Final Pre-Eval Rankings Tweaks

[glenn]

We've made three major moves in the top 20:

http://hoopgurlz.com/story/sykes-back-no-2-rankings

[acusefan4ever]

FYI #29 Scheer has 5 stars but #25-#28 are all 4 stars, I'd assume either its a typo she's 5 stars or she has to be moved up, right?

[scoutnwhoops]

Thanks for catching that. We'll get it fixed.

[joemontes]

Quote:
"HoopGurlz.com had hoped to add clarity to the point-guard position after the Nike Skills Academy, which featured three of the nation's top four 2008 lead guards, but determined the competition in Beaverton, Oreg., between Ashley Corral of Vancouver, Wash., Destini Hughes of Kennedale, Texas, and Samantha Prahalis of Commack, N.Y., too close to call. Shay Selby, the Duke commit out of Cleveland, Ohio, was not among the 22 players invited to the 2007 Nike Skills Academy. She remains the top-ranked point guard at No. 15 overall."


I have seen Ashley CORRAL play a few times with her HS team, and really think very highly of her basketball skills.

However, having watched Sam PRAHALIS for the first time in 2 different games at the EOT Day 1 yesterday:

http://www.hoopgurlz.com/forums/showthread.php?t=474

I really think that this Commack, NY kid simply showed that she is at another higher level, especially with her play during that EOT Day 1 exhibition game against a Tennessee Flight team that is currently considered as one of the top 3 HS club teams in the country. Her ball-handling wizardry and passing skills in transition were simply awe-inspiring, and she exhibited a complete set of offensive artillery. She was able to penetrate the lane, from 30 feet out all the way to the basket, at will, despite constant tough defensive coverage, double teaming or triple teaming. She made the highly entertaining pass and penetration moves to the lane - all these spectucular stuff that have a high degree of difficulty - all look so easy. But, most importantly, she was able to totally steer the complexion of the game in their favor by a dominating performance at the PG position.

I have been made aware that she tends to make questionable playmaking decisions, and actually saw it happen twice during this game - both on half court offensive sets; but I think that the numerous superlative positives that I witnessed far outweighed those occasional negatives.

I have yet to see Shay SELBY and Destini HUGHES play, but if both can potentially outdo what Sammy PRAHALIS did in that Exodus vs. Flight game at the EOT Day 1, then they deserve to be ranked higher.

Of course, I only witnessed 2 games, and I guess a crucial element in the schematic evaluation of these talented players is how consistently do they play at such a high level, or even close to such a high level.

[glenn]

Joe, yes, of course, you got to witness a great player at the top of her game and a lot of the reasons we have been so enthusiastic about Samantha Prahalis. We started calling her "paralysis" because several of the girls at Nike Skills pronounced it that well and it seemed fitting, the way she paralyzes defenders with her moves.

With regard to the rankings, players in her range generally are capable of doing some of the things Prahalis did on Friday. A point guard is even more capable, because the ball is in her hands most of the time. And the rankings, of course, are supposed to project success on the college level. For Prahalis, some of the "minuses" (I hate putting it that way) are factors she cannot control and they revolve around size (height and girth). She does a whole lot with what she has!