Photos by MaxPreps photographers / Graphic by SocialRecluse Graphx
Here's the thing: Every player named below is really, really good. And a lot of players who aren't named below are really, really good too -- and in fact, some of them may be better than the ones named below.
So no one should take these lists personally. A lot of times it's like choosing steak over ice cream, or lobster instead of two pounds of See's candy.
Tom Gonsalves, St. Mary's
Photo by Gary Jones
The bottom line? Eventually, they'll prove it on the court at the college level -- and of course we could wait, but what would be the fun in that?
COACH OF THE YEAR
Tom Gonsalves,
St. Mary's (Stockton, Calif.)There are a lot of coaches who win a lot of games, and there are a lot of different paths to success, but Gonsalves is one of the few who created a unique system that allows his talented players to shine. His array of presses and willingness to run with anyone -- and shoot 3-pointers with anyone -- is unusual in a time when more and more coaches like to control more and more of the game. His sideline intensity doesn't hurt, and with all but one player returning from the No. 3 team in the nation, expect another great year from St. Mary's, and more than a few coaches asking Gonsalves just how those presses work.
FIRST TEAM
Crystal Dangerfield, Blackman
Photo by Mark Jones
Verbal commitment to UConnDangerfield
has run the show for Blackman for the past two years, and the Blaze
have finished No. 1 and No. 2 in the nation those seasons. Enough said.
Te'a Cooper, McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.)5-8 | Senior | Guard
Headed to: TennesseeCooper was planning on playing with star forward Caliya Robinson, but Robinson got hurt -- so Cooper carried McEachern to the Georgia 6A title pretty much singlehandedly, as these numbers attest: 27.3 points, 7.3 assists and 3.5 steals per game.
Marina Mabrey, Manasquan (N.J.)5-10 | Senior | Guard
Headed to: Notre DameMabrey did it all for No. 8 Manasquan, and did more of it down the stretch as Manasquan rode her 26.1 points per game to a New Jersey title. She'll join her sister at Notre Dame next year -- and there's another Mabrey on the way as well.
National Player of the Year
Ali Patberg, Columbus North (Ind.)
5-11 | Senior | Guard
Headed to: Notre DameThe Player of the Year's numbers -- 25.9 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 6.1 apg, 3.1 spg -- tell a great story. But Patberg also led a team that was supposed to drop off from 2013-14 to the Indiana state title.
Katie Lou Samuelson, Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.)
6-3 | Senior | Wing
Headed to: UConnA tall shooter who can score inside if needed -- and adds a high basketball IQ -- and that sounds a lot like WNBA all-star Elena Delle Donne. That's a pretty good description of Samuelson.
SECOND TEAM
Asia Durr, St. Pius X
Photo by Peter Travers
Asia Durr, St. Pius X Catholic (Atlanta)
5-10 | Senior | Guard
Headed to: LouisvilleDurr
is a strong lefty with elite talent playing at a small school -- thus
the 33.3 points a game and 6.4 assists. The numbers might not have been
as flashy at a bigger school but the talent would still have been
evident.}
Lauren Cox, Flower Mound (Texas)
6-4 | Junior | Center
UndecidedCox is one of the most athletic tall female basketball players to come along in a while, and she's shown she can play at the highest levels. Flower Mound wasn't a great team, but Cox did all that could be expected (21.7ppg, 15.3 rpg, 5.3 bpg) of an all-American in that situation.
Kiah Gillespie, Capital Prep (Hartford, Conn.)
6-1 | Senior | Forward/Center
Headed to: MarylandCapital Prep (No. 18 in the Xcellent 25) was a scoring machine, in part because of Gillespie, who averaged 31.2 points per game. And if she missed, or the other team did, she was very likely to get the rebound (16.2 a game).
Lashann Higgs, Cedar Ridge (Round Rock, Texas)
5-9 | Senior | Guard
Headed to: TexasThe first of many talented Texans on these teams, Higgs relies on her athleticism and court vision to excel.
Arike Ogunbowale, Divine Savior Holy Angels (Milwaukee)
5-9 | Senior | Guard
Headed to: Notre DameLike Durr, Ogunbowale is a strong lefty with elite talent playing at a small school. And like Durr, her performance on the summer circuit and with USA Basketball left no doubt as to whether she was an all-American.
THIRD TEAM
Kristine Anigwe, Desert Vista
Photo by Steve Paynter
6-3 | Senior | Center/Forward
Headed to: CaliforniaAnigwe has steadily improved through her high school career, and the early commit to Cal is now looking like a recruiting coup. Anigwe can score and defend, and should have an immediate impact in the Pac-12.
