From Work Trips to Tip-Offs: Underrated 2027 + 2028 Forwards

I am still playing a bit of catch-up on these articles, but a couple of weeks ago, I started my work week with a story I was following based in Jacksonville, which was related to something that had gone on in Cabot previously. I then had a story based in Hazen, and then the rest of my week, I followed a story that occurred in Pulaski County, just outside the Little Rock city limits.   With all that being said, here are forwards from Jacksonville, Cabot, Hazen, and Little Rock who could make a surprise splash in the junior and senior years.    [player_tooltip player_id='1807466' first='Kaliyah' last='Evans'] will no doubt make a jump in the next 2027 ranking update, particularly with the year she just had for the Jacksonville Lady Titans.   Evans earned all-conference honorable mention honors this past season. She averaged 10 points, 8 boards, and 3 assists per game last year, putting up monster performances like ones against the AR Flames and Maumelle, where she put up 22 points, 7 rebounds, and 1 block, and 21 points and 10 rebounds, respectively.   "Relentless" is a great word to describe Evans. She outworks her opponents on the glass, and she hustles harder than anyone when it comes to making defensive stops and going after loose balls. On offense, Evans is incredibly hard to guard in the mid and high post. Once she catches the rock, she can back down her defender to her spot, hit her defender with a pump fake, and either step through or spin with a solid pivot to get a well-earned bucket.   [player_tooltip player_id='1807466' first='Kaliyah' last='Evans'] has already been offered by Southwestern Illinois, but I would expect more offers to come her way soon.     [player_tooltip player_id='1180576' first='Jayda' last='Cook'] is another player who should definitely be ranked higher in the next ranking update, especially with the way she has played in two years at Cabot.   Look, all of these players kill it on a nightly basis in high school, but Cook has been balling for Team ISO. Just last month at an AAU tournament, she popped off for 19 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 steals against the Lady Jets Basketball Club.   In both that tournament and with Cabot, Cook is well known for her play on both ends. Offensively, she will attack the basket all night long, but if you leave her open from three, she will make you pay. Cook's game as a facilitator is pretty underrated as well. On defense, she is going to jump the passing lanes and capitalize at the other end--she grabbed 4 steals and put up 19 points in that tournament game for a reason.   [player_tooltip player_id='1180576' first='Jayda' last='Cook'] can be a player who can take over games or play her role perfectly. Nevertheless, she makes winning plays and will thrive with whatever squad she plays with.     Oops! A 2027 guard snuck in here! For work, I don't often have stories to follow in Hazen, so I thought this would be a good time to talk about Melody Schlenker.   Schlenker is a talented guard on a Hazen Lady Hornet squad that struggled last season. The team went 7-19 overall and 4-13 in conference play. However, Schlenker stepped up at times, thanks to her all-around play and the ability to score easy buckets whenever she could.   Melody Schlenker is definitely flying under the radar, but if Hazen can improve their record this season, she won't be much longer.     [player_tooltip player_id='1196083' first='Amiya' last='Love'] is another player coasting under the radar, but she has shown plenty of talent on both the court with the Mills Lady Comets and with her AAU squad.   Love is a pure slasher small forward. She loves to attack the defense, and she thrives when contact arrives, and she is forced to finish through it. In the open court, Love uses her speed and athleticism well, driving hard to the basket and finding ways to get the two points.   Love can also take that step outside and drain a three. She has a good 3-point shooting form and has no problem shooting off the catch. On the other end of the floor, Love has proven to make smart plays, such as drawing charges rather than only going up and challenging an opponent's shot.   [player_tooltip player_id='1196083' first='Amiya' last='Love'] can see more minutes with Mills this coming season, so stay tuned.     After making the move from Parkview to Southwest High School, [player_tooltip player_id='1196043' first='Morgan' last='Crawford'] had a bit of a breakout season, earning an all-conference honorable mention selection in a stacked 6A Central.   Crawford is most well-known for her defense and rebounding. One game that pretty much sums up her impact was against Lonoke, where she only scored 4 points, but pulled down 12 boards and blocked 3 shots. Not long before that outing, she logged 6 points, 15 rebounds, 4 steals, and 1 block against Pine Bluff.   On defense, Crawford knows how to shut down an offense. Guards can't attack her, as she will send their shots packing. Guards also can't pass into the post when she is down low, as she has proven to have the innate ability to jump the passing lane and force turnovers.   [player_tooltip player_id='1196043' first='Morgan' last='Crawford'] quickly became one of the better centers in the 6A Central, so it's about time people start to know her name.     [player_tooltip player_id='1093310' first='Simya' last='Magsby'] is coming off another fantastic season with ESTEM, and she is starting to heat up this summer, too.   This past season with the Lady Mets, Magsby eclipsed 1,000 career points, which is no surprise with some of her big performances, like the one against Fountain Lake, where she had 29 points and 7 rebounds. She was even better versus Bauxite, hauling in 18 rebounds to go along with her 25 points and 3 steals.   So far this summer, Magsby picked up where she left off during the high school season. In mid-April at the Clash of Clubs, Magsby had 8 points and 10 boards against Texas Crush E40. During the first live period, she averaged 7.6 points and 10 boards a night.   [player_tooltip player_id='1093310' first='Simya' last='Magsby'] delivers devastating blows to all of her opponents. She is a great interior scorer, rebounder, and defender who has shown improvement and versatility each year.

I am still playing a bit of catch-up on these articles, but a couple of weeks ago, I started my work week with a story I was following based in Jacksonville, which was related to something that had gone on in Cabot previously. I then had a story based in Hazen, and then the rest of my week, I followed a story that occurred in Pulaski County, just outside the Little Rock city limits.