14 Top Available Senior Shooting Guards

For most programs practice will resumed Monday, January 4. January 8 is the date the first games of the new year can be played. Several schools are just now being allowed to practice, with some not being allowed to play a game for approximately two weeks. Up until now most players have three to six games under their belt with home school programs often having several more. As mentioned previously in my article about top available <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/2021/01/13-top-available-senior-point-guards/">point guards</a>, approximately 50 seniors have committed to play basketball in college next season. Many of those are shooting guards. Below is a ranked list of 14 top, available shooting guards. [caption id="attachment_243214" align="alignleft" width="105"]<img class=" wp-image-243214" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/01/Claire-Worthington-2021-St.-James-Academy_upsized-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="105" height="105" /> St. James Academy 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="123468" first="Claire" last="Worthington"]. Photo: Used with permission of Sammy Paradise. ,[/caption][player_tooltip player_id="123468" first="Claire" last="Worthington"], 5’7", St. James Academy - The 2020 Eastern Kansas League honorable mention selection set the school record for points in a game with 34. Prep Girls Hoops Kansas’ Joel Webb describes her as a "Elite level shooter, good ball handler, good defender. Claire continues to make her case as one of the elite level shooters in Kansas. Her quick release and unlimited range has helped both her high school and her club team compete in every game." He adds that she is "...a high IQ girl who leaves it all on the court." Four games (including against 6A #6 Olathe North, 5A #2 St. Thomas Aquinas, and 4A #2 Eudora) into the season she is averaging 8.5 points (23% from three), 1.5 rebounds, 1.8 steals, and 1.5 assists for the 2-2 Thunder. She averaged 12 points, (50% from three), 4 rebounds, and 3 assists in 2020. [caption id="attachment_222915" align="alignright" width="151"]<img class=" wp-image-222915" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2020/11/Kassidy-Beam-2021-McPherson-Corner-Look-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="151" height="85" /> McPherson 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="123522" first="Kassidy" last="Beam"] with a corner look in an early 2020 game with Dodge City. Photo: Robert Kelly.[/caption][player_tooltip player_id="123522" first="Kassidy" last="Beam"], 5’7", McPherson - Two summers ago Beam put a substantial amount of work in to improve her perimeter shot. Her work has turned her into one of the top money shooters beyond the arc who can rack points in a hurry. Beam also has good speed, solid handles, and defensive quickness. A year ago she averaged 14.6 points, 2 assists, and 1.5 steals to earn KBCA 5A honorable mention and AVCTL Div III first team honors. [player_tooltip player_id="123505" first="Lili" last="Shubert"], 5’8", Trego - MAYB scrimmage (May 2020) - Shubert has achieved several honors in the past two seasons. Following the 2020 season she became a Mid-Continent League two-time first team selection. She also earned KBCA 2A first team honors after being selected honorable mention as a sophomore. In 2019 she was also selected to the Sports In Kansas all-state tournament team. A prolific scorer, Shubert averaged 18 points, 6 rebounds, and 2.5 assists a year ago after racking up 15.4 points, 7 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 2019. She can hurt teams with her 25’ range, quick 15’ and step-back jumpers, and her quickness and good head and shoulder fakes to get to the rim off the bounce. Fast with the ball she can split defenders and finish athletically and with contact around the basket. Shubert also is strong at jumping to the ball on rebounds. [player_tooltip player_id="160889" first="Vania" last="Barnett"], 5’6", Mill Valley - In February Prep Girls Hoops Kansas’ Israel Potoczny wrote that Barnett is "An athletic guard with good length and athleticism. Barnett is good in a press and uses her speed to her advantage as a defensive player. Can go coast-to-coast and score. She has a nice 3-pointer as well, looking to connect whenever she has an open shot. Can push tempo and distribute the ball well but also looks to create openings to get into the lane." [player_tooltip player_id="123531" first="Janaya" last="Washington"], 5’5", Reno County Home School Sabers - Descriptions I have heard about Washington are that she is tough, has good foot speed, and can really shoot the ball. What I saw this past summer at MAYB tournaments was how strong her handles were, including a terrific change of pace, to create shots and her desire to defend opponents’ point guards. [player_tooltip