2027s To Keep Tabs on

Brady Peterson January 19, 2024 @ 10:19 AM

To close out the 2027 rankings content, I want to talk about some newcomers I haven't highlighted in the last few days, whose games I've liked when I've come by them.   [player_tooltip player_id='751290' first='Oriah' last='Harris']   The Abbotsford wing popped onto my radar at the PGH Freshman Showcase. I thought she played well there, making shots, defending well, and holding her own against some of the top kids in her class. Harris is a multi-sport athlete at Abbotsford and showed some of her athleticism on the volleyball court. She's a kid who can get off the floor quickly and utilize a second jump to get after tipped rebounds. She'll be a productive player in multiple sports in her four years at Abbotsford.   [player_tooltip player_id='751280' first='Rihanna' last='Barker']   Some kids from the PGH Freshman Showcase will be high-level D1 athletes, and I knew that going into the event. However, Barker was one of my favorite kids to watch at the event. I've said it for years, but kids who play like their hair's on fire and fly all over the place on the court are my favorite to watch, and Barker fits that mold. After Bradford lost two-scholarship-level players last year, Barker got to school and earned a prominent role early because kids who play with her intensity are hard to keep off the floor. She gets to the rim, covers ground defensively, and runs in transition. You can't ask for more from her.    [player_tooltip player_id='751259' first='Hayden' last='Lauer']   Kettle Moraine Lutheran usually has a plethora of varsity-level guards, so much so that kids like Kenzie Luehring and Maddie Leffel started playing games on JV like Lauer did this year. However, kids like Luehring, Leffel, and now Lauer show they're ready for varsity basketball and got their breakthrough mid-way through their first season. In Luehring's case, it was her scoring. In Leffel's, it was her shooting, and for Lauer, her quickness and athleticism jump out when you watch her. She adds another layer to the guard and wing-heavy lineups the Chargers run with the three of Taylor Schwalemberg-[player_tooltip player_id='448257' first='Makenzie' last='Luehring']-[player_tooltip player_id='448261' first='Madeline' last='Leffel']. Lauer does a little of everything. She can shoot, defend, dive on the floor, pass in transition, and not commit turnovers. She'll be a massive piece for the Chargers in February.   [player_tooltip player_id='914983' first='Beanie' last='Thompson']   The Edgewood Crusader isn't the most physically intimidating kid, but she plays like it. Thompson isn't afraid of anything and will meet any physical challenge, even if she's giving up size against a talented post player. Thompson plays like a maniac, but that's what I love most about her. She plays desperate. The way the guard plays helps her get on the court, stay there, and help her team win games. I'm not sure if she'll jump off the page statistically, but I watch her play and can't help but smile because I know everybody who's ever coached her probably adores her.

To close out the 2027 rankings content, I want to talk about some newcomers I haven't highlighted in the last few days, whose games I've liked when I've come by them.