2027 Player Rankings Update: Stock-Risers

To be a, "Stock-Riser", means a few things depending on how you look at it but the most important factor in my opinion is that the prospect is continuously putting in meaningful work in their off-time and that work is translating to the floor in real game-time. In this piece, we cover six individuals out of this 2027 Class in Iowa, that have embodied what it means to be a Stock-Riser these past few months.   Thanks for tuning in and enjoy!    [player_tooltip player_id='764451' first='Macey' last='O'Brien'] moved up only 1 spot in this Update but at this point in the process, any movement is key. O'Brien is a 5'9 CG, that is dominant with the ball in her possession. She has proven that over this past year, again and again, that she is a born leader and pretty talented on the hardwood. Her mixture of body control, her ability to handle ball pressure while running her team's offense, and with her ability to lead from a vocal standpoint - it's pretty easy to see why she finds so much success wherever she is competing. Not to mention, her length and natural height at 5'9 definitely helps her in most situations out there. I'm not sure if you have noticed but this 2027 Class is special out of Iowa. There is so much promising young talent in this group, that they could end up having the most D1 recruits for a single grade-level, that we have seen in a long time. They are still early in the process but from what I'm seeing constantly, it's possible.     IC - City High is going to have a chance to put together a very impressive 2024-2025 high school season as a whole. I had the opportunity to watch the Little Hawks compete a few times this Summer at various Shootouts and in each one, they dominated their competition in most games. Not only did they dominate. They looked like they were all on the same page and having fun while doing it . When you think about that happening in the Summer time, when coaches really aren't even coaching, imagine what they could do this Winter when they take it seriously. Someone that is going to play a vital factor in their success in the middle is SF, [player_tooltip player_id='833956' first='Kaitlin' last='Loria']. Loria stepped up as a Freshman last Winter and showed her worth in the bunches. She showed that she can hold her own against bigger opponents, she can spread the floor, she can rebound on both ends at a higher rate than most, and she isn't afraid to get physical, if need be. As long as she comes in and takes care of her business per usual this next six months, then this is going to be one tough team to take down on any given evening.     The season that is ahead of CG, [player_tooltip player_id='777233' first='Romey' last='Croatt'] could be extremely special. I've really dug into the skill-side of things in this Class and it's not crazy to say that Croatt is already one of the most skilled prospects in her grade. Her knowledge of the game, her ability to adapt, and the way she moves is just different at times. It's special. She understands her own ability to a T, her balance, and her footwork is top-notch as well. That's not even mentioning the deep offensive bag she has coming down the floor with her ability to attack any opponent in the full or half-courts. Watch out for Waukee NW this next six months. If they come into the year with a good game plan, they could put something together and make a big post-season push, once that time comes.     [player_tooltip player_id='766446' first='Ainsley' last='Roberts'] will return to the Underwood Eagles Varsity roster this Winter with a lot of opportunity in front of her. Roberts will have the opportunity to take over the role of the lead producer on her team. The two others that happen to put up better numbers last season for their group were both Seniors so now it's time for Roberts to show that this program is under her control. As a Freshman, Roberts averaged 7.5 PPG, just over 4 RPG, along with some other positive stats to help the cause. The biggest question for this group isn't Roberts in my opinion. It's going to be everyone else. Roberts can run the offense, create for others, and get her own when the ball is in her possession but others will have to step up and make their presence known if they want to beat some well-rounded opponents throughout their year.     Another very important piece to the IC - City High program, that possesses so much potential is 6'0 PF, [player_tooltip player_id='832209' first='Hattie' last='Galloway']. Galloway falls into this article of Stock-Risers because of her ability to work relentlessly, while already being pretty solid in many different aspects of the game. Last season, Galloway was another Freshman that stepped up for the Little Hawks in a big way. She really dominated the middle of the paint for their group and she is going to be tasked with doing the same thing this next six months. Compared to Loria above, Galloway stays more stationary under the basket, while Loria will sometimes step out to the perimeter within their motion. If Galloway wants to really unlock her untapped potential, she is going to have to eventually expand her game to the outside of the lane but for now, she should just worry about being efficient at the rim. Something that shouldn't be too hard from the looks of it with her ability.     The Pleasant Valley Spartans won the 5A State Title two years ago for their first time in school history and ever since, they have been trying to get back to the State Championship floor. This Winter, they will have another shot with who they have returning, one of those prospects being 5'10 CG, [player_tooltip player_id='743645' first='Hayden' last='Scott']. Scott won't be her team's first, second, or even third option on offense at times and that's okay. She understands that the players around her are very talented and her time will come soon enough. Scott is someone that I would say does a little bit of everything well. She can rebound at a steady rate, make open shots, pass to open teammates, and she is solid on defense in most regards. She might not be the one to drop 40 points on you but by the end of a contest, Scott usually has a pretty solid stat line across the board. If she can keep that up this Winter, she is going to shine and build a foundation moving forward.

To be a, "Stock-Riser", means a few things depending on how you look at it but the most important factor in my opinion is that the prospect is continuously putting in meaningful work in their off-time and that work is translating to the floor in real game-time. In this piece, we cover six individuals out of this 2027 Class in Iowa, that have embodied what it means to be a Stock-Riser these past few months.