Winter Rankings Review: 2023 Small Forwards
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Last Friday, we released the Winter rankings update for the Class of 2023. 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.…
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Continue ReadingLast Friday, we released the Winter rankings update for the Class of 2023. 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 65 small forward prospects who make up 26.0% 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:
Mallory Barrow Mallory Barrow 5'10" | SF Bloomington North | 2023 IN , Bloomington North – Versatile forward can play inside-out. Good perimeter shooting threat.
Mya-Lee Jackson Mya-Lee Jackson 5'8" | SF Merrillville | 2023 IN , Merrillville – Strong, physical, and fairly athletic wing. Attacks, rebounds, and defends.
Ashley Lewis Ashley Lewis 5'9" | SF Monrovia | 2023 IN , Monrovia – Long, fluid, somewhat smooth wing. Good shooter, can score at all levels.
Mallory Pride Mallory Pride 5'9" | SF Bedford North Lawrence | 2023 IN , Bedford North Lawrence – Long, wiry-strong, well-balanced wing. Skilled compliment on a loaded BNL team.
Tranika Randolph Tranika Randolph 5'7" | SF Lake Station Edison | 2023 IN , Lake Station Edison – Athletic wing, can play some guard, some forward. Multilevel scoring threat.
Lillian Tolmen Lillian Tolmen 5'8" | SF South Central (Union Mills) | 2023 IN , South Central (Union Mills) – Strong wing, has ball skill like a point forward. Good feel and basketball IQ.
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KEEP AN EYE ON:
Laniya is a really nice athlete with a lot of upside for the next level. She has a strong frame, nice length, and end-to-end speed. She can sit down and defend a combination of guards, wings, and forwards 84-feet, and she makes plays off the ball defensively as well. Offensively is where she has improved the most throughout high school. She could stand to tighten her handle a little, but she can push it in transition, and you aren’t going to just take it from her. And while she has typically been great attacking the basket, she’s shooting 38% from 3-point range this year as well.
Liv is a really nice, versatile wing prospect who is probably still a little underrecruited at this time. She has good height, wiry strength, she’s skilled, and she understands how to play. She can handle the ball and act as a point forward type, and she can create offense for herself off the bounce as well. She’s also a solid enough shooter to keep defenses honest. Defensively, at times, she has needed to protect the paint to help her high school team (because she’s the tallest kid), but she’s crafty and understands how to get a lot of deflections, steals, and blocked shots from all levels.
Ava is just a ballplayer, and she’ll likely graduate with more than 1500 points, 600 rebounds, 200 assists, and 200 steals. She is a fairly strong athlete who plays with an outstanding motor, and she can play all over the floor. She can handle the ball like a point forward, she has good vision, and she makes a lot of plays in transition. In the half-court, she prefers to operate in the mid-post, where she can attack the basket in one dribble or knock down the 15-footer. Defensively, she can take on bigger guards, wings, and undersized forwards as well, plus she has a nose for the ball.