Addie Deal
Aaliyah Chavez competes with CyFair Nike Elite at the 2023 Nike Nationals EYBL event in Chicago. *Photo by Eliteye Media LLC.
With a full summer of evaluations in the bag, it’s time for the ProspectsNation.com team to update and expand from an ELITE 25 to an ELITE 60 for 2025.
Here are some takeaways following a great summer in gyms across the country and the globe.
FULL ELITE 60
Addie Deal has played into way into a special place in my evaluation realm over the last 12 months. She projects in the same light that Sabrina Ionescu, Kelsey Plum and Sydney Wiese did as high school kids with her production and toughness. All three have played multiple seasons in the WNBA and two of them have found a place amongst the game’s elite.
Ace Austin plays her role as a floor general well. Whether it’s was at the Brandon Clay May Day Challenge in Atlanta or the NCAA Basketball Academy in Memphis, Austin went to work and got the job done.
USA Basketball 3 on 3 in Memphis gave me my first in-person look at Aubrey Shaw. Her size and versatility give her a chance to be a major factor at the next level. Shaw is also a floor spacer with her outside shooting. We’ll get to workout twice this fall at the Brandon Clay Elite 100 Showcases in both Oklahoma City and Kansas City.
Jordan Speiser of All Iowa Attack.
*Photo by Eliteye Media LLC.Jordan Speiser used one of the country’s biggest stages in Memphis at the end of the summer to cement herself as one of the country’s premier sharp shooters. Her game is creative with Spieser showing she can get it done off the bounce too.
Like Speiser, Bella Hines showed her game during the USA Basketball US Open event in Memphis. She is a steady hand in the backcourt and played her way in by consistently finding ways to be productive. Keep an eye on her growth the next six to 12 months.
Layla Hays traveled to Chicago from Alaska to take part in the TOC Champions League Finals. As a result of her play, she has numerous offers from multiple NCAA Tournament caliber programs. Hays has the size of Raegan Beers. There a lot of potential as she develops.
Brandie Harrod and her clubmate, Avery Hjelmstad join the large Sooner State contingent in this class. They showed themselves as a very capable 1-2 punch during the Brandon Clay May Day Challenge in Oklahoma City to start the summer months. They’ll shine again at the Brandon Clay Elite 100 Showcase in September.
McKenzie Mathurin was fantastic during the Brandon Clay Summer Showcase in Atlanta last June. Mathurin approaches the floor like she did her college recruitment: focused and no nonsense. She is a big part of the loaded Oklahoma junior class that is arguably the best class in any state nationwide. Like Harrod and Hjelmstad, Mathurin will be on the floor with in next month in Oklahoma City.
HANSEN’S TAKE
The amount of competition for spots at the top of this class is awesome to see play out. Rankings could be adjusted almost weekly with the players in the conversation up and down the top 60. The battle for No. 1 overall has been greatly debated and will likely stay that way until graduation day. Dee Alexander, Sienna Betts, Aaliyah Chavez, Jasmine Davidson, Zakiyah Johnson the list of those who can make a valid argument continues to grow.
At USA Trials I was very impressed with the growth in leadership of Hailee Swain. The early Stanford commit may be off the recruiting board but she’s far from off the radar. Her quickness and ability to get to the bucket has been supplemented with a poise and confidence that earned her major minutes for the gold medal winning USA U16 team.
Brynn McGaughy’s rise in the class was only slowed by an ankle injury. Prior to that her production was off the charts, putting her in the discussion as one of the premier small forward options in the country.
Emilee Skinner has used the 2023 calendar year to put the country on notice that she’s one of the most impactful perimeter players in the class. Getting to coach her over an extended period of time in Italy at the adidas EuroCamp gave me a new appreciation for all the things she does that impacts winning and losing.
The fall update will more than likely challenge the current order with so many high level individual events across the country. Looking forward we’ll not only see a refresh of the ELITE 60 but also an expansion as the ProspectsNation.com team moves closer towards its final ELITE 150 next fall.
Brandon Clay serves as the Director of Scouting for ProspectsNation.com and owns The BrandonClayScouting.com Evaluation Report, which is read by more than 200 colleges and universities nationwide. He also serves as the Executive Skills Director for the Brandon Clay Scouting Academy Series.
Chris Hansen is managing editor of ProspectsNation.com and serves on the McDonald’s All-American and Naismith Trophy selection committees. He was a co-founder of and the national director of scouting for ESPN HoopGurlz from 2005 until 2012 and is the director of the Check Me Out Showcase and ELITE is EARNED events. He can be reached at chris@chrishansenbasketball.com.
