Rankings Review: 2021 2-Guards
With the Summer of 2019 having concluded and prospects in the Class of 2020 starting to wrap up their recruiting, the Class of 2021 is quickly moving to the forefront as far as college recruiters are concerned. Tuesday we updated…
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Continue ReadingWith the Summer of 2019 having concluded and prospects in the Class of 2020 starting to wrap up their recruiting, the Class of 2021 is quickly moving to the forefront as far as college recruiters are concerned. Tuesday we updated our player rankings, and I wanted to take the time to touch on each position group one by one. The 2-Guard position in Indiana’s 2021 class is neither one of strength nor weakness, but instead it is a steady, solid, and consistent group of really nice basketball players/prospects. Below we take a look at the Top-20 2-Guard prospects in Indiana’s Class of 2021, with additional comments to follow.
Overall |
Prospect |
Ht. |
Pos. |
High School |
2019 Grassroots Team |
3 |
Jayla Smith |
5-11 |
G |
Lawrence North |
Nike Gym Rats Silver EYBL |
8 |
Katie Burton |
5-8 |
G |
Fishers | Indiana Flight UAA |
10 |
Zakia Rasheed |
5-8 |
G |
Bishop Chatard | Always 100 Attack |
18 |
Alana Striverson |
5-9 |
G |
Silver Creek | All-Ohio Lavender EYBL |
19 |
Madelyn Bischoff |
5-9 |
G |
Roncalli | Indiana Elite Prime |
23 |
Moira McGinley |
5-7 |
G |
Bishop Chatard |
Always 100 Elite |
25 |
Pa’Shence Walker |
5-8 |
G |
Martinsville |
Team Blaze Select |
30 |
Trinity Clinton |
5-7 |
W |
Penn | MBA Select Gold |
31 |
Chloe McKnight |
5-8 |
W |
Bedford North Lawrence | Team Indiana-Burton |
33 |
Irye Gomez |
5-9 |
G |
Bedford North Lawrence | Team Indiana Rising Stars |
37 |
Bailey Hartsough |
5-9 |
G |
Lakeland |
|
52 |
Joslynn Spears |
5-6 |
G |
Pike |
Nike Gym Rats Gold |
56 |
Zayda Hatfield |
5-7 |
G |
Terre Haute South Vigo | Team Indiana Rising Stars |
66 |
Courtney Fields |
5-7 |
G |
Cathedral |
Indiana Flight Pearl White |
67 |
Taylor Austin |
5-4 |
G |
Lake Station Edison |
Indiana Showcase-Sinclair |
68 |
Bonnie Lew Ludlow |
5-6 |
G |
Covenant Christian |
Indiana Showcase-Sinclair |
72 |
TreNaé Mann |
5-5 |
G |
Indy Washington |
First Lady’s Black |
74 |
Sierra Hinds |
5-7 |
G |
University | Indy Magic-Andrus |
78 |
Jaclyn Emly |
5-9 |
W |
Silver Creek |
Indiana Flight Grey/South |
83 |
Karly Kirkpatrick |
5-7 |
G |
East Noble | Indiana Flight-Duke |
One prospect who really stepped it up in front of coaches this July is Madelyn Bischoff of Roncalli High School. The long, fluid, and smooth combo guard really shot the lights out during several different games throughout the “live” periods, drawing a lot of new interest/offers. She is still a little slender and will need to continue gaining strength, but her all-around feel for the game, her ability to make shots with range, and her scrappiness, are all great qualities for such a versatile combo guard. While she did score it effectively this Summer, she’s also a kid who affects the game in many other ways when she isn’t making shots.
It’s commonplace for a family to have two or three kids play various sports at the same school, but right now Martinsville High School is working through four sisters in the Traylor/Walker family. First, there was the talented Kayana Traylor, now at Purdue University. Just beginning to put their mark on the program are Ashlyn Traylor (2022) and Adelyn Walker (2023). But I want to turn to Pa’Shence Walker from this 2021 class. She is a long, wiry strong, and very athletic wing guard. She has shown a lot of the same athletic characteristics as Kayana, but she is more of a slasher/scorer than a Point Guard prospect. Pa’Shence can get to the basket, she’s bouncy, and she absorbs contact fairly well. I also like her versatility at the defensive end of the floor. I think as her perimeter shot becomes more consistent, she will be that much tougher to defend.
Terre Haute used to be a hotbed for girls’ basketball talent, and while there are still a handful of really nice prospects in the Western part of the state, it seems like they are few and far between. One prospect to get to know these days is Zayda Hatfield of Terre Haute’s South Vigo High School. She is a wiry strong, very athletic combo guard who makes plays at both ends of the floor. She does need to exercise patience from time to time, but she can handle the ball and run offense, she can attack the basket off the bounce, and she’s a capable shot-maker with range to 3. I really like her upside/potential as a college prospect.
When I began covering girls’ basketball, I was shocked there weren’t more prospects to cover in the Indianapolis Public School system, as I was used to several boys heading off to play college ball each year. However, you can still find a gem or two every class in girls, and TreNaé Mann of Indianapolis’ George Washington High School could be just that kid in 2021. She is a strong, quick/fast, and athletic combo guard who plays with a great deal of toughness. She is simply a bucket-getter who can score the ball at all levels. She has a solid feel for the game, and she plays with a really good motor.
In wrapping up this 2-Guard review, I wanted to focus on a pair of guards who are very similar in their style of play. Sierra Hinds of University High School and Karly Kirkpatrick of East Noble High School are about the same height, same strength, both have good length, and both are nice, fluid athletes who play with good motors. They can each handle it a little and initiate the offense, the can play off the ball and knock down shots, plus they are both versatile defenders who can defend some point guards, all wing guards, and even some small forwards. Sierra actually transferred into University this season from Hamilton Heights, but I’d anticipate both to take on big roles for their high school teams this Winter.
Feature image is of Jayla Smith of Lawrence North High School. Image courtesy of the Indy Gym Rats Twitter account.