had 17 points and 14 rebounds in the victory. According to AZ Central, she is one of the top 50 players in Arizona for the 2021-2022 season. During this past summer, she played in tournaments in both Indiana and Pennsylvania for Arizona Elite. In addition to basketball, she is also a member of the SDO track and field team. &nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id="208243" first="<strong>Michaela</strong>" last="<strong>Lee</strong><span style="font-size: 1rem;">"] is a six-foot power forward who plays for both Deer Valley High School and Team Walker Elite, her club team. Last season the Lady Skyhawks finished the season 15-4 and 8-2 in their division. Deer Valley lost in the state tournament to Salpointe Catholic, 54-45. Michaela finished the season averaging, as a sophomore, 6.8 points, and 8.6 rebounds. As a freshman, the numbers were 7.3 points and 8.0 rebounds. This past season she was voted to the All-West Valley Third Team.</span> As a freshman, Michaela played on the varsity with her older sister Olivia, a senior. Founded by Coach MJ Walker, she played extensively during the spring and summer in club tournaments around the country. One scout commented on her game. "She is one of the top shot blockers in the state of Arizona. She is also very scrappy with a high basketball IQ. Michaela has great court vision and strong footwork to add to her post moves. Only a sophomore and already dangerous." &nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id="261426" first="<strong>Kaitlyn</strong>" last=<strong>"Beall</strong>"] is a six-foot power forward for both Dream City Christian School and Arizona Elite 16u, her club team. A recent transfer from Boulder Creek High School, she played for both the junior varsity and the varsity as a freshman for BCHS. Kaitlyn averaged 3.0 points per game on the varsity and 2.3 rebounds. Now, at DCCS, she will be playing more of a national schedule. While at Boulder Creek, she won Player of the Game - for both JV and the varsity - a total of seven times as awarded by Max Preps. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-338369" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/10/76-Kaitlyn-Beall-292x300.jpg" alt="" width="292" height="300" /> &nbsp; Kaitlyn received second-team All-Tournament honors recently for her play in the Girls Hoops Top 250 Expo. One scout summarized her game at the event. "She was outstanding in her ability to hustle and get into positions. She was one of the longest players in attendance and really made sure to use that to make the other team pay. There seems to be a certain poise or calmness when she is in the game but that doesn’t stop her from being aggressive on the block and finishing strong. She can also hit the mid-range jumper and shots from beyond the arc." All this while maintaining a 4.3 GPA.