Winter Rankings Update: 2024s who raised their stock

In many ways, sophomore year is the most important campaign for players who are wanting to make the best possible impression as college prospects. Work your way into the starting lineup, put up some positive results and avoid the many potential pitfalls high school athletes face on and off the court and the benefits can be amazing. That has certainly been the case for the prospects profiled here. As our Prep Girls Hoops winter rankings update shifts to the Class of 2024, we are pleased to report that plenty of this year's sophomores have raised their stock substantially. <strong>MOVING UP IN THE TOP 30</strong> These three players have made the most significant progress in the Top 30: <img class="alignnone wp-image-338645 size-thumbnail" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/10/274-Trinity-Wilson-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /> <strong>#19</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="335641" first="Trinity" last="Wilson"] <strong>– forward, Lakeville North</strong> Watching Trinity's comeback from knee surgery last summer has been a lot of fun. Not only has she regained her previous level of performance but Wilson has soared far beyond that and into a completely different place. Her size, strength, skill and mobility make her a formidable package, the kind of post player who can dominate down low or step outside and punish you from distance. At 6'3 Trinity will get every opportunity in the world to prove she can play at the highest level and that is exactly what she has done this winter. That's why she rises 5 spots to #19 and the young sophomore is just getting started. <img class="alignnone wp-image-338585 size-thumbnail" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/10/201-Jocelyn-Land-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /> <strong>#21</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="322999" first="Jocelyn" last="Land"] <strong>– forward, Holy Family</strong> Jocelyn's past 12 months have been well-chronicled in this space. From unknown Vermont transfer, to intriguing tryout player, to dominant force this winter we have watched Land make a name for herself in Minnesota. She brings an intriguing set of attributes to the table. With size, length, touch and shooting ability, she is an attractive package. But it is her level of competitiveness and giant motor that set Land apart. Averaging a very impressive, 19 points and 10 rebounds per game, she rises a whopping 17 positions in this rankings update and now finds herself at #21. <img class="alignnone wp-image-338505 size-thumbnail" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/10/109-Aliyah-Al-Hameed-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /> <strong>#27</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="339227" first="Aliyah" last="Al-Hameed"] <strong>– guard, Minnehaha Academy</strong> Like Land, Al Hameed is a transfer from out of state. She arrived from Iowa in 2021, joining North Tartan Elite in time for the summer season. Aliyah made a great first impression but because we had only witnessed a small sample of her abilities, there was a bit of wait-and-see involved in her initial placement at #34. Well we've seen plenty of Al Hameed this winter and she continues to impress with her high skill level, on-court energy and ability to change the course of a game. That's why she rises seven positions to #27. <strong>DOUBLE DIGIT STOCK RISERS</strong> These nine athletes have improved their ranking by double digits. <img class="alignnone wp-image-209126 size-thumbnail" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2020/10/40_Ja_Kahla-Craft_1-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /> <strong>+31</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="339129" first="Ja'Kahla" last="Craft"] <strong>– guard, St. Michael-Albertville</strong> It's not easy to be the new kid on the block. When Ja'Kahla showed up at STMA in the fall her abilities were largely unknown to her new coaches and teammates but over time she has earned their trust, respect and admiration. Craft has had an outstanding season playing against Minnesota's best at both ends of the floor. As a result she is our single biggest stock-riser this time around moving from #81 to #50. <img class="alignnone wp-image-338473 size-thumbnail" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/10/78-Claire-McGregor-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /> <strong>+30</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="304921" first="Claire" last="McGregor"] <strong>– guard, Maple River</strong> Pound for pound, inch for inch, stride for stride, we're not sure there is a player in our rankings who gets the absolute maximum out of herself on a more regular basis than Claire. She's got skill, speed, strength and energy. She also has 1,000 career points as a sophomore. Night after night McGregor gets the job done at the Class AA level. She rises 30 positions to #56. <img class="alignnone wp-image-295543 size-thumbnail" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/06/Playmakers_Thostenson_Baumgard_Lofstrom-scaled-e1636813591873-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /> <strong>+26</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="302313" first="Olivia" last="Thostenson"] <strong>– forward, International Falls</strong> We