Fall Exclusive finale: 9th-12th stock risers & All-Stars
In boys/men’s basketball it isn’t hard to find a pick-up game. Opportunities abound to just show up and jump in. In the girl’s game it’s not so easy and most of the play is quite structured in nature. The Minnesota…
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Continue ReadingIn boys/men’s basketball it isn’t hard to find a pick-up game. Opportunities abound to just show up and jump in. In the girl’s game it’s not so easy and most of the play is quite structured in nature. The Minnesota Fall Exclusive, hosted by Prep Girls Hoops and Jr All-Star, offered the opportunity to play what was essentially pick-up style ball in a semi-organized format. There was minimal coaching, minimal structure and maximum fun. The format also offered the opportunity for girls to showcase their skills in different ways, and it was interesting to say the least.
Watching St. Michael-Albertville teammates Emma Miller Emma Miller 5'1" | PG STMA | 2022 State MN and Tessa Johnson Tessa Johnson 5'11" | SG St. Michael-Albertville | 2023 State #36 Nation MN put on a freelance offensive show every Friday night was among the most entertaining basketball we’ve seen this year. Seeing Champlin Park’s Amelia Valentino Amelia Valentino 5'10" | CG Champlin Park | 2022 State MN and Lakeville South’s Ally Schultz Ally Schultz 6'0" | CG Lakeville South | 2022 State MN have the green light to launch bombs from beyond the arc at will was a lot of fun. And witnessing so many players produce offensive output that we don’t normally see was a revelation.
STOCK RISERS
The Fall Exclusive was essentially an individual showcase and the college coaches were watching. We picked a handful of players who benefited the most from this opportunity. These are the five biggest stock risers from the Fall Exclusive.
Amelia Valentino Amelia Valentino 5'10" | CG Champlin Park | 2022 State MN – Nobody made more of an impression than the 5’10 junior from Champlin Park. Everyone who follows Minnesota girls basketball knows that Amelia can shoot it, but her performance at the Fall Exclusive was nothing short of spectacular. There were no official stats compiled but Amelia, playing alongside the great Mara Braun Mara Braun 5'11" | CG Wayzata | 2022 State #21 Nation MN of Wayzata, was draining four or five threes in every game. Valentino has put in a ton of work to turn herself into a solid scholarship candidate and it shows.
Katelyn Lindberg – The unranked junior from Monticello played on the Sun, a squad that was loaded with high-profile performers such as Miller and Johnson, Kennedy Klick Kennedy Klick 6'0" | CG Maple Grove | 2023 State MN , Ashley Fritz Ashley Fritz 5'10" | CG Eden Prairie | 2023 State MN and Hannah Herzig Hannah Herzig 6'0" | CG Totino Grace | 2022 State MN . It’s not easy to get noticed with that crew but the 5’9 guard turned in a series of solid performances and made it clear that she could hang with the big dogs in a high-tempo, run-and-gun environment. Lindberg also proved she has the chops to play at the next-level.
Hannah Herzig Hannah Herzig 6'0" | CG Totino Grace | 2022 State MN – The lengthy 6’0 wing, formerly of Centennial and now at Totino-Grace, has always been a talented prospect but never the sort of player to make the spectacular play or draw attention to herself. Part of that is the way Centennial plays and part of it was Herzig’s low-key personality. At the Fall Exclusive, however, we saw the playground version of Hannah’s game and it was impressive. She’s long and fast and has beautiful touch around the basket. Our post-event conclusion is simple: Hannah can play at the Division I level.
Haley Hawkinson Haley Hawkinson 5'8" | CG Hibbing | 2021 State MN – Hibbing isn’t exactly the center of the basketball universe and it hasn’t been easy for Haley to showcase her game. The Fall Exclusive offered the 5’8 senior an opportunity to do just that and she certainly took advantage. Hawkinson was dynamic. She showed off her ball-handling ability, her court savvy, her quickness and her composure throughout the event. Haley is currently ranked #103 in the Prep Girls Hoops Class of 2021 but based on her Friday night performances with and against some of the top players in the state she will be moving up in short order.
Cloey Dmytruk Cloey Dmytruk 5'10" | PF Como Park | 2022 State MN – You’ll find the Como Park junior in the gym pretty much every morning before the sun comes up working with her devoted dad to get better. Cloey’s work ethic is outstanding and the growth in her game is the same. Dmytruk is young for her grade – she made her varsity debut at Columbia Heights as an 11-year-old 7th grader – but this year she has matured physically and mentally and it’s all coming together rather nicely. In addition to her always reliable rebounding, Dmytruk racked up a ton of points at the Fall Exclusive, demonstrating clearly that she can score insight and out.
Not surprisingly, Valentino, Herzig, Hawkinson, Dmytruk and Lindberg were all selected for our Fall Exclusive All-Star teams. Here are the top performers from the East (older) and West (younger) Divisions.
