- Bell, Nicole ( Indian Hill 5-4 guard )
Very intelligent highly skilled guard that can really shoot the basketball. When she is left open it is almost automatic. Can shoot the three from two to three feet behind the arch. Decent shot off the dribble, but much more effective in catch and shoot mode. Nice handles with both hands and is a very good passer. Because of her great understanding of the game she is very crafty offensively. Basketball IQ is extremely high. Not fast but very quick, and in basketball it is better to be quick than fast. Nicole is a very competitive person and always wants to be the best kid on the court. Early in her career had a problem with playing big in gig games, but that is not the case anymore. She is definitely a gamer now. She needs to get stronger on defense on and off the ball to improve her stock. Nicole is the female version of Steve Nash of The Phoenix Suns.
- Blomer, Molly ( Lakota East 5-10 forward )
Molly is without a doubt the best shooting forward in this class. Very good at making shots from all spots on the floor. Excellent three point shooter, and has a nice jump hook which is a rarity these days. In order to improve offensively Molly has to get better at creating her own shot, and she needs to elevate more on her shots (Jump Hook). She, by far, is not the quickest kid in the gym, but her competitiveness makes up for her lack of speed. Very tough player, who will not back down from anyone. Also does not mind at all doing all of the dirty work (i.e. diving for loose ball etc…) Molly’s glaring weakness is defense, and foot speed, not effort keeps her from being the defender she should be. She is the female version of Brad Miller who played for the Chicago Bulls
- Carter, Casey ( Georgetown 5-10 )
Nice size combo guard that can really get it done. Can hit the three off the dribble, which is rare for high school kids, or can knock it down off the pass. Very good at attacking the rim and scoring the basketball. Nice handles with either hand and very good passer as well. If this kid played in the GMC, she would be more of a household name in women’s high school basketball. Solid defender on and off the ball and good at getting her hands on the basketball. The only question is similar to the Boise State and TCU question. How would she fair against the top competition. Obviously we think she would be just fine. The female version of Stephen Jackson of the Charlotte Bobcats.
- Gaffney, Raeshawn (Fairfield 5-8 Combo Guard )
Three words….HIGH VOLUME SCORER. Raeshawn can reel off a lot of points in a short period of time at almost any time. She has to be the best scoring guard in recent history in the Cincinnati Girls basketball. She is deadly when allowed to dribble twice to the right and elevate over defenders. Very nice midrange game from anywhere on the floor. In transition she is almost guaranteed to score. Very explosive going to the rim and very determined to score the basketball. What I like about her most is as she is maturing she is becoming more of a complete player. She is sharing the ball more and learning how to play without the ball in her hands. To improve offensively she has to get more consistent from the three point line and also has to improve making plays going left. Honestly I am really splitting hairs here. Defensively Raeshawn is very under rated. She is good on the ball, but like most High School kids she has to improve off the ball. She is the female version of Ben Gordon of the Detroit Pistons, or Vinnie “The Microwave” Johnson for you old school fans.
- Glover, Brianna ( Mason 6-0 Wing Forward )
Physically , although she is not the biggest kid in the world she has the potential to be the most complete player in the class. Very long and athletic. Long strides and can just glide up and down the floor. Can guard anyone from the 2 to the 5. Very good at altering shots and blocking shots. Very good feet, and very good instincts. Offensively Brianna can be as good as she wants to be but she has to get far more aggressive. At times she stands and watches to much. She can make open threes, and is good at scoring in that midrange area. Good enough handles to do what she needs to do, but has to improve going left. There is no reason why this kid should not average 15 to 17 points a game and 8 to 10 rebounds. The sky is the limit for this kid. She is the female version of Channing Frye of the Phoenix Suns.
