A Not-So-Quick Look at North Tartan, Summer 2017
North Tartan’s rosters for the summer of 2017 popped up on their Web site a couple of days ago. The big picture is that Tartan won 3 state championships a year ago, and so they have 3 #1 seeds headed…
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Continue ReadingNorth Tartan’s rosters for the summer of 2017 popped up on their Web site a couple of days ago. The big picture is that Tartan won 3 state championships a year ago, and so they have 3 #1 seeds headed in to next month’s AAU prelims and state championships. Those are 11th EYBL, 9th Nike and 7th West. There are 6 other seeded teams—at least 1 in every age group—plus 2 more in the 1st alternate position. So, 11 of their 15 teams in the 6th grade and older age classifications are seeded. Only 4 are not.
Among the big news is the appearance of Destinee Oberg on a Tartan roster—and she’ll be playing up a year with the 2018 EYBL flagship group. It’s just the test she needs to put to end any lingering questions about her upside. Other big additions are Megan Walstad and Syd Stapleton (2018), Frannie Hottinger (2019), and Ellie Dague, Ellie Hasz, Gianna Kneepkens (2021).
The other big news is that Raena Suggs appears not to be returning. Her destination is currently unknown.
At a glance it would seem that among the seeded teams and alternates the 11th EYBL, 11th Elite and 10th EYBL should be improved.
The 9th grade teams—NT9 and NT9 West—don’t look improved per se. But, the NT9s have Paige Bueckers and they’re standing mostly pat, which is not a bad thing. And, the NT9 West might not be improved but only because Aliza Karlen will move up to play with the 10th EYBL this summer.
It’s harder to handicap the younger groups, though the loss of Nora Francois and Alexis Pratt doesn’t help the 2021s. But, the addition of Ellie Dague, Ellie Hasz and Gianna Kneepkens, among others, does help.
So, overall, top to bottom, Tartan’s teams are improved. Here’s a quick look at the various Tartan teams that are seeded (or are alternates) for this year’s upcoming AAU state championship.
NT 11 EYBL (#1 seed in AAU, defending state champion)
North Tartan has added 4 girls—Oberg, Walstad, Stapleton and Therese Grace Mbanefo (from Tartan’s own 2nd team)—to its flagship NT 11 EYBL team while subtracting 5. Stapleton and Walstad move over from the now disbanded 43 Hoops. Mbanefo moves up from Tartan’s 2nd team.
Subtracted are posts Angie Hammond (Hopkins) and Annika Hoff (Northfield), though they move only to the Tartan 2nd string, the NT 11 Elite. Also, guard Audrey Gadison (St. Croix Lutheran), who moves to the Fury Elite; Marie Olson (formerly Apple Valley), who moved to California last fall; and Raena Suggs (Hopkins), whose destination currently is unknown.
Returning to the team are Kayla Mershon (Minnetonka), Emma Grothaus (Mahtomedi), Carmen Backes (Chisago Lakes, who is injured), Maesyn Thiesen (Sauk Centre), Megan Walker (Tonka), Sam Haiby (Moorhead) and Zoe Young (West Des Moines, IA, Valley).
This is a very tall team with 6 of 11 6-footers, and it is a very good team. It has won the state championship every year except 1 through the years and, frankly, it is very difficult to imagine it losing at the AAU state tournament this year, especially now that its principal rival over the years, 43 Hoops, has abandoned the field. In a word: Better.
NT 11 Elite (not seeded but #1 alternate after top 6 seeds)
The 2nd string of 2018—a year ago, Tartan’s 2nd string featured Gabi Haack and Tori Andrew—returns Matia Person (Elk River), Autumn Mlinar (Maple Grove), Julia Bjurman (Princeton), Whitney Dold (St. Michael-Albertville), Lauryn Moline (Maple Grove) and Madison Leuthold (Elk River).
Joining the team are Angie Hammond and Annika Hoff, as noted above; Riley Carlson (St. MA); Taytum Roades (Minnehaha, playing up a year); and out-of-staters Klaire Kirsch, 5-11, point guard, Rapid City More, and Amber Darge, 5-9 guard, Eau Claire Regis.
Leaving from last year’s team are Paige Johnson, destination unknown; and Mbanefo, moving up to the 1st team. In two words: Bigger, better.
NT 10 EYBL (#4 seed)
Tartan’s top 10th grade team has even more changes with just 4 girls returning. They are Shawna Mell (Rush City), Jadyn Hanson (St. MA), Macy Guebert (Eastview) and Sara Scalia (Stillwater).
The team has gotten a lot bigger with posts Aliza Karlen (St. Paul Central), who will be playing up a year; Makayla Johnson (Champlin); and Mykel Parham (Apple Valley). New forwards include Megan Baer (Apple Valley) and Frannie Hottinger (Cretin). A new point guard is Anna Harvey (Lakeville South). Just at a glance, this is a team that can aspire to a state title despite last year’s 4th place finish.
