Search
Matchups Matter
-
June 2, 2021As we enter the meat of the club season schedule, Premier Basketball wanted to highlight some of the must see players amongst the nation’s elite. When Premier Basketball Director Shane Laflin introduced the idea of The PRIME event, his intent was to turn the subjective nature of team and individual comparisons into actual matchups for objective observation wherever possible. The shoe circuit teams predominately play against others of the same circuit by the nature of their respective schedule(s). The intent of The PRIME event Series is to create the Premier Matchups from each shoe circuit as well as independent clubs that in-turn create the individual matchups within the team settings that everyone in the industry wants to see. Although individual rankings are not of the utmost importance in terms of development, they are an integral part of the basketball community amongst fans and coaches as they are a competitive talking point and that is an important part of the sports community.
These MATCHUPS MATTER because these players want to be prepared for the next level. The intensity and competitiveness in which these games tend to be played is a glimpse into what it is like in college. 10 college level players on the floor at any given time leaves little room for error or less than stellar effort. On a day-to-day basis in college (including PRACTICE) this is the norm. These matchups are true measuring sticks for players and teams. They give a fair assessment and they lessen the comparative talk and the focus simply becomes: Who WINS and advances?
Contrary to popular opinion amongst the less experienced or wise, losing and failing are necessary elements of growth and development. You have to seek out opportunities for growth if you are amongst the elite. These players, coaches, and teams all talk about excellence, and the idea of being elite. Well, here is the test. Here is the proving ground. Here is your stage. The court is yours. The ball is in your hands.
MATCHUPS MATTER
2023: Mikayla Williams vs Milaysia Fulwiley (pictured below) .. who doesn't want to see that? Brittany Graham
2022 Class
espnW 2022 Rankings
Guards
Who is the top 2022 guard in the country? An interesting question for sure and one that will be answered as the club season plays out culminating in The PRIME event in late August. Kiki Rice (Fairfax Stars/Nike GEYBL) stakes claim as possibly the most complete PG in the class. Rice has all the makings of elite playmaking guard at the collegiate level. Chance Gray (Sports City U/Independent) has a serious combination of “wheels” and skill. A dynamic guard in the class, Gray is being hotly pursued by many of the top college programs in the country. Aaliyah Gayles (West Coast United/Adidas) is also in the conversation as the best guard in the national class. Gayles is a superiorly skilled athlete and quite possibly the best on-ball perimeter defender of the group. Londynn Jones (Cal Sparks/Nike GEYBL) is a UCLA commit who is as offensively gifted and is as natural a pure scorer as any guard in the national class.
Forwards/Bigs
The 2022 class is loaded with size and skill. Stanford commit Lauren Betts (Colorado Premier/Nike GEYBL) is 6-foot-7 with an elite combination of size and skill, all of which point to an extremely promising career. Janiah Barker (Essence/Nike GEYBL) has a versatile offensive game and her natural athletic gifts make her a matchup nightmare for opposing teams. UCONN commit Ayanna Patterson (Ohio United/Adidas) is quite possibly the best pure athlete in the class. Patterson’s burgeoning offensive skill grows incrementally each time we see her. Patterson has the ability to become a lockdown defender at both the college and professional levels. Oregon State commit Timea Gardiner (NWBA Elite/Adidas) has been a main stay at the top of the 2022 national class her entire scholastic career. Gardiner is as skilled as any forward in the class with the ability to score from all levels or create for others as she is an excellent decision-maker with the ball. UCONN commit Isuneh “Ice” Brady (Cal Sparks/Nike GEYBL) is the “baby bull” of the class who uses her strength to create scoring opportunities at the rim and for rebounding on the glass. Brady has a soft touch out to the pinch post and a high-end competitive motor that never stops. Arizona commit Maya Nnaji (FBC North/Independent) is 6-foot-4 with guard skills. Her ability to shoot the 3, post up, or create her own shot off the bounce is eye-catching. Oregon State commit Reagan Beers (Hardwood Elite/Adidas) is a force on both ends of the floor. Coming back from a knee injury, Beers seems to be bouncier than she was pre-injury. Beers’ ability to score both in post-up situations and from the three point line makes her one of the most well rounded players in the class. She may be the best passing big amongst the 2022’s. Ashlyn Watkins (FBC/Under Armour) is an elite athlete with a huge upside. She is an elite defender and rebounder. Watkins continues to improve her ability to score the basketball. Grace Van Slooten (Sports City U/Independent) is a supremely skilled forward with a terrific stroke. Van Slooten is instant offense every time she touches the ball as she is very aggressive and confident.
2022: Imagine Ayanna Patterson vs Janiah Barker. Brendan Bowen
2023 Ashlynn Shade (right) is as competitive as they come. She is hungry for the matchups. Brittany Graham
2022 Matchup Dream: Ashlyn Watkins vs Raegan Beers (pictured below). Brittany Graham
2023 ClassespnW 2023 Rankings
Guards
Judea “Juju” Watkins (Cal Swish/Nike GEYBL) has all the answers from size to skill to athleticism. Watkins is a 3-level scorer who can put up huge scoring numbers and get buckets in waves. Milaysia Fulwiley (FBC/Under Armour) is the top point guard in the national class. A playmaker extraordinaire, Fulwiley makes the game look easy when the ball is in her hands. Mikaylah Williams (Arkansas Mavs/Independent) is an extremely skilled and gifted athlete. With a college ready body as a sophomore in high school, Williams uses her strength to power through defenders on her way to the basket. Williams is an elite passer with a terrific feel for the game. Ashlynn Shade (Indy Lady Gym Rats/Nike GEYBL) is a fiery competitor with translatable skills. Shade is a jump shot-making playmaker deluxe, who loves the thrill of competition.