- Grevencamp, Alyssa ( Lakota East 5-10 Wing Guard )
Definitely the best basketball instincts of anyone in this class. Just a natural. Has a funky looking shot, like she is drawing from a holster, but is deadly from the three point line. Nice handles, but has to get stronger with the basketball. Has to get better at handling the ball in traffic or against pressure. Can pass the ball extremely well in all situations and will occasionally hit you with a no look pass. Very good rebounder despite her slight frame. She is not afraid to get in there and mix it up. Just has a knack for the basketball. Defensively she is very good at getting in the passing lanes and getting her hands on balls. To improve, She has to get better on the ball, and better at stopping dribble penetration. She is the female version of Rudy Hernandez of the Portland Trail Blazers and at times will make you think of “Pistol” Pete Maravich old school New Orleans Jazz .
- Harper, Shelly (Colerain 6-0 Forward )
Very similar to Brianna Glover relative to her height and athletic ability. Very good athlete, who 85% of the time will be a better athlete than the person who is guarding her. The major difference between her and Brianna Glover is She is more of a face up 4 who can run the floor very well and finish at the rim, than a legit wing player. She can play the three position in certain situations. Very good at finishing in transition and has very good post moves. She also can make shots up to 12 -15 feet away from the rim. Defensive she has a very high motor and she can guard the 2 thru the 5. Can rebound the ball fairly well, but could be better. To improve as a player, she has to improve her basketball IQ. She knows how to, but does not always understand when to. She is the female version of JJ Hickson of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
- Jones, Sheira ( Colerain 5-9 Wing Guard)
Probably the strongest player in this class regardless of position. Very physical player who is just a lock down defender. She is absolutely not scared of anyone. She can guard almost anyone at anytime. Very good feet on defense, and equally good on or off the ball. Also a good rebounder when she sets her mind to it. Offensive when given open looks can knock down the three, but is much more effective at operating in the midrange area. Can get to the rim in transition, or in half court sets on both sides of the court. Because of her strength she can be equally effective playing the 2 or the 3 at a high level. Can just post up smaller guards and abuse them. Very good understanding of the game and one of the hardest working kids you will ever meet. It is not uncommon for her to spend 3 to 4 hours a day in the gym whenever she can. She is the female version of Ron Artest of the LA Lakers.
- Kliest, Kari ( Sycamore 6-2 Post ) Very long, and lanky true post player.
At first glance she may appear a little awkward, but she is fairly athletic. I have to be honest, this kid was not on the original list, but after seeing her play a few times I could not justify leaving her off the list. Despite her thin frame she plays very tough in the post. She does a very good job of establishing position in the paint, and demanding the ball. She has decent post moves and finishes well around the rim with either hand. She can also step out to the 12 to 15 foot range and knock down shots. Defensively, she does a good job of altering and blocking shots. She knows how to use her long frame extremely well and she does a decent job on the boards. She definitely has to get stronger, and she would do herself some justice by adding 15 to 20 pounds to her frame. She is the female version of Pau Gasol of the LA Lakers.
- Pavlik, Chloe ( Sycamore 5-9 Combo Guard Verballed to University of Maryland)
Very very intelligent player, who can be very effective playing either guard position. Because of her high IQ and leadership ability the point would seem to be ideal for her. The ultimate team leader who truly knows what it means to be a team player. Very solid player, nothing fancy just gets the job done. Can shoot the three, or shoot off the dribble. Very nice passer, and has very nice handles as well. It is very hard to find any negatives in this player’s game. If anything maybe to unselfish. Looks forward to challenges and uses them as motivation. Very solid on defense and plays on or off the ball equally effective. Very competitive person and also a natural gym rat. Spends countless hours in the gym working to perfect her game. The better the competition the better she plays, and also the better her teammates are the more effective she is. She is the female version of Derron Williams of the Utah Jazz.
- Rucker, Breanna ( Princeton 5-10 Wing Forward)
Very athletic wing player who may not score a ton , but does all of the things that make teams win. Very tough mentally, and does not mind sacrificing her own personal stats for the betterment of the team. Does all of the dirty work, rebound, get on the floor for loose balls, set screens, etc. Excellent defender who can guard the 1 thru the 4 positions. Offensively she has a nice shot off the dribble or when her feet are set. She shoots the ball good enough that her shot has to be respected, but not good enough where one would design a defense to stop her. Personally I wish she would look to score more because I am certain she has that ability. Breanna is the female version of Shane Battier of the Houston Rockets.
