Introducing the Class of 2025 Watch List, part 1
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Here we are, eight weeks into the AAU season, and an awful lot has been learned. It’s always a little daunting entering spring basketball considering the task that lies ahead in the early part of the campaign: To watch, evaluate…
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Continue ReadingHere we are, eight weeks into the AAU season, and an awful lot has been learned. It’s always a little daunting entering spring basketball considering the task that lies ahead in the early part of the campaign: To watch, evaluate and begin sorting out this year’s incoming freshman class. We have been doing an awful lot of that through the first 11 AAU tournaments of the season and things are starting to sort themselves out. Today we offer you the first results of these evaluations: The 2025 Watch List.
Before we get too far into this we do need to make one thing clear: These are NOT the top 20 players in the Class of 2025.
Although it is highly likely, based on our observations, that all 20 of the players who made the 2025 Watch List will be in the Freshmen 50 when we introduce the first ranking of this class in the fall, we don’t have enough information yet to say definitively who will make the cut. For now, in two installments, we’re naming 20 really good players in the class to watch over the next few weeks. They’re listed in alphabetical order and there’s a brief description of each.
Here are a few facts about the 2025 Watch List:
- 18 players are from the Twin Cities metropolitan region, one is from Southern Minnesota and one is from Northern Minnesota. That city-skewed flavor surprised us a little after we had chosen the prospects without regard to geography.
- More than half of the athletes on this list come from large 4A high school programs.
- 5 players attend private schools
- There are nine AAU programs represented, with North Tartan, the Minnesota Fury and Minnesota Stars boasting four players each. Also included are the Metro Stars and The City with two selections apiece. There is one representative from Crossfire, the Minnesota Heat, Starks Elite and the Minnesota Rise.
- We believe that all 20 should be considered as scholarship-level prospects.
Without further ado, here are the first 10 of 20 players selected for the Prep Girls Hoops Class of 2025 Watch List sorted in alphabetical order.
Zahara Bishop Zahara Bishop 5'10" | CG Benilde-St. Margaret's | 2025 State MN – Richfield (Fury 2025 Blue)
Last fall at the Prep Girls Hoops Fall Exclusive, Zahara caught our attention almost immediately. We quickly formed a very high opinion of her and said so at the time. Her play with the Fury this spring has only cemented Zahara’s reputation as a solid collegiate prospect. Bishop is a 5’8 combo guard with plenty of varsity experience already. Some people think she may be the most athletic player in the class, with outstanding leaping ability and elite quickness. Bishop is crafty and can get to the rim with high frequency. She is also an excellent outside shooter.
Bree Bowman Bree Bowman 6'2" | SF Prior Lake | 2025 State MN – Prior Lake (North Tartan Nike)
The first thing that grabs your attention when watching Bowman play is her length with a capital L. It’s difficult to describe just how long the 6’1 freshman-to-be is without a photograph as evidence, but trust us when we tell you that they don’t come a whole lot longer regardless of age. Bree’s skillset is progressing rapidly. She is known as an outstanding three-point shooter, and it is a well-earned reputation. This spring, though, we have seen the remainder of her game expand by leaps and bounds as she grows into her body. Bree can handle the ball at pace while getting up and down the court at a high rate of speed, and her strides are monstrous. Bowman is smooth and savvy and her upside is substantial.
Liana Buckhalton Liana Buckhalton 6'0" | CG Stillwater | 2025 State MN – Woodbury (Fury 2025 Blue)
Sometimes it’s difficult to tell Buckhalton and Bishop apart in how they play, and any college coach who could talk them into coming to campus as a package deal would be landing a talented twosome. Liana is definitely longer, however. The 5’10 combo guard is smooth and athletic, with lengthy strides and a certain ease of movement that often characterizes top players. Her feet are quick enough to out-fox defenders one-on-one and she knows how to employ a change of speed in the process. Buckhalton’s skill set is impressive in every sense.
Alaya Carter Alaya Carter 5'8" | CG Prior Lake | 2025 State MN – Prior Lake (The City Black)
The first thing that caught our attention in early viewings of Alaya was her stroke. She’s smooth, and when everything is clicking the 5’7 guard can knock ‘em down from deep territory. Really deep. Alaya is a highly-skilled guard with nice handles, plenty of quickness, light feet and a ton of athleticism. She can traverse the floor with plenty of pace, and her eyes are almost always up. That leads to good decision-making and nice distribution. Coach Demondi Johnson at Prior Lake is going to have a ton of talent at this disposal in the years ahead, and Carter is one of his best.
