Final 2022 Rankings: The Top Ten
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With the regular season winding down, the high school basketball careers of the class of 2022 are also nearing a close. With our final rankings update for 2022, we had a lot of movement throughout the class and finished at…
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Continue ReadingWith the regular season winding down, the high school basketball careers of the class of 2022 are also nearing a close. With our final rankings update for 2022, we had a lot of movement throughout the class and finished at 111 ranked players for 2022. Here’s a look at the final top ten with this last update.
Amiya Jenkins Amiya Jenkins 5'10" | SF Anderson County | 2022 State KY , Anderson County – Jenkins finishes her career where she spent most of it, on top of the class rankings. MiMi is the complete package as a player and will take her talents to the University of Kentucky next year and is likely to see the floor early on in her career. Amiya has the skills to play multiple positions and is athletic enough to switch any perimeter spot on defense. Looks for her to be crowned Miss Basketball next month.
Riley Neal Riley Neal 5'11" | SF North Oldham | 2022 State KY , North Oldham – Riley has had an outstanding Senior season and one of the best careers in Oldham County sports history. She’s headed to college at Miami (OH). and I wouldn’t bet against her playing a big role from day one when she hits the court. In an era where most of the top girls players in the metro Louisville era flock to private schools for high school, Neal paved her own way and has had a tremendous 4 year career because of it.
Gracie Merkle Gracie Merkle 6'6" | C Bullitt East | 2022 State KY , Bullitt East – Gracie has been one of the biggest stock risers over the course of her career at Bullitt East and should be named the regional player of the year and a finalist for Miss Basketball soon. She’s a matchup nightmare for opposing teams on both ends of the court and will likely play early and often for Bellarmine next season. Merkle has Bullitt East in the mix to win the state title this season too.
Cassidy Rowe Cassidy Rowe 5'5" | PG Shelby Valley | 2022 State KY , Shelby Valley – Hard to believe Rowe’s career is actually coming to an end soon as she’s been playing varsity for 6 years and been committed to the University of Kentucky for about as long. Cassidy had a rough stretch with injuries in her career but has been back to her old self this season and looks the part of a future SEC point guard. Rowe can get paint touches and is a skilled finisher in addition to being a willing passer who finds teammates for open looks continuously.
Jaya McClure Jaya McClure 5'6" | PG Christian Academy Louisville | 2022 State KY , CAL – Another tough point guard who has had a long and decorated career, McClure will play her college basketball at Ohio University but is focused on trying to get her CAL team to the state tournament before the ball stops bouncing for her in Louisville. Jaya is quick and shifty with tight ball handling and the ability to slice through opposing defenses, even when they’re keyed on stopping her.
Jaileyah Cotton Jaileyah Cotton 5'6" | SG Bardstown | 2022 State KY , Bardstown – Cotton has been a force in the 5th region for a while now and her best basketball is still ahead of her. Jaileyah is quick and athletic and excels at getting into the paint on offense. On the defensive end, she has the ability to be a lockdown defender when she’s motivated to be. Her college career should be interesting as she has the physical ability to contribute right away at the next level.
Josie Gilvin Josie Gilvin 5'10" | SG Sacred Heart | 2022 State KY , Sacred Heart – Josie would likely have bigger individual numbers at any school in the city other than Sacred Heart but she sacrifices individual stats for winning and was awarded the MVP of last season’s Sweet 16. SHA has played a tough schedule all season to get ready to defend their title this year and you know you can count on the future WKU Hilltopper to perform well under the bright lights.
Rachel Presley Rachel Presley 6'2" | C South Laurel | 2022 State KY , South Laurel – Rachel is another player who has had a long and decorated high school career and will likely play a big role when she lands at Campbellsville next season. Presley is a matchup problem for her opponents on both ends because she can score with her back to the basket and has great instincts as a shot blocker on the defensive end.
Anaya Brown Anaya Brown 6'0" | C Lafayette | 2022 State KY , Lafayette – Anaya has made huge strides over the last few seasons and moved way up the rankings, finishing among the top ten. Brown has had a huge season for the Lady Generals and leads them in nearly every statistical category and on their way to one of the best seasons in school history with a real chance to win the 11th region and get to Rupp Arena if Brown can help carry them there.
Madelyn Lawson Madelyn Lawson 5'8" | SG Dixie Heights | 2022 State KY , Dixie Heights – Lawson is another player whose career was sidelined with injury in her career but she bounced back better than ever and has made her mark as the top Senior in the always loaded 9th region. Maddie is a true three level scorer with shooting splits of 52-43-71 and leads her team in scoring and rebounding. She’s headed to Mount Vernon Nazarene for college and is a steal at that level.