2023 rankings update: 25 fresh faces and a brand new #1
In this article:
When we first ranked the Prep Girls Hoops class of 2023 last fall, choosing the #1 prospect was exceedingly difficult. The top two prospects were obvious, but would #1 be Taylor Woodson Taylor Woodson 6'0" | PF Hopkins | 2023…
Access all of Prep Girls Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingWhen we first ranked the Prep Girls Hoops class of 2023 last fall, choosing the #1 prospect was exceedingly difficult. The top two prospects were obvious, but would #1 be Taylor Woodson Taylor Woodson 6'0" | PF Hopkins | 2023 State #28 Nation MN , the big power forward from Hopkins, or her uber-athletic teammate Nunu Agara Nunu Agara 6'1" | PF Hopkins | 2023 State #32 Nation MN ? In the end, after consulting with numerous evaluators and college coaches, there was no consensus so we did the most logical thing we could think of: We made them co-#1s. In January we went with the status quo, but the time has come to make a choice. So we did.
And the winner is… Tessa Johnson Tessa Johnson 5'11" | SG St. Michael-Albertville | 2023 State #36 Nation MN of St. Michael-Albertville. That’s right, after a stunning freshman year, significant physical growth, and a whole lot of excitement about Tessa’s game buzzing among high major college coaches, we are pleased to give the top spot to the 5’11 guard currently plying her trade on behalf of North Tartan 2021 EYBL. Formerly rated third among the 2023 prospects, Johnson’s stock has risen dramatically and she is our new #1.
We wrote about Johnson last week in our story on the top performers at the Great 8 Showcase (you can read it here). In fact we have been writing about her a lot since 7th grade and we will no doubt be writing about her a ton over the next three years. Tessa is that good. She isn’t the only player among the top 10 incoming sophomores to move up in the rankings. Here are three more.
RESHUFFLING THE TOP 10
#5 Maren Westin Maren Westin 5'8" | CG Becker | 2023 State MN – The Becker guard, who plays AAU for Barry Peterson’s Minnesota Comets 2023 Elite squad, is an athletic anomaly who can do things with the basketball that most players cannot even conceive of. She has grown this year to about 5’7 with more inches to come and has filled out significantly. A year ago she was basically an unknown commodity; today every D1 coach in the region who knows what’s up knows about Westin (pronounced Wes-teen). Maren moves up three places in the rankings to #5, just behind #4 Kennedy Sanders Kennedy Sanders 5'8" | CG Chaska | 2023 State MN of Chaska.
#8 Kennedy Klick Kennedy Klick 6'0" | CG Maple Grove | 2023 State MN – The smooth, athletic guard/wing from DeLaSalle (North Tartan 2023 Nike) continues to impress. This winter she made an impact in a very deep lineup and could always be counted on to inject life, energy and a scoring threat into the game when needed most. Ironically, Klick’s Islanders and Westin’s Bulldogs were headed for a rematch of last year’s class 3A state championship game when everything was cancelled, and the two players are good friends. Klick rises two spots to #8, just behind #6 Molly Lenz Molly Lenz 5'8" | CG Eden Prairie | 2023 State MN of Eden Prairie and #7 Shania Van Nett Shania Van Nett 5'7" | CG Como Park | 2023 State MN of St. Paul Como Park.
#10 Savannah McGowan Savannah McGowan 6'2" | PF Armstrong | 2023 State MN – The big center from Robbinsdale Armstrong (Suns 2023 Bluestar) completed her second full season of varsity basketball this winter and the growth in her game was impressive. The physical improvement would appear to have resulted directly from the improvement in her mental game. She’s more patient, more poised and therefore more effective in the paint. Savannah also happens to be the biggest player in the class at about 6’2. She rises one spot to #10, just behind #9 Clara Glad Clara Glad 6'0" | SF Rogers | 2023 State MN of Rogers.
MOVING UP IN THE TOP 25
#11 Brynn Beffert Brynn Beffert 6'0" | PF Hutchinson | 2023 State MN – McGowan wasn’t the only big to make a jump up. Beffert is already a huge impact player in varsity basketball at Hutchinson and on the AAU circuit with Minnesota Fury 2023 UAA. The 6-foot forward moves up more than any other player in the top 25, rising six places to #11.
#15 Sophi Hall Sophi Hall 6'1" | CG Holy Family | 2023 State MN – The lanky guard from Holy Family is one of the best shooters in the state, with tremendous length and endless potential. Mom was a Division 1 player and Sophi will be, too, as she picked up her first big offer this spring. Hall, who also plays for the Fury, rises four spots to #15.
#18 Sophie Lahti Sophie Lahti 6'1" | SF Pine City | 2023 State MN – The lengthy guard from Pine City and North Tartan 2023 Elite also picked up her first D1 offer and it came from the same program as Hall’s. Like Westin, Lahti is an exceptional athlete who has filled out and gotten stronger while improving her skills. She, too, is up four places to #18.