Hope Counts Hope Counts 6'2" | SF Providence Academy | 2025 State MN – Providence Academy (Metro Stars 2025)
Hope is the latest in a lengthy line of quality forwards to emerge from the Counts family driveway. Older sisters Maria and Grace had outstanding high school seasons and are excellent college prospects from the classes of 2022 and 2023, respectively. Hope looks to be headed in the same direction. The 6-footer appears to be a little leaner and a bit quicker than her sisters but has similar skills. With long strides, decent quickness and more than enough athletic genetics to do the work necessary, Hope also brings a healthy dose of grit to the equation.
Aaliyah Crump Aaliyah Crump 6'1" | SF Minnetonka | 2025 State MN – Hopkins (Metro Stars 2022 3SSB)
There’s no doubt that players who are already established varsity participants have a leg up heading into the first selection of prospects in a class. We have seen them play against older, more experienced competition and we have a pretty good idea of what they’re all about. Crump is an exception. She isn’t a varsity regular at Hopkins, where it can take a long time to crack an uber-talented lineup, but the 6’0 small forward/wing is already a well-known entity from AAU and various other opportunities for exposure. She’s long, fluid, and athletic, and her toolbox is overflowing with implements. There are a lot of great prospects in the Class of 2025 but Crump may be the best. Aaliyah is the real deal.
Lexi Hanna Lexi Hanna 5'9" | SG Maple Grove | 2025 State MN – Maple Grove (Crossfire Tusler)
In our descriptions above we mentioned how Bishop and Buckhalton are an attractive combo, but they’ve got nothing on the Hanna triplets from Maple Grove. Lexi, Bella and Addie are very different from each other, but all are next-level prospects. Since there was only space for one on the 2025 Watch List, we chose Lexi. The 5’8 combo guard has a huge motor, a strong physical presence, and is simply relentless in pursuit of victory. She defends with passion and intelligence and knows how to take advantage of her length to force deflections and turnovers, and she can score the basketball, too. All of the Hannas are impressive but her gritty demeanor is what separates Lexi.
Sophie Hawkinson Sophie Hawkinson 5'8" | CG Wayzata | 2025 State MN – Wayzata (North Tartan Nike)
We saw something from Sophie in the AAU state championship game that speaks volumes. Hawkinson didn’t play much that day because she had a dislocated and fractured finger that required surgery just eight days prior. When I tell you that the incision looked gruesome I am not exaggerating. But with the game on the line, and her hand heavily bandaged, Hawkinson was inserted into the game late in the proceedings and she came through in the crunch. Yes, Sophie is a warrior. She’s strong and athletic and her skillset is elite. Hawkinson can handle the basketball and shed defenders regardless of pressure.
Regan Juenemann Regan Juenemann 5'9" | CG Duluth Marshall | 2025 State MN – Duluth Marshall (Starks Elite)
Regan first caught our attention way back in February when she put up a career-high 28 points for Duluth East against the great Giana Kneepkens and Duluth Marshall. We watched her a couple more times online after that, but it was our first in-person viewing this spring that made one thing very clear: Juenemann is legit. Regan is about 5’9, with good length and great athleticism. Her feet are very light, and she runs the floor like a track star. She is a quality shooter with a nice soft release. Juenemann can also fill up the basket, just one of the reasons she made our All-Tournament team at State. Starks Elite has some quality kids, but Juenemann is going to be special. Regan will move to Duluth Marshall this fall.
Katie Kelzenberg Katie Kelzenberg 6'2" | PF Wayzata | 2025 State MN – Wayzata (Stars Borowicz)
Stars Borowicz has so many nice pieces, which is one of the primary reasons why the team has won so many 2025 AAU state championships. One of the most-improved players is the 6’1 Kelzenberg, who is hard to miss. That’s because she is huge, with broad shoulders and a strong build that precious few incoming freshmen possess. In his most recent article on the team, our Tony Ragulen described Katie as the ‘X factor.’ Kelzenberg’s physicality is a nightmare for opposing players at both ends of the floor, and she’s a force on the boards. Katie is now figuring things out in terms of offensive production, as well, and all of that makes her an intriguing prospect.