Averi Dunbar leads our holiday tournaments All-Star Team
The holiday tournament extravaganza has concluded for another year and in spite of some inclement weather I managed to see 33 teams and 21 games in five days at Hill-Murray, St. Cloud, Roseville and St. Olaf. For many fans the…
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Continue ReadingThe holiday tournament extravaganza has concluded for another year and in spite of some inclement weather I managed to see 33 teams and 21 games in five days at Hill-Murray, St. Cloud, Roseville and St. Olaf. For many fans the highlight of the week was Hopkins’ win over Park Center in Brooklyn Park, complete with the much-anticipated Paige Bueckers Paige Bueckers 5'11" | CG Hopkins | 2020 State MN vs Adalia McKenzie Adalia McKenzie 5'10" | CG Park Center | 2021 State #39 Nation MN match-up. Nate Wahl had plenty of coverage from Park Center on that one.
These are my selections as the holiday tournament all stars from the four events I watched. Although the game is definitely evolving and it is becoming more and more difficult to categorize players by position, we’ve opted for the five traditional spots to give you an overview of the week’s top performers. Each player’s Prep Girls Hoops prospect ranking in their respective class is included in parentheses.
FIRST TEAM
C – Sophie Hart Sophie Hart 6'4" | C Farmington | 2021 State #44 Nation MN , junior, Farmington (#4) – The 6’4 post turned in a dominant performance Tuesday at St. Olaf College against a very strong Beaver Dam (Wisconsin) squad. Hart was 9-for-11 from the field with 12 RB and was a defensive force, as well. Farmington (10-1) played their most complete game of the season in an impressive 75-51 win.
PF – Jenna Johnson Jenna Johnson 6'2" | PF Wayzata | 2021 State #52 Nation MN , junior, Wayzata (#2) – Johnson continued her dominance at the Hill-Murray tournament, scoring 18 in the first half of an opening-night win over St. Croix Lutheran and 23 in total. Jenna followed that up with 17 versus Forest Lake and 30 against Waconia. The 6’2 forward has been unstoppable for the 11-1 Trojans.
SF – Carley West Carley West 5'11" | PF Woodbury | 2020 State MN , senior, Woodbury (#62) – When West is going at full throttle the super-athletic wing is poetry in motion and a joy to watch. She’s long, she’s smooth and she can leap with the best of them. We certainly saw that on Monday when West was flying up and down the floor in a 24-point performance against Cooper. The Iowa Central commit is averaging 16 points per game for the Royals.
SG – Peyton Blandin Peyton Blandin 5'8" | SG Farmington | 2021 State MN , junior, Farmington (#51) – Blandin dished up the latest in a string of strong performances for the Tigers, going 8-for-13 from the field, including 3-for-6 from beyond the arc, in a 19-point performance against Beaver Dam. It has been a breakout season for Blandin, who has been in double figures in 8 of 11 games.
PG – Averi Dunbar Averi Dunbar 5'6" | PG Spring Lake Park | 2022 State MN , sophomore, Spring Lake Park (#54) – There’s nothing physically imposing about Averi, but the 5’6 guard is like a little box of explosives hidden away in the back of the room. When it detonates – BOOM!! – the effects are deadly. We saw it again Friday in St. Cloud as Dunbar used her quick feet, quicker hands, superior IQ and grade-A swagger to lead the Panthers to a win over St. Cloud Tech. This kid’s got game!
SECOND TEAM
C – Jenna Guyer Jenna Guyer 6'2" | C Centennial | 2021 State MN , junior, Centennial (#28) – After opening the Roseville tournament with an 18-point performance against Robbinsdale Cooper, Guyer scored just 2 points against Roseville on Saturday and may have been Centennial’s most important player. That’s how the 6’2 post impacts the game in all of its facets. She followed with 17 in a strong display against Rogers to lead the Cougars to the tournament title.
PF – Mallory Brake Mallory Brake 6'0" | SF Hastings | 2020 State MN , senior, Hastings (#5) – Mal is having to do pretty much everything for 2-8 Hastings this season as an inexperienced supporting cast tries to find its way and Brake puts on a dominant display night after night. After opening the tournament with 29 points and 12 rebounds against host Roseville, the Creighton commit had 28 points, 10 rebounds, 4 steals, 2 assists and 2 blocks vs Cooper. Some 24 hours later Mallory had 33 more points against Minneapolis South despite being mauled from start to finish.
W – Jodi Anderson Jodi Anderson 5'11" | CG Centennial | 2021 State MN , junior, Centennial (#22) – Centennial had a truly impressive week in winning the Roseville event, and Anderson’s consistent excellence played a huge role. The smooth wing scored 16 points versus Cooper. Against Roseville she was an incredible 11-for-12 at the free throw line for 16 points to go along with 9 rebounds and 3 assists. Anderson closed out the tournament with an 18-point-night against Rogers to go with 3 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. Sometimes numbers do tell the story.
