2024 Rankings Update: The Top Ten
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As the 2022-23 season has now wrapped up, PGH has updated our 2024 rankings. There is a lot of talent in the junior class and they showed that talent all season long. Here’s a look at the top ten players…
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Continue ReadingAs the 2022-23 season has now wrapped up, PGH has updated our 2024 rankings. There is a lot of talent in the junior class and they showed that talent all season long. Here’s a look at the top ten players in the latest rankings update.
Steele is as solid as they come. While her stats are impressive, they only tell half of the story. What she brings to the floor goes so far beyond what a stat sheet can show you. Steele is a lockdown defender and she can really control an offense. Her handles and athleticism will instantly stand out when you watch her play. When it comes to hustle plays and 50/50 balls, Steele’s usually going to be the one to come up with the ball in some way or another. She averaged 19.8 PPG and 7.7 RPG this season and is poised to have a huge summer with her West Virginia Thunder squad.
Rowe is the kind of point guard that every coach would love to have on their team. She is the definition of a leader and you can constantly hear her coaching up her teammates on the floor. However, she also has a lot of talent to go along with that leadership. Rowe has a very high basketball IQ and excellent court vision. She can deliver passes seamlessly through traffic and she has great ball handling skills. Simply put, Rowe is a competitor who does whatever it takes to help her team win. She averaged 16.2 PPG and 2.5 RPG while shooting 51.4% overall and a whopping 50% from 3 (113/226) this season.
Knight has impressed me every single time I’ve seen her play. She is just so efficient on both ends of the floor. Defensively, she moves her feet well and is a solid shot blocker. If she can’t block a shot, she typically will at least be able to alter it. Offensively, she can finish tough shots at the rim, including through contact. However, she can also step out and knock down shots, including from 3, or she can make strong drives to the hoop. Knight is also a great passer and recognizes when to kick the ball out to her teammates. This season, she averaged 15.1 PPG and 9.4 RPG while shooting 54% overall and 37.3% from deep.
Darrington is one of the best rebounders in the state. She fights to get in great positions to come up with the rebound and then she goes after the ball strong. She can elevate over players to grab those rebounds as well. Darrington consistently runs the floor and her ability to move her feet quickly is obvious by her shot blocking ability. She can stay right on players to ultimately come up with a block. Offensively, she can finish some really tough shots around the basket. Using her length, she can finish over defenders or at the rim. Darrington has great hands and actually averaged a double-double this season (13 PPG/11.2 RPG/52.9% FG).
Highlights
Bender is one of the best scorers in the state. Despite playing on a very talented Sacred Heart team, she is often a focus for opposing teams because of her high volume scoring ability. In this year’s state tournament, we actually heard coaches talk about how they placed a focus on stopping her scoring and were still unable to do so. Even if she misses a few shots, she can score at all 3 levels and will find a way to get herself going. Bender can create excellent looks for both herself and her teammates. She consistently makes good stuff happen in transition and in half-court sets. She has now won a state championship every single year of her high school career, so she’s also a proven winner. Bender averaged 15.2 PPG and 3.1 RPG this season, while shooting nearly 50% overall and 33% from the 3-point line.
Is it crazy to say a player in the top 10 is underrated? Probably, but Pelayo truly does not get the recognition she deserves for what she brings to the court. Like Bender, she has won a state championship all three years of her high school career, something that has only been done two other times in the history of KHSAA girls’ basketball. Pelayo’s contributions have been a huge part of their success. She is the Valkyries main inside presence. She is constantly blocking or altering shots as a defender. She even showed an ability to guard out on the perimeter this season. Offensively, Pelayo has great hands and many moves she can use to score. She is also one of the best passers I’ve seen from a post player. Pelayo averaged 11.7 PPG and 6.2 RPG this season, and she shot 63.1% overall.
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White has length, strength, and size that simply cannot be taught. When she gets the ball around the basket, she is extremely hard to stop. She is also really hard to keep off of the boards as she’s able to use her size to hold off opposing players. When White keeps the ball high, there are not many high school players that can get to that ball. She obviously plays inside of the perimeter, but she can make some great passes from the post and in transition. She plays alongside some talented players, so her stats only show a small glimpse of her abilities. White averaged 8.6 PPG and 8 RPG this season. She also shot 51.5% overall, all three of which are team-best numbers.
Moving Johnson into the top ten was a must for this rankings update because she is a truly special player. A true floor general with an elite scoring ability. Johnson helped lead her team to the KHSAA Girls’ Sweet 16 championship game this season, while also helping her team finish with a 35-3 record on the season. She is a key piece of the puzzle on both ends of the floor for the Mustangs. Defensively, she can apply a lot of pressure and really makes things hard on the offense. She can get steals and blocks. Johnson is also a great offensive player. She’s got a high IQ, makes great passes, and is a consistent playmaker. This season, Johnson averaged 17 PPG and 2.9 RPG while shooting an impressive 61.1% overall and 32.6% from 3.
Highlights
Eubank’s versatility makes her an extremely tough defensive assignment. Her ability to finish around the basket is special as she can finish with both hands on both sides of the rim and in very creative ways. She can also finish with contact and can elevate to grab rebounds and get put-back buckets. Eubank’s ability to create off of the bounce is another aspect that makes her a tough player to guard. She can get to the rim, finish through floaters, or knock down pull-up jumpers. Eubank has strong handles, great rebounding instincts, and can make some excellent passes. I would be shocked if she doesn’t pick up a lot more offers this summer. Eubank averaged 14.3 PPG and 8.5 RPG this season, while also making 55.6% of her FG attempts.
I mentioned above that Pelayo was a post player that doesn’t nearly get the recognition she deserves and I feel that exact same way about Ryle’s Sarah Baker Sarah Baker 6’2″ | C Ryle | 2024 State KY . Baker has had a lot of talent surrounding her throughout her high school career and yet, she has remained an extremely valuable part of her team no matter who she’s playing with. She works so hard on the court. Defensively, she can move her feet to stay in front of whoever she’s guarding and then she can use her length to alter any shot. As an offensive player, she can finish with both hands and on both sides of the rim, but she also really extends the defense with her ability to elevate over defenders to knock down shots. Baker is a strong rebounder and passer as well. She averaged 11 PPG and 6.9 RPG while shooting 55% from the field. Baker is another player that is poised to have a big summer.