Mason’s Top Performers: Minnesota Fall Exclusive Week 1
On Friday evening I was at Bloomington Kennedy High School for the Minnesota Fall Exclusive. I wasn’t able to see every team play, which each team playing just two games over the course of a few hours, but saw some…
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Continue ReadingOn Friday evening I was at Bloomington Kennedy High School for the Minnesota Fall Exclusive. I wasn’t able to see every team play, which each team playing just two games over the course of a few hours, but saw some very nice talent. Below you can find the eight standouts from the first week of the Fall Exclusive.
Mara Braun Mara Braun 5'11" | CG Wayzata | 2022 State #21 Nation MN – 5’11 CG – Wayzata HS – 2022
Braun was dominant from the word go on Friday night. She plays with such a good confidence in her game that she has the ability to put her team on her back at a moments notice. She is fluid with the ball and has a ton of lateral and downhill quickness. She is a tough task to guard because she can pull up and hit the jumper but she can also get to the rim with ease. Braun is one of the most dynamic playmakers in the state and in the Midwest.
Emma Miller Emma Miller 5'1" | PG STMA | 2022 State MN – 5’1 PG – St. Michael-Albertville HS – 2022
Miller might be small but she is so quick that she’s a tough player to guard. She is everything that you look for in a point guard of her size. She passes the ball well and sees the floor exceptionally well. You can’t relax at all around her because her burst of speed will allow her to get to the paint and show off her scoring ability. She has a nice floater in her pocket on the offensive end and is always playing at 100%. Miller does not take plays off on either end.
Lilli Mackley Lilli Mackley 5'11" | CG Hill-Murray | 2021 State MN – 5’11 CG – Hill-Murray HS – 2021
Mackley looked really solid as she was able to make some really nice post moves and score. She also hit a few mid-range jumpers that looked very fluid. I thought that her ability to play consistent basketball on both ends was really big for her. She continued to gain confidence throughout the night. I like her game a lot and I think college coaches will be looking at her heavily these next few Friday’s.
Jasmyn Hale – 5’9 SG – Shakopee HS – 2022
Hale is a long wing who really can play any of the guard spots or slide to the wing with her length and speed. She was always on the floor to grab those lose balls and her team could count on her to make the hustle plays. While I didn’t see her score a ton of points she was able to do a lot of the little things that her team needed. Over the past year or so her confidence has improved tremendously and when Hale is confident on the floor, I’d match her up with almost anyone in the class.
Katelyn Lindberg – 5’9 SG – Monticello HS – 2021
Lindberg was a really interesting player on Friday night as I don’t think that I’ve seen her before. I thought that she played tremendously throughout the entire night and didn’t seem to mind to do the little things. As she matures and gains more confidence I think that her game will really take off. Her length is solid for her size and defensively she did a really good job utilizing that length. I am excited to see what more she brings in future weeks.
Bianca Benson – 5’4 SG – Totino-Grace HS – 2021
Benson caught the eye of a few college coaches in the gym on Friday night with her scoring prowess. She was hot from beyond the arc all evening long and was also able to get to the rim at a solid rate. Benson showed off some nice skill with the ball in her hands as she was able to keep defenders off balance. She handled it well and showed off a few nice moves to get to her spot on the floor. She was one of the players who stood out the most Friday night.
Hannah Herzig Hannah Herzig 6'0" | CG Totino Grace | 2022 State MN – 6’ SF – Totino-Grace HS – 2022
Herzig stood out to me on a few instances last night even though she was on a very talented team. She has a lot of the right intangibles to play at a high level when surrounded by other talent. She was talking a lot last night to her teammates and I didn’t see her make one mistake with the ball. Herzig is one of those “glue” players that coaches always love to have on their team because she does the little things right. She is starting to become more efficient on the offensive end and I think that she has a big year ahead of her.
Tessa Johnson Tessa Johnson 5'11" | SG St. Michael-Albertville | 2023 State #36 Nation MN – 5’10 SG – St. Michael-Albertville HS – 2023
Johnson is the top player in the 2023 class and she showed why on Friday night. Johnson is so smooth with the ball in her hands and seemingly glides to the rim. She plays well off of her teammates and makes everyone around her better. I thought that she didn’t try to do too much on the floor last night and showed great leadership. If a teammate starts to get down, Johnson is right there to pick them up. She plays with a ton of energy on the floor no matter the situation.