Rankings Review: 2021 Power Forwards & Posts
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 Power Forwards and Posts in 2021 have improved a great deal over the last calendar year, and it has been noticed by college coaches, as several of these prospects have picked up offers and interest since the Spring season began. Below we take a look at the Top-20 Frontline prospects in Indiana’s Class of 2021, with additional comments to follow.
Overall |
Prospect |
Ht. |
Pos. |
High School |
2019 Grassroots Team |
2 |
Meg Newman |
6-2 |
F |
Indy North Central | Indiana Elite Platinum |
6 |
Bridget Dunn |
6-2 |
F |
Carmel | Indy Magic-Andrus |
11 |
Alex Richard |
6-1 |
F |
Avon | Indiana Elite Prime |
12 |
Katey Richason |
6-0 |
F |
Zionsville Community | Indiana Elite Platinum |
13 |
Sydney Jaynes |
6-2 |
C/F |
Trinity Lutheran | Indiana Elite Prime |
14 |
Trinity Thompson |
6-0 |
F |
Michigan City | Nike Gym Rats Tan |
15 |
Brynn Shoup-Hill |
6-2 |
C |
Goshen | Always 100 -Wright |
16 |
Nakaih Hunter |
5-11 |
F |
Indy North Central | Nike Gym Rats Silver EYBL |
22 |
Chanteese Craig |
6-1 |
C |
Fort Wayne Concordia | Always 100 Elite |
24 |
Maycee Lange |
6-0 |
F |
Vincennes Lincoln | Team Indiana-Burton |
27 |
Tenleigh Phelps |
5-10 |
F |
Triton Central |
Indiana Flight Attack |
28 |
Gigi Eldredge |
6-0 |
F/C |
Westfield |
Indiana Elite Platinum |
32 |
Rebekah Gordon |
6-0 |
F |
Heritage Hills | Indiana Elite S.W.I.S.H. |
36 |
Lamiya Woodson |
5-11 |
F |
Fort Wayne South Side | Always 100 Elite |
39 |
Jade Nutley |
6-0 |
F |
Madison Consolidated |
Indiana Elite Prime |
41 |
Laila Rogers |
5-10 |
F |
Hammond Bishop Noll |
Lady Region Elite |
42 |
Amber Austin |
6-0 |
C/F |
Homestead |
Indiana Flight UAA |
46 |
Kendal Swartout |
5-11 |
F |
Concord | Always 100 -Wright |
51 |
Sydnee Hughes |
5-10 |
F |
Lawrence North |
Sky Digg Elite-Grennes |
54 |
Arial Ford |
6-1 |
C |
Pike | First Lady’s Black |
The first prospect in the 2021 class to make a verbal commitment was Alex Richard of Avon High School, as she has chosen to attend Butler University in a couple of years. Alex has really changed her frame and her game. She is so strong and powerful now, but she’s lean, she has broad shoulders, and she has very good length. She is a really nice North/South athlete, and while she’s probably most comfortable around the block offensively, she has really worked to develop her handle and her face-up jumper. She is now very consistent in the mid-range game, and I can see her stretching her range to the 3-point line in the next year. She is tough, physical, and does a really nice job of defending the post and securing rebounds.
One player whose energy is absolutely contagious is Maycee Lange of Vincennes’ Abraham Lincoln High School. She is a wiry strong, bouncy, high-motor kid who is all over the floor every possession. She is a very good rebounder who pursues boards outside of her area, she is strong enough to block out posts as well, and she’s a willing interior defender. At the same time, she has really worked on her face-up game offensively, she can knock down the mid-range jumper consistently, and she’s a solid straight-line driver. She does need to play a little lower to the ground and work on her lateral mobility a bit, but she has a really nice combination of talent, skill, and effort.
Another Southern Indiana prospect flying under the radar is Rebekah Gordon of Heritage Hills High School. She is a wiry strong, highly productive mid-post forward who does a little of everything well. She is a consistent mid-range shooter, she can attack off the bounce and hit odd-angled shots, and she’s solid finishing around the basket using either hand with a variety of moves. Rebekah is a really good rebounder, she plays with a great motor, and she can defend forwards or posts. If she could work on being just a little smoother athletically, it could certainly help, but she is already tremendously productive every game.
One of my favorite prospects to watch in this 2021 class is Laila Rogers of Hammond’s Bishop Noll Institute. She is a broad-shouldered, long, wiry strong athlete who plays with a great motor. She is a good pursuing rebounder who does a nice job of rebounding outside of her area. She is a solid attacker from the mid-post, and she can knock down a 15-footer. As a Freshman, she was more of just a rebounder/defender type, but as she’s grown and developed her game, she has turned into a much bigger scoring threat. She will be vital to Bishop Noll’s success this season, as she has become their primary interior threat.
The amount of growth Kendal Swartout of Concord High School has shown in her game this past year has been impressive. As a Freshman, I felt like she was more comfortable as a post, and she looked to play primarily on the interior every possession. Now, she has turned herself into a really nice trail ‘4’ who can knock down a perimeter jumper when in rhythm. She’s still a strong, physical, solid athlete who plays with a great motor, and she hasn’t backed away from being a highly productive rebounder, but she has figured out how to do those things while playing much more exclusively on the perimeter. I don’t think she’ll ever be a true wing, but she could be a highly sought after face-up ‘4’.
Last, but certainly not least, is a newcomer to this list. Sydnee Hughes of Lawrence North High School showed up this Summer with the Sky Digg program, and she flashed really nice potential. She spent her first two seasons at non-IHSAA Horizon Christian in Lawrence Township, so she didn’t necessarily move; she just transferred. Now, especially with late-season injuries to Lauren Gunn (2020) and Justis Odom (2020) in 2018-2019, Sydnee looks to add talent and much needed depth to the Wildcats’ frontcourt. Sydnee is strong and physical, but very athletic. She can attack the basket straight-line off the bounce, she is effective in the mid-post, but she can also use her strength on the block. She should make a name for herself this Winter.
Feature image of Meg Newman of North Central High School. Image courtesy of her own Twitter account.