Winter Rankings: 2024 Small Forwards
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The featured image is of Ava Carter Ava Carter 5'10" | SF Carmel | 2024 State IN (2024) of Carmel High School. The Class of 2024 has a really nice mix of wings, and currently our Top-150 is home to…
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Continue ReadingThe featured image is of Ava Carter Ava Carter 5'10" | SF Carmel | 2024 State IN (2024) of Carmel High School.
The Class of 2024 has a really nice mix of wings, and currently our Top-150 is home to 40 small forward prospects who make up 26.7% of all 2024 prospects ranked in Indiana. Among this group are point forwards, shooters, slashers, multilevel scorers, and talented, versatile athletes. Below is a look at those 40 prospects, as well as some added information and analysis on a handful of girls who have stood out since our last rankings update in September.
Newcomers
Ava Carter
Ava
Carter
5'10" | SF
Carmel | 2024
State
IN
, 2024, 5-10 SF, Carmel H.S.
– When I first saw her during the Summer of 2020, Ava flashed nice potential, skill, and solid understanding of the game. But she needed time to grow into her frame and gain a little strength. Now, she’s a dangerous perimeter shooter who you can’t allow any rhythm, and she looks stronger and more confident on the floor. She has even seen a handful of minutes this year on a talented Carmel roster.
Shena Fleming
Shena
Fleming
5'8" | SF
La Lumiere Prep | 2024
State
IN
, 2024, 5-8 SF, La Lumiere Preparatory
– Shena is a long, wiry-strong, and athletic wing prospect. She moves well in most directions, and she’s somewhat bouncy as well. She is probably still most comfortable as a playmaker off the bounce, but she does a solid job of scoring it via the pull-up or finishing at the rim, plus she is a willing passer who can find open teammates when attacking. She transferred in from Marquette this year.
Becca Gerdt
Becca
Gerdt
6'0" | PF
Valparaiso | 2024
State
IN
, 2024, 5-11 SF, Valparaiso H.S.
– I spoke about Becca over a month ago when previewing these rankings updates, and she continues to make an impact on a highly successful Valparaiso squad that is 13-3 and ranked 20th in the state right now. She is long, fluidly athletic, and skilled, and she is helping the Lady Vikings by way of 9.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.6 steals per game, while also shooting 44% (14-32) from ’3’.
Denyha Jacobs
Denyha
Jacobs
5'7" | SF
Warren Central | 2024
State
IN
, 2024, 5-7 SF, Lawrence Central H.S.
– Denyha has been a key component to Lawrence Central’s improvement over the last couple of seasons. She is a strong, physical wing prospect who likes to play off the bounce. She is a solid North/South athlete who can attack the basket straight-line, but she is also starting to shoot it more consistently from the perimeter. She is averaging 13.7 points per game for the Bears this season.
Riley Whitlock
Riley
Whitlock
6'0" | PF
West Lafayette Harrison | 2024
State
IN
, 2024, 6-0 SF/PF, West Lafayette Harrison H.S.
– Riley popped up on my radar this Winter because of her sudden impact on the Lady Raiders’ lineup. She is a wiry-strong, fairly athletic forward who plays with nice versatility. She is comfortable in the mid-post, but she can also put it on the floor a little or keep defenses honest with an occasional long jumper. She is averaging 10.8 points and 4.9 rebounds per game for Harrison right now.
Stock-Risers
Brooklyn Bell, 2024, 6-1 SF, Greenwood Community H.S.
– Brooklyn is extremely long, fluidly athletic, and bouncy. She flashed a ton of potential when I first saw her during the Summer of 2020, and while she definitely needs to continue adding strength, she is a full-fledged perimeter player at her height. She handles it and creates like a point forward, she shoots it well-enough to keep defenses honest, and she is a versatile defender who can deflect a lot of passes.
Aleyna Quinn
Aleyna
Quinn
5'9" | SF
Castle | 2024
IN
, 2024, 5-9 SF, Castle H.S.
– Upon recommendation a year ago, I added Aleyna’s name to our rankings. She saw some solid minutes as a Varsity Freshman, and she flashed really nice potential. This year, she is averaging 11.1 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, and she’s having a major impact on a solid Castle program. She is a shooter who you must find, but she’s also an athlete who can attack the basket and rebound inside.
Ava Ziolkowski
Ava
Ziolkowski
6'1" | PF
Crown Point | 2024
State
IN
, 2024, 6-1 SF/PF, Crown Point H.S.
– In most programs around the state, Ava would likely be a starter and a go-to performer, but she gives the Bulldogs a legit scoring threat off the bench. She looks a little taller, stronger, and more confident than she did over the Summer, plus she can stick the jumper to 3-point range, she can play in the mid-post, and she has the size to battle inside. I expect a big grassroots season out of her in 2022.
Keep an eye on…
Aniyah Bishop
Aniyah
Bishop
5'10" | SF
Lake Central | 2024
State
IN
, 2024, 5-9 SF, Lake Central H.S.
– Aniyah is a talented athlete, quick, fast, and bouncy, and she plays with a nice motor and toughness. She put together a strong Freshman campaign, but not many people were able to see her last Spring or Summer because of injuries. She’s back and playing even better this year, always giving the Lady Indians a threat attacking the basket. The next step will be to make her perimeter jumper more consistent.
Erica Buening
Erica
Buening
5'9" | PF
Franklin Community | 2024
State
IN
, 2024, 5-8 SF, Franklin Community H.S.
– The Grizzly Cubs have a very talented Sophomore class, and Erica just continues to work at her game and consistently contribute on a regular basis. She has a long, wiry-strong frame, she is a capable perimeter shooter, but she also hustles all over the floor, comes up with loose balls and rebounds, and figures out ways to be productive. She’s averaging 7.7 points per game on a deep Franklin team.
Brylee Delano
Brylee
Delano
5'10" | SF
Evansville Mater Dei | 2024
IN
, 2024, 5-10 SF, Evansville Mater Dei H.S.
– During the Summer of 2020, Brylee was playing at a high level and was already known outside of Evansville. But a couple of years and some nagging injuries later, and she’s finally starting to get back into her comfort zone as a player/prospect. She is a strong, physical wing, with nice touch outside, plus the ability to put it on the floor and create or get to the rim. I am anxious to catch her again this spring.