Sluconn Husky
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Link to September thread
ESPN/PBR put out it's updated rankings the other day. Shane Laflin breaks down their top two players in the '22, '23, and '24 classes. Outside of Betts (#1 in 2022) the other five are all UConn POI.
This is split over two posts.
G Kiki Rice
Sidwell Friends High School (Washington, D.C.)
espnW 100 ranking: 2
Uncommitted
Rice is one of the most dynamic guards in her class. She has the ball on a string and knows how to get to her spots to score the basketball. Rice quietly goes about her business and, in true competitive fashion, can put her team on her back. Rice has been named the Gatorade Player of the Year in Washington, D.C., for both basketball and soccer.
In August, she was part of the USA 3x3 U18 team that won gold in Debrecen, Hungary, playing alongside top-ranked junior Mikaylah Williams. Although a different style of game, Rice proved to be extremely hard to guard with the spacing the 3x3 game provides. She also won gold with the U16 FIBA Americas USA team in 2019.
Rice has always excelled in transition. In the open court, she has a feel for how to attack the opposing team, whether she drives to the rim or uses her skillful pull-up jumper. She has added more of a 3-point threat to her game, although it is an area of improvement for her to get to the next level. Due to her aggressive scoring nature, teams commit a lot of attention to Rice, which allows her to set up teammates for opportunities as well.
In the half court, Rice's quick first step and explosiveness out of dribble moves and ball screens has always been there. As she looks to add to her game, watch for her to become more adept without the ball in her hands in terms of reading screens or setting up her defender in different actions. As she becomes more efficient in half-court possessions, she can only expand her game even more. With her footwork and instincts for the basketball, she can become an elite defender as well.
G Mikaylah Williams
Parkway High School (Louisiana)
espnW 60 ranking: 1
Uncommitted
We may have a historic battle about who is going to end up the No. 1 player in the 2023 class, and we are more than ready to watch it play out. This class has two of the most complete scoring guards in the country and recent memory, drawing comparisons to the 2020 class battle of Paige Bueckers vs. Caitlin Clark.
Williams put the world on notice when she won the MVP of the FIBA 3X3 U18 World Championship in August. She was the youngest on the four-player roster and proved why she was the best player on the floor. She is strong and fast, and can elevate with the best of them. She has a broad 6-foot frame, and as a multisport athlete (softball and track and field), she has the coordination and footwork that helps her excel on the court and on the field as well.
Skill-wise, she has it all. A natural scorer, she can slide over and play some point guard if her team needs it. Williams has a creative handle and can shake a defender in the open court or in the half court. She can drive and finish with both her left and right hands, and she is a strong, acrobatic finisher in the paint and at the rim.
Williams knows when to pull up for the jumper and when to use her frame and footwork to get to her spot for closer scoring opportunities. Because she is the focus of opposing defenses, she sees a lot of early help and double teams, and she is precise with when and where to distribute the ball to teammates.
What makes Williams so complete is that she is also a lockdown defender. Her effort and focus both on and off the ball set her apart from her peers and have her more college ready than anyone in her class. Her strength and nose for the ball allow her to rebound against the bigs and start the break instantly.
In April, the only moderate concern was her consistency and confidence from the 3-point line. By July, she erased that, stroking shots from deep with ease, either off the catch or off the dribble. That was clearly on display at the Premier Basketball Super 64 Championship game vs. No. 3-ranked junior Ciera Toomey and her NEPA Elite squad. By halftime, Williams had 20 points, including multiple 3s. The challenges that face her will be how she handles the attention of being in the No. 1 spot. But as a humble worker, she should be just fine.
www.espn.com
ESPN/PBR put out it's updated rankings the other day. Shane Laflin breaks down their top two players in the '22, '23, and '24 classes. Outside of Betts (#1 in 2022) the other five are all UConn POI.
This is split over two posts.
G Kiki Rice
Sidwell Friends High School (Washington, D.C.)
espnW 100 ranking: 2
Uncommitted
Rice is one of the most dynamic guards in her class. She has the ball on a string and knows how to get to her spots to score the basketball. Rice quietly goes about her business and, in true competitive fashion, can put her team on her back. Rice has been named the Gatorade Player of the Year in Washington, D.C., for both basketball and soccer.
In August, she was part of the USA 3x3 U18 team that won gold in Debrecen, Hungary, playing alongside top-ranked junior Mikaylah Williams. Although a different style of game, Rice proved to be extremely hard to guard with the spacing the 3x3 game provides. She also won gold with the U16 FIBA Americas USA team in 2019.
Rice has always excelled in transition. In the open court, she has a feel for how to attack the opposing team, whether she drives to the rim or uses her skillful pull-up jumper. She has added more of a 3-point threat to her game, although it is an area of improvement for her to get to the next level. Due to her aggressive scoring nature, teams commit a lot of attention to Rice, which allows her to set up teammates for opportunities as well.
In the half court, Rice's quick first step and explosiveness out of dribble moves and ball screens has always been there. As she looks to add to her game, watch for her to become more adept without the ball in her hands in terms of reading screens or setting up her defender in different actions. As she becomes more efficient in half-court possessions, she can only expand her game even more. With her footwork and instincts for the basketball, she can become an elite defender as well.
G Mikaylah Williams
Parkway High School (Louisiana)
espnW 60 ranking: 1
Uncommitted
We may have a historic battle about who is going to end up the No. 1 player in the 2023 class, and we are more than ready to watch it play out. This class has two of the most complete scoring guards in the country and recent memory, drawing comparisons to the 2020 class battle of Paige Bueckers vs. Caitlin Clark.
Williams put the world on notice when she won the MVP of the FIBA 3X3 U18 World Championship in August. She was the youngest on the four-player roster and proved why she was the best player on the floor. She is strong and fast, and can elevate with the best of them. She has a broad 6-foot frame, and as a multisport athlete (softball and track and field), she has the coordination and footwork that helps her excel on the court and on the field as well.
Skill-wise, she has it all. A natural scorer, she can slide over and play some point guard if her team needs it. Williams has a creative handle and can shake a defender in the open court or in the half court. She can drive and finish with both her left and right hands, and she is a strong, acrobatic finisher in the paint and at the rim.
Williams knows when to pull up for the jumper and when to use her frame and footwork to get to her spot for closer scoring opportunities. Because she is the focus of opposing defenses, she sees a lot of early help and double teams, and she is precise with when and where to distribute the ball to teammates.
What makes Williams so complete is that she is also a lockdown defender. Her effort and focus both on and off the ball set her apart from her peers and have her more college ready than anyone in her class. Her strength and nose for the ball allow her to rebound against the bigs and start the break instantly.
In April, the only moderate concern was her consistency and confidence from the 3-point line. By July, she erased that, stroking shots from deep with ease, either off the catch or off the dribble. That was clearly on display at the Premier Basketball Super 64 Championship game vs. No. 3-ranked junior Ciera Toomey and her NEPA Elite squad. By halftime, Williams had 20 points, including multiple 3s. The challenges that face her will be how she handles the attention of being in the No. 1 spot. But as a humble worker, she should be just fine.
Meet the No. 1 recruits in each class - and the prospects on their tails
Who are the top-ranked prospects in each women's college basketball recruiting class? And can anyone catch them?
www.espn.com
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