2016-17 MaxPreps National Girls Basketball Player of the Year Watch

Video: Girls National Player of the Year Watch
Check out clips of the best female players in the nation this season.

It's the year of the combo guard in girls basketball, even though the top prospect and front runner for national Player of the Year is a 6-1 forward.

That would be Megan Walker of No. 3 in the nation Monacan, but all the other midseason candidates for the MaxPreps watchlist are guards – and four of the seven are 5-10 or taller. In addition, most can be classified as combo guards because not only can they score, they can create for their teammates.

Of course, there are probably 10 other girls who could easily be added to this list, but you have to draw the line somewhere – and this elite eight is the group we decided to go with.

G - Chennedy Carter, 5-7, Mansfield Timberview (Arlington, Texas), (Texas A&M)
Another combo guard, Carter attacks the rim with the ferocity not usually seen on the girls' side, and she can also shoot the three. Her big game credentials are impeccable, as she scored 40 points against Texas power Duncanville in a huge win for Mansfield Timberview.

G - Andra Espinoza-Hunter, 5-10, Ossining (N.Y.), (UConn)
A tall, strong guard with international experience, Espinoza-Hunter is yet another player who can both get to the rim and make the three. Though not all UConn recruits are elite, Espinoza-Hunter is, and is expected to keep the train rolling in Storrs.

G - Anastasia Hayes, 5-7, Riverdale (Murfreesboro, Tenn.), (Tennessee)
Perhaps the best of a set of basketball playing sisters, Hayes operates from anywhere in the backcourt, and has led her team to a state championship (last year) and an undefeated season, at least so far, in 2016-17. Her elite athleticism just adds to the package.

G - Destiny Littleton, 5-9, Bishop's (La Jolla, Calif.), (USC)
Littleton is putting up monster numbers in the San Diego area, averaging close to 50 points a game as her team racks up huge margins of victory. Littleton is strong and skilled, and obviously has a nose for the basket. She prefers to use her strength to get to the rim, but has a solid midrange jumper as well.

G - Cara Ursin, 5-7, Destrehan (La.), (Baylor)
Ursin doesn't get the national publicity of many of the players on this list, but college coaches certainly know who she is. Destrehan is unbeaten and, after Ursin was named the Louisiana Player of the Year the last two seasons, she is the favorite to make it three in a row. She's a versatile guard who can run the show, make three-pointers, and rebound like a forward.

F - Megan Walker, 6-1, Monacan (Richmond, Va.), (UConn)
Coming into the year, Walker was expected to be one of the top two or three players in the country, and nothing she has done so far has lowered that expectation. She's played extremely well and so has her high school team. Her strength, midrange jumper and all-around athleticism, plus her team's success, make her the February front runner.

G - Evina Westbrook, 6-0, South Salem (Salem, Ore.), (Tennessee)
Westbrook is a strong combo guard with good size who has a knack for making big plays. She sees the floor well, is an above average if not exceptional shooter and is athletic enough to be an above-average defender at the BCS level.

G - Christyn Williams, 5-11, Central Arkansas Christian (North Little Rock, Ark.), (class of 2018)
The Naples Holiday Shootout has been one of the premier events in the country for many years, and Williams set a new scoring record this year, which gives you an idea of her offensive potential. The lefty, and only junior in the group, started on USA Basketball's Under-17 team this past summer and barring disaster, will return to this list next year.