Section Stock Raisers

The regular season is done, sections are upon us, and a few kids get a new lease on life. Here are some we saw during section quarter-final/semi-final week who did that. Center—Emma Jo Elder, Gibbon Fairfax Winthrop, 5-11, senior Well, we discovered Emma Jo just as her high school career came to an end in an OT loss to heavily-favored NYA in the Section 2AA quarter-final. She proved herself to be an athletic, mobile active player who moved seamlessly through the post and out to the perimeter and back again, and who is effective in transition as well. She has a high basketball IQ and superior anticipation, resulting in a remarkable 8 steals. She scored 11 points on 5-of-16 shooting and 11 rebounds. Power Forward—Sam Miller, Norwood Young America, 5-10, junior We discovered Miller in the same game but, unlike Elder, Miller has another year to go. She is a “big” 5-10 who is not shy about looking for her shot—her shot being one somewhere in the lane—without forcing things. She scored 14 on 7-of-15 shooting with 6 boards and 2 assists. Small Forward—Nicole Zielsdorf, St. Anthony, 6-0, senior It was Zielsdorf who lit up St. Paul Como and, more than anybody, led the Huskies comeback from 13 down midway in the 2nd half to a 12 point win. For awhile there, at least, she could not miss, hitting everything from 10-12 feet on out beyond the arc. Point Guard—Sam Sibbet, St. Anthony, freshman Sibbet was almost as key as Zielsdorf, however, because Zielsdorf probably would not have gotten off all those shots if Sibbet hadn’t been extremely effective in protecting and pushing the ball against Como’s aggressive, physical full-court defense. She and her teammates got knocked back on their heels momentarily but showed a lot of both mental and physical toughness in bouncing back and really competing hard, much less coming on to get the win. Shooting Guard—Lauren Frost, Park Center, 5-6, freshman Like everybody at Park Center, Frost is a slightly undersized but super-athletic guard. As a freshman in a senior-laden lineup, she was mostly content to move the ball and help set up her teammates, and everything she did was just smooth as silk. But, then, around the 7 minute mark, she took and made what I believe was her only shot of the day as she blew by 2 defenders for an easy driving layup. Second Team Center—Makayla Johnson, Champlin Park, 6-2, sophomore Well, nobody for Champlin had a good day and Johnson didn’t have much of an impact on the outcome, an easy Centennial win. But she has size and good mobility. She outjumped Sara Stapleton on the opening tip and stole the ball from Syd Stapleton early on. The only shot attempt I remember was a 3 so it’s hard to say anything about her offense. But the defense and rebounding seem solid. Power Forward— Nora Francois, DeLaSalle, 6-0, 8th grade Somebody better beat DeLaSalle this week because over the next 2-3 years it’s going to be a very rare occurrence. Exhibit A is Nora Francois, a 6-0 8th who moves like a 5-8 senior. Small Forward—Emily Heimkes, Gibbon Fairfax Winthrop, 5-9, junior It’s easy not to notice Heimkes, a quiet sort of player who mostly does the little things. But somehow the little things added up to 13 points and 8 rebounds. Doesn’t overpower anybody but finds the seams where she can get something done. Point Guard—Nia Harris, Blake, 5-9, senior We saw Nia’s last game of her career at Blake, and she was terrific. She was Blake’s only real offensive weapon and yet Orono could not keep her off the rim. She has some size for her skill set and could be a big star in D3. Shooting Guard—Anica Thomas, St. Anthony, freshman Here’s a youngster we had not seen before and we were impressed. Her freshman teammate Sam Sibbet was more indispensible taking care of the ball against an aggressive pressure defense. But I’m not sure Thomas isn’t a better overall player. OK, hairsplitting. She had an incredible 2nd half—14 points on 6-of-9 shooting with 3 boards, an assist, a block and one turnover. She found seams wherever the defense left them and scored from anywhere—inside or out, in half court or in transition—and she did her part in supporting the primary ball-handlers. Third Team Center—Natalie Smaron, Orono, 6-2, senior Smaron’s not under-the-radar per se, but deserves some stock raising. She is a solid, hard-working player who shoots a high percentage and gets a high percentage of rebounds. She stays down low and makes that her space. Power Forward—Mikayla Frahn, Glencoe Silver Lake, 5-10, junior Another first-timer for us. Shot a very high percentage, maybe about 6-of-8, and scored once off the offensive glass and also had a nice assist off of an O-board. Had a great night in a supporting role for the Monahan-oriented attack. Small Forward—Charo Nickens, Park Center, 5-7, junior She gets her minutes as Mikayla Hayes’ backup in the post. And, trust me, she’s a small 5-7, but she’s athletic enough to be a pest in the post. She is listed as a forward. It will be interesting to see what role coach Chris has in mind for her next year. Point Guard—Kayla Cox, Park Center, 5-3, freshman Cox and Frost are already in the rotation. Next year, with Schaub and Simonet gone, they’ll play a bigger role alongside Sommer Blakemore and Meghan DuBois, and Park Center will be quicker in the exchange. Cox and Blakemore will be the ball-handlers, with Frost joining DuBois off the ball. I don’t seem that lineup (also without Mikayla Hayes) going 21-5 next year, but they will be fun (to watch, not to play against). Shooting Guard—Kayla Oeltjenbruns, St. Peter, 5-6, junior An outstanding scorer, mostly as a catch-and-shooter anywhere from 10-12 feet out deep, but she also got to the rim a couple times.