Pull up a chair because it’s time to play some poker.
Take a look at the cards you have been dealt. It may be difficult but try not to show any emotion. Heck, it doesn’t really matter if you do.
You’re holding an unbeatable hand. Or if you want to take it a step further, you can borrow a phrase from All-Star Girls Report Basketball’s Director of National Scouting Nate Altenhofen: You are staring at Quad Aces.
That’s what Altenhofen said he felt like he was looking at as he revealed ASGR’s top-rated players for the classes of 2023, ’24, ’25 and ’26. Altenhofen has spent much of the summer scouting players at tournaments and talking to his vast network of sources and he is ready to share his updated list of the top player in class.
Let’s take a look:
2023, Cassandre Prosper. Usually, this list is led by a player from the United States. But 2023’s list is far from usual because it features a very unique player.
Prosper is from Rosemere, Canada. Some other recruiting websites are selling Prosper short. But ASGR is getting out in front by declaring Prosper the valedictorian of her class.
A 6-foot-3 forward from Cairine Wilson Secondary School, Prosper compares well to some big names. She jumped from No. 3 in ASGR’s rankings to No. 1 after an exceptional summer.
“I had one college coach say to me that Cassandre is like Haley Jones, but a better shooter,’’ Altenhofen said.
That’s high praise because Jones was an All-Pac 12 selection and helped lead Stanford to the national championship in 2021.
But Altenhofen will go one step further in his assessment of Prosper.
“I see a little bit of a young Earvin (Magic) Johnson ability in her game,’’ Altenhofen said. “Usually, Canadian kids play with a little bit of a European style. But Cassandre plays with a nice mix of American and European skills and that makes her something of a hidden gem.
2024, Jaloni Cambridge. Some may say the 5-5 Cambridge is too short to play on the next level. But the point guard out of Nashville’s Ensworth High has a resume that says otherwise.
As part of the 2022 USA Basketball U17 National team, she started all seven games as her team went undefeated. She averaged 9.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and a team-high 5.1 assists.
Cambridge has been on the national radar for a long time because she started for Ensworth as an eighth grader and helped her team to a state title. Cambridge also led Ensworth to a state championship in 2022.
Cambridge comes from a family that has a rich basketball tradition. One of her brothers, Devan, played at Auburn and another, Desmond, played at Nevada. Her sister, Jordyn went on to play at Vanderbilt.
Another sister, Kennedy, was Jaloni’s high school teammate in 2022. Kennedy will enroll at Kentucky this fall, Does the fact that Kennedy will play at Kentucky have any impact on where Jaloni ends up?
Don’t read too much into Kennedy Cambridge’s choice of colleges. But Jaloni probably can play anywhere she wants to.
2025, Aaliyah Chavez. Let’s talk numbers here. In the 2021-22 season, the Monterey High (Lubbock, Texas) star averaged 25.7 points, 6.7 assists and 7.7 assists.
If you want to stick with the numbers theme, we could list all the colleges that have shown interest in the 5-9 point guard. But time and space are short, so let’s just say over 100 colleges have shown interest and that list includes the likes of UCLA, North Carolina, Texas,Arkansas, Texas A&M and West Virginia.
She has been at the top of her class in ASGR’s rankings since 2020 and Altenhofen used a phrase he doesn’t use lightly to describe Chavez’s ability.
“She’s a generational talent,’’ Altenhofen said.
Aside from Chavez’s high basketball I.Q., quickness and outside shooting ability, Altenhofen used another phrase to describe Chavez.
“She’s a ferocious competitor,’’ Altenhofen said.
That may be something that has helped Chavez solidify the top spot.
“You have to remember that we’re from Lubbock, Texas,’’ Chavez’s father, Sonny said. “That’s basically out in the country, so we didn’t really know if Aaliyah could compete on the national level. But she has proved that and I think the game will continue to slow down for her because her confidence is a lot stronger than it was.’’
2026, Jerzy Robinson. Aside from having perhaps the best first name of any player in the country, the 6-1 wing has a lot of other things going for her.
She already has received offers from the likes of Georgetown, USC and Ohio State. There’s no doubt that list will grow to include all the big-name programs.
Altenhofen said Robinson can play and defend the 1, 2 and 3 positions. Robinson’s father, Darnell, said there is a reason for that versatility.
Robinson started off playing basketball against boys.
“I think that helped her a lot and I’m not talking just about playing with the boys,’’ Darnell Robinson said. “I think that being the only girl in a gym filled with 600 boys gave her a huge lift in the mental aspect and made her tougher.
Darnell said the next step for Jerzy is to become more comfortable with taking the last shot. But Altenhofen said that will come with time.’’
“She’s a competitor and true leader,’’ Altenhofen said. “She’s a solid shooter. She really has unlimited potential. She’s going to be an absolute star.’’