Deck’s Deep Dive: PGH Kansas Fall Plan

Change is inevitable, and my wife of 25-plus years will tell you I don't always deal well with change.   Prep Girls Hoops senior scout Robert Kelly has announced on X that he is stepping back as lead scout for the Kansas site, and I have announced on X that I will be the new lead scout effective today.   That means you will see some changes on Prep Girls Hoops Kansas.   Kelly began as lead scout in 2018 and organized the site launch in 2019. That's almost six full years as the man in charge of the rankings. As he moves on to different career and personal goals he will remain as a contributor and scouting players in his primary area of the state. I look forward to continuing to feature Kansas athletes with Kelly's assistance.   Therefore the challenge of keeping the rankings fresh and accurate falls on my shoulders. I will also be remaining as the lead scout of Prep Dig Kansas and Prep Redzone Kansas. My workload will dramatically increase.   I would like Robert to know that this is the best set of Prep Network rankings I have inherited and also how much I admire him for starting the process in 2018-2019. I also launched the Prep Redzone and Prep Dig Kansas sites in 2020 and I understand the effort it takes to begin this process from scratch.   Now, here is a quick rundown of my goals over the next two months for the site and a few tips on how I will rank players.   My goal in October is to reach out to high school and club coaches to increase my professional network. Subscribers should expect to see updated rankings for the classes of 2025-2028 in the month of November before the prep season begins in December. Since I am in the midst of the football and volleyball seasons expect minimal reports on the site in October.   My goal as a lead scout for Prep Network has always been to feature as many Kansas student-athletes as possible. The rankings are not meant to be an exclusive list of “best athletes,” but an inclusive list of athletes who wish to compete in college athletics. I do not see my job as a scout to determine whether a teenager can play college sports. That is the role of the college coaches who subscribe to our website. I see my role as an advocate for each athlete I scout and to highlight their best attributes.   Here are a few considerations I will take as I put my stamp on the rankings.   1) Athletes who claim their FREE player profiles on PGH will get a slight edge in the rankings, especially when they are freshmen and sophomores. Athletes, who claim their profiles, and add profile photos, contact information, and video packages prove to me that they are serious about the recruiting process and willing to be accountable.   2) Athletes whose coaches and programs make their stats public on Max Preps, through email to scouts, or other methods will also get a slight edge in the rankings. If I cannot find stats or video of an athlete then I  have nothing to compare said athlete with hundreds of athletes for ranking purposes.   3) I will also always give a slight edge to an athlete I have seen compete in person than one I have not. I can't be everywhere, but there is still no better way to analyze an athlete than to see them in person.   4) I still appreciate the need and desire for athletes to compete in multiple sports. If a player commits to another college sport, I don't drop them from the rankings, but I do lower them considerably. There is no reason for a softball-committed athlete to be near the top of the rankings. I do however often mention when athletes play softball, soccer, and track and field, which are sports that Prep Network does not have dedicated sites in Kansas for. I also try not to pressure young athletes to pick one sport over another, but if they are unclear as to which path they might take, it will impact their ranking, especially at a younger age. It is hard to quantify having an athlete ranked No. 1 overall on Prep Dig and No. 1 overall on PGH, so that won't happen on my watch.   5) When it comes to ranking the junior and senior classes the level of college interest does play a significant role in the rankings process. If athletes keep offers to themselves and do not share what teams are looking at them, it will impact where an athlete ends up being ranked.   One point of advice for athletes is to not be afraid to be self-promoters. In this new era of college athletes earning six figures in NLI money and parents dishing out thousands of dollars a year for club and showcase events, you have to self-promote, especially if you play for a small school or a rural club team. It's been my observation that male athletes are still more confident with this process than female athletes as a whole. Don't be afraid to share stats, videos, college visits, and offers on social media. But also, don't fall into the trap of posting public comments on debatable or sensitive topics on accounts you use for recruiting purposes.   