2023 Rankings: Centers

Our 2023 rankings have been updated and it is now time to take a look at some of the top Centers in the Commonwealth. [player_tooltip player_id="164389" first="Xaviara" last="Smalley"] - 6’3" - Bethlehem Smalley has more than 20 D1 College offers but currently does not have a high school team to play for although I woud imagine the sweepstakes for her service has already begun. Where will she end up? I can’t speculate. She has a great post-up game and is an excellent rim protector. She can step out on the floor to shoot and put the ball on the floor. I am a little bit surprised to see her ranked so low in this class but she is certainly the #1 Center in the Commonwealth. Her stat line through 18 games: 13.1 points, 55.9% field goals, 9.3 rebounds, and she blocks multiple shots per game. [player_tooltip player_id="257280" first="Emma" last="Filiatreau"] - 6’2" - Bethlehem Filiatreau is already headed to Oklahoma State and if you have seen her play you can see why they want a player of her caliber. She is an excellent shooter from three-point range (38.1%) and has excellent fundamentals in the paint on both offense and defense. Unfortunately for the basketball world it appears she will be taking her talents on horseback to the next level. She will be part of the Equestrian team for the Cowboys although I wouldn’t be shocked to see her spend some time on the hardwood while she is at it. [player_tooltip player_id="164417" first="Samari" last="Taylor"] - 6’0" - Ballard Taylors stock has risen recently due to increased development attributable to better Coaching and I think she has grown a few inches as well. Taylor is extremely long without losing power and is an amazing leaper. She pulls rebounds down from right off the rim and protects it with proper ball movement technique. Defensively, she affects the game beyond the shots she blocks because she is mobile and must be accounted for by anyone taking a range within her range. She is an out-of-zone rebounder that goes after the long and high rebounds. She is also obviously a very high IQ person and is starting to bring that ability into her understanding of the game. She is averaging 15.3 points, and 9.1 rebounds per game this season up from 9.7 points and 7.9 rebounds the previous season. [player_tooltip player_id="284105" first="Jhaven" last="Meade"] - 6’4" Franklin County It just so happens I was watching Meade play last night and she was very dominant in the third quarter after a quiet 1st half spent mainly on the bench due to some foul trouble. Her acquired basketball acumen of fundamentals combined with the use of her natural gifts in size have carried her so far. She is averaging 4.7 points, 52.8% shooting, and 6.3 rebounds per game on a team that has a dominant Power Forward that it relys on for tons of production in the paint. So I am most interested in seeing how she develops next season when she will be the featured inside presence on the team. [player_tooltip player_id="329425" first="Emily" last="Estes"] - 6’1" - Lincoln County I have not seen Estes play for her school. I have only seen her at the Prep Girls Hoops Top 250 event held this past fall. I cannot seem to find that article to remind me of what I have seen. But I remember being impressed with what she could do while playing in a format that favors Guards so much more than it does frontcourt players. On the season she is putting up 8.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, on 51.9% field goal shooting. [player_tooltip player_id="393701" first="Kenady" last="Ward"] - 6’4" - Jackson County Ward is a deserved new addition to the list that uses her size well but struggles with speedy athletic matchups. She can be very dominant under the hoop and useful in the high post as a distributor or against the press as pressure release. On the season she is averaging 11 points, making 48.9% field goals, 7.7 rebounds, and shooting 64.6% from the free throw line.

Our 2023 rankings have been updated and it is now time to take a look at some of the top Centers in the Commonwealth.

Xaviara Smalley Xaviara Smalley 6'3" | C Bethlehem | 2023 State KY - 6’3" - Bethlehem

Smalley has more than 20 D1 College offers but currently does not have a high school team to play for although I woud imagine the sweepstakes for her service has already begun. Where will she end up? I can’t speculate.

She has a great post-up game and is an excellent rim protector. She can step out on the floor to shoot and put the ball on the floor. I am a little bit surprised to see her ranked so low in this class but she is certainly the #1 Center in the Commonwealth.

Her stat line through 18 games: 13.1 points, 55.9% field goals, 9.3 rebounds, and she blocks multiple shots per game.

Emma Filiatreau Emma Filiatreau 6'2" | C Bethlehem | 2023 State KY - 6’2" - Bethlehem

Filiatreau is already headed to Oklahoma State and if you have seen her play you can see why they want a player of her caliber. She is an excellent shooter from three-point range (38.1%) and has excellent fundamentals in the paint on both offense and defense.

Unfortunately for the basketball world it appears she will be taking her talents on horseback to the next level. She will be part of the Equestrian team for the Cowboys although I wouldn’t be shocked to see her spend some time on the hardwood while she is at it.

Samari Taylor Samari Taylor 6'3" | C Ballard | 2023 State KY - 6’0" - Ballard

Taylors stock has risen recently due to increased development attributable to better Coaching and I think she has grown a few inches as well. Taylor is extremely long without losing power and is an amazing leaper. She pulls rebounds down from right off the rim and protects it with proper ball movement technique.

Defensively, she affects the game beyond the shots she blocks because she is mobile and must be accounted for by anyone taking a range within her range. She is an out-of-zone rebounder that goes after the long and high rebounds. She is also obviously a very high IQ person and is starting to bring that ability into her understanding of the game.

She is averaging 15.3 points, and 9.1 rebounds per game this season up from 9.7 points and 7.9 rebounds the previous season.

Jhaven Meade Jhaven Meade 6'4" | C Franklin County | 2023 State KY - 6’4" Franklin County

It just so happens I was watching Meade play last night and she was very dominant in the third quarter after a quiet 1st half spent mainly on the bench due to some foul trouble. Her acquired basketball acumen of fundamentals combined with the use of her natural gifts in size have carried her so far.

She is averaging 4.7 points, 52.8% shooting, and 6.3 rebounds per game on a team that has a dominant Power Forward that it relys on for tons of production in the paint. So I am most interested in seeing how she develops next season when she will be the featured inside presence on the team.

Emily Estes Emily Estes 6'1" | C Lincoln County | 2023 State KY - 6’1" - Lincoln County

I have not seen Estes play for her school. I have only seen her at the Prep Girls Hoops Top 250 event held this past fall. I cannot seem to find that article to remind me of what I have seen. But I remember being impressed with what she could do while playing in a format that favors Guards so much more than it does frontcourt players.

On the season she is putting up 8.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, on 51.9% field goal shooting.

Kenady Ward Kenady Ward 6'4" | C Jackson County | 2023 State KY - 6’4" - Jackson County

Ward is a deserved new addition to the list that uses her size well but struggles with speedy athletic matchups. She can be very dominant under the hoop and useful in the high post as a distributor or against the press as pressure release.

On the season she is averaging 11 points, making 48.9% field goals, 7.7 rebounds, and shooting 64.6% from the free throw line.