- Shaw, Tazzie ( Lakota East 5-11 Forward)
Extremely talented player who can be as good as she sets her mind to be. Very good athlete with a nice strong basketball frame. Excellent leaper and very nice hands. She has the rare ability to just jump over the top of people and make plays. Very good, strong rebounder. Nice shot with her feet set out to the three point line. She is better offensively facing the basket than playing with her back to the basket, hence she is also good at attacking the basket going either direction. One of those players who has the ability to get the rebound and go coast to coast and make plays. Defensively she is a very physical player who does not shy away from contact. This gets her in trouble as she tends to foul to much being overly aggressive. The keys to her improving as a player are knowing when and when not to be aggressive defensively, and raising her release point on her shot, and using her body to create space for herself offensively. Tazzie is the female version of David West of the New Orleans Hornets.
- Stokes, Chanel ( 5-4 Winton Woods Point Guard )
Lightening quick, ultra fast point guard who just continues to improve every year. She is in a knockdown drag-out fight for the pound for pound champ in the 2012 class with Nicole Bell. If she was 5-10 she would be incredible. I believe it is impossible to stay in front of her ( just ask MND as she torched them for 25 in the tournament last year.) Very good at getting to the basket and very good at scoring the basketball. Nice midrange shot, and decent from the three point line with her feet set. Very good leader. On her AAU team she is without a doubt the glue that holds everything together. Very nice handles and constantly improving when it comes to decision making. Defensively she can guard 94 feet with ease. She is just like a pesky little fly or mosquito. Much better on the ball, but not shabby off the ball either. To improve her game, she needs to improve her three point shooting, and cut down on her turnover to assist ratio. She is the female version of Earl Boykins who played with a host of NBA teams.
- Wrencher, Olivia. ( Lakota West 6-1 Post Player. )
The best true post player in this class in Cincinnati. Physically the most imposing player in the city. A Lefty who has nice post moves and who finishes well at the rim. If there is any kid that should just be dominating girls basketball in Cincinnati, this is the one. She is bigger than everybody, as athletic as any true post, and as skilled as any post. At times it appears as if she plays like she is scared she is going to her someone. She is a good rebounder. Runs the floor well and has good knowledge of the game. Defensively she does a nice job of making her presence felt. She can alter and block shots good, just not as good as she should. Hopefully very soon the light will go off and she will dominate the city like she is very capable of. To improve her game she just needs to be more aggressive both offensively and defensively. If she just does this she will be amazed at how successful she would be. She also has to improve at attacking the right side of the basket. Olivia is the female version of Eric Dampier of the Miami Heat or old school Joe Barry Carroll of the Golden State Warriors.
- Wycoff, Whitney ( Lakota East 5-9 Wing Guard )
Very smooth playing left handed guard that is deceptively quick. She just might be the best player on a very talented Lakota East basketball team(4 kids in the 2012 Finest Fifteen). Has a very good first step. Has a very nice three point and mid range shot. She is very good attacking the basket when she has the ball in her left hand. Has very good body control. I have seen her time and again use her body to shed defenders and score in traffic. Can score very good in transition and also in half court sets. She is very crafty with the ball. Everyone knows she is going left, everyone tries to stop her from going left, but she always seems to end up beating people time after time going left. Has decent handles, but obviously she is very left hand dominate. She would be very hard to stop if she used her right hand more. Offensively at times she has problems with pressure, but she is skilled enough that this should not be a long term problem. Defensively she is decent, but improvement is needed both on and off the ball. Footwork is good, but sometimes she gets caught watching the ball and she loses the person she is guarding. She is the female version of Jeff Hornachek old school New Orleans / Utah Jazz.
*******Finest Players to watch in the 2012 Class who almost made the list**********
Jazmine Hays (MND, Post Player)
Mariah Gador (Turpin, Wing Player)
Alexus Newbolt ( Sycamore, Guard)
Kaitlyn Pennekamp (Ross, Guard)
Shabazz/Summer Reeves (Lakota West, Guard)
Morgan Walcott (Milford, Guard)
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