Legacy Region Finals: Small U16s who impressed
Everyone and their dog is on the lookout for big guards, and there were some really good ones at the PGH Circuit Legacy Region Finals in Minnesota this weekend. Who wouldn’t want a 5’11 Ally Timm Ally Timm 5'11" |…
Access all of Prep Girls Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingEveryone and their dog is on the lookout for big guards, and there were some really good ones at the PGH Circuit Legacy Region Finals in Minnesota this weekend. Who wouldn’t want a 5’11 Ally Timm Ally Timm 5'11" | SG DSHA | 2024 State WI , 5’10 Avree Antony Avree Antony 5'10" | SG Sun Prarie | 2023 State WI or 5’10 Emily Jaenke Emily Jaenke 5'10" | CG Fox Valley Luthern | 2023 State WI in their lineup? But there were also some really good smaller guards doing their thing in Wayzata.
For our purposes, a smaller guard is someone who is 5’6 or shorter. Without a tape measure, however, it’s not always easy to tell exactly how tall a player is, and some AAU clubs are notorious for exaggerating their players’ dimensions. It’s amazing how so many players grow an inch or two from the end of the high school season to the start of AAU two weeks later! We won’t quibble over an inch or two, and some of these athletes might have actually grown, but the bottom line is this: These kids can flat out play.
Gracie Gopalan Gracie Gopalan 5'4" | PG Waupun | 2024 State WI – 5’1, 2024, Wisconsin Impact Kelley (Waupun, WI)
Playing one year up, Wisconsin Impact Kelley was the class of the 16U field at Wayzata, and they have plenty of size with big guards and a serious post presence in 6’2 power forward Gabby Wilke Gabby Wilke 6'1" | PF Beaver Dam | 2024 State WI . One of the most important players on the roster, however, is the smallest. Gopalan (pictured above) is quick, she’s skilled and she plays with a healthy dose of sandpaper. Gracie has lofty basketball intelligence and quality court vision which helps her run the Impact offense with poise and precision. She can also shoot it with a smooth delivery and a ton of range. Gracie is rated #21 in Wisconsin’s Class of 2024.
Sophie Langille – 5’6, 2023, Wisconsin Impact Sid (Fond du Lac, WI)
Sophie is the quintessential floor general, a poised leader who can direct an offense and make good things happen. Langille, who we have seen listed as big as 5’8, is an accomplished three-point shooter, has the necessary quickness to dust defenders one-on-one, and can distribute the ball efficiently and effectively. She is a consistent scorer who contributes in multiple ways to the success of her team. Defensively, Sophie can impact the contest in a significant way thanks to solid instincts that enable her to force a ton of steals and disruptions. She is also a quality rebounder, regardless of size. Langille is ranked 66th in Wisconsin’s Class of 2023.
Aubrey Luvan Aubrey Luvan 5'3" | PG Cedar Rapids Jefferson | 2023 State IA – 5’4, 2023, Team Iowa Elite (Cedar Rapids, IA)
We were super-impressed on the weekend with Team Iowa Elite forward Kyla Mason, who we’ll profile shortly in another set of evaluations. Not to be overlooked, though, was the role Luvan played in Mason’s success. That’s became Luvan is a really smart quarterback who knows where to put the ball and when to put in there. She is also quick enough and athletic enough to take the ball to the basket and either finish through contact or dish it to a teammate in a more advantageous position. Did we mention she’s also deadly from beyond the arc? Luvan is currently ranked #31 in Iowa’s Class of 2023.
Mya Morris Mya Morris 5'7" | PG Perham | 2023 State MN – 5’6, 2023, West Central United (Perham, MN)
This weekend’s scouting assignment was a lot different than our norm. Since our focus is almost always dialed in solely on Minnesota prospects it was a rare opportunity to view and evaluate players from multiple states. There were a couple of very familiar faces who stood out, however, including Morris. She is a highly-skilled point guard from Central Minnesota whose abilities are no secret in these parts. At Wayzata Mya demonstrated clearly that the bag of tricks that has served her well with the Perham Yellowjackets was equally effective against interlopers from beyond the boundaries of Minnesota. Morris is quick, she’s crafty and she can bomb it with the best of them. Morris is top 125 and rising in Minnesota’s Class of 2023.
Mya Hartjes Mya Hartjes 5'6" | PG University School | 2023 State WI – 5’4, 2023, Wisconsin Impact Sid (University School of Milwaukee)
Hartjes and Morris went head-to-head this weekend in one of the most entertaining encounters we saw. Their skill sets are quite complementary. The one thing that really stood out about Hartjes was her defense. This kid is a bulldog! Mya is the proverbial wolf in sheep’s clothing. She looks so innocent and unassuming in warmups, but when the game tips off Hartjes turns into a rabid animal. She’s tough, she’s feisty and we loved everything about her game. On the other side of the ball, Hartjes has outstanding handles, excellent speed and super-quick feet. Forgive my grammatical license here, but size don’t matter when you’ve got game.