Class of 2024 Rankings: New Additions, Pt. 2

My fellow scout Brady Peterson began the C/O 2024 new additions analysis, and I’ll be continuing it in this article. Here are some of the most noteworthy newcomers to the class of 2024 player rankings: [player_tooltip player_id="329598" first="Abbey" last="Inda"] | Monona Grove | Combo Guard | #67 Overall Prospect Inda is a high effort defensive player that gives Monona Grove some size and versatility on that end of the floor. She has solid fundamentals on the perimeter and, for a 5’8" combo guard by trade, is an effective rim protector as well, understanding that verticality and physicality is enough to throw drivers and post-players off their rhythm. Her positional awareness offsets her speed or lack thereof, a key aspect of her defensive game that earns her minutes at a variety of positions. And offensively, Inda shows flashes of being a fun, gimmicky scoring threat, although there are some significant hurdles before she can reach her potential. Inda’s handle and strength allow her to create space, and she gets a ton of air under her short-range jumpers, a good sign for her touch going forward. But her most prevalent offensive skill is her maneuverability. She cuts well and sharply, finding inside positioning, which in turn highlights her footwork around the cup. Now to those aforementioned hurdles. Inda’s lack of overall athleticism limits her on both ends, despite her savviness and fundamentals allowing her to contribute on a nightly basis. She doesn’t have the threatening end-line speed that guards in the Badger conference need to be largely successful and her inconsistent shot mechanics allows defenses to press against her. This combination severely limits her ability to create her own shot. That being said, her foundation of an above-average handle, basketball IQ, and footwork is encouraging. The main areas of improvement she has can be ironed out with more reps (whether that be in the gym from beyond the arc, or in the weight room). Inda’s learning from some of the best combo guards in [player_tooltip player_id="204130" first="Avery" last="Poole"] and [player_tooltip player_id="347163" first="Emily" last="Clevidence"] and should only get better as she sees more court time. [player_tooltip player_id="209607" first="Lily" last="Oiler"] | Watertown | Combo Guard | #88 Overall Prospect Oiler’s shown flashes of being a very capable point guard down the road who’s already taken great strides forwards for Watertown this season. Her improvements as a more active defender and aggressive offensive initiator are extremely positive signs for her development, especially given her natural length, burst, wiggle attacking the basket, and general run/strength athleticism. That she gets so many opportunities to be the Gossling’s primary ball-handler/offensive initiator and spearhead of the 1-3-1 zone is already bearing results on her improvement. She’s shown spurts of defensive dominance over smaller guards and speed in transition as well. Her general decision-making in halfcourt sets has also improved over the course of the season, making snappier decisions and sharper cuts off the ball. Overall, her progression is both a fun mini-storyline for Watertown and encouraging for the type of player Oiler could be. The main area for growth for Oiler is her consistency. Being an excellent defensive menace on every play, being an aggressive attacker on every play, and workshopping a consistent jumper are all challenges for the guard going forward. And given her minutes distribution making her a de facto point guard, she’ll be put in an automatic leadership position where these things matter more. The intangibles are there in spurts, but improved conditioning, lateral quickness, and tighter shot mechanics (slightly narrowing her base, tucking in her elbow, and lowering her shooting pocket) will make her a much more complete two-way prospect. [player_tooltip player_id="209601" first="Morgan" last="Williams"] | Nicolet | Combo Guard | #63 Overall Prospect The lefty slasher finds herself on the rankings for the first time as a result of her offensive upside. Williams’ ability to create space using her strength is her calling card and she reacts well to help defenders. Her passing out of the dribble drive has improved since the beginning of her sophomore campaign and is the most exciting demonstration of her potential as a creator. Despite her lack of twitchy quickness, Williams finds herself at the rim and low-block quite often and has flexed her skill as a primary ball-handler and creator for others. Williams is a high-upside guard prospect if she can put her strength, shooting, and creativity all together in a more consistent way. Williams will also need to improve her touch and activity on