Class of 2022 rankings update: 25 fresh faces make the list
We knew the name. Now we know the game. Both are well worth remembering as Rose Wille of Farmington has hustled her way into the Prep Girls Hoops Class of 2022 prospects rankings for the first time. Wille, a 5’9…
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Continue ReadingWe knew the name. Now we know the game. Both are well worth remembering as Rose Wille of Farmington has hustled her way into the Prep Girls Hoops Class of 2022 prospects rankings for the first time. Wille, a 5’9 guard, is one of 25 fresh faces to enter the list of top sophomore prospects. At #82, she is the highest-ranked among them. Given her limited varsity experience prior to this season, and the absence of AAU basketball in her background, Rose has a ton of room for future growth, as well.
We first paid close attention to Wille on New Year’s Eve in Northfield where Farmington was facing Beaver Dam, Wisc., a powerhouse high school program. One of the concerns early on in that game was the Tigers’ lack of depth in comparison to the visitors, and we were curious to see how that played out. Tigers’ coach Liz Carpentier waited for what seemed like an eternity before making her first substitution. When she did, however, Wille made her presence felt immediately by scoring two huge buckets that created some separation between the two teams. By the time Wille’s night was done, on a team loaded with talent, in a game in which she played just 12 minutes, Wille had made a huge impact. She had also made a big impression on us.
One of those first two buckets was an excellent example of what Wille can do, an impressive baseline drive and bank shot that showed her quality footwork, strength and ability to power up to the rim through traffic. Rose has a sturdy frame, good handles and a sound overall skill set. She’s not flashy. She’s not going to wow you. But this is the kind of reliable performer that every winning team needs and every coach craves. Wille finished the game with 8 points on 4-for-5 shooting and put her stamp on the victory. It was a season-high at that point for the sophomore, who was averaging just 3.4 points per game in a support role.
Since that time Rose has had a major breakthrough. Her production increased gradually over the next half dozen games. Then the injuries came for Farmington, which lost junior shooting guard Paige Kindseth and senior point guard Molly Mogensen. As a result, Wille’s playing time jumped dramatically and so did her production. Wille has now reached double figures in 5 of her last 6 games, including scoring 12 against Lakeville North, 15 against Rosemount and a season-high 17 at Prior Lake for an average of 12 points per game. That massive increase in production has been vital for her squad as Farmington has extended its winning streak to a dozen games and captured the South Suburban Conference championship.
Next month Wille will join Minnesota Stars 2022 Fleming, a new AAU unit that includes such talented prospects as #47 Leah Dengerud of Totino-Grace, #55 Hannah Herzig of Centennial and #73 Kiera Albers of Maple Grove. We’re excited to see what she can do.
Here are four more talented prospects who made the 2022 list for the first time.
#135 Abbie Riederer — The 5’8 guard from Minnesota Valley Lutheran has been a dominant performer for the Chargers. As reported yesterday in our weekly recap, Riederer established a new single-season scoring record with 498 points, eclipsing a mark that had stood at the Class AA school for nearly 30 years. She is averaging 20 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, and has accumulated 50 assists and 54 steals along the way. Riederer has a nice all-around skill set, moves the ball efficiently and has plenty of quickness. Abbie is athletic, with nice hops and plays the game in a very natural sort of way. She’s also a high-intensity defender and a good leader on the floor. She’ll join Wille this spring on the Stars.
#125 Anisah Wolf — The 5’8 guard from Benilde-St. Margaret’s has been one of the bright spots for the Red Knights this year during what has been a difficult season. Wolf has made terrific strides, emerging as a consistent scorer at 10.7 points per game. She recorded a high of 24 in a January win over Bloomington Kennedy and was in double figures in half of her team’s games. Wolf, who grew up in the Bloomington Jefferson travel program, is long and athletic. After finding her footing in BSM’s rotation as a freshman, Wolf has taken her game to a new level during her sophomore season and there is every reason to believe she will continue to get better in the months ahead.
#137 McKenna Ziemke — The 5’8 guard from Belle Plaine is poised for a major breakthrough. She, too, is long, lean and athletic, which is generally a nice recipe for success as a guard. She flies around the court, playing with passion and energy and spark. Although Ziemke is not yet lighting up the scoreboard – McKenna is averaging 6 ppg with a high of 19 – she carries heavy defensive responsibilities and is usually tasked with guarding the other team’s top athletes. She does that job well, thanks to elite quickness, great lateral movement, and a hound dog’s mentality that enables her to scoop up loose balls and force steals with high frequency. She plays AAU for Minnesota Rise 2022 Wright with her Tigers’ teammate Leah Lenz, who also made the 2022 Top 150.
#144 Kirsten Dennis – A 5’5 guard from New Ulm, Dennis moved to Minnesota this season and made an immediate impact at New Ulm where she had the unenviable task of replacing the great Joey Batt at the point. Kirsten, whose dad Matt Dennis is the boys coach at New Ulm, is small but explosive. She made an impressive debut for the Eagles by scoring 20 points on opening night. Since then the transplant from Northern Michigan has averaged 15 ppg with a high of 31. She has been over the 20-point mark eight times while racking up a ton of assists and steals. The quick-footed lefty has plenty of moxie, and is an aggressive defender. She, too, will play for the Rise.