Leading up to the high school girls basketball season, we featured some players expected to be the best in the nation at their respective positions.
We grouped the superstars by point guards, combo guards, wings, power forwards and centers, then gave fans the chance to vote for the best of the best at each position.
Now we’re going to give some love to 20 players across the country who have raised eyebrows with their strong starts to the 2022-23 season — but don’t have a bunch of stars next to their names in the recruiting world.
It’s an underclassman-heavy list, but we sprinkled in some seniors who are showing out early in their final year of high school basketball.
Who did we miss? Let us know at swanson@scorebooklive.com and back it up with some stats.
After averaging over 28 points per game as a sophomore, Angel has started her junior year even stronger. The 5-foot-7 guard is averaging 30 points per game while shooting over 60% from the field and over 50% from 3-point range.
Aprameyan earned second-team SBLive California all-sophomore honors last year after averaging 24 points, 3.6 steals and three assists per game. The 5-foot-9 guard is off to an even better start as a junior, averaging 33.8 points per game on 57% shooting from the field while playing excellent defense, averaging 5.6 steals.
Burks has been one of the most prolific scorers in the nation this season, putting up 32.9 points per game thus far. She led her squad to the Kiwanis Classic championship last season, and Rice is playing for a repeat today after Burks scored 60 points in the first two rounds.
Cordis has burst onto the scene as a freshman, averaging 28.8 points and eight steals per game through her first eight games. The 5-foot-7 guard had a 31-point, 15-steal game this season.
After earning 6A all-conference and all-state-tournament honors as a freshman, leading Northside to the state championship game, Gooden is back as Northside’s leading scorer as a sophomore. She recently posted pictures of a visit to Oklahoma State, and recruitment of the 6-foot point guard is likely to heat up as her high school career progresses.
Hall is the younger half of a dynamic duo at Laurel, playing alongside senior superstar Mari Bickley. Through eight games, the 5-foot-11 freshman guard leads the team in scoring at 21.6 points per game while shooting 57% from the field.
Harness’ impressive sophomore season ended last year when she broke both of her wrists in a game, but she’s clearly back to 100%. One of the best outside shooters in the state, the 5-foot-8 point guard is averaging 26.3 points and 4.5 assists per game for 15-1 Carroll.
Big sister Stailee is the senior leader and Oklahoma State signee, but Tyla is making huge strides in her junior year playing combo guard. The 6-footer is averaging 15.3 points and 7.7 rebounds per game, including a game-high 23 and 12 in the undefeated Chieftains’ Tournament of Champions title game win in Arkansas.
After a solid freshman year averaging over 16 points per game, King has taken off as a sophomore. The 5-foot-9 guard is averaging 23.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists in leading Lakewood to a 13-2 start.
Landis is the team leader on offense and defense for Scott City, which she led to a 20-win season as a freshman. The 6-foot forward/center is averaging 19.7 points and 11.1 rebounds per game this season.
Lowe has been a scoring machine through 11 games, averaging 25.3 points per game, plus dishing out 4.8 assists per game. The 5-foot-5 point guard has gotten some offers but can expect more as her senior year presses on.
Moultrie, the younger sister of Portland Thorns soccer superstar Olivia Moultrie, is forging her own path early on the basketball court. The 5-foot-7 guard is averaging 22.6 points per game and shooting 40% from 3-point range. She put up 44 points on 23 shots in a game this season.
O’Neal is the school record holder in points and is approaching 2,000 in her career. The 5-foot-8 guard has averaged at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and four steals in every year of her high school career and has been as consistent as ever as a senior.
Senior teammate Madison Booker (Texas signee) gets most of the attention, but Rouser continues to do her thing playing alongside the five-star recruit on one of the best teams in Mississippi. The 6-foot forward is averaging a double-double yet again, putting up 12.1 points and 10.6 rebounds per game, plus three steals.
Shippen is following up her breakout freshman season with a stunning sophomore campaign, averaging 19.6 points, 9.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. The lefty point guard forms quite a backcourt duo with older sister Kysa, a junior.
Stoller is off to a blazing start for 9-1 St. Petersburg, averaging 28.5 points and 6.6 steals per game. The 5-foot-6 point guard has built a reputation as a gym rat, and her Division I recruitment momentum is starting to pick up.
Terry has been a terror down low this season, averaging 21.1 points and 12.9 rebounds in 29 minutes per game. The forward, lauded by her coach for her relentless work ethic, remains undecided on her college choice.
Turner is on fire to start 2022-23, averaging 29.6 points, 7.1 rebounds and six steals per game. Playing alongside her twin sister Ciara, Kiara recently eclipsed 1,000 career points. The 5-foot-9 guard remains uncommitted for college but that could change with the season she’s having.
Her older sister is one of the top-ranked junior recruits in the country and her dad is the head coach, but Xyanna Walton is making a name for herself as a freshman. The 5-foot-11 combo guard is averaging 15.7 points, 8.3 rebounds and six steals per game playing for a Top 25 team in Illinois.
Zubich set the state single-season record for 3-point shooting last year by hitting 137, and she hasn’t missed a beat as a junior. She’s averaging 29.5 points per game and shooting 42% from 3-point range, and interest from Division I programs is starting to take off.
Last March, the New York Times reported that Kai Spears, a walk-on freshman on the University of Alabama men's basketball team, was present at the January shoot
San Diego (Calif.) University City freshman athlete Tay Lockett is one of the region’s top two-way players and has been very active checking out colleges this
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A.J. Hammons’ neighbors aren’t fans of his parties. There is a temporary restraining order in place that prohib
Alaina Harper is officially a Boilermaker and will be joining sister Caitlyn Harper at Purdue next season as a sophomore after playing at Grand Canyon her fr
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/4U7KV4VFFZGWRFNRURB45ZWFCI.jpg)
