It's funny when a particular fan base accuses ESPN of being corrupt and bias...only...and again...only....if their players are being ranked lower. The fact that it is subjective is true but ESPN has done a pretty good job over the years ranking classes and the actual results of those classes. I would argue the same could be said about the individual player rankings. The rankings are not going to effect the players talent once they take the floor in college, nor is it going to effect the teams performance they join if they get bumped lower. It will be what it is in the end. Look back at the player rankings over the years and you will see consistent evaluations across the board. You could probably re-rank them in 5 years and see some discrepancies, but most will be very close to their last original rankings.
You know not of what you speak.You sir/madam are talking about what makes US business the success it is.
Nice work!
Middletown is in the smaller school division of the Central Maryland Conference so many of Middletown's opponents are lesser competition. Middletown plays these schools on a home and away schedule. They also play the larger school division teams once a year, which is tougher competition. Add in holiday tourney teams and other one-of games (like Mir's team last season) and they probably play 2/3 of the schedule against lesser teams.
The ability to influence rankings with money, sneaker companies or networks is being highly overstated here as it relates to women's basketball. The overwhelming majority (>99%) of top 250 players (including Paige) earn their ranking legitimately by busting their behinds in the gym. There are "affiliation" of sneaker companies with AAU teams. Nike (EYBL), Under Armour, Addidas have circuits which are a series of national level tournaments. Mostly everyone has read the stories of corruption and illegal payments by these sneaker companies to players and their relatives. I'm afraid many might be projecting (assuming?) what is happening in the men's game is also happening in the Women's game. Both Paige, Christyn Williams, and ONO ( before the injury) solidified their #1 spot by playing USA basketball. USA basketball is Nike affiliated.
Please double check Caroline I believe Prospect Nation has her at 23 not 2 .
| Composite Ranking | HG Rank | Player | Composite Score | Committed | Position |
1 | 1 | Azzi Fudd | 1 | None | G |
2 | 3 | Saniya Rivers | 4.5 | South Carolina | G |
3 | 8 | Olivia Miles | 4.7 | Notre Dame | PG |
4 | 6 | Aaliyah Moore | 5.7 | Texas | F |
5 | 15 | Amari DeBerry | 7.3 | UConn | F |
6 | 4 | Sania Feagin | 8.7 | South Carolina | F |
7 | 12 | Payton Verhulst | 9 | Louisville | G |
8 | 11 | Brooke Demetre | 9.7 | Stanford | W |
9 | 5 | Caroline Ducharme | 11.7 | UConn | G |
10 | 2 | Raven Johnson | 14.3 | South Carolina | PG |
11 | 10 | Rori Harmon | 15 | Texas | PG |
12 | 30 | Saylor Poffenbarger | 15.3 | UConn | G |
13 | 17 | Kayla McPherson | 16.3 | North Carolina | PG |
14 | 9 | Teonni Key | 16.7 | North Carolina | W |
15 | 19 | Okikiola Iriafen | 17 | Stanford | F |
16 | 7 | Jersey Wolfenbarger | 17.71 | Arkansas | PG |
17 | 29 | Taylor Bigby | 17.72 | Oregon | G |
18 | 27 | Rayah Marshall | 18.7 | None | G |
19 | 24 | Kyndall Hunter | 20.7 | None | PG |
20 | 16 | Sonia Citron | 21 | Notre Dame | G |
21 | 32 | Greta Kampschroeder | 22 | Oregon State | G |
22 | 21 | Clarice Akunwafo | 24 | USC | P |
23 | 23 | Damiya Hagemann | 26 | None | PG |
24 | 31 | O'Mariah Gordon | 28 | None | PG |
25 | 37 | Jillian Hollingshead | 29 | None | F |
26 | Ava Learn | 29.1 | |||
27 | 34 | Reigan Richardson | 33.3 | Georgia | G |
28 | 87 | Jada Walker | 44.3 | Kentucky | PG |
29 | 99 | Macie James | 53.5 | Oklahoma State | G |
30 | 57 | Sacha Washington | 55.5 | Purdue | F |
Prospects Nation appears to have given up on their rankings for the most part. They stopped adding commitments and they also are yet to make a '22 list.
Our trust in CD and Geno is what must be separated from this current discussion. The ranking do not need to be ignored. The ranking are a fun discussion and I would disagree that they have little meaning to UCONN WCBB. When was the last time UCONN WCBB was not interested in or recruiting the #1 player in a HS class?
For the schools recruiting in that 40-80 range, the player pool that they're drawing from is so closely bunched talent wise that the amateur gurus can't tell them apart any better than we can. They have enough trouble settling on their top 50s let alone splitting hairs on kids in the 100-150 range. The 40-80 range schools are recruiting the way they always have, regionally. They drive to their region's AAU tournaments and HSs and use their eyes. And they do have trusted circles of HS coaches and others who tip them off to kids that may be able to play at their level. Beyond the last 10 years or so, only a small handful of schools had large recruiting budgets for WBB.
In fact I’d take the bolded above a step further and say they mean absolutely nothing to Connecticut recruiting. I’d be willing to bet Geno doesn’t even glance at ‘experts’ rankings, never mind put any stock in them
Alydar, and isn't it sad that a wearing apparel that I paid two dollars for (high top sneakers) when I was so much younger, has beyond quadrupled, surpassing food items, furniture, kitchen utensils, and just about any other product sold in the fifties. Sadder still is that companies like Nike and Adidas, who so publicly support social changes, are making their fortunes off of children and young adults by selling them shoes made in third world countries for a small fraction of their cost. And the saddest part of all of this is that parents continue to pay hundreds of dollars for these cloth and rubber objects simply because they have an athletes name attached to them.I think they earn their money with detailed individual scouting reports paid for by either the parents or the colleges. Coaches that don't have 6 figure recruiting budgets probably have to rely on these reports and their own networks to find players. So a rater shouldn't last long giving out BS advise.
But the shoe connection gave me a thought that maybe in the recruit's bio they should list the shoe of her HS/AAU teams and the shoe company of the schools recruiting her. It might help in predicting choices.
Geno has a very reliable network of people providing him information about recruits. Some of these very reliable people are also in the rankings business. Nika Muhl first came to Geno's attention through this path. To your point, ultimately Geno trust his own eye more than anyone else. The rankings are data and while Geno is never going to be pouring over a rankings list the data might be helpful if for example you are going to stop pursuing a guard to go after IDK say Nika or Kia Nurse.
Yeah, I realize that Saylor can't do anything about Middletown's schedule. Saylor also has played on some AAU teams that did well. On Team USA, she was in the top 6 in most statistical categories. If there is a season, I expect Saylor to be the best player in Maryland, even better than those in Baltimore and the D.C. suburbs.
The best thing Saylor could have done was transfer to a powerhouse program like Riverdale Baptist. Many players from public schools have gone this route. But compared to other public school systems, Frederick County is probably 7th/8th on the list in the state of Maryland.
I think the best thing Saylor did was catch the eye of the UConn staff without transferring. Who da thunk
