Rankings Review: 2020 Centers
Last week we updated our Class of 2020 rankings, so I wanted to follow-up and offer a look at the top prospects by position. This time around, I separated the “frontline” position group into two articles…power forwards and centers…in order…
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Continue ReadingLast week we updated our Class of 2020 rankings, so I wanted to follow-up and offer a look at the top prospects by position. This time around, I separated the “frontline” position group into two articles…power forwards and centers…in order to include an additional 15 ladies. This collection of posts has a mixture of back-to-the-basket kids, skillful kids, high-motor kids, and inside-out kids. There aren’t a lot of Division-I recruits, but there are some tremendous small college prospects still available. With that said, below is a look at the Top-15 center prospects in Indiana’s Class of 2020, with additional comments to follow.
Overall |
Prospect |
Ht. |
Pos. |
High School |
Commitment |
3 |
Kendall Bostic |
6-1 |
C/F |
Northwestern |
Michigan State |
6 |
RaShaya Kyle |
6-6 |
C |
Marion | Purdue |
28 |
Madison Webb |
6-2 |
C/F |
Bedford North Lawrence | SIU-Edwardsville |
53 |
Lydia Stullken |
6-1 |
C |
Fishers | DePauw |
59 |
Marlayna Kemp |
6-2 |
C |
Martinsville | |
63 |
Lucy Robertson |
6-3 |
C |
North Harrison | Bellarmine |
67 |
Justis Odom |
6-1 |
C |
Lawrence North | |
74 |
Alaina Omonodé |
6-0 |
C |
West Lafayette | |
95 |
Tessa Lomax |
6-1 |
C |
Columbus North | |
103 |
Shaelynn Bell |
6-0 |
C |
Terre Haute North Vigo |
|
107 |
Christina Himelick |
6-1 |
C |
Mishawaka Marian | |
112 |
Abigail Pribble |
6-1 |
C |
West Lafayette Harrison |
|
116 |
Jewel McCormick |
6-0 |
C/F |
Springs Valley | |
133 |
Lettie Nice |
6-1 |
C |
Salem | IU-Southeast |
138 |
Peyton Sweet |
6-3 |
C |
Bedford North Lawrence |
There aren’t many interior players who have changed their game in such a way that Madison Webb of Bedford North Lawrence High School has throughout her career. When she was younger, she was a slender, spot-up, knock-down shooter who liked to hide in the long-corners and bury 3-pointers. After dealing with a severe knee injury, she added some strength to her frame, and she has transitioned into more of a traditional post player who plays on the block, but she still flashes that perimeter game from time to time. She isn’t going to overpower anyone on the block, but she does a nice job with reverse-pivot moves, half-hooks, etc. She is just so skilled inside, but the jump-shot affords her the ability to be a nice face-up ‘5’ who can do many things in ball-screen situations. She gave a verbal commitment to Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville at the end of the Summer.
A player I am anxious to see back on the court this Winter, is Marlayna Kemp of Martinsville High School. Marlayna missed the Spring & Summer dealing with an injury, so her recruiting was put on hold. As this season begins, I look for her to be highly sought after by several of the better small colleges in the Midwest, because she is the best big available in Indiana, and she possesses a nice combination of size, skill, and ability. She has a wiry strong frame, great length, some bounce, and she runs the floor North/South well. Early in her career, she played almost exclusively in the mid-post and has good touch from 15-feet. As she’s gotten stronger, she has become much more effective on the block, and her length affords her to play “above” opposing defenders on most occasions.
One player in Western Indiana who could really have a standout season this year is Shaelynn Bell of Terre Haute’s North Vigo High School. She has an athletic frame, broad shoulders, and really good length. She’s a solid athlete, she runs North/South fairly well, and she does have some bounce. She keeps the ball high, and she’s a solid offensive rebounder. While she can post on the block, she almost prefers to move back & forth from the short-corners to the mid-post and shoot short jumpers. If she can continue getting stronger, I think she can become overpowering and turn into a more productive college player than high school player. She does play a little too upright at times, so I would like to see her sit down a little better at both ends of the floor.
Christina Himelick of Mishawaka’s Marian High School is one of the most underappreciated post players in the entire state. In a day and age when we want flashy, versatile, and overly skilled, Christina is a traditional post who just produces game-in and game-out. She plays with an outstanding motor, she is strong, physical, and aggressive inside, and she does a nice job of establishing position and holding her seal. She can score with a variety of post moves at the basket, but she also works for rebounds. She could stand to be a little more explosive laterally, but she does a nice job of rim-running. If she can continue developing her face-up game in the mid-post, that will definitely help her recruiting, but she is already a productive post with good size.
Speaking of underappreciated, Lettie Nice of Salem High School has been an integral part of the Lions’ team the last couple of seasons, but she is often overshadowed by the quality of their perimeter play. Oftentimes we take some of the simple things for granted until they are blundered, but Lettie is what I would consider an opportunistic post player who does a nice job of making those simple plays look effortless. She is always in the right position at the right time to put back an offensive rebound or score a dump-off pass from a penetrating guard. She has good hands, a solid frame, and great length, plus she keeps the ball high. She plays with a really nice motor, and she does have some touch in the mid-post. Lettie recently committed to play at nearby Indiana University-Southeast.
Feature image of Kendall Bostic of Northwestern High School. Image courtesy of the Northwestern Hudl.com account.