Class of 2024’s Top 5

<!-- wp:image {"align":"left","id":375322,"width":"175px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2022/01/Trinity-Balog-e1653590777323.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-375322" style="width:175px;height:auto" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>5 [player_tooltip player_id='378962' first='Trinity' last='Balog'], Parkersburg, SG, 5-9, Sr.</strong> - Balog scores buckets. Easy peasy. The Parkersburg Big Red finds different ways to put the ball in the basket at all 3 levels. She's posts up defenders down low. She creates her own shot off the dribble. She shoots the three ball. Overall, she relishes the opportunity to prove her doubters wrong every time she's on the offensive end of the floor. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>4 [player_tooltip player_id='342235' first='Lily' last='Jordan'], Morgantown, W, 5-10, Sr.</strong> - Jordan does good work in the post. Really good work. With a guards handle on the ball, she makes life difficult for many defenders. One minute, she faces up an opponent and the next she turns her back and muscles her way to the basket. Once she's at the basket, she utilizes excellent footwork to create a scoring opportunity for herself. Her long arms help her get her shot over taller defenders, but her moves and footwork also helps her create blow by opportunities for an up-and-under look at the basket. She's going to be a nice stretch 3 or 4 at the next level. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"right","id":381895,"width":"62px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2022/01/Sophi-Nichols.jpg?w=688" alt="" class="wp-image-381895" style="width:62px;height:auto" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>3 [player_tooltip player_id='375427' first='Sophie' last='Nichols'], Ripley, SF, 5-10, Sr.</strong> - Everyone could see Nichols was a talented scorer, however, she took steps toward becoming a wise leader this year. Huge steps. In every game, she grew in her responsibilities as she helped her Ripley Vikings to a regional co-final. Nichols took the lead in timeouts and in huddles on the court. She provided great assistance and always had an encouraging word for her teammates. Just for good measure, she added a 50-point game against the now Class AAA state champions back January to her resume. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"left","id":397929,"width":"97px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignleft size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2022/03/Ashlynn-Van-Tassell-scaled.jpg?w=817" alt="" class="wp-image-397929" style="width:97px;height:auto" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2 Ashlynn Van Tassell, Cameron, C, 6-3, Sr.</strong> - Van Tassell is the very definition of a 5. No doubt about it. She's mean. She's tough. She's not afraid to be a bit nasty when she needs to be. The biggest improvement that stood out to me about her this season? Her post moves. She continued to add dances, dips and dives to her on-the-block game. The biggest addition? A drop-step that defenders could not prepare for. Van Tassell would get her assignment off-balance before whipping out the move with a nice efficiency. She usually ended up with a bucket. Should her footwork continue to improve, she should add even more moves before her arrival at Youngstown State. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"right","id":379076,"width":"43px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2022/01/Finley-Lohan-scaled.jpg?w=506" alt="" class="wp-image-379076" style="width:43px;height:auto" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>1 [player_tooltip player_id='379495' first='Finley' last='Lohan'], George Washington, W, 6-0, Sr.</strong> - Lohan established her reputation as a stout defender early in her AAU career. The Patriot standout guarded many of the toughest players in the Mountain State Athletic Conference with ferocity and intelligence. She's only improved in her skills these last four years. This year she took her reputation to the next level. Lohan guarded exclusively an opponent's best offensive player. She shut them all down. Each and every one of them. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->