2029 Rankings Update: Meet the newcomers, part 4

It's been a highly productive winter for members of the Prep Girls Hoops Class of 2029. Whether players took on a big role as the members of our All-Freshmen Team did, or worked their way up the varsity ladder in their particular program, a lot of prospects made good progress since we first published the Freshmen 50 last fall. Now 25 of them have been added to the 2029 rankings for the first time. Grant McGinnis and I are profiling the newcomers in five installments. Here is part 4.    Corley, who has been a rotation piece for United Christian Academy for several seasons now, stepped into a much bigger role in her freshman campaign. The 5'9 wing made contributions across the stat sheet, averaging 6.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 3.6 steals this season. Naomi has long excelled as an aggressive force on the defensive end, using her length to alter shots and force turnovers. Her end-to-end quickness makes her a strong transition scorer, but it was the Thunder freshman's outside shooting that grew this season. Corley will play a pivotal role for [program_tooltip program_id='712697' first='MN' last='Crossfire']'s 2029 E32 squad this spring.     With graduations causing some spots to open up in the varsity rotation at Alexandria, Running has the potential to be a major piece of the puzzle in the coming years. Standing at 6 feet tall with a long frame, the Cardinals freshman is a mobile forward with a high-revving motor. Dayton plays hard, impacts the game in a variety of ways, both on and off the stat sheet, and excels at grabbing offensive rebounds and scoring off second-chance opportunities at the rim. A modern post player with plenty of upside, Running will play for Inspired Athletics this AAU season.     The pint-sized point guard from Minnehaha Academy has been earning varsity minutes since the 7th grade, but made a big jump in the rotation this season. Van Leer provided a spark for the Redhawks this winter, continuously showing up as an aggressive presence on the defensive end. The 5'5 guard competes hard, consistently makes the right plays, and isn't afraid to play physical. With a tight handle on the ball and a keen awareness of the court, Tayjha excels as a passer and playmaker. She'll suit up for the Hoop Habits Elite 2029 Wright squad this summer.     With a well-rounded and fundamentally sound approach to the game, the Byron freshman was able to carve out a role for herself this winter. Coleman, a 5'6 guard, brings a high degree of energy and an even higher basketball IQ to the floor. A longtime impact player for the [program_tooltip program_id='712687' first='Minnesota' last='Fury'], Zoe excels as a distributor and playmaker, but can just as easily find her own openings to get to the rim. On the other end of the floor, Coleman is a pesky, disruptive defender on the perimeter. She'll play AAU for the Fury's 2029 S40 squad this summer.     With the endless depth of a program like Minnetonka, it may be a bit before we see McKnuckles at the varsity level. Regardless, the Skippers freshman has plenty of potential. Kaia, a 5'10 guard, is a versatile scorer who can score the ball from just about anywhere on the floor, her specialty being crafty drives to the basket and side-step shots from the three-point line. She averaged just under 14 points per game on JV this winter. This spring McKnuckles will suit up for [program_tooltip program_id='715704' first='Team' last='FSA'], playing alongside [player_tooltip player_id='907398' first='Tayja' last='Chatman'], who was also recently added to the Class of 2029 rankings.

It's been a highly productive winter for members of the Prep Girls Hoops Class of 2029. Whether players took on a big role as the members of our All-Freshmen Team did, or worked their way up the varsity ladder in their particular program, a lot of prospects made good progress since we first published the Freshmen 50 last fall. Now 25 of them have been added to the 2029 rankings for the first time. Grant McGinnis and I are profiling the newcomers in five installments. Here is part 4.