Look out for DTA 2022 among the top 9th grade teams in AAU
It was 52 weeks ago to the day that I first saw DTA Academy 2022 take to the floor at the Comets tournament in St. Cloud. I was courtside to watch their opponent that day and had zero knowledge of…
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Continue ReadingIt was 52 weeks ago to the day that I first saw DTA Academy 2022 take to the floor at the Comets tournament in St. Cloud. I was courtside to watch their opponent that day and had zero knowledge of who or what DTA was all about. An hour or so later, I was intrigued. By the end of last summer we had watched the team knock off a string of more highly-touted clubs while playing some terrific up-tempo basketball. Apparently we weren’t the only ones paying attention because over the winter four of the top players in Minnesota’s freshmen class decided to get in on the action: Nia Holloway and Myra Moorjani of Eden Prairie, Ronnie Porter of St. Paul Como Park, and Tori Ratz of Fergus Falls.
Ronnie Porter (left) and Nia Holloway (right) are two of the brightest young prospects in the Class of 2022.“I felt like we need some more speed, and players that can play both offense and defense,” said coach Marqus McGlothan, whose team is based in St. Cloud where he is a middle school teacher. “Who they are as kids makes the biggest difference, though. They’re all getting along and meshing well and we’re still keeping our organization more like a family rather than just a team.”
Holloway has shot up the Prep Girls Hoops rankings this year as she proved to be more than just tall and athletic. Nia became a regular in the Eden Prairie lineup, averaging 6 points and 6 rebounds per game even though she was playing behind D1 prospect Nneka Obiazor. “Nia’s athleticism is amazing,” McGlothan said. “She’s also our goofiest, most entertaining kid. Well her and big Madi (Herkenhoff). It’s great to have two of those players who bring that kind of energy to the team.”
Porter was the leading scorer among Minnesota freshman this high school season. Moorjani had an outstanding year at Eden Prairie where she earned big minutes and played a key role. Ratz had another solid varsity season helping her team make it all the way to the state tournament. These are quality additions, but they aren’t the only reason DTA is going to be better this year.
The curious case of Adeline Kent
Last year on opening weekend we certainly noticed Adeline Kent. Unfortunately, it was because she was – how should we put this delicately – struggling to take care of the basketball. Fast forward to today and Kent is one of the great success stories of the year. The Becker guard drew notice early in the season with a 38-point performance. By the end of the year she was a force on the floor.
“If anyone with the exception of her parents said a year ago that Addy would be the player that she is now, they are a liar,” McGlothan said with a laugh. “She put in a lot of work on her own. She and I also had our own private conversation, and after that I thought it made a big difference in her game. I mean, she went from playing JV and a little bit of varsity last year to starting varsity and being a big factor in their improvement and run to the state tournament.”
McGlothan gives a ton of credit to Becker captain Julia Bengtson for Kent’s improvement. “Julia helped her a lot,” he said. “It’s one thing having a coach tell you to get in the gym but when you have a player and a teammate who’s willing to get in the gym with you it makes a big difference.”
Experience matters
One of the things that made DTA’s 2018 performance so surprising is the relative lack of experience in their lineup. In most games they were up against top 8th, 9th and 10th graders with substantial varsity time. They had Maddie Thorfinnson, who was playing at Minnewaska, and Maddie James, who had minutes here and there at Princeton. On this year’s roster, Porter, Ratz, Kent and Thorfinnson were starters; James, Holloway, and Moorjani got big minutes; and Herkenhoff and Feddema were in the rotation. It makes a difference.
“Now when we are going through our schemes and our preparation for a game they understand it better,” McGlothan said. “Yes, we brought in some people with varsity experience, but the other kids have really developed.”
NEW ARRIVALS
Here’s a rundown on the newcomers at DTA, with their Prep Girls Hoops Class of 2022 ranking.
(#11) Nia Holloway, 6’0 forward, Eden Prairie – A year ago we considered Holloway to be super athletic but really raw. Today we consider her to be one of Minnesota’s best prospects. “A lot of people say she’s a Division 1 athlete, but I think she can be a Division 1 player,” McGlothan said. “I think she needs to become a little more confident, and she needs to become a better ball-handler, but she understands the game of basketball, she watches film, she breaks things down… She has some skills she needs to work on but who doesn’t in 9th grade? Nia’s potential is through the roof. She has the athletic ability and the size you can’t teach. I can’t sit here and take credit for her being able to dunk a tennis ball!”
