They Got Next: 2028s (and 29) Ready to be Great (Part 4)

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As we get closer and closer to the 2024-25 season, many across the Commonwealth will be prognosticating which seniors are poised to conclude their high school careers with an exclamation point.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As those 2025s prepare to depart, it paves the way for an incoming crop of freshmen to showcase their skills at the next level.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Prep Girls Hoops Kentucky has spotlighted a number of the freshmen that are sure to make a huge impact for their respective teams this coming season. Many of them were on hand in Louisville at this year's Freshman Showcase. As part of our series focusing the Bluegrass State's youth movement, here are a few more from that class to have on one's radar.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["913668"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-66c214166f79f"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Following a travel campaign where she wore the uniform of [program_tooltip program_id='716239' first='Lady' last='Vision'] Elite 2028, Fortner is ready to translate that into a stellar freshman season with the Dragons. A 5-foot-9 combo guard, she averaged 9.9 points for a Green County 2023-24 rendition that compiled 17 victories that season. Fortner also garners plenty of attention for how effective she is on the defensive end of the floor. Deflections are aplenty when she readies up on defense. The ability to drain 3-pointers is another strong point to her game. Fortner has competed in track and field, cross country and volleyball throughout her career. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"[player_tooltip player_id='973205' first='Maddi' last='Frohnapfel']","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2028","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'9u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"12123","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"Hazard","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"West Virginia Thunder 2028","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-66c214166f886"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Another young up-and-comer who first played at the varsity level when she was in the seventh grade, Frohnapfel is entering her freshman season with the experience level of a junior. Last season at Hazard, she averaged 12 points per game. The Bulldogs as a team picked up 13 victories last season. In addition to her scoring capabilities, she also will give a boost to a team's rebounding capabilities. Her 5-foot-9 stature gives her the height of many small forwards and power forwards while thriving in a team's backcourt. Frohnapfel can give a team productive minutes at either the one or at the two. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":[1238535],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":["override_image"],"_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":"field_62f141137ead9","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-66c214166f8f8"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Ford comes from a basketball family. Her older sister, Haven, is a former Miss Kentucky Basketball from last year and is entering her sophomore season at Murray State. The younger Ford put together an impressive eighth grade season at Rowan County. She averaged 11.8 points last season for the Vikings. Ford will give a team worthwhile minutes either as a one or a two in the backcourt. She knows how to display her accuracy from behind the 3-point arc and can collect steals as a defender. Ford understands the art of putting points on the scoreboard from virtually anywhere on the floor and shows this with her rim attacking abilities and in the midrange game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"[player_tooltip player_id='1050509' first='Charlotte' last='McCurry']","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2029","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"5'10u0022","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"12125","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"John Hardin HS","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"United Family 3SSB","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-66c214166f9a1"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">While our list has predominantly put the spotlight on 2028s, a few 2029s have also shown themselves to be worthy of recognition. One of those was McCurry who played a major role in another winning season at John Hardin. She averaged 12.7 points for a Bulldogs team that finished with an 18-12 record in 2023-24. McCurry is effective as a scorer and a reason for that is because of her ability to handle the ball amongst a sea of opposing defenders. Complimenting what she does with her handles is what she can get accomplished as a rebounder. McCurry primarily operates as a two guard. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["903481"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-66c214166f9fb"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Located between the Louisville and Cincinnati locales is another noteworthy standout that previously played at the varsity level as a seventh grader. In fact, not only did she play varsity in the seventh grade, she was Eminence's leading scorer that year. Eminence HS is where Spiegl calls her athletic and academic home and she averaged 11.7 points for the Warriors last season as an eighth grader. Spiegl can give a team productive minutes at either of the guard positions in the backcourt. She has always played with a fearless attitude which is why she was no ordinary seventh or eighth grader and will look to keep her teammates involved in the flow of a game. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->