EAST DIVISION ALL-STARS
First Team
- Mikayla Aumer Mikayla Aumer 5'9" | CG Cambridge-Isanti | 2022 State MN – guard, Cambridge-Isanti (2022)
- Mara Braun Mara Braun 5'11" | CG Wayzata | 2022 State #21 Nation MN – guard, Wayzata (2022)
- Tessa Johnson Tessa Johnson 5'11" | SG St. Michael-Albertville | 2023 State #36 Nation MN – guard, St. Michael-Albertville (2023)
- Ronnie Porter Ronnie Porter 5'2" | CG Como Park | 2022 State MN – guard, Como Park (2022)
- Amelia Valentino Amelia Valentino 5'10" | CG Champlin Park | 2022 State MN – guard, Champlin Park (2022)
Second Team
- Cloey Dmytruk Cloey Dmytruk 5'10" | PF Como Park | 2022 State MN – forward, Como Park (2022)
- Lily Fandre Lily Fandre 6'2" | SF Eagan | 2022 State MN – forward, Eagan (2022)
- Hannah Herzig Hannah Herzig 6'0" | CG Totino Grace | 2022 State MN – wing, Totino-Grace (2022)
- Emma Miller Emma Miller 5'1" | PG STMA | 2022 State MN – guard, St. Michael-Albertville (2022)
- Amber Scalia Amber Scalia 5'9" | CG Stillwater | 2022 State MN – guard, Stillwater (2022)
Third Team
- Ashley Fritz Ashley Fritz 5'10" | CG Eden Prairie | 2023 State MN – guard, Eden Prairie (2023)
- Haley Hawkinson Haley Hawkinson 5'8" | CG Hibbing | 2021 State MN – guard, Hibbing (2021)
- Natalie Holte Natalie Holte 5'6" | PG Shakopee | 2021 State MN – guard, Shakopee (Black Hills State) (2021)
- Kennedy Klick Kennedy Klick 6'0" | CG Maple Grove | 2023 State MN – guard, Roseville (2023)
- Brynn Senden Brynn Senden 5'6" | PG Wayzata | 2023 State MN – guard, Wayzata (2023)
Honorable Mention
- Kelley Brennan Kelley Brennan 5'8" | CG Shakopee | 2021 State MN – guard, Shakopee (Gustavus) (2021)
- Jasmyn Hale – guard, Shakopee (2023)
- Laura Hauge Laura Hauge 5'9" | SG St. Croix Lutheran | 2024 State MN – guard, St. Croix Lutheran (2024)
- Katelyn Lindberg – guard, Monticello (2022)
- Ally Schultz Ally Schultz 6'0" | CG Lakeville South | 2022 State MN – guard, Lakeville South (2022)
WEST DIVISION ALL-STARS
First Team
- Gabby Betton Gabby Betton 5'9" | CG Lakeville North | 2024 State MN – guard, Lakeville North (2024)
- Ava Cossette Ava Cossette 5'10" | CG Maple Grove | 2024 State MN – guard, Maple Grove (2024)
- Shannon Fornshell Shannon Fornshell 6'1" | SF Wayzata | 2023 State MN – forward, Wayzata (2023)
- Kiya Hegdahl Kiya Hegdahl 5'7" | PG St. Louis Park | 2024 State MN – guard, St. Louis Park (2024)
- Nicole Maenke Nicole Maenke 5'10" | CG Shakopee | 2024 State MN – guard, Shakopee (2024)
Second Team
- Drew Buslee Drew Buslee 5'9" | PG Eagan | 2024 State MN – guard, Eagan (2024)
- Britta Hagen Britta Hagen 5'10" | SF Eastview | 2024 MN – guard, Eastview (2024)
- Mattea Henry – forward, Woodbury (2024)
- Sidney Klauer – guard, East Ridge (2024)
- Amy Thompson Amy Thompson 5'10" | SG Stillwater | 2024 State MN – guard, Stillwater (2024)
Third Team
- Estelle Atkinson – guard, Orono (2024)
- Kate Drury – guard, Chanhassen (2024)
- Isa Nelson – guard, Edina (2023)
- Cece McNair Cece McNair 6'2" | PF Prior Lake | 2024 State MN – forward, Prior Lake (2024)
- Olivia Pawlicki Olivia Pawlicki 6'1" | SF Shakopee | 2024 State MN – forward, Shakopee (2024)
Honorable Mention
- Piper Engelby Piper Engelby 5'11" | SG Andover | 2024 State MN – guard, Andover (2024)
- Braziel Fairbanks Braziel Fairbanks 5'5" | CG Edina | 2023 MN – guard, Edina (2023)
- Emma Frost Emma Frost 5'11" | SF Andover | 2024 State MN – guard, Andover (2024)
- Taylor Tool Taylor Tool 6'1" | PF Delano | 2024 State MN – forward, Delano (2024)
- Vanessa Wright – guard, Eastview (2024)
Top photo: The Sun captured the East Division championship. Pictured (left to right) are Katelyn Lindberg, Tessa Johnson Tessa Johnson 5'11" | SG St. Michael-Albertville | 2023 State #36 Nation MN , Emma Miller Emma Miller 5'1" | PG STMA | 2022 State MN , Ashley Fritz Ashley Fritz 5'10" | CG Eden Prairie | 2023 State MN , Kyla Overskei Kyla Overskei 5'11" | SG Maple Grove | 2022 State MN , Kennedy Klick Kennedy Klick 6'0" | CG Maple Grove | 2023 State MN , Alyssa Stamer Alyssa Stamer 5'7" | CG Hutchinson | 2022 State MN , Hannah Herzig Hannah Herzig 6'0" | CG Totino Grace | 2022 State MN and coach De’Ante Michaud. Missing is Audrey Kormann Audrey Kormann 6'2" | PF Maple Grove | 2023 State MN .