Summer 2017 All-State–Class of 2019
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Continuing now with our summer all-state teams, recognizing those girls who played the best ball from April to July and August. Last week you saw our 2018s. Now, the 2019s. Grant will have the 2020s and 2021s shortly. As always…
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Continue ReadingContinuing now with our summer all-state teams, recognizing those girls who played the best ball from April to July and August. Last week you saw our 2018s. Now, the 2019s. Grant will have the 2020s and 2021s shortly. As always there were some very, very tough choices here but Kallie Theisen, Hannah Purcell and Sara Scalia were not among them. They were unanimous choices. That’s right, Grant and I agreed on those.
Everything else, not so much. I mean, he would have someone as his 1st team point guard and, wouldn’t you know it, I’d have her #2. But we arm-wrestled everything into place and, well, it’s true that we both agree that all 20 of the girls mentioned here are extremely worthy. There were a few girls that it pained us not to include in this list of 20, and so they’re also listed at the end. Congratulations to all 27 girls who had such a productive summer. See you in the fall!
First Team
Center—Mykel Parham, 6-2, North Tartan 10th EYBL (Apple Valley)
If I remember, Parham missed some time with injuries, then came back last winter with Apple Valley and was a very effective rebounder off the bench. This summer she has shown that she can do more than just scrape the boards. Specifically, I have seen her throw some of the prettiest passes out of the post of the whole summer, the whole year. Her shot remains a work in progress but overall her value is considerable.
Power Forward—Kallie Theisen, 6-1, Crossfire Theisen (Wayzata)
Kallie Theisen just keeps on being Kallie Theisen, which is to say the most relentless and physical player in the lane that you’ll want to see. She is unstoppable around the rim—she must be a whiz at math because she puts the ball off the board and through the basket from the most improbable angles. And, she is just as relentless on both boards. She just wears people out. She is our choice as the Player of the Summer in the class of 2019.
Small Forward—Hannah Purcell, 6-0, Crossfire Theisen (Annandale)
Purcell does even more things well than Theisen, and she is a strong, physical player inside, too. She is the best ballhandler at 6-feet or better that you’ll ever see. She was pressed into service at the 1 last winter at Annandale. The most versatile player on the board.
Point Guard—Mimi Schrader, 5-9, Suns Kietzer (Wayzata)
There are lots of great 1s. We like Schrader because she maintains the most control and the most composure against the most aggressive defenses and the most chaotic environments. She is the hardest point guard out there to speed up. And, while she doesn’t look to score until after everybody else has touched the rock, don’t let that fool you. She can score, too, especially from mid-range.
Shooting Guard—Sara Scalia, 5-10, North Tartan 10th EYBL (Stillwater)
We thought Scalia got a lot stronger in the past 9 months. She was always a great shooter with almost unlimited range. But, now, instead of being forced into the shot the defense wanted her to take (which is not to say that didn’t often make it), now she can force her will on the defense and get the shot that she wants. But, then, coach Melissa Guebert said, no, that’s not it. It’s not that she’s stronger. It’s that she’s playing so much smarter. She is seeing good shots and bad shots, her own and her teammates, and she’s getting good shots, better shots, both for herself and for her team. Well, OK, then. Sara Scalia is playing smarter than before. Either way, much improved.
Second Team
Center—Sara Stapleton, 6-3, Stars Nelson (Centennial)
Sara is big and she plays even bigger, making it very, very difficult for opposing offenses to operate in the lane. She is perhaps already the state’s best shot-blocker and she is also a solid rebounder. Her initial offense remains a work in progress.
Power Forward—Frannie Hottinger, 6-0, North Tartan 10th EYBL (Cretin)
Another player who is vastly improved summer of 2017 over summer of 2016. Mainly, she plays with more purpose. No more meandering, she now goes directly from play to play, she stays so much more involved. That and the fact that she too got a lot stronger. Coach Guebert calls her an “energy girl,” and also notes that Frannie has just been learning to play the 3 this summer where previously she’s been a 4 and a 5. That’s a huge adjustment, Guebert said, but Hottinger is making it quickly. To which we say, simply, yes.
Small Forward—Tori Nelson, 6-1, Stars Amundson (Henry Sibley and South Dakota State)
Unlike Hottinger, Nelson has been playing outside for years. And inside. She goes wherever her nose and the flow of the game and the opportunity to make a play takes her, and she excels everywhere. She appears a little thin for the wars in the lane, but her rebounding and shotblocking numbers says she’s perfectly comfortable and effective, thank you very much. But she can score from the perimeter just as well as the lane, and she can defend 5 positions. Along with Hannah Purcell, she is the most versatile player in her class. No wonder she is the first and only girl on this list with a college commit before her junior year at Henry Sibley.