the defensive end to improve her standing as a two-way prospect. Though she can get to the rim playing bully-ball, she’s an inconsistent finisher and a poor free-throw shooter, indicating that her shooting touch comes and goes, an unstable part of her game that’s particularly hampering. Other guards with similar playstyles that are high-level shooters force defenders up, bypassing their lack of end-line speed or quickness. And while she’s a committed defender on the ball, she’s had mishaps in terms of her defensive positioning and awareness. [player_tooltip player_id="266990" first="Dani" last="Latz"] | Bloomer | Small Forward | #68 Overall Prospect Despite being an undersized frontcourt player at 5’9", Latz’s clear and fluid athleticism enables her to guard multiple positions while still being an offensive threat around the basket. Her footwork and vision around the low block are impressive, demonstrating a great feel for the game, as does her effectiveness as a screener both on and off the ball. And though her touch around the rim is inconsistent, her springiness and perseverance around the block lead to reliable and efficient scoring opportunities. Defensively, Latz is an aggressive post presence who’s also been the spearhead of Bloomer’s 1-3-1 zone. Her activity, lateral quickness, and tenacity make her a viable option in this position. This combination also opens up the can of worms for the type of player she could be. Bloomer’s true potential isn’t as a small-ball five but a dribble-drive wing player. With her strength and feel, taking big steps forward in developing her handle has to be the next step. This would open up an entirely new and interesting offensive role for the sophomore, one where she gets more opportunities as a creator for herself and others. Playing her on the perimeter in Division 3 could lead to all sorts of mismatches for her offensively without harming her versatility as a defender. She isn’t a jump shooter and there’s no evidence that she’ll become one in the near future, but even just by investing in a dribble package, Latz can take another big step forward. [player_tooltip player_id="209908" first="Saveea" last="Freeland"] | Cambridge | Combo Guard | #64 Overall Prospect Freeland just has a nose for where to be and when to be on the offensive end. Like the other combo guards on this list, she doesn’t have elite speed or quickness, but she knows how to find the inside lane as a cutter, rebounder, and general off-ball option. This impressive feel is the driver behind her offensive potential--that she doesn’t need the ball to be an option on that end of the court. This skill of offensive positional awareness is complemented by her passing feel. Though not a natural point guard or ball-handler, she sees the court well and is a very willing passer. Her role is very fluid in this sense, fitting in where others aren’t and making plays out of that framework. The two main aspects of her game that need immediate attention are her lack of lateral quickness and awareness on the defensive end, as well as her outside shooting. I believe her to be a committed defender, but she doesn’t play angles well or impose herself against her matchup on that end. While a decent defender in a team context, opposing sides can target her side as a dribble-drive opening. She’s currently sitting at 4/33 on three-point attempts this season, a mark that will have to improve for her to be a reliable offensive option. But her feel for the game and length make her an upside prospect with room to grow. [player_tooltip player_id="329538" first="Maggie" last="Callaghan"] | Columbus Catholic | Combo Guard | #80 Overall Prospect Callaghan is a pass-first, pass-second point guard with a decent first step and tenacious defensive play both at the top of a 2-3 and at in man coverage. Her intense ball pressure and strong defensive fundamentals make her a high-level perimeter stopper even as a sophomore, and her help side instincts fortify that moniker. This skill set, along with her quick hands, makes her an exciting defensive prospect with high upside down the road. Offensively, she’s a constant mover and energizer who looks to initiate and execute. And though she’s not an aggressive scorer, she contributes with her vision, off-ball movement, and aforementioned sharpness in execution. But finding her offensive rhythm is the natural next step for the sophomore. She’ll need to improve her handle to capitalize on her quick first step and take her creation to another level. And her jumper needs some tuning up as well as her inconsistent launch angle and uneven mechanics limit her as a scoring threat. That being said, I believe her base as a quick two-way point guard is promising, and the things she needs to improve on are correctable.