Undersized in 2024? No Problem!

Brandon Bradley February 28, 2024 @ 04:14 PM

I just wanted to get a little creative and bring you some different, fun categories of players to talk about in the 2024 class. In this one, I focus on frontcourt players who might be a little shorter than "ideal", but who still manage to get work done inside. Are they the only ones? Absolutely not. But these five ladies stood out in my mind almost immediately when I thought of this category.   .   [player_tooltip player_id='718300' first='Brooklyn' last='Bailey'], 2024, 5-11 C, Triton Central H.S. - Brooklyn has been a multiyear performer for Triton Central's Varsity team, and she has contributed in a big way for them inside. She has good strength, she's willing to be physical, but she also works hard and moves around the floor well. She has nice touch in the mid-post, and this year she made herself a threat around the perimeter, knocking down 37% of her 3-point attempts. She is also an effortful defender of the paint.   [player_tooltip player_id='825979' first='Khalise' last='Collins'], 2024, 5-9 PF/C, Wayne H.S. - Khalise had some solid seasons early in her career, but this year she stepped up much bigger. She has gotten much stronger, she plays with great physicality, and she understands how to use her frame to create space to score. She posted 13 double-doubles this season, averaging 12.2 points and 9.1 rebounds. The next step for her will be to extend her range to the mid-post and make herself more versatile for the next level.   [player_tooltip player_id='825947' first='Daniella' last='Galvez'], 2024, 5-9 PF, Speedway H.S. - Daniella is another 4-year Varsity performer, and she seems to always produce for the Sparkplugs. She has some strength, she's willing to be physical, and she will get inside and battle when needed. She has some flexibility and can play in the mid-post, and she will shoot the occasional 3-pointer. She has helped Speedway average 15 wins per season throughout her career, so her effort and energy will certainly be missed.   [player_tooltip player_id='572800' first='Hannah' last='Holmes'], 2024, 5-10 PF/C, Northfield H.S. - How bad does Hannah want to be on the floor? From what I understand, early this season she suffered a "season-ending" knee injury. But after a couple of weeks, she decided to slap a brace on it and play through it. The undersized front-liner has produced every season, finishing her career with 915 points and 728 rebounds. She is physical inside, strong and athletic as well, plus she's a very good free throw shooter.   [player_tooltip player_id='572816' first='Ella' last='Kunz'], 2024, 5-11 C, North Decatur H.S. - If you haven't picked up on the theme of the article yet, Ella is another worker who just gets it done. She runs the floor hard, seeks contact at both ends, and doesn't mind making the hustle plays. While she is more of a low-block scoring threat, she has worked a little on her mid-post and short corner game. Over the last two seasons alone, she has scored 616 points and grabbed 376 rebounds. She will be playing at Franklin College next year.

I just wanted to get a little creative and bring you some different, fun categories of players to talk about in the 2024 class. In this one, I focus on frontcourt players who might be a little shorter than "ideal", but who still manage to get work done inside. Are they the only ones? Absolutely not. But these five ladies stood out in my mind almost immediately when I thought of this category.