player_id="123548" first="Becca" last="Hammersmith"], 5’7", Hutchinson Trinity - Towards the end of the 2020 season Hammersmith broke out as a shooter. After knocking down four threes and a pair of mid-range shots against Sedgwick she was a difference maker in the sub-state semi-final game against Inman. Consistently Hammersmith showed good bounce, strength, transition speed, and elevation on jump shots and rebounds. [player_tooltip player_id="123559" first="Ella" last="Beth"], 5’5", Fort Scott - Beth has excellent hops and a soft shot due to amount of arch she puts on her perimeter shots. [player_tooltip player_id="123481" first="Kierstyn" last="Domsch"], 5’8", Rawlins County - Domsch, a 2020 Northwest Kansas League third team selection, uses a good ball fake to set up baseline and other drives. With solid three point range, she also has good speed off the bounce and can finish athletically on both sides of the rim. [player_tooltip player_id="123478" first="Tyana" last="Evans"], 5’7", Schlagle - Evans is a player I hope to see more of. She has quick hands, a quick release, and 25’ range. [player_tooltip player_id="160914" first="Madison" last="Michaelis"], 5’5", Circle - Michaelis earned AVCTL Div III honorable mention honors a season ago averaging 6.5 points, 3.5 steals, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists. She has exploded for 18 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists per game as the Thunderbirds finished December with a 4-1 record. She also has a 1.5 assists to turnovers ratio. Last January Israel Potoczny wrote that she "...has emerged this year as a scoring threat and an all-around physical player on both ends of the floor. She is great at forcing turnovers and can rebound well for her size. She pushes the tempo when she has the ball and is quick to shoot from distance or the mid-range area or even take it all the way to the basket." [caption id="attachment_243237" align="alignleft" width="150"]<img class=" wp-image-243237" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/01/Myah-Maxwell-Ellinwood-2021-v-Sterling-March-2021_crop-300x280.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="140" /> Ellinwood 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="160902" first="Mya" last="Maxwell"]. Photo: Robert Kelly.[/caption][player_tooltip player_id="160902" first="Mya" last="Maxwell"], 5’7", Ellinwood - The 2020 Central Prairie League second team selection is a legitimate scorer. She is a dangerous three point shooter (currently shooting 30% with 11 made) with a quick release, is fast with solid handles, and is a strong free throw shooter. Through 5 games she is averaging 11 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.8 steals, and 1.4 assists. She finished the 2020 season averaging 15.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.8 steals, and 1.3 assists. [caption id="attachment_186836" align="alignright" width="150"]<img class=" wp-image-186836" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2020/07/Lauren-Gleason-2021-Dodge-City-295x300.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="153" /> Dodge City and Western Kansas Elite 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="185819" first="Lauren" last="Gleason"]. Photo: Robert Kelly.[/caption][player_tooltip player_id="185819" first="Lauren" last="Gleason"], 5’9", Dodge City - Part of the deep back court of the Demons, Gleason can finish with both hands, runs the break well with her head up, and can make solid interior pass off the bounce. On the perimeter she has a quick release. A player I saw compete in a couple MAYB tournaments this past summer, she also has the ability to play the point when needed. Last April, her Western Kansas Elite club team, noted that she was averaging 3.7 assists with just over a 2 assists to turnovers ratio. [caption id="attachment_243278" align="alignleft" width="149"]<img class=" wp-image-243278" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/01/Rayna-Jasper-Anderson-County-2021-Khaos-300x275.jpg" alt="" width="149" height="137" /> Anderson County and Khaos 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="160916" first="Rayna" last="Jasper"]. Photo: Robert Kelly.[/caption][player_tooltip player_id="160908" first="Myah" last="Olson"], 5’5", Doniphan West - Olson, a two-time Twin Valley League second team selection, averaged 11 points per game in 2020. She is a three point threat with a quick release. [player_tooltip player_id="160916" first="Rayna" last="Jasper"], 5’5", Anderson County - A highlight for Jaspar’s 2020 season was hanging 28 points including 5 threes against Louisville. That ability to score propelled her to being selected as a KBCA 3A honorable mention and Pioneer League first teamer. At June’s MAYB Summer Kickoff her ability to score was exemplified by a terrific score in transition with her left, off the glass, and over a shot block attempt.