Nowadays, the HoopGurlz.com rankings also scream point guard. After one of the more impressive makeovers among elite high-school basketball players, Hughes has risen 21 spots, from No. 38 to No. 17 in the impossibly talented 2008 class. Moreover the 5-foot-9 Texan is the No. 2 point guard in the country, trailing only Shay Selby, the Duke commit from Cleveland, Ohio.

Hughes is not the only player on the rise in this class, either.

Click here for the 2008 Top 60 Rankings

Ayana Dunning vs. '09 Kelsey Bone

Inspired by our re-launch, by the waves of talent observed during the April evaluation period and the recently completed Nike Midwest Showdown, and, mostly, inspired by the work ethic of the nation's top players, HoopGurlz.com has again reshuffled its rankings and - unprecedented for us, at least - go 60 deep. With the entire July evaluation period, plus some June preamble, who knows how far we will go.

The same sentiment holds for what is a truly impressive class. Who knows how far they will go? What we do know is that many individuals are going great lengths, ala Ms. Hughes, to expand their games, in some cases, beyond imagination. After all, girl's basketball was supposed to be the last sporting bastion of sugar and spice. Instead, this group has become Spice Girls run amok.

The consequence has been a generation that in many ways is starting to defy classification. Elena Delle Donne of Wilmington, Del., is emblematic of the class that she continues to lead. She is 6 feet 4, yet is the best perimeter shooter in the country, handles the ball like a player half a foot shorter and, in spite of being the most recognized player in the game, always plays within herself. After witnessing the overall level of talent in Mason, Ohio, it astounds us now that Delle Donne raised the level of the Comets to obliterate the field at Boo Williams.

And what are we to make of Glory Johnson, our new No. 4? She is 6-3 and likely can beat any other player in the country in an endline-to-endline foot race. Moreover, she might win such sprints while bouncing a basketball.

April Sykes

On the other hand, there is Amber Gray, our new No. 7. The Tennessee commit is 6-1 but as hard to handle on the low boxes as players who tower over her. If overwhelmed by interior defensive assets, she can instantly transform herself into a perimeter player with few peers.

Those who have stared endlessly at the top of our rankings of course already are familiar with the likes of April Sykes, the Mississippian with the WNBA-ready body. She suffered a sprained wrist at Boo Williams and, with extremely limited training, revealed a smooth catch-and-release jumper in Ohio that is an unfathomable addition to her arsenal. Just below her are Jasmine Dixon of Long Beach, Calif., and Shenise Johnson of Henrietta, N.Y. - guards in handle, athleticism and body type only. However, like Gray, they are, pound for pound, possibly the most physical players in the class. That also would be the description of another Mississippian, LaSondra Barrett, who moves up to No. 16.

Physical play also comes where physical play is expected - from the post. Lynetta Kizer of Dumfries, Va., takes over as our No. 1 post and we're eager to see if she can hang on against what is surely to be a resurgent Ayana Dunning, of Columbus, Ohio, who is shaking off a bout with mononucleosis. We're adding to the mix a player in Cierra Bravard, 6-5 with a mean streak, whom we were glad to watch for the first time in Mason.

Back to the point-guard position, right on the heels of Hughes and Selby are ballhandling magicians Samantha Prahalis of Commack, N.Y., at No. 18 and her West Coast counterpart, Ashley Corral of Vancouver, Wash. Those two will go head to head at the USA Basketball Development Festival, June 13-17, in Colorado Springs. That event will help set the stage for what promises to be one of the hottest summers in recent memory.

Who far will they all go? We can't wait to find out.

Click Here

Glenn Nelson is the publisher and founder of HoopGurlz.com. He also founded and coached the Dragons and Northwest HoopGurlz select girl's basketball teams. Glenn previously was the editor-in-chief at Scout.com and a longtime, national-award-winning basketball columnist and writer for The Seattle Times. His work also has appeared in several books and national magazines. He is co-author of "Rising Stars: The Ten Best Players in the NBA" (Rosen Publishing, 2002). For more on Glenn's World, click here. He can be reached at glenn@hoopgurlz.com.

---