Point Guard—McKenna Hofschild, 5-3, Fury 2019 Blue (Prior Lake)
Hofschild has had the spotlight for a long, long time and there’s not much to say about her that hasn’t already been said. She’s quick, she’s feisty, she’s aggressive, she has a very high basketball IQ, she can hit the 3 or drop in the most improbable layups among the tall trees. Of course, everybody else is getting better, too, so I do see her getting stuffed now and then. That never used to happen. But, seriously, there are a bunch of outstanding 1s in this state, and Hofschild is always in the conversation.
Shooting Guard—Taytum Rhoades, 5-8, North Tartan 11th Elite (Minnehaha)
Playing up a year for Tartan’s 2018 second string, where she has more than held her own. Sometimes, she is their best player. She is a creative, intuitive offensive force who just finds ways to score, especially in transition and in the open court. She is fairly small and so, well, yes, she’s better in the full court than half. It will be interesting to see who runs with Sara Scalia next year—Anna Harvey, her running mate this year on the Tartan 10th EYBL, or Rhoades. Nice problem to have.
Third Team
Center—Abby Johnson, 6-2, Fury 2019 Blue (Eden Prairie)
Long, mobile, good vertical, probably a 4 at the next level.
Power Forward—Carly Krsul, 6-1, Fury 2019 Blue (Robbinsdale Armstrong)
Long and lean, but stronger than she looks. Gets to the rim and finishes. Strong rebounder and defender, too.
Small Forward—Taylor McAulay, 5-9, Fury 2019 Blue (Centennial)
Athletic wing with great vertical that she shows off more on defense than on offense—she’s a great perimeter defender. Scores from the outside and in transition, she’s not big and strong enough yet to be a threat inside in the half-court.
Point Guard—Kacie Borowicz, 5-10, Stars 10th Amundson (Roseau)
Could she be better than big sister Kylie? I don’t know, but the college recruiters seem to think so. She’s more conventional, anyway. Unlike Kylie, everybody knows what Kacie is and what she does—she’s a 1, and she does everything you expect a 1 do to, especially on the offensive end. Has a great jump shot.
Shooting Guard—Macy Guebert, 5-9, North Tartan 10th EYBL (Eastview)
Vastly improved, playing with confidence, playing at a faster pace, making good decisions on the court. With Eastview’s obvious graduation losses, watch for Macy to do more of everything for the Lightning this year, especially score. She hits the jumper and she can also score with a 6-8 foot floater off the dribble drive.
Stock Raisers
Center—Erin O’Brien, 6-2, Comets 10th Elite (Kimball)
O’Brien is a big presence in the lane, very strong, and plays a physical defense in the lane.
Power Forward—Shawna Mell, 6-0, North Tartan 10th Elite (Rush City)
A wing and a great jump shooter with the size to score and defend inside, too.
Small Forward—Lyndsey Olson, 6-1, Suns Jefferson (St. Louis Park)
One of the most surprising 2019 performers of the summer is the much-improved Lyndsey Olson of Minnesota Suns Jefferson and St. Louis Park. The 6-footer is a versatile perimeter scorer who can knock it down from outside, or attack the basket and finish with either hand. Olson's length is a great asset on defense, where she can be a disruptive force. Olson is our #1 breakout among the 2019s for the summer. Way to go, Lyndsey.
Point Guard—Joey Batt, 5-7, Rise 10th Purple (New Ulm)
I must admit that I had not seen Batt before and she was probably the best “newcomer” I saw this summer. She is small but her skills and her basketball IQ are off the charts. There aren’t too many who look as natural with a basketball in her hands.
Shooting Guard—Katie Tornstrom, 5-10, So Minn Fury 2018 Elite (Caledonia)
Played up on the SMF 2018s and was their top perimeter player. First of all, she can shoot out the lights. But, she also has the handles to play the 1, which is what she does at Caledonia. Still, with her scoring ability I like her at the 2.
Honorable Mention
Again, here are the girls that either Grant or I had in our top 20 but who didn’t quite fit into the consensus.
Jenn Schaible, Suns Keitzer and Mound
Dlayla Chakolis, Stars Nelson and Hopkins
Allie Negen, High Impact Caddy and Mountain Iron-Buhl
Caitlin Rorman, Rise 10th and Blue Earth
Taylie Scott, Crossfire Theisen and Heritage
Aja Wheeler, Stars Nelson and Cooper
Alyssa Daugherty, Comets 10th Elite and Zimmerman