SG – Adeline Kent Adeline Kent 5'8" | CG Becker | 2022 State MN , sophomore, Becker (#47) – Kent has been consistently productive all season and the explosive guard had two very nice games at the Granite City Classic. Kent has quick feet, quick hands and is a gifted scorer who puts the ball in the hole in a variety of ways. She had 22 points against Spring Lake Park and 19 more against the stout Hutchinson defense.
PG – Ellie Dague Ellie Dague 5'10" | CG Henning | 2021 State MN , junior, Henning (#11) – The big guard from the small town is back after a long string of injuries. Dague is one of the savviest point guards around and she proved it once again in St. Cloud. Dague opened the event with a 29-point, 8-rebound, 7-assist, 4-steal performance against Foley and showed more of the same 24 hours later against a strong Holy Family squad.
THIRD TEAM
C – Tamia Ugass Tamia Ugass 6'3" | C Roseville | 2021 State MN , junior, Roseville (#12) – The 6’3 post is in her 5th year as a varsity starter and it shows. Ugass has been solid all season, scoring in double figures in every game and averaging 16 ppg. This week she had 16 versus Hastings, 12 against Centennial and 17 versus Andover, but it is Tamia’s rebounding that is her calling card. Ugass recently passed the 1,000-career rebounds mark.
PF – Lindsey Becher Lindsey Becher 6'1" | C Mounds View | 2020 State MN , senior, Mounds View (#24) – Nobody uses knows how to use her length and leverage better than Becher, who has been carrying the Mustangs on her back for years. The Concordia-St. Paul commit was her usual excellent self at the Hill-Murray tournament. Against Tartan, Lindsey scored 28 points and grabbed 8 rebounds. Becher followed that up with a 26 and 17 performance against Waconia. She’s averaging over 21 ppg and shooting 54 percent from the field.
SF – Rai’Janee Meadows Rai’Janee Meadows 5'9" | SF Roseville | 2021 State MN , junior, Roseville (#59) – We have been waiting for Meadows to break through for the past couple of years. Rai’Janee is a powerful, athletic forward/guard with explosiveness and tremendous natural scoring ability. In a second-half burst against Centennial she completed the steal-and-score combination on three consecutive possessions to get the Raiders back into the game on her way to a 17-point performance. When it all comes together Meadows could be exceptional.
SG – Andrea Tribble Andrea Tribble 5'5" | CG Cooper | 2021 State MN , junior, Robbinsdale Cooper (#39) – Tribble is one of the quickest guards in the junior class, and the little water bug was flying all week long at Roseville. Tribble, who has been a mainstay on the Tayler Hill Elite squad for years, scored a season-high 26 points against Hastings to top her 17 ppg average. She’s also a terrific on-ball defender who brings the energy every time out.
PG – Sydney Jackson Sydney Jackson 5'5" | CG Cretin-Derham Hall | 2020 State MN , senior, Cretin-Derham Hall (#137) – Jackson is a decorated track star and the little guard from St. Paul definitely won the race on Tuesday with a strong 21-point performance. Jackson was everywhere for the Raiders, who prevailed in a tight battle with Grand Rapids. Sydney made four 3-pointers against the Thunderhawks, including a pair in the final couple of minutes that were desperately needed. Her teammate Audrey Martinez-Stewart Audrey Martinez-Stewart 5'6" | PG Cretin-Derham Hall | 2021 State MN closed the deal with a pair of baskets in the final minute of a 54-48 win.
HONORABLE MENTION
C – Kierra Wheeler Kierra Wheeler 6'1" | PF Cooper | 2021 State MN , junior, Robbinsdale Cooper (#18) – The big post scored 17 in a strong performance against Woodbury after putting up 14 versus Centennial and 10 against Hastings.
PF – Madi Ngene Madi Ngene 5'9" | PF Spring Lake Park | 2021 State MN , junior, Spring Lake Park (#149) – Every time I see Madi play she exceeds my expectations. Ngene used her strength and size to get the better of St. Cloud Tech’s bigs.
SF – Olivia Pekron Olivia Pekron 5'10" | PF Forest Lake | 2021 State MN , junior, Forest Lake (#144) – Pekron continued her breakthrough season with a solid tournament at Hill-Murray. She’s scoring, rebounding and making life miserable for opponents with her physical presence.
SG – Maddie Hanson, sophomore, Mounds View – The emerging guard had a career game against Tartan on Thursday, nailing 7 threes en route to 25 points. She is now Mounds View’s second-leading scorer.
PG – Sydney Manthana Sydney Manthana 5'7" | PG Rockford | 2021 MN , junior, Rockford (#74) – The 5’6 guard had a season-high 30 points against Foley, making three treys and going a remarkable 13-of-14 at the free throw line for the 7-2 Rockets.
Top photo: Spring Lake Park sophomore Averi Dunbar Averi Dunbar 5'6" | PG Spring Lake Park | 2022 State MN had a strong performance for the Panthers at the Granite City Class. (Photo courtesy of Hometown Source)