Summer Eclipse: The best overall performers
In this article:
Minnesota Fury 2022 UAA are off to a bit of a slow start this month. The defending state champions, who boast one of the most stacked lineups in all of Minnesota AAU basketball, aren’t quite in sync yet. That’s been…
Access all of Prep Girls Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingMinnesota Fury 2022 UAA are off to a bit of a slow start this month. The defending state champions, who boast one of the most stacked lineups in all of Minnesota AAU basketball, aren’t quite in sync yet. That’s been the case since play resumed a few weeks back and it was certainly the case on the weekend in their exhibition game against a strong South Dakota Attack squad at the Summer Eclipse in Bloomington. One player who appears to be clicking on all cylinders, however, is forward Lilly Meister Lilly Meister 6'2" | PF Rochester John Marshall | 2022 State #55 Nation MN of Rochester John Marshall, and it was her fine play on Sunday morning that brought the Fury from well behind to a dramatic overtime victory.
Watching the evolution of Meister has been a whole lot of fun. Two years ago she was tall and skinny and not particularly assertive around the basket. Today she is very tall at 6’2 and not skinny and is a force to be reckoned with at both ends of the floor. Meister is the #6-rated prospect in a very strong Prep Girls Hoops Class of 2022. Lilly, whose parents both played at South Dakota State, is garnering impressive big-time offers from across the country and there’s no telling where she might end up. She is long and mobile, has excellent footwork and a soft touch around the rim.
On Sunday Meister was seemingly everywhere at once. In the first half Lilly was pretty much the only Fury player who could get a shot to drop as the team fell behind by a dozen. Midway through the second half it was Lilly’s and-one that sparked a 15-5 run for the Fury to cut the lead to two before Callin Hake Callin Hake 5'8" | PG Chanhassen | 2022 State #64 Nation MN tied it at 57 with under four minutes remaining. From there the two teams traded buckets all the way to the end. During that stretch Meister scored a three-pointer followed by a pair of free throws and the tying basket with just 22 seconds remaining to force overtime. In the overtime period Meister had a big block that led to a pair of free throws by Kassie Caron Kassie Caron 6'0" | SF Holy Angels | 2022 State MN to steal the win by a score of 68-66.
Meister finished the game with 25 points while Hake had 12 and Caron 10. Playing without Mallory Heyer Mallory Heyer 6'1" | PF Chaska | 2022 State #36 Nation MN of Chaska, who was out with a minor ankle injury, and Alexa Ratzlaff Alexa Ratzlaff 5'9" | CG Rosemount | 2022 State MN of Rosemount, who was absent, Fury 2022 followed up with an impressive 82-63 win over the Attack’s top 17U squad.
The Fury have four of the top 10 players in the class: #4 Heyer, #7 Ellie Buzzelle Ellie Buzzelle 5'9" | SG Rogers | 2022 State #60 Nation MN of Rogers and Hake who is the #8. Three more members of the team are ranked in the 10-20 range: #16 Katie Hurt Katie Hurt 6'0" | SF Roch. John Marshall | 2022 State MN (Meister’s teammate in Rochester), #18 Ratzlaff and #19 Emma Miller Emma Miller 5'1" | PG STMA | 2022 State MN of St. Michael-Albertville. It’s all very impressive. The Fury will attempt to defend their state championship August 7-9 against such strong contenders as North Tartan 2022 EYBL and Minnesota Stars 2022 Nilsen.
Meister wasn’t the only player who stood out at the Summer Eclipse. Here are the top performers we watched in Bloomington.
Audrey Swanson Audrey Swanson 5'11" | SF Waconia | 2022 State MN – Crossfire 2022 Bluestar (Waconia)
The 5’11 forward had 56 points in four games over the weekend including 22 in an nice win over Stars 2022 Fleming. Swanson is an outstanding athlete with a big frame, strength to spare and really nice leaping ability. She recently moved up to #50 in the 2022 prospect rankings and this weekend made a case that she deserves to keep on climbing.