If you need an example of how to promote yourself use Washburn Rural's Class of 2027 prospect [player_tooltip player_id='671505' first='Maddie' last='Vickery'] as a model.   To be as transparent as possible, my scouting emphasis moving forward is to scout upperclassmen during the high school season and focus on the younger classes when I scout club ball. You probably won't see me at many 17U club events.   I am willing to scout at high school practices, club practices, and open gyms. I enjoy the intimacy of it. I don't travel as much as I used to across the state, but when I do I prefer to take a three or four-night trip. So scheduling games, practices, summer league action, or college camps and clinics in convenient succession makes it easier for me to schedule a visit.   Coaches, parents, and athletes feel free to contact me on X @KSScoutDeck or via email at deckscoutks@gmail.com with questions, concerns, schedules, stats, videos, etc. However, remember the adage, you attract more bees with honey than you do vinegar. I will NOT respond to insensitive, rude, whiney, or unprofessional messages.   I am truly honored and feel blessed to take on this new challenge as lead scout for Prep Girls Hoops Kansas and will always do my best to promote this wonderful state and its gifted student-athletes.   Now down to business. Here is a report on four prospects who I just felt like featuring. There is really no rhyme or reason for this collection of athletes.   [player_tooltip player_id='723402' first='Taylor' last='McCarty'], 5'8”, SF, Cheylin, ‘27   McCarty is a player I have featured in multiple reports, but I have never seen her play in person. She is a stat monster and an example of what having an athlete's stats on Max Preps and a strong solid social media presence can have for a young kid. Her freshman stat line read like an NBA All-Star's scoring 23.8 points, grabbing 10 rebounds, and averaging 2.4 assists and 3.7 steals per game. McCarty is currenlty ranked No. 18 overall in the class of 2027. Cheylin is 364 miles from Topeka, but watching her play in 2025 will be high on my priority list.   [player_tooltip player_id='671505' first='Maddie' last='Vickery'], 6'1”, PF,  Washburn Rural, ‘27   Since I used her as an example earlier, I thought I should feature Vickery. She is a slam dunk stud even if her prep coach doesn't publicly share stats. She is the poster child for self-promotion as she shares game videos, workout footage, and sometimes just photos of her shooting free throws at sunset and dawn. She is freakishly athletic and has offers from Kansas State, Missouri, BYU, Nebraska, Purdue, Michigan, Michigan State, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and several more Division I programs. Not to put extra pressure on her but we could be using her name along with Lynette Woodard, Jackie Stiles, and Kendra Wecker. Vickery is currently ranked No. 2 overall in the class of 2027.   [player_tooltip player_id='719101' first='Macayla' last='Askew'], 6'0”, SF,  Derby, ‘26   Derby's Askew is a player I saw in person last season and watching her play left me with a sense of giddiness. She is an old-fashioned workhorse player. She is a shutdown defender who enjoys rebounding battles. I have compared her to Dennis Rodman, who is always a favorite comp player for someone of my generation. She finished her sophomore season scoring 14.8 points and grabbing 7.8 rebounds per game. The Panthers are a team I have a wealth of respect for and I hope to fit one of their games into my scouting schedule this winter.   [player_tooltip player_id='349458' first='Aliyah' last='Green'], 6'0”, PF, Andover, ‘25   Green is one of those multi-sport athletes I referred to earlier. She is an elite basketball and volleyball prospect. She is currently ranked No. 4 overall by Prep Girls Hoops. The last time I chatted with her, I put her on the spot and asked her which sport she was planning on pursuing at the collegiate level and she expressed basketball as her choice. She averaged 12.7 points and nine rebounds per game on a state tournament-qualifying team. She will be leaned on in her senior season to try to help the Trojans get back to the final weekend of prep basketball for the second year in a row. She has been linked to a Big 12 basketball program, but I have yet to see any public posts in regard to visits or offers from the talented athlete.

Change is inevitable, and my wife of 25-plus years will tell you I don't always deal well with change.