‘25 Post Winter Rankings-Top 10: Phamily First

The ’25 post-winter rankings update has been released, and many prospects had breakout freshman campaigns. Let’s look at who cracked the top 10.   #1 <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-413181" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/04/5DE67041-0280-45E6-BDF7-16F258BEFAA6-crop-1302x855-1649804154-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> [player_tooltip player_id="273929" first="Christina" last="Pham"]| Nobles| 5’7’’| PG Pham was by far the clear-cut best freshman this winter. The amount of responsibility on her shoulders, combined with her individual performances translating to winning, made her stand out from the rest. Her game against Tabor was where I started regarding Pham as the best. It is her alpha dog mentality and relentless competitiveness that you don’t see from kids her age. The better the competition, the bigger the stage, the greater Pham performed, and she carried that throughout the playoffs. Down two starters against Worcester Academy, Pham led Nobles with 22 points and helped elevate Nobles to victory. She is a born leader and killer who will do whatever it takes to win no matter what adversity is in her way.   #2 [caption id="attachment_413185" align="alignnone" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/04/AEA83924-38D5-4C0B-B7D6-9B4629D9836E-crop-1167x767-1649805511.jpeg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-413185" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/04/AEA83924-38D5-4C0B-B7D6-9B4629D9836E-crop-1167x767-1649805511-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Photo: Kitch Photography[/caption] [player_tooltip player_id="295914" first="Bailey" last="Breen"]| Oceanside| 6’2’’| PF What Breen did last weekend at GymRat Live in Albany, New York, was downright ridiculous. She played up on the Maine Firecrackers 17u team and completely dominated the field. No team had an answer for Breen in the post. She proved to be too big and strong for anyone in that gym. Not only was Breen a force on the block, but she was stepping out and hitting threes consistently while protecting the rim on the other side of the ball. She is also coming off a big winter season at Oceanside, where she picked up an offer from the University of Maine and led her team to a Maine Class B state title.   #3 [caption id="attachment_413187" align="alignnone" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/04/03D25A85-2938-4C9D-A30F-AC318258C99C-crop-1537x1010-1649805628.jpeg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-413187" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/04/03D25A85-2938-4C9D-A30F-AC318258C99C-crop-1537x1010-1649805628-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Photo: JT Shotz[/caption] [player_tooltip player_id="270725" first="Ava" last="Black"]| Tabor| 5’10’’| CG Black not only proved that she is the best combo guard in her class but, by the end of the season, showed that her ceiling is the #1 overall. January is when I started seeing Black take her game to another level. Her confidence on offense was sky high, but her defense was most impressive. Black embraces the challenge of guarding the other teams’ best player and puts the clamps on some of the best scorers in the region. Her size, physicality, and aggression make ball handlers uncomfortable around Black, and she also is an intelligent off-ball defender. She is the best two-way player in the ’25 class.   #4 [caption id="attachment_413142" align="alignnone" width="300"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-413142" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/04/F70B1DAF-6D60-43C8-998B-394016750C7C-crop-994x653-1649799781-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> Photo: Caleb Rodrigues[/caption] [player_tooltip player_id="270721" first="Kaelyn" last="Carroll"]| Tabor| 6’2’’| SF Carroll is another Tabor player who is exceptional defensively. She is one of the few prospects at her size who can switch out and defend any position adequately. Her length, lateral quickness, and IQ give Carroll all the tools to be a significant factor on the interior and perimeter defensively. Her efforts helped anchor Tabor’s backline on defense, and she forced many missed field goals. I also thought Carroll finished plays and cleaned up the glass well throughout the season.   #5 [caption id="attachment_413116" align="alignnone" width="300"]<img class="size-medium wp-image-413116" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/04/E09407EF-9D26-4258-AB39-D1461D0B15DA-crop-1069x702-1649797275-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> Photo: Sara Decessare[/caption] [player_tooltip player_id="273940" first="Gianna" last="Nichols"]| Worcester Academy| 5’6’’| PG Nichols came alive in the second half of the winter and consistently played at a top 5 level. She had some big scoring outputs, most noticeably her 25 point outburst in a win against St. Andrews, but the way Nichols handles pressure is what I value most about her offensive game. To be a first-year point guard and the primary ball-handler, I thought Nichols did a great job limiting mistakes and setting the table for her teammates. When she was confident and executed at a high level, it translated to wins and competitive games against some of NEPSAC’s best. Nichols is also an elite on defense, and you can argue her being the best on-ball defender in the class.   #6 [caption id="attachment_413189" align="alignnone" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/12/B693C0D0-AC9A-4142-A0E5-B951D62CCBF3-scaled-crop-1684x1106-1649797314-crop-540x355-1649805941.jpeg"><img class="wp-image-413189 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/12/B693C0D0-AC9A-4142-A0E5-B951D62CCBF3-scaled-crop-1684x1106-1649797314-crop-540x355-1649805941-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Photo: JT Shotz[/caption] [player_tooltip player_id="269256" first="Colleen" last="Phiri"]| BCA| 5’11"| PF Phiri was a scoring machine over the winter and led her team in scoring multiple times. Her strength inside punished defenders, and she was a magnet on the offensive glass. I don’t know if there is anyone in Phiri’s league when it comes to obtaining second chance opportunities. Phiri also consistently knocks down mid-range and three-point shots. Phiri can also take defenders off the dribble if she catches the ball out on the wing to go along with her inside-out shooting ability.   #7 <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-413190" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/08/IMG_8913-scaled-crop-1707x1121-1649806000-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> [player_tooltip player_id="298626" first="Anna" last="Oliver"]| Hodgdon| 5’10’’|PG Oliver picked up two offers over the winter and is one of the most unique point guards in the ’25 class. No one has her combination of size and athleticism at the position, and Oliver’s ball-handling is as good as any prospect. Watching her last weekend at GymRat Live in New York, you saw that her game translates to the 17u level. Oliver has the tools to continue climbing this list, and she also shot the ball well from the perimeter contested.   #8 <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-413202" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/04/8129392B-FE5F-4AF1-A6E8-5A913C0D8DDB-crop-1302x855-1649806659-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> [player_tooltip player_id="273941" first="Sydney" last="Gerossie"]| Pinkerton Academy| 5’9’’| PG Gerossie was huge for Pinkerton Academy stepping in as the varsity starter and helping lead the team to the #2 seed in D1 NHIAA. Part of the reason why Gerossie made the easy transition to high school basketball was due to her shot-creating ability. She has the most polished and versatile offensive package of anyone in the top 10 and can convert consistently at all three levels. Gerossie is so dynamic with the ball in her hands and is one of the best downhill playmakers in ’25.   #9 <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-413207" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/04/87CE195F-3C16-41B7-944B-B307225978AD-crop-404x265-1649807067-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> [player_tooltip player_id="270726" first="Ava" last="Orlando"]| Notre Dame Academy| 5’4’’| PG Orlando’s play down the stretch of the season validated her top ten status. Notre Dame Academy racked up a handful of wins towards the end of the season to earn them a spot in the MIAA State Tournament led by Orlando. She put the team on her back, dropping triple-doubles and 30-40 point games, showing why she is one of Massachusetts’ most dangerous point guards. What makes Orlando so tough to defend is that she is so good at getting into the second level of defense. Her patience, hesitation moves, and body control allow her to weave through defenders in the halfcourt. Despite her size, Orlando still finds ways to get her shot off and convert at a high level.   #10 <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-413213" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/12/E0842EA9-3FF6-41CC-8276-BEFA3FA06EAA-crop-1537x1010-1649807128-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> [player_tooltip player_id="270722" first="Olivia" last="Rodrigues"]| Tabor| 6’0’’| SG Rodrigues versatility and ability to impact the game without scoring is why she rounds out the top 10 in ’25. I love that she doesn’t need the ball in her hands to be a significant factor in Tabor winning. She can defend all positions, has a high IQ on both sides of the ball, rebounds well, and is an efficient catch and shoot three-point threat. Rodrigues might not put up the big stats like other players in her class, but she does all the little things well, and her game blends well with any style of play and personnel.