Which Minnesota players are off to a fast start?
It’s early yet, but three weeks into the high school basketball season is not too soon to start seeing some preliminary trends develop. While there are plenty of familiar names lighting up the scoreboards around the state, we have seen other players begin emerging from the shadows and doing more. Although it is only one aspect of performance – and I am by no means a numbers-only kind of guy – point production is something we can easily measure, and it’s about the only aspect of individual performance that is widely available. With that in mind, here are some players who have jumped quickly from the starting gates this winter.
Kayla Bohr, Anna Garfield and Madison Hoehne of Blaine have been on fire through their first six games of the season as the Bengals have leapt out to a 5-1 start after winning just seven games all last year. Bohr, a 5’10 junior, scored 29 points on Saturday against Apple Valley, raising her season average to 16.7 points per game. Garfield, a senior guard, is also averaging 16 as is Hoehne, a 6’0 junior whose stock has been on the rise for the past six months. Hoehne had a 26-point game against Providence Academy.
Lake City sophomores Natalie Bremer and Lilly Meincke have also been lighting it up. Bremer, a 5’10 guard ranked #60 in the class of 2022, topped the 30-point mark in consecutive games last week. She’s averaging 22 points and 8 rebounds per game. Meincke, a 5’10 guard ranked #52 in the class, is averaging 18 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals per game. Not surprisingly, the Tigers are undefeated at 5-0.
Jenna Johnson, the second-rated player in the class of 2021, has been sizzling for Wayzata. The 6’2 forward, who is also racking up Division 1 scholarship offers, has been more assertive offensively following the graduation of Kallie Theisen (South Dakota State). Jenna scored 32 in the Trojans’ season-opener against Fergus Falls and had 33 against Lakeville North. Point production is not unexpected from Johnson, but she’s now at 25 ppg, up from 15.7 last season and 11.2 as a freshman.
Going north of 30
There have been multiple players top 30 point in a game so far, including Paige Bueckers of Hopkins, Tori Peschel of Sauk Centre, Paige Meyer of Albany, Brielle Bartelt of Waterville-Elysian-Morristown, Katie Borowicz of Roseau and Frankie Vascellaro of Holy Angels, who scored 36 against Robbinsdale Cooper last week. Junior Logan Anderson is emerging as an offensive threat for Forest Lake following mass graduations last spring. Anderson had 31 points in the Rangers’ win over Woodbury, a game in which she went 15-for-15 at the free throw line to establish a new school record. She’s leading the Rangers in scoring at 20 ppg. Haley Hawkinson of Hibbing had a 31-point performance last week against Princeton and is averaging 18.
Minnesota’s top 10 scorers
The list of top 10 scorers in the state is chock-full of familiar names, including the leading point producer overall – Gianna Kneepkens of Duluth Marshall. The junior guard led the state in scoring last year, as well, and is currently at 35 ppg. She’s followed by Borowicz at 30 and Adalia McKenzie of Park Center at 28.2. Other familiar faces in the top 10 include Jade Hill of Minneapolis South (26.3), MSU-Moorhead commit Karley Motschenbacher of Park Christian (26.3) and Mia Curtis of Minnehaha Academy (25.7), who had a 41-point performance in a four-overtime win against Sauk Centre. Mallory Brake of Hastings (24.8) and Lilly Meister of Rochester John Marshall (24.7) are among the top 10, too.
There is one less-familiar name in that group: Abbie Theusch from Alden-Conger/Glenville-Emmons, who is in fourth place at 27 points per game. The 5’9 junior had a 30-point performance against Grand Meadow, a game in which she went 13-of-23 from the field, 5-of-7 at the line, and had 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 10 steals! Although she finished second on her team in scoring last year to Erika Bute, who now plays volleyball at Augustana, Theusch averaged over 20 points per game. FYI, since I had to look it up, Alden is located in Freeborn County about 20 minutes west of Albert Lea.
New kids on the block
Although she’s not a complete unknown, Paige Peaslee is definitely drawing more attention so far this season. The 5’11 sophomore forward from North Branch has bettered the 20-point mark in three of the Vikings’ four games to date and is averaging 19.2, up 8 from last season. North Branch won just five games in 2018-19. They are currently 4-0. One player who has definitely been a surprise is 7th grader Ella Kuhlman, who sits fourth in scoring on the team at 9 points per game.
In Osseo, 8th grader Ava Holman led the team in points in two of their first three games. The North Tartan athlete leads the squad at 13.3 points per game. At Blake, 7th grader Addison Mack launched her high school career with 23 against Mayer Lutheran and followed that up with 21 versus South St. Paul. Mack is averaging 16.2 ppg, but it is her distribution and court savvy that is most worthy of note.
Leading from three
No matter how much we beg and plead it is still a chore getting high school coaches to post anything beyond point totals with their game scores. Even that is an issue in many places. As a result, kids don’t always get recognized for their accomplishments. I wouldn’t have known, for example, that MSU-commit Paige Thompson of Hawley went 29 and 12 against Frazee if someone hadn’t given me a heads up. Some diligent coaches do a good job, however, including posting three-point makes. Among those who have posted, these are the leaders.
18 – Larisa O’Neil, senior guard, Rosemount
17 – Taryn Hamling, freshman guard, Grand Rapids
17 – Emily Christenson, freshman guard, East Ridge
16 – Tanna Gallo, senior guard Minnehaha Academy (Waldorf)
15 – Lexi Cloyd, junior guard, Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial
14 – Natalie Mikrot, sophomore guard, Moose Lake-Willow River
14 – Laura Hauge, 8th grade guard, St. Croix Lutheran
Top photo: Abbie Theusch of Alden-Conger/Glenville-Emmons (in black) is soaring towards the top of the state in scoring so far this season. (Photo courtesy of Albert Lea Tribune)