Emma Baker, Lauren Glas, Haylee Coulson, Maddie Whiddington and Meara Beighley did not return. In a word: Better.
NT 9 Nike (#1 seed, defending state champ)
The 9 Nike’s return 8 players, including Hopkins’ Paige Bueckers, and add combo guard Grace Kirk from Duluth Marshall. Kayla Cox, Park Center, and Jana Swanson, Cambridge-Isanti, are not returning.
The 8 returnees include “bigs” Vanessa Alexander (St. MA) and T.T. Danso (Simley); all-purpose Mallory Brake (Hastings); guards Kahla Adams and Bueckers (Hopkins), Kenzie Kramer (St. MA) and Lauren Jensen (Lakeville North). Brake scored 11 points and Kramer 10 in Tartan’s state title game win over Fury Blue, 51-25. In 3 words: The same: Unbeatable.
NT 9 West (#3 seed)
The 9 West returns 6 players—6-1 Catherine Terres and wings Kendal Cox and Lily Tennyson (all St. MA), wing Lydia Haack (Elk River) and guards Clara Avery (Minnehaha) and Cierra Decker (Howard Lake-WW). New are forwards Mary Fultz, Stillwater; Josie Haug, Roseville (from E1T1); Megan Haugo and Ayana Blythe (both Moorhead); and Zoe Velde (Pipestone).
Gone are Karlen (movin’ up); Alani Pettis (Mpls. North); Tori Peschel (Sauk Centre), Julia Dammann (Waconia) and Kari Johnson. In 3 words: Probably not better.
NT 8 West (#2 seed)
Returning are 6-2 forward Jenna Johnson (Wayzata) and 5-10 guard Jordyn Lamker (Maple Grove), who scored 23 points between them in their 53-43 loss to Tayler Hill Elite in last year’s 2021 final. Anna Corona, a 5-6 guard (Osseo) and Johanna Langbehn, a 6-0 forward (Elk River) added 10 points, and they’re both back. In 6 words: Hard to say at that age.
NT 8 Coley (#3)
NT Coley beat Comets 7th Blue 49-40 for 3rd place last year, and they return 7 of those 49 points in Kendal Coley, a 6-footer from St. Louis Park (daughter of coach Tylor Coley and sister of Chase Coley), and 6 more from 3-point bomber Takara Mason (Tartan). They lost 21 points, however, from Nora Francois (DeLaSalle), Destinee Bursch and Jayla Reliford (Cooper). In 2 words: Treading water.
NT 8 Kuppe (1st alternate)
Caroline Adamson, Madison Hoehne, Haleigh Timmer, Helen Staley and Piper Terry accounted for 24 of Tartan’s 32 points in their final game of last year’s AAU tournament, and they all return. Sophie Olson, Michaela Dammann and Lucia Hauge scored 8 and do not. Newcomers are Ellie Dague (Henning), Ellie Hasz (Pine City) and Gianna Kneepkens (Duluth Marshall) who, among them, scored well over 40 ppg this past winter. In a word: Better.
NT 7 West (#1)
The Westies bring 32 of their 41 championship final points from a year ago plus the 15 points that Amaya Battle (Hopkins) scored in NT 7 Scalia’s 3rd place game. Meanwhile, Ki Ani Lockett (Mpls. South), Alexandria McNeill, Alayna Contrera and Sydney Runsewe all scored 6 or more in that game and return. In a word: Better.
NT 7 Scalia (#3)
The Westies return Amber Scalia (Stillwater) and Malani Schoper, who scored 13 of Tartan’s 32 points in their 3rd place win, but lose Battle and Sydney Kubes and their 22 points. In 2 words: Not better.
NT 6 Dasovich (#6)
NT scored just 15 points in their final game, a 27-15 loss to Fury 2023 Blue, and returns just 6 of those in Kaylie Bamlett, Emma Dasovich and Megan Stacy. Sophie Zay scored 7 and does not return. In 3 words: Hard to say.
The Bottom Line
3 #1 seeds. 3 state titles are expected. 4 is more likely than 2. 5 is more likely than 1. Overall, the Tartan family talent pool is a little bit deeper now than it was a year ago at this time, among the teams discussed here.
Of course, realistically, you would have to factor in the loss of Tartan’s 2017s—Rae Johnson, Temi Carda, Haack, Andrew, Mikayla Hayes, Lyndsey Robson, Dru Gylten, Sidney Wentland, Ann Simonet, Brittney Bongartz, Erin Norling, etc. etc., which was a very very strong group for Tartan. Like I said, state champs Gabi Haack and Tori Andrew played for the 2nd team. So, somebody might say, well, not so fast, sunny. Better than that? Well, bring Paige Bueckers up from the 2020s to the 2018s and, at the top, we’ll call it even.
But, down through all the younger ages? Better.