AAU Tryouts: Elite young prospects who have impressed
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We are a year away from releasing our first Prep Girls Hoops rankings of the Class of 2026 – we haven’t even put out the 2025s yet – but some things about this year’s 8th graders have become pretty obvious…
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Continue ReadingWe are a year away from releasing our first Prep Girls Hoops rankings of the Class of 2026 – we haven’t even put out the 2025s yet – but some things about this year’s 8th graders have become pretty obvious at this point: The big three. It’s clear that there is a trio of uber-talented youngsters at the top of the class in Tori Oehrlein Tori Oehrlein 5'10" | CG Crosby-Ironton | 2026 State MN of Crosby-Ironton, Lanelle Wright Lanelle Wright 5'8" | PG Minnetonka | 2026 State MN of Minnetonka and Maddyn Greenway Maddyn Greenway 5'8" | PG Providence Academy | 2026 State MN of Providence Academy. We can quibble about the ranking order at this point but you won’t get a lot of argument that these are the best three prospects in the class. But who is number 4?
That is a question we’re going to be debating for a long time to come. Watching some of these kids more closely for the first time, however, a number of prospects have emerged in the conversation. One whose name keeps popping up is Cail Jahnke of St. Michael-Albertville and North Tartan 2026 Nike. That’s why she leads the way today in our review of five more elite young prospects who have impressed during AAU tryouts to date.
Cail Jahnke – 2026 guard, St. Michael-Albertville
The aforementioned Oehrlein, Greenway and Wright drew more headlines recently for their performance in 3×3 competition, first winning a big event in-state and then nationally when they captured the title at the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame tournament in Knoxville, Tenn. The fourth member of that incredible squad was Jahnke, who is making a case that she is the fourth-best prospect in the Class of 2026. She, too, is a member of the very strong North Tartan 2026 squad. Cail has exceptional length, terrific mobility, light feet and the ability to get up and down the floor in a flash. Jahnke is also a great defender who can guard anywhere on the court and do it well. She is super athletic, with great lateral movement, and nice elevation. Jahnke gets to the rim really well off the wing and is a nice mid-range shooter who is working on adding more range. She is also focused on improving her left hand. Jahnke was the best offensive and defensive rebounder on the North Tartan team all summer. Cail is about 5’9 at the moment. Mom is 6’1. Dad is 6’6. Add it all up and you have a very nice package and a strong D1 prospect.
Vivian Carter – 2026 forward, Holy Angels
Vivian just looks like a basketball player. At about 5’11, with a solid frame and excellent length, she has the goods to be a high-level player. With mom standing 6’0, dad at 6’2 and grandpa at 6’7 the odds are pretty good that Vivian is going end up with the preferred dimensions for a division 1 forward. Carter’s also got skills. She has good mobility and gets around the court at pace. She’s athletic, too, with nice leaping ability and good feet. We loved watching Vivian defend. She has the ability to successfully guard all five positions and knows how to use her exceptional length in that role. Carter is working to expand her game so that she can attack more consistently off the bounce and she’s gradually adding more shooting range, too. If you are looking for a prototypical stretch 4, Carter may eventually be the one, and she will probably end up to be among the very best forwards in the class. Did we mention her uncle Tom Copa was Minnesota’s Mr. Basketball in 1983 and made it all the way to the NBA?
Mya Moore – 2026 guard, Orono
Size matters in most cases. Except when it doesn’t. And in Mya’s case, at least at this point, it really doesn’t. Yes, Moore is tiny. No, she’s not likely to stay that way for much longer. Mya’s mom was a collegiate basketball player at UM-Duluth, and she’s not short. Regardless of all that, Mya is an exceptional talent and a ton of fun to watch. She is a pure point guard, with outstanding handles, terrific court vision, a really good sense of timing and pacing, and a natural feel for the game. Her change of speed and first-step acceleration are among the best we’ve seen for her age. Moore is a pure shooter who can get it up in the air fast, either off the catch or the dribble. Her three-point shooting is elite. What we can’t overlook, though, is Mya’s defensive abilities which are stellar. She is a high-level on-ball defender who puts a ton of pressure on opposing ball-handlers and knows how to use her quickness to nullify opponents. This year Moore operated at the point in the shadows of both Wright and Greenway on North Tartan 2026 Nike. With both of those players planning to play a year up in 2022, that will open the door for Moore to have the ball in her hands way more often and to run the show when she is on the floor.
Bella Naples – 2026 guard, Chanhassen
The process of selecting teams for the 2022 AAU season began on July 31 when we attended workouts at Chanhassen High School. Among the most impressive performers that first day was point guard Bella Naples, who was doing work on her home court. She reminded me immediately of Callin Hake Callin Hake 5'8" | PG Chanhassen | 2022 State #64 Nation MN , not just because the University of Nebraska commit from the Class of 2022 also plays for Chan, but just the similarity of build and style of play. We’re not saying Bella is the next Callin, which would be a waaaaaaaaay-too-big stretch at this point. She is stocky, with the kind of powerful legs you see on elite soccer players. She uses her power, along with a healthy dose of finesse, to outfox defenders one-on-one and get to the rim with ease. Naples’ handles are excellent and she can also shoot it well. Bella is crafty while running the offense, with her head is on a swivel, and that certain court presence that point guards really need. Naples played this year for Minnesota Stars Kolden. No word on her plans for 2022.
Stella Timmins – 2025 wing, St. Anthony Village
Although we have really enjoyed getting to know the 2026s over the past month we have also had the opportunity to more closely examine the skills and abilities of some of the best 2025s, including Stella. We first encountered her at a private workout in St. Paul about a year ago and we were impressed from the get-go. Timmins’ play this summer with North Tartan Elite, where she was consistently one of the team’s top performers, simply reinforced our early observations. Stella moves very well and plays the game with flow and grace. She is one of the best long-distance shooters in the class, but the rest of her game is expanding rapidly, too. She has nice handles, is attacking the rim more often and has shown her ability to score off the dribble in a variety of ways. Her length is proving to be a weapon at both ends of the floor. Timmins plays in a very low-profile program at St. Anthony Village where she has yet to see varsity action. That should change this season and we will be paying attention.
Top photo: Incoming sophomore Stella Timmins of St. Anthony Village.