Class of 2027: Fall Frontline Additions

The featured image is of [player_tooltip player_id='1225169' first='Marin' last='Koch'] (2027) from Whiteland Community High School.   Earlier this week, we edited and expanded the Class of 2027 rankings on Prep Girls Hoops Indiana, and in doing so, 18 new prospects were added...1 to the Top 75 rankings and 17 more to the 100-player watch list. Below is a look at the 10 ladies who play one of the forward or center positions who were added during this Fall update.   .    I've been impressed with Olivia's continued growth as a player over the past couple of years. She is powerfully strong, physical, and aggressive inside, but she also has soft hands, nice touch in the mid-post, and she works hard at establishing position early. If she continues to improve her skillset and finishing moves, and she defends a little better around the perimeter, there should be several interested small colleges over the next year or so.     Taylor is somewhat of a "sneaky good" player for the Lady Irish. First, she is a solid all-around athlete with an athletically strong frame. She has broad shoulders and is willing to play physical inside the arc. She also possesses solid perimeter skill and is a nice North/South attacker of the basket. She plays with a motor, she'll rebound, and she has some versatility to her defensively to where she can take on bigger guards, wings, and forwards.     Chatard always seems to have these long, versatile wings/forwards, and Lilly falls right in line with that mantra. She can play a little around the perimeter, she has gotten stronger over the past two years and is much more effective inside as a rebounder/defender, plus she is very good in the mid-post. Last season she saw an uptick in minutes as she got comfortable on Varsity, but this year look for her to be even more productive offensively.     Addison is a long, wiry-strong, multisport athlete who excels in other realms as well. She is a solid all-around athlete, she can play around the paint with her size, she is really effective in the mid-post, plus she can step out and knock down the occasional 3-pointer. She'll need to play a little lower when defending the perimeter, but she definitely has some unique qualities at her size to play with nice versatility at all three levels.     Claire is very much "under the radar" at this point, and she could become a really nice small college prospect if seen by the right schools. She looks to be a very good, versatile, multisport athlete, she plays with a nice motor, and she figures out ways to be productive. At this time, her offensive game is best in the mid-post, so if she can stretch her game a little, watch out. At the same time, defensively, she is capable and rebounds it well.     Carly is part of an absolutely loaded and deep 2027 class for the Lady Flashes, so sometimes she can go a bit overlooked. She has nice length, broad shoulders, and a fairly strong frame for a wing. Last year she saw action in 28 games for the Flashes. She can knock down the occasional 3-pointer outside, but she's solid North/South off the dribble, and she's effective in the mid-post. She is an "intangibles" kid who makes winning plays her teams.     Akiera popped up on my radar this Spring & Summer, and she is an intriguing prospect whose best years are in front of her. She is long, wiry-strong, and fairly athletic in most directions. She is best as a rebounder/defender at this time, but she will flash some touch in the mid-range game, and she likes to try to put it on the floor from the perimeter as well. As she continues developing her skillset, she could become a problem for opponents.     Ireland is the second of two Maconaquah kids who made the 2027 watch list this time ([player_tooltip player_id='1351121' first='Delaney' last='Betzner'] is in the guard newcomers article). Ireland is a strong, fairly athletic, versatile small school multisport kid who excels across the spectrum. She made a significant jump from her rookie year to last year, averaging 15.0 points and 5.2 rebounds as a Sophomore. This season, she could push 20 points per game, plus she's a good shooter.     Marin saw a handful of minutes in 16 games last Winter for Whiteland, but she could be in line for a much bigger role this year. She has gotten noticeably stronger, she has really nice length, and she's a steady athlete in most directions. More importantly, she plays extremely hard, tries to be physical, and gives her team a lot of effort and energy each time she takes the floor. She seems to be more productive each time I see her.     McKenna stepped up as a Sophomore last year and ended up being one of Benton Central's most productive players, averaging 10.6 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. She has a long, wiry-strong frame, and she outplays her size with her motor and toughness. She certainly has the ability to play more around the perimeter, so as her jumper and handle become more consistent, look for her to become more of a wing long-term.

The featured image is of Marin Koch Marin Koch 5'11" | PF Whiteland | 2027 IN (2027) from Whiteland Community High School.