Class of 2021 Rankings Review
Last Thursday, January 3rd, we released an updated list of 2021 prospects. It was the first time since late-August that this list has been updated, and it has been expanded. We’ve gone from 75 to 100 total prospects during this…
Access all of Prep Girls Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingLast Thursday, January 3rd, we released an updated list of 2021 prospects. It was the first time since late-August that this list has been updated, and it has been expanded. We’ve gone from 75 to 100 total prospects during this installment. There was quite a bit of movement, as many Sophomores have developed their game and really stepped up this season. There are still a few unknowns, “sleepers”, players we are still unfamiliar with, etc., still remaining, so this list will remain somewhat fluid over the next year or so. With that said, below is a more in-depth look at our current Top-10 list for the Class of 2021.
Ariana Wiggins of Heritage Christian
1. Ariana Wiggins, 5-8 PG, Heritage Christian School
I’ve highlighted Ariana in other articles a handful of times before, and she remains our top prospect in 2021. She is a playmaking Point Guard who does a nice job of balancing her ability to create scoring opportunities for her teammates with scoring herself. She has improved her perimeter shot over the last year, and when motivated, she can be an in-your-face on-ball defender. She had the opportunity to play on the 17U EYBL tour as a rising Sophomore, and the speed and size of competition she saw should pay dividends for her down the road. The next step for her is to take what she possesses physically and skillfully and be dominant every time out.
2. Meg Newman, 6-2 F, North Central H.S. (Indianapolis)
Meg has always flashed big-time potential, and her recruiting (at least what is made public) is really starting to take off. She is incredibly intriguing as a prospect, because she has a unique combination of size, skill, and athleticism. She is built solidly like a Power Forward, she moves and is athletic like a Wing, and she possesses some ball skill and the ability to knock down 18 to 20-foot jumpers consistently. She should be able to fit into a college program as a versatile Forward who can play around the perimeter, in the mid-post, or take smaller defenders down to the block and score over them. Defensively, if she can prove to defend the ball a bit better around the perimeter, then I think she can become a full-time wing.
3. Jayla Smith, 5-10 G, Lawrence North H.S.
Jayla is still oozing with potential. She looks a little taller than she did in July, she is playing with a great deal more confidence and assertiveness, but she is still extremely thin and possibly still growing. She was just 5-5 or 5-6 this time a year ago, and she was transitioning from JV to Varsity, giving the Lawrence North Varsity team good minutes. This season she has been their leading scorer on many occasions. She has a solid-looking jumper that will become more consistent with strength, especially the shots she likes to put up from 25-feet. She is quick with the ball laterally and can break defenders down off the dribble. And defensively, she does a nice job using her length to defend the dribble and the passing lanes. Even though she’s already as high as #3 on our list, she’s still a wait-and-see kid as a prospect because she isn’t even close to a finished product with regards to her size and strength.
4. Bridget Dunn, 6-1 F, Carmel H.S.
I really like Bridget’s game and her potential. She is another kid who might still have another inch or two to go in growth, she’s highly skilled for her size / position, and she plays with intelligence and a good motor. She has a solid perimeter shot and can be dangerous as a pick-and-pop ‘4’, she has a decent handle as well and can push the ball in transition or even occasionally initiate the offense, and what impresses me the most is that even though she’s still somewhat thin, she tries to be physical and doesn’t shy away from contact. She’ll get inside and rebound, she doesn’t mind defending the interior, and with her length, she can be an effective shot-blocker. I think she has all kinds of upside for the next level, and she’s another prospect who is still a wait-and-see kid because of her potential to grow and add muscle.
5. Ally Becki, 5-7 G, Brownsburg H.S.
Ally is a no-nonsense competitor. She is tough-nosed, feisty, gritty, high-motor, whatever other adjective you want to throw in here. Personally, I think she was cut from the same mold as Zionsville’s Maddie Nolan (2019). Ally is a skilled combo guard who can run offense and set up teammates, but I like her more as a scorer at times, because she’s really good going to the rim and finishing, and she can knock down the open perimeter jumper. She’s quick / fast, somewhat bouncy for her size, and she’s also a willing and effective defender who can play on the ball or defend passing lanes one pass away equally well. She has drawn a ton of Mid-Major interest & offers so far, with a few High-Major schools taking notice as well.