Napheesa Collier, Incarnate Word Academy (St. Louis)
6-1 | Senior | Wing
Headed to: UConnCollier is simply a really good basketball player, and she's helped Incarnate Word be in or on the fringes of the Xcellent 25 for the past three seasons. She's yet another gem for Geno Auriemma at UConn.
Joyner Holmes, Cedar Hill (Texas)
6-3 | Junior | Guard/Forward
UndecidedAs always, Texas is loaded with talent, but unlike other states, the talent doesn't get concentrated in just a few schools, so stars like Holmes are more solo acts than lead singers. Either way, she deserves the spotlight.
Beatrice Mompremier, Miami (Fla.)
6-4 | Senior | Center/Forward
Headed to: BaylorMompremier was the Florida player of the year, even though her Miami team wasn't one of the three Sunshine State schools in the Xcellent 25. Tall and strong, she's another USA Basketball veteran.
Destiny Slocum, Mountain View (Meridian, Idaho)
5-7 | Junior | Guard/Wing
UndecidedIdaho generally doesn't get a lot of love on the high school basketball scene, but it's hard to ignore the dynamic Slocum, who averaged 25.1 ppg, 5.6 rpg and 2.9 apg for a one-loss team.
FOURTH TEAM
Jordan Hosey, Manvel
File photo by Michael Henderson
6-2 | Senior | Forward
Headed to: TexasLast
year, Manvel won the Texas title, as Hosey teamed with Brianna Turner
(now at Notre Dame). This year, like Joyner Holmes, she had to carry a
lot of the load by herself, and though a state championship proved out
of reach, Hosey was special nonetheless.
Erin Boley, Elizabethtown (Ky.)
6-2 | Junior | Forward/Center
Verbal commitment to Notre DameEven though Elizabethtown finished No. 21 in the Xcellent 25, the lack of a state title made the season a bit of a disappointment. You can't blame Boley, though, as she scored (19.9 ppg) and rebounded (9.6 rpg), among other things.
Rellah Boothe, Potter's House Christian (Jacksonville, Fla.)
6-3 | Sophomore | Guard/Wing
UndecidedBoothe may be young, but she's powerful -- and she just overwhelmed No. 2 Blackman in that early-season upset. Potter's House played 43 games, and some very tough ones, so Boothe's 20.7 points and 13.8 rebounds are not a small sample.
Destinee Walker, Lake Highland Prep (Orlando, Fla.)
5-9 | Senior | Guard
Headed to: North CarolinaFlorida's best players weren't on its best teams this year, but Like Highland had a fine season -- and so did Walker. That is, if you think 24.6 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 4.2 apg and 3.9 spg qualifies as "fine."
Megan Walker, Monacan (Richmond, Va.)
6-1 | Sophomore | Guard
UndecidedConsidered by many to be the best sophomore in the country, Walker got her points (19.1) and rebounds (7.1), and also led Monacan to the 4A state title. And she has two more years to go.
FIFTH TEAM
Sabrina Ionescu, Miramonte
Photo by Greg Jungferman
6-0 | Junior | Guard
UndecidedIonescu's
team lost only to nationally ranked St. Mary's of Stockton (No. 3) and
Konawaena (No. 17), and her numbers were pretty impressive: 23.0 ppg,
8.9 rpg, 7.5 apg, 5.0 spg, eight triple-doubles and one
quadruple-double.
Kennedy Burke, Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, Calif.)
6-0 | Senior | Wing
Headed to: UCLABurke was a surprise on the USA Basketball roster last summer, and then backed it up with another superb season at Sierra Canyon, which won the California Division V title -- though many said Sierra Canyon should have been in the Open Division with No. 11 Mater Dei and No. 3 St. Mary's of Stockton.
Sophie Cunningham, Rock Bridge (Columbia, Mo.)
6-1 | Senior | Guard
Headed to: MissouriRock Bridge has been a consistent player on the national scene these past three years, in great part due to the versatile and skilled Cunningham, who operates both outside and inside.
Kyra Lambert, Clemens (Schertz, Texas)
5-8 | Senior | Guard
Headed to: DukeLambert is yet another Texas Lone Star, as she didn't have another elite player as her running mate. So she settled for scoring 25.8 points a game for a very good team.
Aliyah Mazyck, Myers Park (Charlotte, N.C.)
5-8 | Senior | Guard
Headed to: USCMazyck scored 19.3 points a game for No. 6 Myers Park, but she was also the senior leader for a team that lost just once. And that "USC," by the way, is the real USC: the University of Southern California.
SIXTH TEAM
Valerie Higgins, Chaminade (right)
Photo by Louis Lopez
6-0 | Junior | Guard
UndecidedChaminade
made a name for itself by knocking off No. 11 Mater Dei twice, and
Higgins carried a lot of the load. Sure, the 14.9 points a game may not
look like much, but how many players average 9.8 rebounds as well as 5.9
assists?
