A Baker’s Dozen of 2022 Top Rankings Advancers
I have already written about the shakeup in the class of 2022’s top 10 ranked players. Getting extended looks at players, seeing the growth in ability some players have made, gathering feedback from a wide range of other individuals, and adding 17 new players into the rankings mix has led to serious changes. Some players have made substantial advances while others have made major advances. Again, rankings are a snapshot in time. Some players have obviously slid back. The drop commonly is not associated with a drop in ability. Most often it is a reflection of how much improved players have become relative to their position peers. And speaking of improved, this baker’s dozen is a heck of a group…and movement of some has been massive. So, in order by number of advanced positions, is the list of the top 13.
Aleksandra Duda Aleksandra Duda 6'4" | C Life Prep | 2022 State KS , 6’4″, C, Life Prep, Next Level Eclipse – Duda advances 187 spots to #23. No, this is not a misprint. While Duda has been on the radar for quite awhile I had not seen her play nor could any of the coaches I talked to really provide substantial detail on her other than she ran well and had great size. Then our Prep Girls Hoops Circuit Event, The Battle in the Sunflower, happened. Duda was an easy choice for the 17U all event team. As described, Duda has great size and runs the floor well. She showed good athleticism in spots, including finishing creatively and while absorbing serious contact, and is only going to get better. Duda has good shot selection around the basket both out of her back-to-basket, face up, and mid-range games. She also has a quick release on her jumper, three ball range, and has great hands in transition. Look for her to play the 4 and 5 at the next level. Recruiting is going to be very interesting when more universities discover her.
Kate Eichelberger
Kate
Eichelberger
6'0" | C
Moundridge | 2022
State
KS
, 6’1″, C, Moundridge – Coming in at #102 Eichelberger is probably one of the least known small-school centers around. While I have not seen her play in person since the 2020 season, what I saw then and when she was in middle school told me she is and always has been a player. She is lanky, competitive on both ends of the floor, and an effective scorer around the basket with defenders laying wood on her. She had a breakout season this past school year, earning KBCA 2A second team and Heart of America League first team honors after earning HOA League second team in 2020, and her 98 spot advance is well deserved.
Caryn Yoder
Caryn
Yoder
5'2" | PG
Hesston | 2022
State
KS
, 5’4″, PG, Hesston, KS Dream Team – Yoder advances 88 spots from her March debut to #92 on the heals of a strong high school season and what I saw of her game in April. Yoder led her team into Halstead and beat the 3A title contenders with strong handles, quickness, dime dropping to her posts off the bounce, hitting the soft perimeter shot, and leading the Swathers transition offense with speed. There was not one bit of drop off at the MAYB Hall of Fame National Showcase while her team proceeded to bury a pair of unsuspecting opponents. Yoder earned KBCA 2A honorable mention and Central Kansas League first team honors this past season.
Charlotte O’Keefe
Charlotte
O’Keefe
6'3" | PF
St. Thomas Aquinas | 2022
State
KS
, 6’3″, C, St. Thomas Aquinas,
KC Lady Run GMC
– I had been keeping tabs on O’Keefe since early 2020 and long hoped to see her play given what I had been told about how hard she had been working on her game and that she was a solid rebounder. I got my chance at the Prep Girls Hoops Circuit April stop in Lawrence, the PGH Classic. At that event the results of her work were on display as she earned selection to the all-event, 17U second team. Using her long, athletic build to her advantage defending on the perimeter, rebounding, and scoring consistently in the mid-range, O’Keefe showed substantial versatility and potential. Against highly skilled bigs she defended well and with physicality inside. On the other end she would off the dribble when facing up. I really liked her solid north-south speed and hustle. This was a stock-raising event for the Eastern Kansas League second team selection.
Lily Judd Lily Judd 5'10" | SF West Franklin | 2022 State KS , 5’10”, SF/W, West Franklin, Lady Prospects – Judd gains 51 spots to #131. If I was told that a well built, very strong, sit down defender who can jump, score well in the mid-range, move well into space, and play physically on both ends of the floor…and has quick hands and transition speed…was not an all-league player I would call them a liar. Here is what you have in Judd. Unreal. Yes Judd is still a stone in the polisher. She has her share of rough edges that are being honed. Generally, once she gets consistency down on her perimeter shooting percentage and on her off-the-bounce game…she will be very, very tough. A dark horse stretch four option at the next level depending on the system.
Tatum Boettjer
Tatum
Boettjer
6'2" | PF
Derby | 2022
State
KS
, 6’3″, SF/W, Derby, Team Lex Breeze 2022 – Another player with a break out high school season was Boettjer, who advances 43 spots to #22. And for her play she was selected as a KBCA 6A honorable mention and AVCTL Div I first teamer. Last September at the Wichita I-35 Showcase she drew a great deal of college coach attention once she got into the open court. She showed the ability to lead transition play off the rebound, using solid handles to get down the floor with speed. She became a difficult person to defend because she would go to the hole and finish with speed or kick the ball to a wing and dive for a return pass, or just quickly pull up for a three ball. Threat enough if she were to be 5’8″…but at 6’3″ she is an extra bunch to handle. Her ball skills translate well into the half court as well. Where she needs to continue to work is inside. Boettjer can take up space inside when she wants to but could be more decisive with her foot work. Arguably the top wing prospect in the class.
