A Look Inside Our 2017 Player Ranking Update for January

The end is near for the Class of 2017 and a good old class it’s been, with 8 high D1 recruits, 25 mid-major (D1) recruits and at least 39 others who have committed to D2, D3 and NAIA programs. So, this is our final ranking update for the class of 2017. Our next scheduled update comes in April—by which time any tweaks to the 2017s would pretty much be moot. So let’s recap the Class of 2017. First, we’ll look at our final top 10. Second, we’ll look at the movers and shakers who have moved up in the rankings in their senior seasons. And third, we’ll look at newcomers to the rankings who are finally making a mark just as their career is winding down. The ranking itself, now extended to include 250 seniors, is found under the Prospects pull-down. Why Our Top Ten Players Are Our Top Ten Players 1. Rae Johnson, 5-9, point guard, St. Michael-Albertville, Tartan and Iowa State. Rae moved up steadily during her career though she was always in our top 10. And, why not? She was always the savviest, headiest of the 2017 point guards. She’s quick enough, shoots it well enough, defends the ball well enough, though she isn’t the best at anything else. Anything else, that is, other than being the savviest and headiest of point guards, capable of making the best decisions with the ball, especially under the kind of pressure that you get from Hopkins and that you’ll get at the next level. 2. Kristin Scott, 6-2, post, Kasson-Mantorville, Fury and Iowa State. Scott was our #1 for most of her high school career but now, at the last, she is nipped by future, college teammate (Iowa State) Rae Johnson. Her biggest asset was always a great first step which made her a great rebounder and shot blocker. Now, it’s true that she’s probably a 4 at the next level, so we’ll see how these strengths translate. 3. Rachel Ranke, 6-0, forward, Eastview, Tartan and Kansas State. Always a great 3 point shooter and not just for her accuracy. She’s also got one of the quickest releases you’ve ever seen in Minnesota high schools. And, she’s quick enough to get to the rim, and then add her length and she’s also a decent defender and rebounder. The whole package. At Kansas State, she’ll join former Minnesotan Christianna Carr. 4. Mikayla Hayes, 6-2, post, Park Center, Tartan and Florida. Hayes is bigger and stronger than Kristin Scott. She started out #2 in our rankings behind Scott, and has remained top 5 throughout her career. She is a classic back-to-the-basket low post. Her scoring has remained around the 12-15 range, while she has increased her other numbers to 9 boards, 2 assists and 5 blocks. 5. Gabi Haack, 5-9, point guard, Elk River, Tartan and Bradley. Like Rae J., Haack just kept moving up, up, up our rankings. She’s not as quick as some, but all she did was to keep on winning and outplaying our other elite point guards. Now, sure enough, her team is unbeaten and she is scoring more than 30 ppg. That is thanks, primarily, to great decision-making, great execution and a great 3-point stroke. 6. Annika Jank, 6-2, forward, Edina, Fury and Colorado. Reopened her recruiting after a coaching change at Colorado and then ended up back at Colorado after all. Her big asset is her mobility. She runs like the wind and is most effective on the move—in transition, or crashing into the lane from the perimeter in the half-court. She is also developing an effective turnaround jumper, however. She is a solid rebounder and defender. 7. Kiley Borowicz, 5-9, wing, Roseau, Stars. A totally natural born scorer. Cannot be stopped. As soon as you guard against one shot, she takes another. Can score every which way that you can score. Just has an incredible nose for the ball and the hoop. She is so unorthodox, but at the end of the day she has her 25-30 points or more and her team wins. By far, she is the highest-ranked player who has not yet announced a college commitment. 8. Lyndsey Robson, 6-1, point guard, Apple Valley, Tartan and Green Bay. A great instinctive ball player who just knows what to do and has the chops to execute it. She certainly has forced some shots but now that Apple Valley has surrounded her with its most talented roster yet, she is making better decisions and distributing the ball effectively. In fact, she is a great passer. 9. Temi Carda, 5-7, combo guard, Lakeville North, Tartan and Creighton. Always a great, aggressive offensive player who gets to the rim at will. It’s hard to move up when you’re already top 10, but she has really picked up her defensive intensity. 