Kalani Brown, Salmen (Slidell, La.)
6-5 | Senior | Center
Headed to: BaylorBrown is a force of nature: Tall, strong and imposing. Few at the high school level can keep her from getting where she wants to go, and Salmen had another outstanding season in Louisiana.
Haley Gorecki, Fremd (Palatine, Ill.)
6-0 | Senior | Guard
Headed to: DukeGorecki is an outstanding shooter who battled through some injuries this season, but still led Fremd to another impressive year.
Nia Hollie, Hopkins (Minnetonka, Minn.)
5-10 | Junior | Guard
UndecidedHopkins has been the dominant program in Minnesota for years, and Hollie has kept the tradition alive. This season, she averaged 15.7 ppg, 3.2 apg and 2.8 spg for the nation's No. 10 team.
Danni Williams, Clovis (N.M.)
5-10 | Senior | Guard
Headed to: Texas A&MNew Mexico usually doesn't draw a lot of Power 5 conference attention, but Williams and Clovis forced a lot of coaches to figure out unfamiliar flight plans. Getting 24.5 points every time out will get some attention.
HONORABLE MENTION
Lauren "Boogie" Brozoski, Long Island Lutheran
Photo by Steven Ryan
5-5 | Senior | Guard
Headed to: MichiganMost call her "Boogie," but everyone can call her state champion, as she led Long Island Lutheran to the New York title.
Christina Aborowa, Neumann-Goretti (Philadelphia)
6-4 | Senior | Forward
Headed to: TexasThe nation's No. 1 team had many weapons, and Aborowa was one of the best -- and she still can get much, much better.
Jonquanae Cole, Paul VI (Fairfax, Va.)
6-3 | Senior | Center
Headed to: North Carolina StatePaul VI was No. 9 in the final Xcellent 25, and Cole's athleticism and inside presence played a big role.
Taja Cole, Bird (Chesterfield, Va.)
5-7 | Senior | Guard
Headed to: LouisvilleCole is a superior athlete, and naturally loves the open floor where she can use her speed and quickness to her advantage.
Aquira Decosta, St. Mary's (Stockton, Calif.)
6-2 | Freshman | Forward
UndecidedYes, the nation's No. 3 team's best player is a freshman -- and in fact, all but one of her teammates return as well. Decosta, though, will have an even bigger role next year, and can do more than just hang around the paint.
Desiree Elmore, Capital Prep (Hartford, Conn.)
5-9 | Junior | Guard
Verbal commitment to SyracuseYou would think that Kiah Gillespie would suck up most of the points and rebounds for Connecticut's best team, but Elmore not only showed off some fancy stats (23.5 ppg and 14.5 rpg) but big-time talent as well.
Tyasha Harris, Heritage Christian (Indianapolis)
5-10 | Junior | Guard
UndecidedHarris is a tall, skilled combo guard who starred for one of the best teams in Indiana -- which, this year especially, is saying something.
Kelly Jekot, Cumberland Valley (Mechanicsburg, Pa.)
5-10 | Junior | Guard
Headed to: VillanovaCumberland Valley is one of those teams that finds ways to win, and Jekot's basketball IQ, solid fundamentals and 18.8 ppg were a big part of the formula.
Dominique McBryde, Bedford North Lawrence (Ind.)
6-1 | Senior | Forward/Center
Headed to: PurdueA 6-1 player who can go inside or outside, McBryde was one of the keys for Bedford North Lawrence, which was in the Xcellent 25 for most of the year before a late-season upset.
Mallory McGwire, Reno (Nev.)
6-5 | Junior | Center
Verbal commitment to Oregon Yes, that spelling of McGwire means Mallory is related to baseball home-run basher Mark (she's his niece) and former NFL quarterback Dan (daughter). And though the 21.8 ppg is impressive, and so are the 14.3 rpg, it's the 6.9 blocks per game that really catch the eye.
Leaonna Odom, Chaminade (West Hills, Calif.)
6-1 | Junior | Guard/Forward
UndecidedShe's a wing, not a post, and uses her athleticism to get wherever she wants on the court. She and Valerie Higgins will be a formidable one-two punch next year.
Deja Strother, Inglemoor (Kenmore, Wash.)
6-4 | Senior | Center
Headed to: WashingtonStrother defines "inside presence," and her strength and touch make her one of the premier post players in the country.
Faith Suggs, Homewood-Flossmoor (Flossmoor, Ill.)
6-1 | Senior | Guard/Forward
Headed to: DukeSuggs has played at a high level throughout her high school career, using her size to great advantage on the wing.
Jackie Young, Princeton (Ind.)
5-11 | Junior | Guard/Forward
Verbal commitment to Notre Dame Yet another athletic, skilled wing to add to the mix at Notre Dame, Young's game should translate well at the next level.
