2029 Rankings Update: Stock Risers Pt 1

After actively evaluating prospects during the high school season, we now have nearly 200 freshmen listed, with 25 ranked heading into the AAU season. Height, size, speed, athleticism, fundamental skill development, the position a player is projected to play at the next level, and performance in different competitive settings are all taken into account. Our goal with every class is to accurately group prospects into the correct categories of college potential/projection. By the end of senior year, each class breaks down into clear categories: Power Four D1+, D1/D2+, D2/NAIA+/D3+/JUCO+, NAIA/D3/JUCO, and NAIA/D3 reserve. As I've written many times, the levels of college basketball intersect, cross, and differ in competitive ability throughout all the divisions. All high school classes do not have the same size, talent, or level of college talent. However, based on my tracking of commitments the past three years, there appears to be a predictable trend in Michigan.   Taking data from the 2024, 2025, and 2026 classes into consideration, there could be approximately 410 prospects per grade who can play some level of college basketball. There will always be multisport athletes who don't play travel basketball or play in some remote area where we just don't get the opportunity to identify them for our rankings, despite our best efforts. Using averages from the past three classes, my expectations moving forward are that there could be anywhere from 10-20 D1 commits, 20-30 D2 commits, and 125-140 NAIA/D3/JUCO commits in a particular class. Applying that understanding to our rankings basically means that, depending on the class, the top 20 ranked prospects project as D1/D2+, 21-50 D2/NAIA+/D3+/JUCO+, 51 and beyond could range anywhere from NAIA/D3 varsity, NAIA/D3 reserve, or JUCO depending on the college program.   Here are seven of Michigan's 2029 prospects who moved up in the latest rankings update!    O.J. entered the high school season at #1, and that's where she'll start the AAU season. O.J. led all Bay County scorers, averaging 17.5 points per game. She's one of three freshmen in the past 30 years to accomplish that feat. O.J. received recognition as Saginaw Valley League All-Conference First Team and will be playing up with the top Mystics team (17U-P24) this spring. O.J. has length, athleticism, explosiveness off the dribble, finishing touch, vision, defensive presence, and perimeter shooting accuracy to be a high-level D1 guard.     Taryn couldn't have had a better freshman year at Beaverton. Her dominance resulted in great team and individual success. She averaged 21.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.7 blocks, and 2.6 assists per game while shooting 71% from the line. Taryn's a polished interior scorer with fantastic footwork and touch around the basket. She can step outside to hit shots from the perimeter, which adds to her ceiling as a college forward. Taryn has a high IQ on the defensive end and protects the rim. She won Prep Girls Hoops Freshman Player of the Year and will be the top forward in the class heading into the AAU season.     Avery was one of the biggest stock-risers during the high school season. She stepped into a prominent role immediately and performed at a high level to help guide Tecumseh back to the State Finals. After averaging a productive 11.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.5 steals, and 1.7 assists during the regular season, Avery took her game to an even higher level in the playoffs. I saw her deliver in the Regional Semifinal against Haslett and score 44 points in two games at the Breslin Center. Her consistent accuracy from the perimeter and free-throw line, aggressive downhill drives, passing vision, defensive anticipation, and instincts off the ball stood out. She has length and fundamental skills that translate to a high-level guard. Avery received recognition as Prep Girls Hoops Freshman of the Year and is the top-ranked shooting guard heading into the AAU season.     Gabby had a monster freshman year at Buchanan, and she has one of the highest ceilings as a forward prospect in this class. She averaged 16 points, 13.7 rebounds, and 5.2 blocks per game. If Gabby keeps that pace, she'll eclipse the ultimate milestone for a post with 1,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds. She was First Team All-Conference and will be one of Michigan's premier 6-footers to watch on the circuit this spring.     Quinn helped Rockford JV to an undefeated season, and we have no doubts that she is going to have a special career for the Rams at the varsity level. She's an athletic guard with length and a strong build. Quinn finishes well using either hand in traffic, can fill it up from beyond the arc, and causes headaches with her quickness on defense. She'll be a breakout player on the circuit this spring.     Lauren averaged 16.1 points per game for PCA and was the team's most dangerous threat from beyond the arc with 58 triples. She has length, athleticism, accuracy from three-point range, and speed in the open court. Lauren disrupts passing lanes on the defensive end and can finish using either hand at the rim.     Isla has the length, athleticism, aggressive two-way presence, explosiveness off the dribble, strength, toughness, and developing perimeter accuracy to be a high-caliber guard prospect. She showed it during GVSU Elite Camp, contributed immediately at South Christian, and reiterated her high ceiling with a strong tournament at the Great Lakes Kickoff for MBA UAA.

After actively evaluating prospects during the high school season, we now have nearly 200 freshmen listed, with 25 ranked heading into the AAU season. Height, size, speed, athleticism, fundamental skill development, the position a player is projected to play at the next level, and performance in different competitive settings are all taken into account. Our goal with every class is to accurately group prospects into the correct categories of college potential/projection. By the end of senior year, each class breaks down into clear categories: Power Four D1+, D1/D2+, D2/NAIA+/D3+/JUCO+, NAIA/D3/JUCO, and NAIA/D3 reserve. As I've written many times, the levels of college basketball intersect, cross, and differ in competitive ability throughout all the divisions. All high school classes do not have the same size, talent, or level of college talent. However, based on my tracking of commitments the past three years, there appears to be a predictable trend in Michigan.