Need a Wing? These 4A 2025 Forwards will fit into any role

In my previous article, I mentioned how deep of a guard group 4A had to offer. The senior forward group in this classification is also deep, with plenty of players who may not be well-known around the state, but they could be on the rise in their final season of high school basketball.    [player_tooltip player_id='1051958' first='Khaleyce' last='Cooper'] is a two-way star for Watson Chapel! I cannot decide which side of the basketball is where Cooper is at her best. On one hand, she is a lockdown defender who battles against each one of her matchups. On the other hand, she is a brilliant slasher who is so hard to stop when she has a lane to the hoop.   Defense wins championships, so let's talk about that first. Cooper has a long wingspan which is very helpful when she defends along the perimeter. Cooper picks up a ton of steals every game, and she has to be averaging about 2 a night! She is great at jumping in the middle of the passing lane to disrupt the opposing offense. Once she records that steal, Cooper races to the other end on the fastbreak and can take it straight to the basket.   As I mentioned, Cooper can create fastbreak opportunities easily after making great plays on defense. Once she has her sights set on the hoop at the other end, no one can stop her. Cooper thrives when going coast-to-coast and finishes well, even through traffic at the other end. While on the break, Cooper knows how to pass. Since she is a focal point for opposing defenses, she will garner a lot of attention. Cooper's IQ is very solid, and she knows how to make the extra pass to pick up an assist on the break. In the half-court setting, Cooper has shown that she is a threat from beyond the arch.   [player_tooltip player_id='1051958' first='Khaleyce' last='Cooper'] is Watson Chapel High School's best player on both sides of the ball. There is no reason why she will not be the best two-way player in 4A by the time the 2024/25 season is over. She can even make a case for best two-way player in the state, and colleges should be clearing out a roster spot just for her.     [player_tooltip player_id='1049459' first='Carley' last='Siler'] is the best shot-blocking forward in 4A! Siler can play both the small and power forward positions, but she is better playing small forward, where she still swats shots all day long.   Siler's defense is incredible. She causes turnovers and plays solid on-ball defense, but her shot-blocking is her best defensive attribute. If her defensive assignment finds a way to drive past her, Siler finds a way to block their shot from behind. Her recovery on defense is stellar, but so is her help defense. Time and time again, the opposition believes they have an easy basket in the paint, when all of a sudden, Siler flies in for the massive rejection.   Siler's shot-blocking ability has been noticed by several basketball outlets throughout the state, with one being the Arkansas Basketball Hudl account including Siler's massive block against Clarksville High School last season in their top 5 blocks from November 5, 2023 post.   Offensively, Siler has shown she can knock down the 3-ball, even from a step or two past the arch.   For Siler, defense is her craft, and shot-blocking is her specialty. It is hard to find many wings who can swat shots away as dramatically and as often as [player_tooltip player_id='1049459' first='Carley' last='Siler']. If Siler can add more offensive depth to her game, expect colleges to start taking interest in her game.     You can call her a 2-guard or a 3, but you must agree on the fact that [player_tooltip player_id='454410' first='Sophia' last='Boyd'] is a baller. Boyd has been one of the most consistent players for her team, whether that is Pulaski Academy or Team Griffin. This past summer was good for Boyd, as she spent time with Team Griffin in the AAU circuits and was impressive. With a strong senior season, colleges will come knocking on Boyd's door.   Boyd has shown plenty of ability on offense. She plays well both on and off the ball. When playing off the ball, Boyd moves and cuts well, giving her teammates easy assists off her movement. When Boyd has the ball in her hands, she makes plays when driving inside. When playing along the perimeter, Boyd is a massive threat to hit threes, and she does so at an efficient rate. Boyd can hit from everywhere along the 3-point line, and she can do it off the dribble or off the catch. Either way, she is a lethal offensive player.   [player_tooltip player_id='454410' first='Sophia' last='Boyd'] already has an offer from Lyon College, but she is in store for a huge senior season with the Lady Bruins. If her performances from this past summer can translate to this fall, the sky is the limit for [player_tooltip player_id='454410' first='Sophia' last='Boyd'].     Cassidy King is a 3-point sniper! Brookland High School is fortunate to have a player like King who is a terrific role player. She can make plays on offense and defense for a Brookland team who has been very successful in the 4A-3.   King can hit threes from all around the 3-point line, but she is at her best when shooting from either corner. Her shot looks ever so slightly unorthodox, but she gets her shot off quickly and her arch gets the ball over defenders easily. Not many players can hit threes directly off of the fastbreak, but King can. She is an easy target for her teammates on the break, and she knocks down shots off the catch with ease.   King is also a contributor on defense. She blocks shots well and picks up several steals. Her on-ball defense is also great, keeping her woman in front of her for the entire possession.   Cassidy King is a very solid basketball player, and she plays in her role very well. King can bring reliable defense and efficient 3-point shooting to any team she is a part of, and she can help take Brookland High School to new heights in 2024/25.     We have another good role player to talk about! Isabel Cross is a fantastic 3&D player who has been able to thrive in the 4A-4 with Mena High School. Cross can stuff the stat sheet and play her role to the best of her ability.   On offense, Cross is an excellent 3-point shooter. She has great arch on her shot and she can hit catch-and-shoot jumpers from anywhere along the 3-point line.   On defense, Cross is able to show off her versatility on that side of the ball. She can block shots and poke the ball away against anyone. When she does record a steal, she knows when to make the outlet pass to kickstart the fastbreak. Cross has also shown her ability to play solid on-ball defense and keep her assignment in front of her.   Isabel Cross is one of the many solid role players in the 4A classification, and she can help this Mena team go far in the 2024/25 season.     [player_tooltip player_id='1051960' first='Sierra' last='Simmons'] is an intriguing player coming out of Gosnell High School. She is undersized for a power forward, but she can power through post defenders without many issues. She also has solid guard skills, and is probably better playing along the perimeter than anywhere else.   Simmons' guard skills are better than some guards in the 4A classification, and she is of course not a guard. Simmons can hit the 3-ball, but she has a great shot fake along the perimeter and she can pull up for a mid-range jumper or take it inside against the defense. She can also dribble around screens and through tight defense to get to her spots. She can even pull up for a runner or a floater.   Her perimeter skills are fantastic, but Simmons' mid-range and high post game are even better. If the defense leaves too much space when guarding Simmons, she will not hesitate to rise up for a quick mid-range jumper. If the defense is too tight, the lefty will take it straight to the basket and use her strength to barrel her way inside. On her way to the cup, if she is not finishing, then she is finding her way to the free throw line, where her form is even smoother than her mid-range jumper. I do not know her free throw percentage, but my guess is that she shoots anywhere above 80%.   [player_tooltip player_id='1051960' first='Sierra' last='Simmons'] is a very good basketball player, and Gosnell's star. It does not appear that she has colleges after her right now, but if Gosnell is able to make a lot of noise in the 4A-3 behind Simmons' production, expect college coaches to come take a look at her.    As you can see, this classification is full of hoopers who can play the right way and can fit in any team. There are potential stars in this group, but these players are capable of accepting a role and being able to play right away, regardless of the system. Next up...4A 2025 bigs! That article is coming soon, so be ready.

In my previous article, I mentioned how deep of a guard group 4A had to offer. The senior forward group in this classification is also deep, with plenty of players who may not be well-known around the state, but they could be on the rise in their final season of high school basketball.