2023 Rankings Update: Top Power Forwards
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The Class of 2023 has officially started their senior year of high school and they’ve been practicing as they prepare to play their final season of high school basketball. This class boasts some of the top scorers in the state…
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Continue ReadingThe Class of 2023 has officially started their senior year of high school and they’ve been practicing as they prepare to play their final season of high school basketball. This class boasts some of the top scorers in the state and a ton of talented players that are committed to play at the next level. These power forwards have impressive resumes already, but are still looking to finish their careers strong. Let’s take a look at those players and what they bring to the court.
Byars is actually more of a guard than a forward, but regardless, she’s one of the top players in the class and would find herself at the top of the list for any position. What she brings to the floor is invaluable. She literally contributes in every way you could want from a player. Byars is an excellent defender. She stays in front and is a phenomenal shot blocker. She also gets out into the passing lanes and uses her length to get steals. Byars averaged 15.1 ppg last season, but that number is deceiving because she’d easily average 20+ if she wasn’t such an unselfish player or if she didn’t have so much talent around her. However, GRC is loaded with talent and she creates for her teammates really well. Byars will definitely have an argument for Miss Kentucky Basketball at the end of this season.
Tisdale deserves a lot more recognition for what she brings on the court. She plays for a really impressive Bowling Green team that boasts multiple D-I players, and yet, Tisdale leads the team in both scoring and rebounding (15.5 ppg and 7.3 rpg). Her field goal percentage last season was incredible as well as she shot 58.2% overall and 31.6% from 3. Tisdale is a smart and athletic player. She can really elevate to get blocks and steals. She makes strong drives to the basket and she consistently posts up strong. Tisdale finishes well on both sides of the rim. She also stretches the defense with her ability to knock down shots. She is one of the most productive players I’ve seen both inside and outside of the perimeter.
Lind is another versatile player that makes stuff happen both inside and out. Defensively, she fights for positioning down low and really makes it tough on the offense to get the ball into the post. She uses her length to get deflections and steals as well. On the other side of the floor, Lind is an excellent scorer. Cooper has a lot of talented players on their roster, but Lind has consistently led them in scoring and rebounding which speaks volumes about her skills. Last season, she averaged 16.7 ppg and 6.4 rpg. She helped lead her team to the Final 4 of the KHSAA State Tournament as well. Lind can score at all 3 levels and is definitely a player to watch for this season, along with her Cooper team.
Douglas is one of the best defenders around. She can shut down even the best players because of how hard she works. She stays in front and can really block shots. She also gets into the passing lanes to come up with steals. Douglas is able to guard any position effectively as well. She works to get rebounds and makes things extremely hard on opposing teams. She can handle the ball well and she makes strong drives to the rim offensively. Douglas can finish on both sides of the basket and she can shift her body to finish in creative ways. She also has a variety of moves she can use on her drives. Central is definitely a team to watch for this season and Douglas will be a major contributor for the Yellow Jackets.
Thomas is a really solid overall player. She has excellent length and she uses it well. As a defender, she does a great job of staying straight up to get blocks without fouling. She moves and tends to be in perfect help positions. Thomas can definitely put the ball in the basket offensively as well. She has a great shot and she can knock down jumpers from anywhere on the floor. Thomas has some solid post moves down low as well and if she has a smaller player on her, she does a great job finishing over them. She led Henderson County last season after averaging 14.4 ppg and 8 rpg. Don’t be surprised to see her average a double-double in her senior season.