Uncommitted 2023 PFs in the Top-100
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The featured image is of Jaci Menard Jaci Menard 5'11" | PF Boone Grove | 2023 IN (2023) of Boone Grove High School. The Class of 2023 as a whole has been quick to either narrow down their lists of…
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Continue ReadingThe featured image is of Jaci Menard Jaci Menard 5'11" | PF Boone Grove | 2023 IN (2023) of Boone Grove High School.
The Class of 2023 as a whole has been quick to either narrow down their lists of colleges, or even choose their Fall of 2023 destinations. A lot of this can be attributed to a group of prospects and parents who has seen the aftermath of COVID-19, the additional fifth year for college players, and the effects the transfer portal has caused throughout all of college basketball, not just the NCAA Division-1 level. This is the sixth of several articles I will be writing pointing out some of the state’s uncommitted prospects in the 2023 class. If you see someone below you believe has already made their college decision, please let us know so we can continue to update these reports. The following ladies are listed as power forwards in our current 2023 rankings, all fall between #26 and #100, and all are uncommitted to the best of our knowledge.
Nakiya could be a breakout player for the Lady Panthers this season. As an incoming Freshman, she was drawing a lot of Division-I interest from her grassroots play and elite camp attendance. For a variety of reasons, this should be her best chance at the Varsity level to display those talents and help North Central win some games. She has a strong, powerful frame, she loves to seek contact, and she is a people-mover around the paint. She moves well, plays hard, and she has soft hands and solid footwork. She put together a strong Spring in 2022.
Alycia moved into Fishers last Fall from Charleston, Illinois, and she immediately helped bolster their frontcourt. She is long, wiry-strong, and athletic in all directions, including vertically. She runs the floor well, finishes at the basket consistently, and she has a nice mid-post game. She continues to work on stretching her game to the perimeter more consistently, and she can defend most wings and some bigger guards as well. But she’s such a good rebounder and so effective in the mid-post, that she can almost get a double-double there each game.
Mallory has made an impact for the Lady Eagles for multiple years now, and it’s her experience that will help them solidify their defense and control the boards on most nights. Mallory has a strong frame, nice length, and she’s a solid all-around athlete with a good motor. She probably looks more like a post, but she hurts opponents primarily from the mid-post. She is an excellent passer, she pursues rebounds from there, and she can knock down shots from 15-feet to the perimeter, if you leave her unattended. She will be an x-factor for them this year.
Early this season, I’d expect Lady Miller opponents to focus on who’s not there instead of who is. Dani is one of the many returnees Noblesville brings back, and she could have a double-double type of season. She is strong, physical, and solid athletically in most directions. She plays with an outstanding motor, and while she has typically been more of a defender/rebounder type over the years, her skill and experience in the paint could help alleviate some pressure from their talented backcourt. She has drawn elite small college interest.
Taylor is still somewhat of an unknown outside of Northern Indiana. She has an athletically strong frame, good length, and she runs the floor well. She plays primarily in the mid-post, she has nice touch at 15-feet, and she is also comfortable around the perimeter. Defensively, she can play physical, she’ll block a handful of shots, and she can box out to rebound, plus she does a nice job of chasing down caroms outside of her area. Plymouth graduated a couple of starters, so she’ll have to step up even more this year. She averaged 15.1p and 9.7r as a Junior.
Linzie is all motor, toughness, and versatility. Over the last couple of years, she has drawn Division-I and elite small college interest because of it. She has a strong, fairly athletic frame, and she is a nice North/South athlete. She is fairly comfortable at all three levels, but she is almost dominant at times in the mid-post. She can post smaller defenders or knock down the occasional outside jumper, but her ability to work the short corners and the mid-post at a high level are what make her most effective. Lanesville has won 70 games so far under her watch.
Jaci is a nicely skilled, inside-out forward who I think a lot of Midwestern small colleges are overlooking at this point. She has enough size and strength to battle inside defensively/on the boards. But it’s her length, solid athleticism, and ability to make shot after shot from the short corners and mid-post that make her difficult to defend. She has a solid handle as well, and she is comfortable around the perimeter when given the chance. I think her versatility and inside-out approach make her the perfect fit in a lot of college systems around the Midwest.
Cadence has gone through a transformation. When she was younger, she grew early, gained a lot of strength, and was almost dominant at times. She carried that into her early high school career, but she was becoming an undersized post. Over the last year or so, she has really worked at it, become leaner and more explosive, and she’s a much more versatile power forward who can play in the mid-post and short corners consistently. She is still physical/strong, and she still battles inside, but she has a lot more to offer now with this inside-out approach.
Jalyn has a unique mixture of size, strength, and perimeter skill, that she “fits” certain types of coaches/systems. She has a strong frame, she’s a solid all-around athlete, and she plays with a nice motor. She can battle inside defensively and on the boards, but that’s not where she’s most productive offensively. She is a very good perimeter shooter with some range, and while streaky, when she gets hot, she gets really hot outside. I think she can be a real weapon at the next level who floats between the mid-post, short corners, and the perimeter.