Winter Rankings Review: 2024 Centers
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The featured image is of Addisen Mastriano Addisen Mastriano 6'3" | C Northeastern | 2024 State IN (2024) of Northeastern High School. Tuesday, we released the Winter rankings update for the Class of 2024. There were more than 25 new…
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Continue ReadingThe featured image is of Addisen Mastriano Addisen Mastriano 6'3" | C Northeastern | 2024 State IN (2024) of Northeastern High School.
Tuesday, we released the Winter rankings update for the Class of 2024. There were more than 25 new additions, plus a few players who raised their “stock”, so to speak, so subsequently there was some movement throughout the list. I wanted to take this time to circle back and address all of the ranked prospects, position by position. Below is a look at 26 center prospects who make up 13.0% of the rankings this time around, with analysis on a handful to “keep an eye on” detailed at the bottom.
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NEW ADDITIONS:
Kelsey Bergman Kelsey Bergman 6'1" | C Garrett | 2024 IN , Garrett – Long, athletic, and bouncy; has responded to big minutes. Nice rebounder/defender type.
Allie Boyer Allie Boyer 6'2" | C Blackhawk Christian | 2024 IN , Blackhawk Christian – Nice, strong post has good skill offensively and creates a presence in the lane defensively.
Paizley Cool Paizley Cool 6'1" | C Delta | 2024 IN , Delta – Strong, physical front-liner, has touch to 15-feet. Plays with a good motor and defends.
Ella Kunz Ella Kunz 6'0" | C North Decatur | 2024 IN , North Decatur – Tough-nosed, fairly strong, and active. Gets a lot of “hustle” stats and has a nose for the ball.
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KEEP AN EYE ON:
Sarah is and has always been one of the best defensive post players in the state since she has been in high school. She does a tremendous job of limiting her matchup each game without fouling, she is very physical and imposing, and she blocks out seemingly every single possession, plus she does a nice job of rotating from “help” and providing support for teammates. The difference this year is, she’s starting to score it much more consistently, both around the block and in the mid-post. If she can be a double-double machine, she’ll have a lot of college followers soon.
Kyra might be the most offensively skilled post in the 2024 class. She has a solid, strong frame, good size, length, and she has the ability to be physical on and around the block. She has good hands and can finish inside, but it’s her fluid athleticism at her size and her skill facing the basket that stand out. She has touch to the 3-point line, a quick release, and she’s starting to put it on the floor a couple of dribbles and get by defenders to the basket. The biggest change over the last 12-18 months has simply been her confidence. She just looks more comfortable as herself.
Taylor is a multisport athlete who has spent a lot of her off-seasons splitting time between basketball and volleyball. She has an athletic frame, wiry strength, length, and she’s a nice athlete in most directions. She plays with a good motor, she’s willing to be physical, and she has shown improved skill each of the last two Summers. This Winter, however, she has more than doubled both her scoring and rebounding from a year ago, averaging nearly a double-double in 2022-2023. She even had a 28-point, 13-rebound performance just a couple of weeks ago.