watched Thostenson a ton this winter and it was awesome to see how much progress the gigantic post player has made. At 6'3, with a big frame, Olivia plays hard, moves well, and is a physical force at both ends of the floor. With a new training regimen in the works and a commitment to skill development, Olivia was definitely on the right track until being sidelined with a torn ACL. That isn't stopping us from moving her up from #54 to #28. She'll be back and we'll be watching. <img class="alignnone wp-image-338467 size-thumbnail" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/10/72-Ella-Kletti-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /> <strong>+18</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="304927" first="Ella" last="Kletti"] – <strong>guard, Mahtomedi</strong> Nobody plays harder than Ella. Any gym, anywhere, any time. Ella goes 100 miles per hour until the final buzzer rings. It may not always be the most efficient approach, and it certainly yields its fair share of bangs and bumps, but the speedy guard is going to give you everything she's got every time out. That's level of effort earns her an 18-place jump to #77. <strong>+16</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="304934" first="Ava" last="Miller"] <strong>– forward, Rochester Mayo</strong> It can be rough being the “little sister” to a highly accomplished player like Drake University freshman post Anna Miller, but the younger Ava has gradually been forging her own reputation, building her own game, and proving that she, too, is a college prospect worth paying attention to. Ava has made tremendous progress this year. Her skillset has expanded, she has become more poised, and she is getting stronger. Miller moves up 16 positions to #90. <img class="alignnone wp-image-338522 size-thumbnail" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/10/131-Alexis-Rose-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /> <strong>+14</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="304938" first="Alexis" last="Rose"] <strong>– guard, Becker</strong> Speaking of challenges, it isn't easy to follow in the footsteps of an elite point guard who led her team to unprecedented levels of success, including a state championship. That is the position Rose found herself in this year taking over for the great <strong>Julie Bengtson</strong>, now at Eastern Illinois. Rose has been more than up to the task, however, and her trajectory is trending up, up, up. She moves to #62. <strong>+14</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="304930" first="Grace" last="Hamdorf"] <strong>– guard, Minnetonka</strong> The depth at Minnetonka is well-documented. With a starting lineup featuring all Division-1 bound players, it can be difficult to earn your way into the rotation, but that is exactly what Grace has done this season. Hamdorf is a no-nonsense type of player, a versatile contributor with a big body, plenty of skill, a ton of energy and the type of competitiveness you cannot teach. She improves 14 positions to #73. <strong>+14</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="304937" first="Brea" last="Mertz"] <strong>– forward, Sleepy Eye</strong> Slow and steady. That has been the path of progress for Brea, a big power forward whose game is evolving in exactly the right direction. Gradually she is adding to her skill set, playing with more confidence, learning to use her size in all the right ways, and improving her quickness and mobility. Mertz is a force inside and her long-term outlook is very strong. She's now #94. <img class="alignnone wp-image-338562 size-thumbnail" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/10/175-Avery-Moeller-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /> <strong>+11</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="339142" first="Avery" last="Moeller"] <strong>– guard, Prior Lake</strong> Avery is a bundle of energy, the kind of player who gets after it immediately upon entering the game whether in a starting role or deeper in the rotation. With quick feet, quick hands and a total lack of fear, Moeller makes her presence felt, even on a team loaded with lengthy young prospects whose reputation precedes them. Avery has played a significant role for the young Lakers this year and is well-deserving of an 11-spot rise to #113. <strong>4 MORE PLAYERS TRENDING UPWARD</strong> <strong>+9</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="302304" first="Mackenzi" last="Simmons"] – The athletic guard/wing from Maranatha Christian is oozing with potential. That is reflected in her new ranking of #40 and climbing. <strong>+9</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="304932" first="Jenna" last="Buer"] – The sharpshooting guard from Holy Angels has had some monster games for the Stars. She plays with zero fear and makes a boatload of threes. Jenna is now #83. <strong>+7</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="302307" first="Elisabeth" last="Gadient"] – The lengthy guard from Goodhue just keeps on getting better, having shown steady improvement over the past two years. She's now ranked #54. <strong>+6</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="302314" first="Taylor" last="Clarey"] – The silky smooth guard from Rochester Century set a school record this year for most triples in a season, but there's much more to her game than that. Taylor is now #65.