Spring Rankings Look-In: 2023 Small Forwards
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The featured image is of Autumn Rucker Autumn Rucker 5'8" | SF Pike | 2023 State IN (2023) of Pike High School. Last Monday we released the Spring rankings update for the Class of 2023. We have also changed formats…
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Continue ReadingThe featured image is of Autumn Rucker Autumn Rucker 5'8" | SF Pike | 2023 State IN (2023) of Pike High School.
Last Monday we released the Spring rankings update for the Class of 2023. We have also changed formats to make rankings more exclusive, therefore at this time we are ranking just 125 total players in the Class of 2023, with the rest being placed on a watchlist of 125 players. This is the last list to be released for the Class of 2023 before they head off to college. In the meantime, I wanted to take this time to circle back and address all of the listed 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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STILL AVAILABLE:
To the best of our knowledge, below are five prospects who remain available and who stood out at times throughout the Winter. If any of these prospects are already committed or at least know where they are planning to attend, even if they aren’t playing, please feel free to drop us a message through the Twitter messenger. Thanks!
Ava had a great four years for the Lady Panthers, but her state tournament run this year was her best stretch of basketball, averaging 26.7 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 3.7 steals per game, while shooting 55% from the field and 82% from the FT line. While they came up just short in the Class 3A State Finals, it was a great postseason. Ava is a wiry-strong, athletic, and versatile forward who can play effectively at all three levels, and there are several elite small colleges currently interested.
Autumn is a talented athlete with a fairly strong frame, plus she has some length to her. She has probably had better Springs and Summers than Winters throughout her career, and she has shown the ability to play effectively around the perimeter. She can knock down the occasional jumper, but she’s explosive attacking the basket. She also likes to play in the mid-post and use her strength to control defenders. As a defender herself, she can take on bigger guards, wings, and undersized forwards.
Lizzie really came on and developed her skillset over the last couple of years of her high school career. She has a fairly long, wiry-strong frame, she’s a solid all-around athlete, and she has become a very dangerous perimeter shooter who can also attack the basket North/South. She plays with a good motor, she has a solid understanding of the game, and she willingly gets inside and rebounds & defends when her team needs it. I think she has a great deal of small college value/versatility.
Highlights
Maddie was one of the first people in 2o23 I was aware of when this class was first making a name for itself in middle school. She is a solid all-around athlete, she plays with a great motor, and she seems to thoroughly enjoy being in the gym. She has some length, a wiry-strong frame, and she plays with balance and versatility. She’s one of those kids who might not be elite at one specific thing, but she’s capable of playing most roles and has some skill in just about every area of the game.
Mallory saw key Varsity action as a Junior, but it was as a Senior when she really broke out, averaging 10.8 points and 6.8 rebounds for a strong Lady Stars lineup. She has a lot of length, some strength, and she’s a nice all-around athlete with some North/South speed. She has a little touch to ‘3’, she’s great shooting it in the mid-post, but she can put it on the floor and just go by defenders to get to the rim. Defensively, she plays with great effort, and she uses her length to cause problems.