Class of 2025 Rankings: Stock Risers

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There were plenty of options to choose when it came time to pick the newest stock-risers in the Class of 2025 rankings. So many different girls raised their games up to a higher level. Here are the top 5 players that stood out to me: </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>MOVING UP INTO THE TOP 10</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='384069' first='Ella' last='Giles'], Huntington, CG, 5-7, Jr. (15 to 10) -</strong> Giles took a huge step forward in the mental side of her game this season. One year after an injury, she began to believe in herself and her well rounded skills on the basketball court. You can understand her potential when you watch her attack the basket with confidence. There's not a lot that is going to get in her way between the hoop and some harm. Defensively, Giles handled the task of guarding an opponent's best "sneaky" player. She stopped her assignment from an easy put back or she kept up with a faster opponent to stop their easy opportunities in the transition game. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>BUSTING INTO THE TOP 30</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='872856' first='Haley' last='Justice'], PikeView, P, 6-3, Jr. (From UR to 18)</strong> - Justice works in the post. Thrives, in fact. The Panther can do a multitude of things down low. Start with her ability to shoot in traffic and when covered by multiple defenders. She showed no fear in the games I watched where the opposing team bunched up around her. She put her shot up quickly and accurately in a sea of arms. If there are two things I would like to see her improve on, it is her footwork and ball handling. She will come across more athletic kids at the next level, but she's smart and talented enough that her moves and handles could really set her apart and cause trouble for opposing players. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='872860' first='NeVeah' last='Thompson'], Musselman, 5-7, SF, Jr. (From UR to 27)</strong> - Thompson shot into the rankings this year after she showed off a wealth of potential along Musselman's run to the first state tournament appearance in school history. Seriously. She rose higher and higher each time I heard about her and especially when I finally saw her plan. This high-energy has a ton of potential on the court. She's a very active and physical defender. She hustles non-stop on both ends. She's always going to be a pest for a defender because she never stops moving without the ball, and is always active on keeping plays alive. The biggest thing with her is hitting shots more consistently under pressure. She can definitely help a college team out due to her defensive intensity and energy alone. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>MAKING SOME NOISE</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='872858' first='Rayna' last='Hoover'], Weir, P, 6-0, Jr. (UR to 40)</strong> - Hoover made big waves during Weir's run to the state tournament. Huge waves. As the Red Riders advanced further along the path to Charleston, Hoover brought her game higher and higher for head coach Rick Stead. She battled hard inside night in and night, but looked like a natural inside fighting for rebounds and getting her shot up against tough defenses. Many girls knew she was the Riders top option, but it didn't appear to both the six-foot post player. Whether she delivered solid passes, scored cheeky put backs off of rebounds, or needed to battle for a tough bucket inside, she got it down. Hoover excels as a goalie on the soccer field, so it may be hard to get her to change over full time to basketball. Still, Hoover could definitely help a D-II team or below with her combination of athleticism and willingness to never stop a battle. If she could fit it into her schedule this spring or summer, the AAU scene would benefit her greatly as it would help build her confidence on the block just a little more. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='872863' first='Raven' last='Matthews'], Tucker County, P, 6-0, Jr. (UR to 41) </strong>- Matthews may be the biggest surprise of the junior rankings. Really. She had not really shown a ton of what she could do the past two years as a Mountain Lion, but it turns out she can do a ton on the block. One of her strongest areas that stood out to me was her ability to understand and alter shots. Sure, she's 6-feet tall, but she understands her length and how to use it. It will be very hard for defenders to get her off her feet and cause her to get into foul trouble. She didn't always push for the block, she simply altered plenty of shots, too. However, when she went for blocks, she deflected the shot nearly every time. Her hands went up quickly and often she blocked the shot before the defender even released the basketball. That kind of discipline and quickness should be invaluable to any team who needs help on the block with shot altercation and rebounding. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->