Meet the PGH All-Freshmen Team & 8th graders, too
Girls varsity basketball lineups in Minnesota keep getting younger every year. At least that’s how it seems as the skill level continues to rise from one grade to the next and talented young players are given opportunities early on that…
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Continue ReadingGirls varsity basketball lineups in Minnesota keep getting younger every year. At least that’s how it seems as the skill level continues to rise from one grade to the next and talented young players are given opportunities early on that used to be reserved for upperclassmen. This season the freshmen and their junior high peers had a huge impact on the game, none more so than Tessa Johnson Tessa Johnson 5'11" | SG St. Michael-Albertville | 2023 State #36 Nation MN , the St. Michael-Albertville guard who was the only freshman to make the Prep Girls Hoops 4A All-State Team.
Now we bring you the rest of the best, the top 9th grade performers in the state this winter. In addition we have the top 14 8th grade performers along with one 7th grade prodigy who turned heads from start to finish. Players are listed in the order of their current Prep Girls Hoops prospect ranking which is indicated, as well. We won’t go into voluminous detail on each player since we have already written extensively this winter about every one of them.
FIRST TEAM
Taylor Woodson Taylor Woodson 6'0" | PF Hopkins | 2023 State #28 Nation MN – The Hopkins power forward didn’t make our 4A All-State teams but she easily could have. Woodson, who is co-number 1 in the class, averaged 15 points and 5 rebounds as a starter.
Nunu Agara Nunu Agara 6'1" | PF Hopkins | 2023 State #32 Nation MN – Coming off the bench for Hopkins, the athletic forward wowed us with her spectacular offensive plays and disruptive defensive abilities, averaging 8.3 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. She’s co-#1 with Woodson.
Tessa Johnson Tessa Johnson 5'11" | SG St. Michael-Albertville | 2023 State #36 Nation MN – The high-flying guard/wing from St. Michael-Albertville, who is #3 in the class, went beyond expectations, averaging 18 ppg with game high of 30 against the state’s top competition.
Kennedy Sanders Kennedy Sanders 5'8" | CG Chaska | 2023 State MN – The savvy freshman from Chaska (#4) was the state’s top-performing point guard among the 9th graders, a floor leader in every sense of the word. She averaged 12.6 ppg and was an assist machine.
Aby Shubert Aby Shubert 5'8" | CG Kasson-Mant. | 2023 State MN – Aby, ranked #23, was one of the state’s most consistent performers for 3A Kasson-Mantorville. The combo guard led her team in scoring at 15.5 ppg with a high game of 29.
SECOND TEAM
Molly Lenz Molly Lenz 5'8" | CG Eden Prairie | 2023 State MN – On a team loaded with great guards, the #6 freshman prospect in Minnesota was as good as expected, playing big minutes, distributing with effectiveness and efficiency, and bombing threes.
Maren Westin Maren Westin 5'8" | CG Becker | 2023 State MN – This season was Maren’s coming-out party. She averaged 8 ppg off the bench. When she played starter minutes that production doubled. Westin shot over 40% from three and wowed us with her athleticism.
Kennedy Klick Kennedy Klick 6'0" | CG Maple Grove | 2023 State MN – The defending state 3A champions are loaded but Kennedy (#10) proved early on that she deserved to be a starter. The silky smooth wing/guard averaged over 7 ppg and made a ton of big plays.
Abby Krzewinski Abby Krzewinski 5'11" | PF Wayzata | 2023 State MN – The freshman forward pounded her way into Wayzata’s starting rotation, demonstrating the kind of defensive presence, poise and versatility seldom seen in a freshman. She’s ranked #16.
Brynn Beffert Brynn Beffert 6'0" | PF Hutchinson | 2023 State MN – The big post player from Hutchinson (#17) has a fire that burns bright and a kind of innate toughness that few young players possess. She averaged around 17 and 8 to lead the Tigers.