10. Riley Wheatcraft, 5-11, wing, Prior Lake, Fury and Northern Iowa. I missed on Riley, I admit it. Always overshadowed by guards like Lindsey Theuninck, Joli Daninger and Liv Korngable on her summer team. But this past summer she stepped it up big time and became the top player on that team. Moves up from #14. Dropped Out of the Top Ten 11. Brittney Bongartz, 6-2, post, Anoka, Tartan and Wayne State. I prefer to think of it as Riley moving up rather than Brittney moving down. She reminds me so much of Lizzie Odegard. A big, aggressive post who improved tremendously over he junior season and summer. Wayne got a super-duper steal with Bongartz. Biggest Gainers 1. Lauren Johnson, 5-9, wing, Robbinsdale Cooper. Kiara Buford has Cooper improving by leaps and bounds, but they remain a very small team. So, Johnson, though just 5-9, goes inside and plays much bigger than she is, mixing it up on the boards with much bigger players. She also scores about 10 ppg. Moves from #187 to #77. 2. Kayla Feldhake, 5-11, post, Alexandria. Another who plays bigger than she is and provides the Cardinals with solid senior leadership. Moves from #182 to #89. 3. Erin Baxter, 6-0, wing, Apple Valley and Southwest MN State. Baxter always ran the floor and attacked the rim, but now she is finishing much better and much more than before. Moves up from #161 to #71. 4. Elizabeth Schwartz, 5-9, forward, Southwest Christian. Just keeps putting up big numbers, now 19 ppg and 14 rebounds per game. Moves from #137 to #68. 5. McKayla Meulken, 5-6, point guard, Red Wing. The Wingers have so many guards that it is difficult to keep them straight. Meulken is the one with the pure point guard skills, who leads in assists and steals. Moves up from #188 to #126 (tie). 6. Kelen Kenol, 6-1, power forward, East Ridge. Strong and athletic, Kenol has always been a solid presence on D and on the boards. Now her offense is getting off the ground, too, all the way out to the 3-point line. Moves from #101 to #45. 7. Amanda Dagostino, 6-0, forward, Andover. Long and athletic, Dagostino plays on the perimeter more than Kenol does, but like Kenol she has added scoring to her capabilities this year so far. Moves from #114 to #60. 8. Sophie Koeppl, 5-11, point guard, Providence. Feisty, a little bit unorthodox, but she is a coach on the floor and hits dagger 3s. Moves up from #144 to #91. 9. Hannah Wentzlaff, 6-0, forward, Sibley East. One of the state’s top rebounders, who also blocks 2 shots per game, moves from #191 to #140. 10. Kalli Wiebusch, 5-9, wing, St. Anthony. Has increased her scoring production from 10 ppg to 16, leading her team to an 8-3 starter after going just 10-16 a year ago. Newcomers 1. Jessica Bren, Chanhassen, power forward, #98. Is having a fine senior year, scoring 17 ppg so far. 2. Alyssa Bryan-Jeffries, Kennedy, 5-11, power forward, #100. Played in the very considerable shadow of LaShayla Wright-Ponder—same position and everything. Now, she’s out from under the shadow and is playing very well in her own right, going strong to the rim for 11 ppg so far. 3. Sara Althaus, Chaska, point guard, #107. I remember Sara Althaus as a nice prospect some 3 years ago but varsity minutes never came and she dropped out of our rankings. Now her turn finally has come and she is playing like the senior that she is, scoring 17.5 ppg so far. 4. Mina Porte, Osseo, shooting guard, #111. Another who was rated previously but dropped out. Now she is scoring 14 ppg as a senior shooting guard, though it is true that the Orioles are struggling like never before in recent memory. 5. Taylor Bray, 6-2, center, #114. Doesn't play high school ball but based on summer play she'll be playing at Bemidji State next fall. 6. Danielle Williams, Zimmerman, point guard, #115. The senior point guard is scoring just 8 ppg but her 5 assists per game are why 3 teammates are averaging in double figures. She is also getting 6 steals per game and had an unfathomable 17 steals in one recent game. 7. Peyton Boom, Barnesville, center, #124. Barnesville has its best team in several years (8-2) with losses only to Roseau and a North Dakota team, and Boom is a considerable part of the story. She is scoring 14 ppg now, and is headed to Moorhead State next year. 8. Pashia Scott, Columbia Heights, forward, #129. Tough inside player averages 17 points, 12 boards, 2 assists, 2 steals and a block. 9. Claire Patterson, Stillwater, point guard, #130. Patterson has always been second fiddle—to Riley Day, then to Sara Scalia. Now she’s getting aggressive and looking for her own shot, and has 14 ppg to show for it. 10. Bonnie Zeller, St. Anthony, wing, #135. St. Anthony is another success story and more of a surprise than Barnesville. Zeller is one of 3 seniors scoring in double digits.