Forwards/Bigs
This is a big summer for the posts as potential and projection can only carry them so long. It is time for them to show added strength, skill, and dominance inside.
Breya Cunningham (Cal Stars/Nike GEYBL) is an offensive force in the paint. Cunningham uses her elite strength and skill to punish defenders down low. Cunningham has a nice touch out to the pinch post. Sammie Wagner (San Antonio Finest/Adidas) has been the toast of Texas for years. Blessed with elite size and skill, Wagner will be hotly pursued after reopening her recruiting. Letycia Vasconcelos (FBC/Under Armour) is an elite big in the class. At 6-foot-7 with a strong frame, Vasconcelos (as she returns from a knee injury) is just beginning to scratch the surface as an elite finisher on the offensive end and rim protector on the defensive end. Aalyah Del Rosario (New Heights/Independent) is another elite big in the class. As with most young bigs, Del Rosario is still in the development phase. At 6-foot-6 with good hands and feet, the sky is the limit for Del Rosario. Ciera Toomey (NEPA/Independent) is the skyrocketing find of the 2023 national class thus far. At 6-foot-4 and extremely skilled, Toomey’s name is making the rounds of college coaches across the nation. Look for Toomey to rise among the national ranks as time goes on.
2023 Milaysia Wiley Brittany Graham
2024 Dream Matchup: Taliyah Parker (above) vs Joyce Edwards. Brittany Graham
2022 Raegan Beers Brittany Graham
2022 Dream Matchup: Kiki Rice (above) vs Aaliyah Gayles (NV) vs Chance Gray (OH). SHE GOT GAME CLASSIC
2024 Class
espnW 2024 Rankings
Guards
As the 2024 class begins to take shape, the battle for the top spot in the class will heat up this summer. Joyce Edwards (FBC/Under Armour) is an impressive athlete with a blend of size and skill. Edwards’ motor really stands out as she is in constant motion on both ends of the floor. Taliyah Parker (Banshees/Adidas) is a gifted three-level scorer who plays with high energy. Parker is aggressive on the offensive end and shows signs of being an elite perimeter defender. Kendall Dudley (Team Durant/Independent) is in the same mold of Edwards. Dudley has a natural feel for the game and versatility on both ends of the floor with an all-around foundation of fundamentals. Kiyomi McMiller (Fairfax Stars/Nike GEYBL) is as skilled a point guard as there is in the class. McMiller is a blur, who is nearly impossible for defenders to stay in front of one on one. Madison McDaniel (Team Takover/Nike GEYBL) is a high-level point guard who attacks the paint relentlessly. McDaniel is an active and disruptive perimeter defender. However, she will miss this summer with a knee injury. Ava Watson (FBC/Under Armour) is an elite athlete with solid fundamentals and a really nice stroke from 3. Watson shows the makings of an elite perimeter defender. Olivia Olson (Minnesota Fury/Under Armour) is a highly skilled big guard. Olson is a confident shooter and passer who makes good decisions with the ball. Jaloni Cambridge (FBC/Under Armour) is an electric point guard that has ball on string. She makes terrific decisions and is a natural floor leader.
Forwards/Bigs
Blanca Thomas (Lady Attack Elite/Independent) is the top true center of the class early on. Thomas has excellent mobility and soft hands at 6-foot-5. Thomas is just starting to scratch the surface in terms of her skill level and will be a name to know on the national scene for years to come. Sarah Strong (Lady Strong/Independent) is one of the most intriguing players in the class. Strong is 6-foot-2 with a deft outside touch from 3. Strong can handle it and pass it, making her one of the more difficult matchups in the class. Ella Hobbs (FBC/Under Armour) is a naturally strong-framed post with soft hands and touch in the paint and beyond. Hobbs is a physical rebounder and defender with a nice natural feel as a passer both on the block in the high post. Tahj Bloom (Mac Irvin/Independent) is a 6-foot-3 skilled forward. Bloom’s ability to create her own off the bounce while using an array of jabs and shot fakes separate her from the pack. Bloom is a high-energy rebounder and defender. Mackenly Randolph (Cal Swish/Nike GEYBL) is the daughter of longtime NBA veteran Zach Randolph. Much like her father, Randolph is hard-working rebounder and defender who really competes on both ends of the floor. Randolph has a developing offensive repertoire with a soft touch and natural feel for the game.
We are all so excited to get back out to full gyms in the coming months. From the last-second game deciders, to the controversial calls, to the shooter catching fire from 3 – WE CANT WAIT!!! Whether a team is playing on a shoe circuit or in high-level tournaments as an independent, Premier Basketball will be out evaluating – searching for the cream of the respective crops. This will be an exciting summer full of basketball, culminating in The PRIME event August 21 – 22 in Mansfield, TX featuring the elite of the elite in a bracket where the best of the best make it through. Test yourself before then, because it gets REAL…
MATCHUPS MATTER
2023 Sammie Wagner can matchup with players all over the floor. Brittany Graham
2023 Matchup that Matters: Ciera Toomey (left) vs Sammie Wagner (pictured above). Scranton Times Tribune