HONORABLE MENTIOIN
Teresa Kiewiet Teresa Kiewiet 5'10" | SF Mankato West | 2023 State MN – The Mankato West guard/forward, who is the #9 prospect in the class of 2023, isn’t flashy but man is she effective. She’s skilled and physical and impacts the game in so many different ways.
Ashley Schuelke Ashley Schuelke 5'10" | SF Chaska | 2023 State MN – The Chaska forward, ranked #14, emerged last summer as a force to be reckoned with. She played a key role for the Hawks, getting stronger as the year went on and averaging 7.5 ppg.
Zoey Washington Zoey Washington 5'9" | CG St. Croix Lutheran | 2023 State MN – The versatile guard from Mahtomedi was a vital cog in the wheel for a resurgent Zephyrs’ squad. Ranked #15, Zoey is an all-around contributor who averaged 7.5 ppg with a high of 29.
Sophi Hall Sophi Hall 6'1" | CG Holy Family | 2023 State MN – The 6-foot guard/wing from Holy Family, ranked #19, averaged 10 points and 4 rebounds per game and was the Fire’s go-to girl on a regular basis. Hall is just scratching the surface of what’s possible.
Sydnee Nelson Sydnee Nelson 5'5" | CG Red Wing | 2023 State MN – The Red Wing guard, who is #29 in the class, is one of the state’s top defenders on a team that thrives on defensive excellence. Sydnee also averaged 11 points per game at the other end of the court.
7TH & 8TH GRADE ALL-STATE
FIRST TEAM
Addison Mack – The crafty 7th grader from the Blake School scored more than 500 points, averaging over 18 per game.
Alivia McGill – An uber-athletic 8th grader, McGill was a regular in a strong Park Center rotation, averaging 7.5 points per game.
Katie Vasecka – The long and lanky 8th grade forward was a key piece on a strong 4A team at New Prague, averaging nearly 8 points per game.
Laura Hauge – For the second year in a row the 8th grade guard from St. Croix Lutheran, who is one of the state’s top 3-point shooters, was a force at the varsity level averaging over 14 ppg.
Olivia Olson – The long and fluid 8th grade forward made a big splash at Benilde-St. Margaret’s leading her team in scoring at 15 ppg with a high game of 40.
SECOND TEAM
Angel Hill – The talented 8th grade guard from Minneapolis South is a two-year varsity veteran who averaged nearly 14 ppg for the Tigers.
Ava Holman – The clever 8th grade guard was a revelation for Osseo as she made a mark for herself early in the season and was a consistent contributor at nearly 9 ppg.
Emma Dasovich – The big 8th grade power forward cracked the starting lineup at Minnetonka and made her mark in the Lake Conference, averaging 10 and 4 against the state’s best players.
Kadence Hesse – The gifted 8th grade guard from Sleepy Eye raised eyebrows across Southern Minnesota with her superior skills, earning All-Conference honors in the Tomahawk.
Rhyan Holmgren – The athletic 8th grader showed flashes of brilliance and was a key piece for St. Peter, averaging about 9 ppg.
HONORABLE MENTION
Maia Stevens – The 8th grade guard from Minneapolis Washburn started strong and got stronger, shooting over 50% and averaging 8.7 points per game.
Kylie Waytashek – A long and lanky forward, the 8th grader from Pierz is going to be a good one. She averaged nearly 9 ppg this winter.
Rachel Kottke – The 8th grade guard was part of a strong squad from Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart where she averaged 8.8 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.1 assists.
Kristi Kottke – Rachel’s twin sister was equally good for the Mustangs, averaging 7.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists.
Davinney Dreckman – The 8th grader from New Ulm is a strong, physical guard who shot better than 50 percent from the field while averaging over 7 points per game.
We have now reached the conclusion of our Minnesota high school coverage for the 2019-20 season. We’ll move on to our series of individual video evaluations in a couple of days, a new feature that will highlight top prospects and fresh faces in an informative and hopefully entertaining way.
Top photo: St. Michael-Albertville freshman Tessa Johnson Tessa Johnson 5'11" | SG St. Michael-Albertville | 2023 State #36 Nation MN . (Photo courtesy of the StarTribune)