#19 Aby Shubert Aby Shubert 5'8" | CG Kasson-Mant. | 2023 State MN – The crafty combo guard from Kasson-Mantorville can flat out shoot the basketball and a whole lot more. Shubert, who plays for Josh Hersch’s top 2023 squad from the Minnesota Stars, filled up the basket and grew her leadership skills to move up four notches, cracking the top 20 at #19.
#23 Brylee Iverson Brylee Iverson 6'0" | SF Triton | 2023 State MN – The forward from Triton is Shubert’s teammate on the Stars. Their games are very different but their potential as collegiate basketball players is very much the same. Iverson’s length is a weapon at both ends of the floor and she uses it well. Brylee rises three places to #23.
BIGGEST STOCK RISERS
It’s not unusual in the sophomore and junior classes to see players make exceptional leaps up the rankings. It’s a time in a player’s development when things tend to click, plus there are 150 players on the list by that point which creates a lot more room for improvement. The giant leap is much rarer when there are still only 75 players ranked which makes the improvement of our top stock risers all the more impressive.
Up 23 – During the first half of 2020 nobody’s stock has risen more than guard Hannah Hanson Hannah Hanson 5'9" | CG Rochester Mayo | 2023 State MN of Rochester Mayo and North Tartan 2023 Nike. Her athleticism has always been there but now the overall skillset is catching up. Hanson rises from #63 to #40.
Up 15 – Grace Counts Grace Counts 6'1" | PF Providence | 2023 State MN of Providence Academy in Plymouth had an outstanding winter as she helped the Lions make it all the way to the state tournament. Her skills developed and she got bigger while raising eyebrows and now expectations. The Metro Stars 2023 Ruffin forward moves from #71 to #56.
Up 12 – A lot of people thought Brynn Senden Brynn Senden 5'6" | PG Wayzata | 2023 State MN was too small and too young to make much of a difference this season for the powerhouse Wayzata Trojans. A lot of people were wrong. The feisty point guard from North Tartan 2023 Nike proved she belonged and more. Brynn goes from #51 to #39.
Up 10 – Emily Christenson Emily Christenson 5'11" | SF East Ridge | 2023 State MN of East Ridge is one of the best shooters around. “Even though they have a 6’4 post,” one of our evaluators wrote, “you almost have to game plan entirely around Christensen because her shooting is such a weapon.” The position-less player from Stars 2023 Hersch moves from #41 to #31.
Other notable risers this time around include Nicole Lillard Nicole Lillard 5'6" | CG Champlin Park | 2023 State MN of Champlin Park (North Tartan 2022 Elite) who is up 5 spots to #30; forward/wing Allison Milbrandt Allison Milbrandt 5'10" | SF Buffalo Lake-H-S | 2023 State MN of Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart (MN Rise 2023 Busse) who rises four places to #38, and guard Kyra Miller Kyra Miller 5'9" | CG Providence | 2023 State MN of Providence Academy (Suns 2023 Bluestar) who also moves up four places to #62.
SOME NOTABLE NEWCOMERS
With 25 new players being added to the 2023 class rankings for the first time there are plenty of notable fresh faces. We will profile some of them in greater depth tomorrow but, in order, these are the top 10 first-timers.
#58 – Ashlynne Guenther Ashlynne Guenther 5'11" | SF Duluth East | 2023 State MN of Duluth East (Starks Elite)
#66 – Aalayah Wilson Aalayah Wilson 5'8" | CG Osseo | 2023 State MN of Osseo (Metro Stars 2023 Ruffin)
#76 – Keeley Steele Keeley Steele 5'8" | CG Stewartville | 2023 State MN of Stewartville (Southern Minnesota Fury 2023)
#78 – Jordan Langbehn Jordan Langbehn 5'11" | SG Elk River | 2023 State MN of Elk River (North Tartan 2023 Elite)
#79 – Ella Hopkins Ella Hopkins 6'3" | PF Rochester Lourdes | 2023 State MN of Rochester Lourdes (Southern Minnesota Fury 2023)
#80 – Ava Privet Ava Privet 5'10" | CG Caledonia | 2023 State MN of Caledonia (Wisconsin Playmakers 9th)
#81 – Lauren Pawlyshyn Lauren Pawlyshyn 5'8" | CG Prior Lake | 2023 State MN of Prior Lake (43 Hoops)
#82 – Ayla Brown Ayla Brown 5'6" | SG Becker | 2023 State MN of Becker (Minnesota Comets 2023 Elite)
#83 – Jenna Gapinski-Vogt Jenna Gapinski-Vogt 6'0" | PF Sauk Centre | 2023 State MN of Sauk Centre
#84 – Kayla Kallenbach Kayla Kallenbach 5'6" | CG Orono | 2023 State MN of Orono (Metro Stars 2023 Wiese)