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Avery Bradley explains why the Hornets were difficult to guard in the Pistons' 118-107 loss on Monday, Jan. 15, 2018 at Little Caesars Arena.Vince Ellis, Detroit Free Press
For the first time in the 34 years the Detroit Free Press has been ranking girls basketball players, there is no clear-cut favorite for the Miss Basketball award, the most prestigious award a high school girl in Michigan can receive.
That is because the best player in the state, 6-foot-3 senior Kayla Belles of Ithaca, who has committed to Michigan State, suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury and will not play this season. Since Belles does not top our list, for the first time two juniors, Rickea Jackson of defending Class C state champ Detroit Edison and Julia Ayrault of Grosse Pointe North, are the highest-ranked players.
With that in mind, Free Press special writer Mick McCabe ranks the Top 100 players in the state.
Top 100
1. Rickea Jackson, 6-3, junior, Detroit Edison
2. Julia Ayrault, 6-2, junior, Grosse Pointe North
3. Camree' Clegg, 5-5, senior, Wayne
4. Kaela Webb, 5-6, senior, Birmingham Detroit Country Day
5. Corinne Jemison, 6-3, senior, East Kentwood
6. Whitney Sollom, 6-4, sophomore, Hartland
7. Maddie Waters, 5-7, senior, Williamston
8. Kate McArthur, 5-9, senior, Warren Cousino
9. Lasha Petree, 6-0, senior, Arbor Prep
10. Destiny Strother, 5-9, junior, Flint Carman-Ainsworth
11. Jasmine Clerkley, 5-11, sophomore, Okemos
12. Allison Peplowski, 6-2, senior, Williamston
13. Mo Joiner, 5-9, junior, Saginaw Heritage
14. Olivia Moore, 5-9, junior, Birmingham Marian
15. Kayla Luchenbach, 6-1, senior, Clarkston
16. Grace George, 5-9, senior, DeWitt
17. Maxine Moore, 6-0, senior, Birmingham Detroit Country Day
18. Natalie Bartle, 5-6, senior, Negaunee
19. Jeanae Terry, 5-10, junior, Wayne
20. Gabrielle Elliott, 5-10, sophomore, Detroit Edison
21. Jaida Hampton, 5-11, senior, East Lansing
22. Alexis Miller, 5-7, senior, Howell
23. Ally VanTimmeren, 6-2, freshman, Jenison
24. Del'Janae Williams, 5-7, junior, Detroit King
25. Carlee Crabtree, 5-10, sophomore, Coldwater
The next 75
(Alphabetical order)
Zakiyyah Abdullah, 5-6, sophomore, Niles Brandywine
Kate Algyre, 5-8, senior, St. Joseph
Milly Allen, 5-2, senior, Chassell
Alyssa Argyle, 5-9, junior, Freeland
Imania Baker, 6-2, sophomore, Haslett
Nala Barlow, 5-8, senior, Detroit Cody
Edecia Beck, 6-1, senior, Grand Rapids Christian
Maddie Barrie, 5-10, senior, Midland
Maddie Beck, 6-0, senior, Clarkston
Jenny Beckman, 5-7, junior, Shelby
Jessi Bicknell, 5-9, senior, Saginaw Heritage
Tara Bieniewicz, 5-11, senior, Macomb Dakota
Brittany Bowman, 5-4, sophomore, Kingsley
Jalynn Brumfield, 5-9, senior, Kingsley
Sydney Cleary, 5-8, junior, Grand Rapids South Christian
Grayson Cockerham, 5-9, senior, Hartland
MacKenzie Cunningham, 5-8, senior, Ovid-Elsie
Molly Davis, 5-7, junior, Midland Dow
Sophia DiMilia, 5-11, senior, New Boston Huron
Ellie Dykstra, 6-0, senior, Byron Center
Tia Ernst, 5-5, junior, Detroit Mumford
Katelyn Etherton, 5-7, junior, Oscoda
Anna Fisher, 5-9, senior, St. Joseph
Janara Flowers, 5-9, senior, Walled Lake Western
Linnie Gustafson, 6-1, senior, St. Ignace
Damiya Hagemann, 5-7, freshman, Detroit Edison
Becca Hancock, 5-7, senior, Bloomfield Hills
Laya Hartman, 5-10, junior, Okemos
Tait Hosford, 5-3, junior, Bath
Alex Hunter, 5-1, senior, Gaylord St. Mary
Chloe Idoni, 6-0, junior, Fenton
Micki Ivy, 5-10, senior, East Grand Rapids
Madigan Johns, 5-8, senior, Ishpeming
Alexis Johnson, 5-10, junior, Southfield A&T
Clara Johnson, 5-7, senior, Negaunee
Sami Klink, 5-7, senior, Port Huron Northern
Madi Koski, 5-6, sophomore, Ishpeming Westwood
Jordyn Kriegl, 5-5, senior, Kingsford
Natalee Kunse, 5-9, senior, Clare
Kenzie Lewis, 5-10, sophomore, Williamston
Jordan Lewis, 5-10, senior, Detroit King
Ellie Mackay, 5-7, senior, Novi
Maddie Maloney, 5-8, senior, St. Johns
Cheyenne McEvans, 5-10, sophomore, Southfield A&T
Amelia McNutt, 5-3, senior, East Lansing
Sidney Mills, 5-11, junior, DeWitt
Shelby Morrow, 5-8, senior, Flushing
Jess Mruzik, 6-0, sophomore, Farmington Hills Mercy
Haley Nelson, 5-11, senior, Sandusky
Scout Nelson, 5-9, junior, Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart
Sydney Nesbitt, 5-6, junior, Bay City Western
Cassie Pallett, 5-3, senior, Stevensville Lakeshore
Alycia Patterson, 5-1, sophomore, Niles
Mahri Petree, 5-11, junior, Arbor Prep
Jasmine Powell, 5-6, junior, Birmingham Detroit Country Day
Lazurea Saunders, 6-0, senior, East Kentwood
Jenna Schluter, 5-8, senior, Farmington Hills Mercy
Katelyn Sherwood, 5-10, senior, Belleville
Malin Smith, 6-2, junior, Lansing Waverly
Emily Spitzley, 5-11, senior, Pewamo-Westphalia
Hannah Spitzley, 5-11, sophomore, Pewamo-Westphalia
Shine Strickland-Gills, 6-1, junior, Saginaw Heritage
Elise Stuck, 6-1, sophomore, Charlevoix
Sasha Thomas, 5-6, senior, Ann Arbor Huron
McKenna Walker, 5-9, senior, Bay City Western
Shamin Wambere, 6-0, senior, Ann Arbor Huron
Alyssa Welsh, 5-8, sophomore, Perry
Kayle Wendell, 5-9, sophomore, Howell
Cece Werner, 6-2, senior, Sault Ste. Marie
Leah Weslock, 6-0, senior, Howell
Sophia Wiard, 5-9, junior, Muskegon Oakridge
Makenzie Wilkinson, 5-9, senior, Kalkaska
Margot Woughter, 5-7, senior, Traverse City Central
Kayla Yore, 5-5, senior, Coloma
Michelle Vaughn, 5-3, senior, Madison Heights Madison
Mick McCabe is a former longtime columnist for the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at mick.mccabe11@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @mickmccabe1.
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