Rankings Update: 2021’s Fastest Stock-Risers Part 1
With the release of the latest PGH Colorado rankings update for the 2021 class on Wednesday, there was plenty of player movement up and down the list. Rather than being a product of players lowering their stock, most of the…
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Continue ReadingWith the release of the latest PGH Colorado rankings update for the 2021 class on Wednesday, there was plenty of player movement up and down the list. Rather than being a product of players lowering their stock, most of the movement resulted from players competing their way up the list as well as the addition of 10 new players to the rankings.
Here are five juniors who have raised their stock as much or more than anyone else over the course of their final regular seasons in high school.
Sydney Bevington
Sydney Bevington, 6-0, PG, Ralston Valley
Six-foot perimeter players who can handle the ball and a attack the basket don’t grow on trees. And once a player is already ranked among the top five in her graduating class, it’s very difficult to move up at all. But Bevington is a special recruit having a special season with sixth-ranked Ralston Valley.
With just one game left in the 2019-20 regular season, Bevington is averaging 17.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, four assists, three steals and 1.9 blocks per game while shooting 45 percent from the field. Despite shooting the long ball quite well as a sophomore, Bevington has take far fewer 3-point attempts this winter and instead seems determined to attack the basket, where she finishes well with either hand and through contact. Bevington is also shooting 81 percent (126 for 159) at the free-throw line and her best scoring output this winter is a 28-point outburst against Grandview, arguably the best defensive team in Colorado.
In the latest rankings update, Bevington moved up from No. 5 to No. 4.
Courtney Wristen
Courtney Wristen, 6-2, PF, Broomfield
Broomfield finished the regular season at 17-6, and while the Eagles have lots of good players, they wouldn’t have anywhere as good a record without Wristen in the middle of everything. Long and athletic, Wristen can dominate at the defensive end and should to do so even more as she continues to mature and gets stronger. She is averaging 2.3 blocks and 1.8 steals per through 23 regular-season games.
Working on staying out of foul trouble, Wristen is averaging 14.3 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. She has also begun to step back behind the 3-point line, where she is shooting 35 percent (18 for 51) as a junior.
Wristen moved up from No. 6 to No. 5 in the 2021 Class rankings.
Kacee Kyle
Kacee Kyle, 5-8, CG, Cherry Creek
There’s only one basketball and when Cherry Creek has possession, it’s usually in the hands of star senior point guard Jana Van Gytenbeek. But when Kyle takes her turn with the ball, the Bruins are still in excellent hands. That’s good news for their prospects in 2020-21.
Noticeably stronger and more aggressive as a junior, Kyle can play either guard spot and can also match up with bigger players at the defensive end of the floor. With the regular season soon to be in the books, Kyle is averaging 7.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and a steal per game. She is also a threat from the perimeter, where she shoots 27 percent.
Kyle moved up from No. 11 to No. 10.
Dasiya Jones
Dasiya Jones, 6-0, SF, Grandview
Another talented player battling for minutes on one of the best rosters in the country, Jones can be outright dominant in stretches when she gets the chance. So far as a junior, the athletic and smooth six-foot forward is averaging 4.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, two assists and a steal per game. With good ball skills in the open court for a forward and strong footwork, Jones has big-time upside that will help the Wolves compete for a state title this March and in future seasons.
Jones moved up from No. 35 to No. 19 in the 2021 rankings.
Brianna Linnear
Brianna Linnear, 5-8, CG, Rangeview
Explosive but always in control of her solid and balanced frame, Linnear can hurt you in the half court or on the fast break where she regularly turns perimeter defense into transition offense. Rangeview’s all-around solid junior is averaging 12.5 points, 3.9 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 3.1 steals per game through 19 games, and shoots 30 percent (19 for 64) from 3-point range.
Linnear moved up from No. 38 to No. 26.