Spring Rankings Look-In: 2024 Small Forwards
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Last Thursday, we released the Spring rankings update for the Class of 2024. We have also changed formats to make rankings more exclusive, therefore at this time we are ranking just 100 total players in the Class of 2024, with…
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Continue ReadingLast Thursday, we released the Spring rankings update for the Class of 2024. We have also changed formats to make rankings more exclusive, therefore at this time we are ranking just 100 total players in the Class of 2024, with the rest being placed on a watchlist of 100 players. At some point in the near future, those 100 ranked spots will expand to 150. That will likely be around September 1st. 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 58 small forward prospects who make up 29.0% of the rankings this time around, with analysis on a handful to “keep an eye on” detailed at the bottom.
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KEEP AN EYE ON:
In this day and age when colleges want forwards with versatility, Kennedy possesses a lot of those qualities. She has the size, enough strength, and athletic ability to battle a little inside and be highly effective in the mid-post with her skill. At the same time, she can play around the perimeter whenever necessary and make skillful plays off the dribble or knock down the occasional outside jumper when in rhythm. She offers a lot of value as an inside-out forward who does a little of everything.
I go back and forth on whether Nadia is more of a wing forward or a true guard. She has really nice athleticism, she changes directions almost instantly, and she possesses end-to-end speed. Defensively, she can take on all 2s and 3s, she can defend the dribble or faceguard off the ball, plus she can switch to some point guards as well. Offensively, she has been accurate from the perimeter this Spring, and she is handling it much better in traffic. I think she could have a breakout Spring.
Kayla is an extremely long, wiry-strong, fluid and smooth athlete. She is probably best off the bounce, as she can slice to the basket in just one dribble and finish around the rim. She plays with a really nice motor, she can defend multiple positions, plus she is a willing rebounder at her size and position. If she can prove to shoot it a little more consistently and show a more dynamic handle, especially in traffic, I think she has the potential to become a much truer guard at the next level.
Highlights
It’s very easy to check out a Lady Panther game and get caught up in watching Ciara’s classmates, Jordyn Poole Jordyn Poole 5’6″ | PG Fort Wayne Snider | 2024 State IN and Joh’nea Donahue Joh’nea Donahue 5’8″ | SG Fort Wayne Snider | 2024 State IN . But Ciara was nearly as productive all Winter and has proven to be a very necessary third scorer who can give them an offensive boost and alleviate pressure from the other two. Additionally, she is strong, athletic, and she plays with a little bit of an attitude and will battle at all three levels. I really like her approach to the game, and she always produces.
If you didn’t notice, the Lady Bears posted their first winning season since 2017-2018, and Mackenzie was a big part of that. She is a fairly strong, assertive wing forward, and she always plays with a motor. She is willing to be physical around the perimeter, she can operate in the mid-post, and she absorbs contact well attacking the basket. If she can continue working on her handle and making her jumper a bit more consistent outside, she could be a really nice small college prospect.