December Rankings: Post Players making their 2025 ranking debuts

This is the final ranked position group I will go over before switching gears and focusing on the Watch List's new additions and stock risers. A lot of states do not have a deep collection of serviceable post players, but Arkansas does, some of whom are finally gaining the recognition they deserve.    As of now, [player_tooltip player_id='1051968' first='Jaylin' last='Finley'] has a short offer list, but she has already shown that she has great two-way ability, and that is why she is #46 in the class of 2025.   So far this season, the Malvern Lady Leopards have struggled, currently possessing a 2-4 record. Despite that, Finley continues to have solid outings. I can tell a major focus of hers is on the defensive side of the ball, as she played solid defense throughout last night's matchup against Mountain Pine. Malvern's opening game against 6A Central Little Rock Southwest was another strong defensive showing for Finley.   In that November 12th contest, Finley posted 8 points, 13 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. She uses her 6'3" frame well on both sides of the ball, with blocking and distorting shots being the clear focus of her defensive game. Finley also plays with active hands, and that steal she recorded was against a decent ball-handler. On the offensive end, she is able to score easily in the paint, and frankly, she needs the ball every time down the court.   [player_tooltip player_id='1051968' first='Jaylin' last='Finley'] has had a solid start to the year, but Malvern needs to maximize her talent in order to be successful. If they do that, then you better believe that Finley will be much higher than #46.     Valley Springs is off to a great start, sitting with an 11-2 record after last night's win over Elkins. [player_tooltip player_id='1056365' first='Tayla' last='Trammell'] is one of the several great players on that roster, and if she continues to play the way she has been, she will be a lot higher than #51 on these rankings.   Trammell has always been a great offensive player, and she really showed it on November 20th against Bigelow. She finished with 16 points, with 13 of them coming in the first half of the victory. Trammell knocked down four threes in the game, showcasing her floor-stretching ability.   Trammell's outside shooting has consistently made her a reliable scoring option for the Lady Tigers. She is great off the catch, and does not hesitate when the ball is in her hands. If she sees a look she likes, a shot will be going up.   [player_tooltip player_id='1056365' first='Tayla' last='Trammell'] is also a decent defender and a good rebounder, but her offensive versatility makes her a no-brainer to stick on the 2025 rankings.     The Clinton Lady Yellowjackets have been off to a fairly slow start this season, as they have a 3-4 record and will have a very tough test against North Little Rock High School tomorrow. However, [player_tooltip player_id='1051963' first='Maggie' last='Gresham'] has made her mark on each game she has played in, and her stock should continue to rise.   Gresham plays well with her back to the basket, and she can create her own post offense. She has a nice baby hook, and she can hit it off a post spin or when she just goes straight up against the defense. Gresham adds another element to her post play with her ability to have a positive impact on the offensive glass. She creates second chance opportunities for herself and her team with her putbacks. She showed that off earlier this season in a 12-point, 12-rebound performance against Wonderview.   Gresham was crashing the glass hard in that game, and doing so on both sides of the ball. She boxed out the defense well and scored against tough contests off her second-chance looks, and she continued to box out well when crashing the defensive glass.   [player_tooltip player_id='1051963' first='Maggie' last='Gresham'] actually committed to play basketball at North Arkansas College fairly recently, so to other schools catching on late, sorry, she is off the market. Though she is a committed prospect, she can still climb up the 2025 rankings with continued solid play.     Newport has been off to a rocky start to their 2024/25 season, but [player_tooltip player_id='1051632' first='Antaniya' last='Davis'] has been making some noise early. She has made some improvements to her game so far, and she has had an immediate impact on both sides of the ball in nearly every game she has played.   One of Davis' most well-rounded games of the season was in last night's contest against Pangburn High School. In enemy territory, Davis put up 16 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 steals. Offensively, she has shown that she can step out and knock down a jumper or two, but she is best when using her length inside, finishing over the defense. In addition to the 16 points, Davis had a solid outing on the backboard and on defense.   Davis' two steals both came from intercepting passes into the post. She did a great job fronting the offensive post player, and once she came up with the steal, she pushed the ball down the court by herself. Davis showing that she can bring the ball up off a steal or a rebound is an unusual, yet valuable skill for a big to have.   [player_tooltip player_id='1051632' first='Antaniya' last='Davis'] has been a bright spot for Newport so far this season, and I think she has the potential to crack the top 50 in the 2025 rankings.     After seeing what [player_tooltip player_id='1051644' first='Layla' last='Tell'] did against Claiborne Academy from Louisiana on the 8th of November, she is guaranteed to improve her spot on the rankings.   Emerson defeated the out-of-state school 65-25, and Tell had 61.5% of the Lady Pirates scoring. Tell posted 40 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 steals, all in just 2.5 quarters! She has already had one of the best individual rebounding seasons in Arkansas high school girls basketball history, and now she is looking to have one of the best individual scoring seasons.   Tell is an unstoppable force in the paint, if the 40 points and 14 rebounds in 2.5 quarters was not enough to convince you of that. She finishes extremely well through contact, and she records bunches of points off of putbacks alone. Essentially, Tell is great at everything in the paint, along with being a fantastic defender who can make plays along the perimeter.   [player_tooltip player_id='1051644' first='Layla' last='Tell'] is truly one of the best players at her position in the 2025 class, and her stock will skyrocket. Keep an eye on this 1A superstar.    Those were some of the post players who were added to the 2025 rankings for the first time. Be on the lookout for my next article covering some of the new additions to the Watch List. Soon after that article will be a look at the largest stock risers in the 2025 rankings.

This is the final ranked position group I will go over before switching gears and focusing on the Watch List's new additions and stock risers. A lot of states do not have a deep collection of serviceable post players, but Arkansas does, some of whom are finally gaining the recognition they deserve.