Rankings Review: 2021 Small Forwards
With the Summer of 2019 having concluded and prospects in the Class of 2020 starting to wrap up their recruiting, the Class of 2021 is quickly moving to the forefront as far as college recruiters are concerned. Tuesday we updated…
Access all of Prep Girls Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingWith the Summer of 2019 having concluded and prospects in the Class of 2020 starting to wrap up their recruiting, the Class of 2021 is quickly moving to the forefront as far as college recruiters are concerned. Tuesday we updated our player rankings, and I wanted to take the time to touch on each position group one by one. The Small Forward position in Indiana’s 2021 class doesn’t possess quite the depth of the 2020 class at the top, but they are a consistent group of really nice basketball players/prospects. Below we take a look at the Top-20 Small Forward prospects in Indiana’s Class of 2021, with additional comments to follow.
Overall |
Prospect |
Ht. |
Pos. |
High School |
2019 Grassroots Team |
17 |
Ryin Ott |
5-10 |
W |
LaPorte |
Always 100-Wright |
20 |
Lilliann Frasure |
5-9 |
W |
North Judson-San Pierre | Indiana Flight UAA |
21 |
Vanessa Shafford |
5-9 |
W |
Linton-Stockton | Indiana Elite Platinum |
34 |
Destiny Jackson |
5-10 |
F |
Fort Wayne Northrop | Indiana Flight UAA |
35 |
Tyranny Brown |
5-7 |
W |
Heritage Christian | Midwest Elite EYBL |
38 |
Mary Wilson |
5-9 |
W |
Center Grove |
Nike Gym Rats Gold EYBL |
40 |
Kamryn Miller |
5-9 |
W |
Gibson Southern | |
43 |
Alexis Gibson |
5-8 |
W |
Jeffersonville | Team Indiana Rising Stars |
45 |
Tally Seitz |
5-9 |
W |
Carmel | Indy Magic-Andrus |
47 |
Tyra Ford |
5-7 |
F |
Anderson | Lady Legit |
49 |
Alivia Terry |
5-8 |
W |
Indy North Central | Indiana Flight UAA |
53 |
Lydia Self |
5-10 |
W |
Hamilton Southeastern |
|
60 |
Maycee Woods |
5-9 |
W |
Plainfield | Indiana Flight-Duke |
65 |
Gracie Adams |
5-9 |
F |
Lanesville | Indiana Flight Grey/South |
71 |
Kylee Shelton |
5-9 |
W |
Bloomfield |
Indiana Elite S.W.I.S.H. |
86 |
Maddie Patterson |
5-9 |
F |
Danville Community |
Indiana Flight-Duke |
88 |
Makena Knepp |
5-8 |
W |
Northridge |
Always 100 |
89 |
Anna Henderson |
5-9 |
F |
West Lafayette Harrison | |
90 |
Emma Henderson |
5-9 |
F |
West Lafayette Harrison | |
93 |
Rose Fuentes |
5-7 |
W |
Hammond Bishop Noll | Lady Region Elite |
Heritage Christian High School has a history of State Championship contending teams and All-State caliber players, but Tyranny Brown has managed to play two seasons without much discussion so far. She is a strong, powerful, physical wing forward who is a shifty and solid on-the-floor athlete. Over the last year, she has really worked on her handle and creativity, and now she’s playing more like a point forward, acting as the primary ball-handler at times for her Midwest Elite travel team. She is tough-nosed, she plays with a solid motor, and she has a lot of versatility. If she can continue making her perimeter jumper more consistent, that should help open up her driving lanes even more.
Alexis Gibson of Jeffersonville High School is actually a twin, and her sister Bailey is also a 2021 wing. Alexis is a broad-shouldered, strong, physical wing forward who plays with a great deal of versatility. She has a solid handle and can bring it up in transition or even create for herself or teammates. She’s a strong straight-line driver to the basket and absorbs contact well. She has a really nice mid-post game, and her perimeter shot has improved over the last couple of seasons, but that’s an area she could stand to emphasize going forward. I just like her toughness and physicality, plus she is a bucket-getter and doesn’t let anyone slow her down.
When Hamilton Southeastern High School won their Class 4A State Championship last season, they did so behind a deep and talented 2019 class, plus 2020 star Sydney Parrish, obviously. However, they had several really nice complimentary pieces who will step into much bigger roles this time around, and Lydia Self is near the top of that list. She is a long, fluid, and skillful wing forward, and she has the reputation of being a consistent perimeter shooter. She’ll need to continue gaining strength and turning into more of a complete scoring threat, but I really like her height & length, her upside, and her ability to put pressure on opponents from the perimeter. Look for her to have a big role this year.
When you think of Danville basketball right now, you obviously think of 2020 wing Ella Collier. But there are a handful of really nice 2021 & 2022 prospects who return with a lot of quality experience. Maddie Patterson is one of those kids, and she brings a great deal of skill, ability, and versatility to the lineup. She has a wiry strong frame, she’s a good athlete in most directions, she plays with a nice motor, and she can hit shots from the perimeter, attack the basket off the dribble, or play effectively in the mid-post. I also like the fact that she can defend a couple of positions equally well, plus she’ll rebound. If she can score it consistently and give Danville that true second option, look for them to make another deep run.
A newcomer to this list is Makena Knepp of Northridge High School. Makena wasn’t even on my radar until I saw her at the IBCA’s Top-100 Showcase in mid-July. She was very good there, and she could end up being the most important player this year for the Lady Raiders. She is a strong and athletic wing, she plays with a tremendous motor, and she does a little of everything well. She is a capable perimeter shooter, she has a solid handle, but she’s one of those kids who takes pride in her screening, cutting, rebounding, passing, and defense. She isn’t necessarily elite at any one thing, but she’s so sound in every aspect, that she is irreplaceable for a high school team.
One of the state’s biggest unsung heroes is Rose Fuentes of Hammond’s Bishop Noll Institute. Bishop Noll is always a Sectional & Regional contender in Class 2A, and you hear a lot about classmate Courtney Blakely (2021 PG) because of the numbers she puts up, but I’m not sure Noll has the same success without the contributions Fuentes adds to this roster. She is a sharp-shooter, and you must find her immediately in transition, if not before. She does a nice job of moving without the basketball and finding open space, but what impressed me the most in July was her aggression to the basket and her ability to finish through contact consistently. With her becoming a multi-level scorer, it only makes the Warriors that much more dangerous offensively.
Feature image of Ryin Ott of LaPorte High School. Image courtesy of the Northwest Indiana Times at nwitimes.com.