Tournament recaps: Giving thanks for the newcomers
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Even in today’s chaos-infused, topsy-turvy world there is still plenty to be thankful for. In our Prep Girls Hoops version of things, we are always grateful during a 12-hour day in the gym to discover new talent worth watching, especially…
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Continue ReadingEven in today’s chaos-infused, topsy-turvy world there is still plenty to be thankful for. In our Prep Girls Hoops version of things, we are always grateful during a 12-hour day in the gym to discover new talent worth watching, especially when digesting an overabundance of Thanksgiving turkey and suffering from pumpkin pie hangover. Fortunately there was a cornucopia’s worth of young athletes at the Thanksgiving holiday basketball tournaments over the weekend as we split time between the Twin Cities Thanksgiving Tipoff and the Pat Patterson tournament at Hamline University. Although we have seen many of these kids playing in their own age groups, all are now performing on the much bigger varsity stage. Here are 5 newcomers who caught our attention.
Danielle Coleman Danielle Coleman 6'1" | SG Lakeville South | 2025 State MN – 2025 guard, Lakeville South
The 5’11 freshman really stood out for Lakeville South when we watched on Saturday at Hamline. She’s got so much length and very good mobility. Her versatility is what we love the most. Offensively she can score in multiple ways, having the ability to beat defenders off the bounce, find the basket from mid-range or step outside to hit threes. Defensively Danielle gets low and focused, and she knows how to use her wingspan to maximum effect, either out on the perimeter or when battling among the trees inside. Coleman is a scholarship-level prospect who earned the #31 ranking in the first sorting of the Class of 2025.
Amaya Penn – 2026 guard, St. Croix Lutheran
We knew going into the weekend that St. Croix Lutheran had add one talented athletic guard in the case of transfer Zoey Washington Zoey Washington 5'9" | CG St. Croix Lutheran | 2023 State MN from Mahtomedi, who has committed to the University of St. Thomas. We didn’t know there would be another player in the mix who also fits that same description. Amaya is an 8th grader who transferred from Minneapolis Washburn. On Friday we watched the crafty guard for the first time. She showed nice ball-handling skills and the ability to beat defenders mano-a-mano. Defensively she was very much an in-your-face protagonist with good lateral movement and active feet. Those are great assets to have at SCL where defense-first is the modus operandi. There’s plenty of polishing to be done but Amaya’s upside looks goods.
Mya Moore – 2026 guard, Orono
We weren’t sure just how much Mya might play this year on varsity. As a tiny 8th grader who has yet to hit her growth spurt, Mya’s dimensions are sure to produce skepticism given the physical nature of playing against kids three and four years older. We need not have been concerned because Mya’s skill level more than makes up for the other stuff. This kid is legit. She played a ton of minutes for Orono at Hamline and looked really good doing it. Moore’s ball-handling ability, court vision, and natural instincts of timing and pacing are among the best we’ve see. She doesn’t need to think, she just does. And she does very, very well. When the extra inches come and Mya fills out she will very quickly be among the state’s premier players.
Emma Millerbernd – 2027 guard, Providence Academy
When an unfamiliar face enters a game early and makes an immediate impact we are usually scrambling for a look at the roster. That was certainly the case when Emma came off the bench for Providence Academy early in their encounter with Hutchinson on Friday. She is quick and athletic, has a ton of length and stands about 5’8. She looked unperturbed in her first varsity appearance and earned extensive minutes while staying relatively calm throughout. Imagine our surprise when we learned that Millerbernd is only a 7th grader! She scored 11 points in two games at the event and will no doubt be in the regular rotation for coach Conner Goetz going forward.
Audrey Shindelar – 2026 guard, Stewartville
Audrey didn’t play a ton of minutes for the Tigers when we watched them against Totino-Grace on Friday. From where we sat, however, her minutes were some of the most effective minutes Stewartville delivered on opening day. Audrey has a ton of skill, an abundance on on-court intelligence, and the kind of moxie we see in exceptional point guards. She showed no fear in driving to the basket, taking contact, and drawing fouls. She’s not real big yet – perhaps 5’7 or so and thinly built – but it’s clear that she can already play the game in a mature way at the varsity level. Shindelar has quality handles, good court vision, is a good passer, and has her head up most of the time. We think she’s going to be one of the top PGs in the Class of 2026.
Top photo: Freshman Danielle Coleman Danielle Coleman 6'1" | SG Lakeville South | 2025 State MN of Lakeville South