(FREE READ) Love em or hate em…..Let’s talk rankings!
Some people see the header photo and cringe… others can’t wait to see the latest update! With our next update coming in early November, I just wanted to jump on, and maybe help answer some questions regarding the Prep Girls Hoops Rankings, and how they are selected.
First, and foremost, the best way to be recognized as one of the top players is very simple, be seen by our staff. Whether that is at an AAU or exposure event during the spring or summer, or our Top 250 Expo or Freshman Showcase.
And to be clear….my colleague Angie Saiter hates rankings. I love them, and have for almost 40 years, because it gets people talking about the game. Players and parents use them as motivation, but when all is said and done…it brings discussion and opinion to the sport!
Our staff is obligated first to attend our circuit events which Angie and I are at throughout the entire season. In the event that there is a free weekend available then we do try our best to get out and watch some of the bigger events.
We also hit as many high school events in June as we can. I was at a few summer leagues and shootouts, Angie was at the huge event at Cedar Point.
The number one criteria that determines ranking is college potential/offers/verbals. Being all-state definitely helps, but that is not the only factor, it is just part of the factor Obviously if you have 10 D1 offers, you’re pretty good and therefore you’re going to be well ranked. That is one reason why the rankings do fluctuate because either we see you at an event and you rise or drop, or you have kids that are getting offers at a high level, which moves them up the rankings.
And that brings me to a second point, just because a player drops in the rankings does not necessarily mean that the player is a worse player than before. Kids jump over top of other players all the time, a perfect example is Naomi Benson Naomi Benson 6'2" | C Streetsboro | 2025 State OH in the 2025 class. She now has dozens of D1 offers so she jumps into the top five which pushes players down the list. It does not mean that those other players are now bad players or worse players, it just means that other kids have moved ahead of them due to their offer snd recruiting status. If you are a proven D1 prospect, you are going to be ranked higher than a D2 or 3 prospect.
We also talk to many club coaches, high school coaches, and other knowledgeable people in the state of Ohio to discuss players. We also encourage you to send highlight clips or video to us so we can get a look at your game!
Rankings are not an exact science. But the one piece of advice, get in front of the people doing the evaluations. And there is plenty of time for club and high school coaches to get with us and talk about their kids before our next ranking update in November.
September 16 is the Prep Girls Hoops 250 Expo in Columbus and registration deadline is coming up very soon. We hope to see you there!