Kennedy Sanders Kennedy Sanders 5'8" | CG Chaska | 2023 State MN – Fury 2023 UAA (Chaska)
Sanders’ team played two games on Friday night during which she collected 29 points. As per usual she also compiled a drawer full of nice assists. Sanders is an elite talent ranked #4 among incoming sophomores in the state. She has a super high basketball IQ, terrific handles and the kind of mental toughness you just can’t teach. Sanders is one of nine players on the team in the 2023 top 20.
Aby Shubert Aby Shubert 5'8" | CG Kasson-Mant. | 2023 State MN – Stars 2023 Hersch (Kasson-Mantorville)
Aby has been one of July’s top performers and her stellar play continued this weekend as she compiled 49 points including 10 three-pointers. She led the way Sunday in an impressive win for the Stars over a loaded Fury 2024 UAA squad during which the team put on a shooting clinic. I wasn’t keeping track specifically but the Hersch crew must have been around 80% from beyond the arc in the first half.
Olivia Olson Olivia Olson 6'1" | CG Benilde-SM | 2024 State MN – Fury 2024 UAA (Benilde St. Margaret’s)
I could watch Olson all day every day and not get tired of it. Olson is just so smooth and fluid with a tool box full of precision implements that enable her to dominate age-group opponents on a regular basis. The long, athletic guard is making a very strong case that she is the #1 player in the class of 2024. Olson, who is already garnering high major offers, scored 19 Sunday in a two-point win over Metro Stars 2023 Wiese.
Maren Westin Maren Westin 5'8" | CG Becker | 2023 State MN – Comets 2023 Elite (Becker)
Like Olson, the uber-athletic Westin is a show unto herself. When this Comets squad is on the schedule I’m arranging my itinerary to watch Westin as often as possible. The #5 incoming sophomore averaged 16 points per game over the weekend. The official tally says she had 10 threes but that number is definitely short-changing Westin who had a half dozen alone among her 28 points Sunday in a win over 43 Hoops.
Nicole Maenke – Suns 2024 Bluestar (Shakopee)
We are carefully watching the class of 2024 right now and the more we see Nicole play the more we like what she has to offer. Maenke is an outstanding communicator with excellent focus and a high basketball IQ. She’s got quick feet, a scorer’s touch, an intense approach to the defensive aspects of the game and obvious leadership skills. We haven’t ranked this class yet but Maenke will surely make our first 50.
Madison Mathiowetz Madison Mathiowetz 5'10" | CG Sleepy Eye St. Mary's | 2022 State MN – Rise 2021 Wolfe (Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s)
Maddie got off to an uncharacteristically slow start on Friday night but the elite athlete rebounded with some strong play in the following 48 hours, scoring 46 points in four games and displaying her usual high level of skill. Mathiowetz, who hails from one of the smallest schools in the state, is already garnering Division 1 offers and our phone has been ringing with calls from coaches seeking more information.
Paige Meyer Paige Meyer 5'6" | PG Albany | 2021 State MN – Comets 2021 Elite (Albany/SDSU)
Meyer’s will to win is second to none. The Comets, who went 3-1 on the weekend, were led by the Albany guard who averaged 17 points per game. The top 15 incoming senior was her usual ferocious self as she shook off defenders, powered through opponents and scored at the rim with aplomb. I was excited by the possibilities the first time I saw Paige play years ago and she has not disappointed. Ever.
Macy Holtz Macy Holtz 5'7" | PG P-E-M | 2021 State MN – Southern Minnesota Fury 2021 (PEM/MSU-Moorhead)
Macy is an excellent talent with terrific ball-handling skills, outstanding game management and the ability to make everyone around her a little bit better. That package certainly impressed coach Karla Nelson at MSU-Moorhead who landed a commitment from the Plainview-Elgin-Millville point guard just last week. Holtz scored 55 points at the Summer Eclipse as she led her team to a record of 3-1.