Freshman Ivane Tensaie is a shining light for Concordia

There are several very good small guards in the class of 2021, including Paige Meyer of Albany at #8 and Katie Borowicz of Roseau at #10. Not far behind is 5'6" Ivane Tensaie of Concordia Academy in Roseville. When the updated ranking of Minnesota's best freshmen was released last week, Tensaie appeared on the list for the first time at #27. Ivane is just the kind of high-skill, high-energy leader every coach wants running the show, including Concordia's Matt Pryor. "Ivane is really the one who makes us go," Pryor said. "First of all, it's her ability to shoot the basketball from two, three, even four steps outside the arc. Because of that, defenses have to really respect her shot, and that opens up a lot of driving lanes off the basketball. Number two is her ball handling. I have yet to see a freshman this year who handles the ball better than Ivane does." The thing that sets Tensaie apart from most freshmen is her poise. This is her second year starting for the Beacons, and she looks completely at home in that role. This girl is unflappable, conducting herself with the kind of maturity you seldom find in a 9th grader, both on and off the court. She understands the game, knows what her responsibilities are, and is driven to succeed. "I think I have more of a leadership mentality now," she said. "Especially being the point guard I am like an extension of the coach so I've kind of stepped into that role." There's no question that the triple is Tensaie's bread and butter, but she also scores frequently inside – primarily with the floater – and in transition. "We have had a lot of teams that have tried to press us this year but they usually end up pulling it off after a couple of possessions because as soon as Ivane touches the basketball she can weave through just about anybody," Pryor said. Clearly Tensaie, who is averaging more than 17 points per game, is a talented athlete who has put the work in to excel, but a lot of what she knows about managing a basketball game she learned from playing with Jade Hill of Minneapolis South, who is the #1 player in the freshman class. Tensaie and Hill are AAU teammates with Tayler Hill Elite, where the ball is in Hill's hands most of the time. Although this limits Tensaie's minutes somewhat, it has also provided her with an invaluable education. "I have learned a lot of basketball IQ from her and also how to play off the ball," Ivane said. "Here at Concordia I am always taking the ball up, I am always on the ball. Playing with Jade I am playing off the ball and it really helps me playing here to see where my teammates might be open in different situations." Hailey Paup has been Concordia's X factor Concordia is doing everything with higher intensity, both in games and at practice. A key reason is the arrival of 6-foot post Hailey Paup, a senior transfer from Cedar Falls, Iowa. Paup (11 ppg), who is a force inside, has helped the 16-6 Beacons exceed everyone's expectations except their own. "I think it was mostly our mentality coming into the season," said Tensaie. "We kind of came in with a chip on our shoulder because we haven't been an elite program for a long time and we wanted to prove that we can be one of the top programs in the state." Paup has been their X-factor. The power forward, who is the daughter of former NFL Pro Bowler Bryce Paup, has size and strength, she's athletic, and has nice touch around the basket. "The biggest impact she has had is what she has brought to the team in terms of her mentality, how she approaches the game, how she goes about her business and her work ethic," Pryor said. "She came from a winning program in Iowa and it shows. Because we have so many young girls on our team, it has been great for them to see how hard she works." One of those youngsters is freshman Grace Landvik (5 ppg), an undersized guard who is a solid lock-down defender. Freshman Sidney Pelzer (5 ppg) is a 5'10" guard with plenty of length and a nice stroke. Senior Arica Robinson (7.6 ppg) has also been very good. She is long and athletic, and her perimeter defense is impressive. The improved play of junior forward Lydia Lecher (14 ppg) has also been big. The road to Target Center runs through Longfellow The Beacons are young and talented, but none has a brighter future than Tensaie. When you ask her about long-term goals, Ivane does not hesitate for one second: "Pro basketball." If you ask her about near-term objectives, she would be equally clear: Beat Minnehaha. That's what Concordia will need to do if they are to become an elite program. Minnehaha coach Josh Thurow's Redhawks are perennial representatives of section 4AA in the state tournament, and the road to Target Center runs through the Longfellow neighborhood of Minneapolis. When the two teams met on Dec. 5, Minnehaha came out on top as usual, this time by a score of 77-71. "I think we match up well with them." Tensaie said confidently. "We've just got to really come out with that attack mode mentality. I think we somewhat did that in our game against them but not fully. That was the big difference." For the first time in recent memory, Concordia might have a legitimate shot. For all of the talent in its starting five, Minnehaha does not have depth. The Beacons have more, but very little experience – none in the high-pressure environment of a section final. Pryor knows a little something about the rivalry. He is a 2011 graduate of Minnehaha whose team defeated Concordia to go to the state tournament. He considers Thurow a mentor. "I had the opportunity at Minnehaha to see how Coach Thurow does things and have patterned much of what we are doing at Concordia after what he does," Pryor said before pausing for a moment. "But we can still beat them."