Bennie Horsch
Bennie
Horsch
5'10" | SF
Sterling | 2022
State
KS
, 5’10”, PF, Sterling — Horsch jumps 24 spots to #86. Heading into the 2021 season I said to anyone who would listen that Horsch was the key to Sterling’s success. As she went, the team went…especially if she became a consistent perimeter threat. Primarily due to her ability to be where the ball rolled off the rim and because she was a terrific offensive rebounder who could score around the basket…she was. And then the three ball came. And teaming up with the best undersized power forward in the state in
Sadie Beagley
Sadie
Beagley
5'8" | PF
Sterling | 2022
State
KS
, Sterling bullied their way to a 2A state championship. What else is she about? Transition speed. Hands. Quickness. Length. Solid hops. Consistent scorer from face-up and back-to-basket games. I knew it was coming for her and it happened. So did selection to the KBCA 2A second team and Heart of America League first team.
Brooke Berlin Brooke Berlin 6'1" | C Clearwater | 2022 State KS , 6’2″, C/PF, Clearwater, Wheat State Elite – The long, quick Berlin advances 23 places to fill out the top 100 in the class. Berlin is a fast developing player with a great deal of upside. She can put the ball on the floor from the wing and get to the basket quickly to finish with contact. She also has good hands to catch the ball high, keep it there, and shoot quickly. While I expect this second team all-AVCTL Div IV selection to keep moving up as her game grows on both ends of the floor I’ll be looking for perimeter and mid-range jumper consistency.
Bree Horyna Bree Horyna 5'9" | SF Liberal | 2022 State KS , 5’9″, SF/PF, Liberal, SSA Gameball Basketball – Horyna is another player who has had a break out summer so far, enabling her to advance 20 spots to #61. At April’s MAYB Hall of Fame showcase event I reported that she she consistently showed strength and physicality on both ends of the floor, quickness off the bounce, and an ability to finish with either hand. In fact, she would abuse posts who attempted to defend her from the high post by either scoring the mid-range jumper or whipping by them to score with physicality. Defensively, she has good strength and uses her lower body well from behind. She hustles in transition and also will knock down the three ball. Her Western Activities Conference second team selection was well deserved.
Saige Grampsas
Saige
Grampsas
5'6" | PG
Shawnee Mission Northwest | 2022
State
KS
, 5’6″, PG, Shawnee Mission Northwest, KC
Next Level Eclipse
– Grampsas is coming off a strong year that culminated in being selected KBCA 6A honorable mention, Sunflower League third team, and earning a state championship in which she scored 26 points (hitting 8 of 9 FG, 2-3 3s, 8-10 FT and had four assists) against Topeka. Grampsas a strong perimeter shooter but above all is a floor leader with great vision and, as a source told me that sees her play frequently, moxy on both ends. That same source stated she is great at getting the ball down the floor, finds the post and makes good entry passes, is unselfish, and handles well with both hands. Grampsas breaks into the top twenty by advancing 15 spots to #19.
Brooklynn Jones Brooklynn Jones 5'7" | PG Colby | 2022 State KS , 5’8″, SG, Colby, Wheat State Elite – Another player advancing 15 spots is this quick, fast scorer. Blasting into the top fifty to #41, Jones’s shooting, scoring, quickness, and speed with the ball earned her a selection to the Great West Activities Conference first team. It marked the third year in a row of making a all-conference team. Jones has already committed to become a Roadrunner at Metropolitan State College of Denver.
McKenna Vogl
McKenna
Vogl
5'11" | PF
Pretty Prairie | 2022
State
KS
, 6’0″, PF, Pretty Prairie, Western
Kansas Elite
– Vogl moves up 14 spots to #85. The Heart of the Plains League first team selection, who also earned all-league honors in 2020, has been a joy to watch since the start of the 2021 high school season. In seeing her twice during the season as well as at our Battle in the Sunflower circuit event in Wichita I have been impressed at Vogl’s development. One of the top three post-players in her league at the start of the season she is arguably the best now. Not only is she bigger and stronger she moves well into space on the wing well, uses the back cut effectively, has great hands inside as well as in transition, elevates well around the basket, and is a threat to score at all three levels. What separates her from other top bigs is she has a noticeably strong understanding of the game and the versatility to use her strength and abilities well on both ends. One thing I really enjoy watching is how well she seals defenders inside to get the shot she wants off the entry pass.
Featured image: West Franklin and Lady Prospect SF/W Lily Judd Lily Judd 5'10" | SF West Franklin | 2022 State KS . Photo: Prep Girls Hoops.