(#21) Ronnie Porter, 5’2 guard, Como Park – At 19 points per game, Porter was the top-scoring freshman in Minnesota this season but she’s so much more than a long-bomber. Ronnie also had more than 70 rebounds, 70 assists and 60 steals. “She’s confident with her handle and she can guard anyone,” said McGlothan. “She just needs to get used to how I coach and what I expect, but that will come.”
(#31) Myra Moorjani, 5’8 guard, Eden Prairie – Moorjani wasn’t expected to play a prominent role as a freshmen but she made the most of her opportunities and was in EP’s top six most of the season. She’s unorthodox to be sure, with a high dribble and an odd two-handed shooting motion, but this kid makes threes at a very high rate and has a knack for making the big play in the big moment. She can also guard anyone on the floor and has a huge motor.
(#32) Tori Ratz, 5’8 guard, Fergus Falls – Ratz and her fellow freshman Ellie Colbeck form the backbone of the Otters attack, and led their team to the Class 3A state tournament. Ratz is an outstanding three-point shooter and has exceptional instincts. “Tori played with us at the end of last year and she fit in really well with the girls,” McGlothan said. “She’s a great shooter, she moves the ball well and she’s one of our smartest players.
(NR) Charita Lewis, 5’4 guard, St. Cloud Cathedral – Honestly we’re not really sure what to expect from Lewis, who previously played for the Minnesota Comets. She didn’t play high school ball at all this winter, opting for hockey instead. ‘Tiny,’ as she is known, is incredibly quick, has terrific handles and can burn you one-on-one in the blink of an eye. If her basketball IQ catches up to her athleticism, Lewis could be really good. She definitely looked the part last weekend.
Maddie James (left) and Adeline Kent (right) return to DTA Academy in 2019.RETURNEES
(#17) Maddie James, 5’11 G/SF, Princeton – Who knows how many games James won for DTA last year, but it was a lot. Her three-point range is incredible. She’s got nice handles, a big body and the kind of swagger that makes you sit up and take notice immediately. That makes her a top-20 player in the freshmen class. Her playing time in Princeton was up and down this season, and it wasn’t always clear why. The first night she got any minutes to speak of Maddie put up 26 points, so that’s tells you something. James has slimmed down, gotten stronger and worked much harder at her game this year. Until proven otherwise she’s still the big dog at DTA.
(#48) Adeline Kent, 5’8 guard, Becker – Kent averaged 18 points per game this winter while shooting nearly 50 percent. She also had more than 100 rebounds, 70 assists, 60 steals… well you get the picture. She’s more patient, shoots the ball better and plays with more confidence than before. This kid is good.
(#58) Kiera Albers, 5’3 guard, Maple Grove – Albers is a standout ball-handler whose superior skills have been well-known in youth basketball circles for a long time. She hasn’t played a lot of varsity ball at Maple Grove yet where she is behind D1 junior prospect Abby Schulte. Albers would be a starter on dozens of other high school teams.
(#64) Lauren Feddema, 5’6 guard, Buffalo – Lauren has grown so much this year, both in size and the impact she has on the game. Her role in Buffalo grew dramatically throughout the season, and the spark she provided off the bench offered a preview of what is to come. Lauren finished the year as the Bisons’ 4th-leading scorer on a team with six seniors.
(NR) Maddie Thorfinnson, 5’11 guard, Minnewaska – When Maddie stepped on the floor Saturday at Bloomington Jefferson, I honestly didn’t recognize her. Thorfinnson has grown! At 5’11, with a good-sized frame, she is now one of the biggest guards in Minnesota. Toiling away in Minnewaska she has been flying under the radar, but that is about to change.
(NR) Madi Herkenhoff, 6’0 post, Albany – Herkenhoff’s biggest contribution at DTA to date has been her ability to make her teammates and coaches laugh – a vastly undervalued asset in my books! – but her improvement is no laughing matter. Albany made it to state this year and the big, strong freshman saw her role grow significantly through continuous improvement. McGlothan has been singing Herkenhoff’s praises for a long time. This is the summer his belief is likely to pay off.
Photos courtesy of Marqus McGlothan and DTA Academy.