Zakia Rasheed of Bishop Chatard
6. Zakia Rasheed, 5-8 G, Bishop Chatard H.S.
Zakia made the move from Avon to Bishop Chatard this season, and it has worked out really well for her. She is averaging 18.8 points, 3.1 assists, and 2.8 steals, while shooting 52% from the field and a solid 39% from 3-point range. She is a strong, physical, and fairly tough Wing Guard who can score it at all levels. She has good ball skills as well, and she can handle it and run offense efficiently, but with her ability to shoot / score it, I would want her playing off the ball. She is just so solid and consistent offensively, and she does so with a good motor. Defensively, she could stand to be a little quicker laterally, especially against water-bug type Point Guards, but she has a high basketball IQ and understands how to take angles to not be beaten off the bounce.
7. Katie Burton, 5-8 G, Fishers H.S.
After playing limited minutes behind a solid 2018 Senior class last season for Fishers, Katie has stepped in and become their go-to player offensively. She is an explosive scorer who can put up points in bunches. I still maintain that she’s one of the best Guard finishers in and around the basket, and she can score it at odd angles, off-balance, and through contact about as well as any girl I’ve seen in recent memory. She is gritty, tough-nosed, and she always competes to the end. She has a solid handle and can run offense, but she’s too good scoring it that you would want to set her up most possessions. Defensively, I think she can become a really good on-ball defender, because she has length and athleticism. She’s already an opportunistic defender off the ball, one pass away.
8. Nakaih Hunter, 5-11 F, North Central H.S. (Indianapolis)
Nakaih has had a strong season so far for North Central, and that’s on the heels of an impressive Freshman year where she earned critical minutes for a Senior-laden squad. She is a strong, physical, and aggressive interior power player who loves contact and can finish through longer / taller defenders. She is still powerful, but she looks leaner and bouncier this season, and she’s starting to show a lot more touch and finesse facing the basket to about 17-feet. If she can continue to develop a nice inside-out offensive package, her recruiting will see a major uptick from it. She recently earned a Big East offer, and as more schools see her this Spring & Summer, I expect that list to continue to expand.
9. Courtney Blakely, 5-6 PG, Hammond Bishop Noll Institute
Courtney is one of the most well-rounded guards in Indiana in the 2021 class. She is skilled with the ball in her hands, she’s one of the better passers and can find teammates through even the smallest of windows, plus she is almost always head-up aware of the next opportunity two to three passes ahead. For Bishop Noll, she has to score the ball for them to be successful, and she has done so to the tune of 21.4 points per game so far this season (along with 5.1 assists and 3.8 steals). She has knocked down 39 3-pointers in 16 games so far this season, but as her game continues to mature, look for her to shoot more efficiently from the perimeter. More than anything, I just like her all-around feel and IQ for the game.
10. Chanteese Craig, 6-1 C, Fort Wayne Concordia Lutheran School
Unfortunately, Chanteese suffered a preseason injury and has not even taken the floor this season. Because she hasn’t played, I haven’t seen her, and I’ve heard she might have grown again. She is built solidly, with broad, strong shoulders and longer legs. She is what I like to call a face-up ‘5’, because she can absolutely play physical on the interior and overpower defenders to the basket, but she is a really nice high-post passer who can knock down the 15-footer on occasion. She is the perfect combination of size, skill, and power, and she has already earned a few D1 offers despite not playing yet this season.
Header photo of Meg Newman of North Central High School; photo courtesy of www.nchslive.com. Photo of Ariana Wiggins courtesy of www.columbusnorthathletics.org. Photo of Zakia Rasheed courtesy of www.hoosiertimes.com.