Rankings Expansion: 2015 ELITE 150

Rankings Expansion: 2015 ELITE 150
Rankings Expansion: 2015 ELITE 150Naomi Davenport

Jessica Shepard capped her last summer by making the USA Basketball U18 national team, winning FIBA Americas gold. *Photo by Chris Hansen.

PROSPECTS NATION ELITE 150 -- 2015

The final chapter for the 2015 class has begun. There are still a few pages to close up this journey but the chapter that was the class’ final summer was one that saw some changes throughout the prospect rankings. We now expand from 100 to the ELITE 150.

While the top four in the class -- Asia Durr of Douglasville, Ga., Katie Lou Samuelson of Fullerton, Calif., Te’a Cooper of Powder Springs, Ga., and Jessica Shepard of Lincoln, Neb. – remain unchanged there was plenty of movement from 5 through 40.

Beatrice Mompremier of Miami, Fla., moved up 10 spots to No. 10 overall in the class behind a summer that showed considerable improvement in her back-to-the-basket game. That improvement ultimately earned the 6-foot-4 post a spot on the USA Basketball U18 national team that won FIBA gold at the U18 Americas qualifier earlier this month.

Maryland commit Kiah Gillespie, a 6-3 wing from Meridan, Conn., elevated her stock to No. 14 in the class after an outstanding with her New Heights club team.

Tennessee Flight guard Kaylan Pugh of Collierville, Tenn., had a break out July, helping her team reach the semifinals of Nike Nationals. The 5-9 undecided prospect moved up 20 spots to No. 25 in the class behind her stellar summer.

Two players that moved up significantly with a similar theme, toughness, are Naomi Davenport Cincinnati, Ohio, and Samantha Fuehring of Lodi, N.J. Davenport moved up from 43 to 19 and Fuehring jumped 70 spots to No. 26.

A Michigan signee, Davenport put together one of the best 12 months of basketball of anyone in the class. After a strong high school season the 5-11 wing showed that she was one of the more consistent perimeter scorers in the class as she faced off in some of the elite summer events in the country, showing well almost every time our staff was able to see her play.

Fuehring was a near double-double this summer, averaging 11.3 points and 8.0 rebounds per game in EYBL play. The 6-2 forward brought an intensity to the court that could not be overlooked.

Another prospect making a huge leap in the rankings is Kentucky commit Maci Morris of Pineville, Ky. Though she may have a slight frame, her consistency and productivity with Kentucky Premier were reminiscent to another Kentucky native, Rebecca Gray, whose perimeter scoring exploits allowed her to set all sorts of records at Scott County High School.

Two players moved from unranked to the top half of the rankings following stand out summers, both of whom are point guards -- Khadaizha Sanders of Pembroke Township, Ill., and LMU commit Andee Velasco of Yorba Linda, Calif. The two lead guards check in at 38th and 61st, respectively.

For now the ELITE 150 will stand but the senior class has a few more months of ball, including some key high school matchups in November and December to make a final statement.

PROSPECTS NATION ELITE 150 -- 2015


Hansen is managing editor of ProspectsNation.com and a McDonald’s All-American selection committee member. He was the national director of scouting for ESPN HoopGurlz from 2005 until 2012. He can be reached at chris@prospectsnation.com.

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