December Rankings: Guards making their 2025 rankings debut

The latest edition of the 2025 rankings is finally here! There are numerous players added to the rankings and the watch list for the first time, but for this article, let us discuss some of the guards who are making their debut amongst the top 105.    [player_tooltip player_id='1049417' first='Annabelle' last='Perry'] is the highest newcomer at the guard position in the latest 2025 rankings. Paris High School is a solid 3A school, but Perry was not receiving much recognition of her performances, which is why the 20-point scorer went well under the radar heading into this season.   So far this season, the Lady Eagles are 2-2 and have yet to open up conference play. But through these first four games, Perry continues to play at a high level. In three of those four games, Perry posted a double-double, starting with a 31-point, 16-rebound performance in a 46-59 loss to Mayflower on opening night. Paris' first wins of the season featured the senior guard posting 29 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 steals versus Ozark, and 13 points, 15 rebounds, and 6 assists versus Waldron.   Perry scores inside and out, using her 5'11" frame to her advantage in multiple ways. She is athletic and long, allowing her to stretch her way inside to score. Perry can finish through contact, and if she misses a look inside, she will be the first to grab the rebound, putting her own miss back up and in. On the outside, Perry is a lethal shooter.   Most players might be discouraged to dial up a deep shot with the defense in their face, but not Perry. With her frame, she can shoot over the closeouts, and with a smooth release and quick timing on her shot, she is the most dangerous shooter on her team. Looking at those statlines to start the season, scoring is not the only strength to her game.   Perry is a dominant rebounder, especially on the defensive end. She streaks to the paint to grab a board, and once she has it in her possession, she will start the fastbreak.   [player_tooltip player_id='1049417' first='Annabelle' last='Perry'] is a fantastic all-around player, and it was a no-brainer adding her to the 2025 rankings. As far as I can tell, Perry somehow does not have any offers to play at the next level, but if she continues to perform at a high level, it will not stay that way.     [player_tooltip player_id='1051956' first='Madison' last='Sanders'] is another player who was posting great stats as a junior, and now her and her team are off to a rocking start this season. Pulaski Academy is 5-0, and four of their wins have been by at least 39 points. That other game was a 28-point victory.   Sanders opened the season with 14 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 5 steals versus 6A Rogers Heritage. The 4A Lady Bruins defeated the Lady Eagles 61-20. In their next game, Pulaski Academy opened up their matchup against Malvern on a 19-0 run, en route to a 67-17 win. Sanders put up 18 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 5 steals. In the 39-point victory versus Baptist Prep, Sanders had another solid all-around performance with 15 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals.   Sanders has been great through the first five games of the season, and she is a menace on the defensive end. Most of her points come from her ability to intercept passes and take them down the court for easy baskets. In the half-court setting, Sanders has shown that she is a strong finisher who embraces contact. She can also step out to the perimeter and knock down jumpshots.   [player_tooltip player_id='1051956' first='Madison' last='Sanders'] is one of the best point guards in the 2025 class, and it is a shock that she does not have any major offers. Regardless, Sanders is very deserving of being in this ranking, and look for her to continue to have a great senior season.     Joe T. Robinson has had a rough start to their 2024/25 season, going 0-4 to start the year. Despite that, [player_tooltip player_id='1093299' first='Coi' last='Bradley'] is shining with the Lady Senators, and she hopes to add to her offer list, which consists of just Lyon College so far.   In the home opener versus Episcopal Collegiate, Bradley had a modest game offensively, but she made her mark on the defensive end, pulling down 3 boards and collecting 4 steals. In the loss at Dardanelle, Bradley continued to make her defensive presence known, posting 8 rebounds and 2 steals, along with 2 assists.   Bradley has yet to find her rhythm on the offensive end, but she has cemented herself as an elite disruptor. As soon as a ball is loose, she is the first to dive on the floor to grab it, and if there is a pass that hangs in the air too long or handles that are sloppy, then she is there to snatch it away. Opposing ball-handlers cannot establish much of a rhythm when Bradley is on them, and she is often tasked with guarding the opposition's best guard.   Her rebounding numbers are also impressive, especially in the game versus Dardanelle. She may be only 5'5", but she can sky for a rebound, and she is aggressive when it comes to crashing the glass. It is hard to box out someone like Bradley, so I imagine her rebounding numbers are going to continue to be higher than the average for the point guard position.   [player_tooltip player_id='1093299' first='Coi' last='Bradley'] is at #66 with her defensive ability alone, but if she wants to see her stock rise, or at least prevent it from falling, then she needs to start helping her team in the scoring category.     [player_tooltip player_id='465573' first='Morgan' last='Bradley'] is technically not a new player to the 2025 rankings, but this is her debut in the top 105. In the previous rankings, Bradley was on the Watch List, and now she is officially ranked after a solid junior season and a great start to her final season of high school basketball.   To open up the year, 5A Jacksonville picked up a win versus 6A Little Rock Southwest, where the Lady Titans saw Bradley post 12 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 assists. In Jacksonville's latest victory over East Poinsett County, Bradley had another solid game, putting up 10 points and 6 assists.   Jacksonville does not need Bradley to be their number one scorer in order to win, but she does so many other things to help her team be successful. She is another strong rebounding guard who earns second-chance opportunities and can trigger a fastbreak. Bradley is a great passer, and she can set up her teammates for easy assists whether in transition or in a half-court setting.   When the Lady Titans need points, Bradley is there to provide. She can stretch the floor by knocking down triples and pulling up for mid-range jumpers. If a driving lane opens up, Bradley will take it, slashing hard to the basket.   I fully expect [player_tooltip player_id='465573' first='Morgan' last='Bradley'] to have another great season for Jacksonville. She was her team's MVP as a junior, and with what I have seen thus far, she is definitely deserving of moving up from the Watch List.     Syndey Brown is the only player who I will mention in this article who is committed to play basketball at the next level. As of October 1st, Brown has committed to play for the University of the Ozarks, an NAIA school in Arkansas. Despite that, this is her first year on the 2025 rankings, but very much deserving of a spot.   Brown was all-conference and all-state as a junior last season for a reason. She has one of the most effortless and quickest releases I have seen in Arkansas high school girls basketball. She can let it fly from several steps behind the arch, and she can knock it down off the catch or off the dribble. Speaking of dribbling, Brown has a deadly crossover, and she can fly by the defender on her way to the cup.   Harmony Grove has started the season off strong, posting a 4-2 record. [player_tooltip player_id='869603' first='Sydney' last='Brown'] is their offensive catalyst, and her performances will carry this team far. With another all-state caliber year in store for the senior guard, I would not be surprised if her stock continues to rise.     [player_tooltip player_id='1090243' first='Oaklee' last='Lofton'] is an intriguing player who is making her 2025 rankings debut. She is somewhat well-known throughout the state, but she has yet to receive much recognition for what she does on the court. That is mostly because her team is not a part of the Arkansas Activities Association (AAA), which sanctions every school in each of the six classifications in the state. However, Legacy Academy's superstar deserves her respect.   Last season, Lofton led all players in the state in points per game with a whopping 33.7! So far this season, she is back to her old tricks, averaging 26.3 points per game.   Legacy Academy is off to a hot start, as they possess a 10-2 record, going 5-1 against teams in the AAA. In three of those wins this season, Lofton has put up ridiculous numbers: 26 points, 17 rebounds, 8 assists, 6 steals against Umpire High School (Nov. 4), 41 points, 15 rebounds, 2 assists, 5 steals, 2 blocks against Umpire (Nov. 18), and 28 points, 15 rebounds, 6 assists, 8 steals, 1 block against Trinity Christian (Nov. 25).   Lofton gets this done by torching the defense from three, as she averages two made triples per game. She has a fantastic handle, and she can break the opposition's ankles on her way to the basket or pulling up for a jumper. She is a great rebounder and can start the fastbreak or give her team extra opportunities to score.   [player_tooltip player_id='1090243' first='Oaklee' last='Lofton'] is clearly the best player on the court at all times, even against schools in the AAA. In addition to her crazy scoring numbers, here are some other statistics worth mentioning: she averages 12.5 rebounds (3.5 offensive rebounds), 3.9 assists, 3.9 steals (averaged 5.6 in 2023/24), 0.7 blocks per game, and has already made 94 field goals through 12 games this season.   Her scoring numbers are hard to believe, and she would be much higher on the rankings if not for the level of competition. Legacy Academy plays in the Heartland Christian Athletic Association, which consists of small private schools in Arkansas and Oklahoma. She is not playing 6A-caliber schools on a nightly basis, but her performances so far warrant her a spot on the rankings. If she has another 30 points per game season, she will find herself much higher than #99 on the next rankings update.    These were just a few of several new faces at the guard position in the latest edition of the 2025 rankings. I will talk about the new forwards on the rankings as well, but what is even more exciting is the 2026 rankings, which should be released about this time next week.

The latest edition of the 2025 rankings is finally here! There are numerous players added to the rankings and the watch list for the first time, but for this article, let us discuss some of the guards who are making their debut amongst the top 105.