2023 rankings update: Stock risers in the Top 50
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By the time a class of prospects reaches senior year it’s pretty clear who fits where. There are exceptions, of course – the late bloomers who figure it out after the majority of their peers, the late growers who sprout…
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Continue ReadingBy the time a class of prospects reaches senior year it’s pretty clear who fits where. There are exceptions, of course – the late bloomers who figure it out after the majority of their peers, the late growers who sprout up just in time to cash in at the next level, and the late-to-the-party prospects who emerge from the shadows to make a name for themselves. As we update the Prep Girls Hoops Class of 2023 rankings for the final time this year, we’ve got a little bit of all of that. The newly refreshed 2023 rankings are posted and we’re bringing you a three-part perspective on this year’s seniors:
- Today: Stock risers in the Top 50
- Thursday: Biggest stock risers of note
- Friday: The newcomers
Just a reminder that the Prep Girls Hoops prospect rankings are a measure of a player’s potential to play at the collegiate level, not a rating of their current performance. Simply put, some athletes do very well in high school basketball but aren’t equipped with the tools to play at the highest levels in college. Others have the dimensions and potential to be successful at the next level even if their high school performance may not have drawn much notice. Keep that in mind any time you peruse the rankings. If you’d like to know more about the process read this article from last summer.
Stock Risers in the Top 25
The Top 25 is largely unchanged. South Carolina commit Tessa Johnson Tessa Johnson 5'11" | SG St. Michael-Albertville | 2023 State #36 Nation MN (St. Michael-Albertville) remains #1 and the Hopkins duo of Nunu Agara Nunu Agara 6'1" | PF Hopkins | 2023 State #32 Nation MN (Stanford) and Taylor Woodson Taylor Woodson 6'0" | PF Hopkins | 2023 State #28 Nation MN (Michigan) are 2nd and 3rd respectively. Chaska point guard Kennedy Sanders Kennedy Sanders 5'8" | CG Chaska | 2023 State MN (Colorado) is still at #4 and Maple Grove guard Kennedy Klick Kennedy Klick 6'0" | CG Maple Grove | 2023 State MN (Minnesota) remains at #5. There are just two stock risers to report in the Top 25:
- Shannon Fornshell Shannon Fornshell 6'1" | SF Wayzata | 2023 State MN – The 6’0 forward from Wayzata is off to a great start this winter. She has been a consistent force at both ends of the floor in every game we’ve watched. Offensively she’s finishing her opportunities with power or finesse as required. Defensively she makes life difficult for all sizes and shapes of opponents. The Drake University commit rises one position to #17.
- Emily Christenson Emily Christenson 5'11" | SF East Ridge | 2023 State MN – The East Ridge guard is one of the best unsigned prospects in the Class of 2023. She has definitely earned the chance to play at the Division 1 level and there are a couple of opportunities pending. Emily is playing at an elite level right now and her East Ridge team is 8-2 with a tough schedule. Christenson moves up three positions to #25.
Four more notables in the Top 50
#33 Piper Carlson Piper Carlson 5'11" | SF St. Michael-Albertville | 2023 State MN – forward, St. Michael-Albertville (Idaho State)
Piper is a workhorse. From the time she first showed up on our radar as a freshman we have been impressed by how hard she plays. Carlson (photo above) is physical, she’s intense and she is committed to whatever assignment Knights coach Kent Hamre gives her. Over time Carlson’s skills have improved exponentially which is why she has risen steadily in the prospect rankings. Piper made it into the rankings in the fall of 2020 at #61. This summer she took a big jump up to #42. Now the Division 1 commit rises nine more places to #33.
#36 Abigail O’Reilly Abigail O’Reilly 6'1" | PF PEM | 2023 State MN – forward, Plainview-Elgin-Millville (St. Cloud State)
The evolution of Abby’s game has been a joy to watch. The big power forward was not terribly coordinated or skilled when we first saw her in action three years ago. But, like so many bigger girls, she has developed steadily over time into what we see now – a force of nature. O’Reilly did not enter the 2023 rankings until June of 2021 when she was placed at #139. In successive rankings updates since that time she has risen to #84 in the fall of 2021, #62 last February and #48 in June. We’re now moving Abby up another 12 places to #36.
#43 Jasmine Dupree Jasmine Dupree 5'8" | CG Hopkins | 2023 State MN – guard/forward, Hopkins (Oakland University)
Perseverance pays off. Patience, too. Jazzy has had to exercise plenty of both over the years. With a lineup that is the state’s most difficult to break into, Hopkins offers its players plenty of growth opportunities even when they aren’t varsity starters. Dupree took advantage of those, honing her game against elite talent in practice, making the most of her minutes, and grinding away on her own to get better week after week. All of that hard work paid off handsomely this year with a ton of minutes and a Division 1 opportunity. She rises nine positions in the rankings to #43.
#46 Ella Pritchard Ella Pritchard 5'11" | SF Holy Angels | 2023 State MN – forward/guard, Holy Angels
Coming off a great summer with Minnesota Diamond Elite, Ella has had a good start to her high school season. Now in her second year at Holy Angels after moving over from Cristo Rey in Minneapolis, Pritchard’s efforts in the off season are evident. She has always been blessed with length and athleticism. Now she has added an enhanced skill set and a boatload of experience while proving herself against higher competition. She rises eight positions to #46 and is one of the top unsigned prospects in the senior class.
Other Top 50 movers
#32 Ashlynne Guenther Ashlynne Guenther 5'11" | SF Duluth East | 2023 State MN – The crafty guard/small forward from Duluth East moves up another two positions to #32 after rising a total of 25 spots in the past 12 months. Ashlynne is a highly-skilled, uber-competitive prospect committed to Bemidji State.
#37 Audrey Kormann Audrey Kormann 6'2" | PF Maple Grove | 2023 State MN – The 6’2 post from Maple Grove (photo above) has really come into her own now. She’s not fancy but man is she difficult to play against. She has parlayed her academics and athletics into a D1 opportunity at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. Audrey moves up four places to #37.
#41 Nicole O’Neil Nicole O’Neil 5'10" | SG Rosemount | 2023 State MN – The standout shooting guard from Rosemount is sidelined with injury at the moment but she has definitely proven herself over the long haul. Every year her stock has risen and now she has signed with Minnesota-Duluth as a result. Nicole entered the rankings in July 2020 at #97. Today she’s at #41.