Lane, Goldeman among weekend’s top performers
Brielle Bartelt of Waterville-Elysian-Morristown is a talented freshman point guard on Tylor Coley’s 2021 Suns. She led the Bucs’ varsity in scoring this high school season. (photo by southernminn.com) They tell me Olivia Lane was running a high fever on…
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Continue ReadingThey tell me Olivia Lane was running a high fever on the weekend, and spent time in the emergency room on Friday. You would never have known it watching the 6’2 wing perform at the Comets Shootout Saturday morning. There were plenty of great performances at St. Cloud but Lane’s was among the very best as the lanky, lengthy junior from Pequot Lakes demonstrated the skill, athleticism and tenacity that have earned her a commitment to play D1 ball at the University of North Dakota.
From the moment you lay eyes on Lane in action you just know she was meant to be on the basketball court. She is smooth and skillful with quick feet and a scorer’s mentality. She’s also really aggressive. It’s not easy to make hustle plays and play at a high tempo when you’d really rather be home in bed but that’s what Olivia did Saturday for the Central Lakes Thunder team that also includes Alyssa Peterson (#28 in the class) of Menahga. Although Lane was guarded for much of the game against Comets 11 Elite by Jordan Zrust of Buffalo – she’s no slouch, either – Lane was frequently able to create sufficient space to attack the rim and score.
A varsity starter since 8th grade, Lane is an excellent rebounder, has some nice moves inside, and plays with natural instincts. This winter she averaged 22 points and more than 13 rebounds per game, but she contributes so much more than the numbers reveal. Over the past year, Lane has developed more range and her ball handling has improved. Currently ranked #16 in the class, we are told she’s going to suit up in the coming weeks for Gerard Coury’s North Tartan EYBL squad, likely the best 2019 team in the state.
Four more who impressed
Emma Goldeman, Minnesota Heat 2020 Hinck – The 6′ sophomore forward from St. Francis started the high school season on the JV/Varsity bubble. By year’s end she was a key performer for the 4A Saints. It’s not difficult to see why. She is strong and active, very athletic and is naturally aggressive. She can attack off the dribble or step up and knock down the 15-footer. She also owns a sweet little baby hook shot that not many young posts can claim. With the departure of Mounds View’s Lindsey Becher, look for Goldeman to be a mainstay for the Hincks.
Lauren Zwack, Comets 2020 Select – The 5’4 point guard has always impressed with her athleticism and quickness but sometimes she just seemed to be doing everything a little bit too fast. On Saturday it was her poise and presence that caught my attention. In a tight game with Fury 2021 Yellow that came down to the wire, it was Zwack who handled the ball with a veteran’s maturity, enabling the Comets to kill clock and secure what most would consider to be an upset. Her improvement was most noticeable. The Select team is considered second-best in the Comets’ 2020 pecking order but it includes 6’2 center Anna Olson, a top 20 talent from Monticello (she has declined offers to move up) as well Tracy McGowan of Princeton, one of the most underappreciated guards in the class.
Paige Meyer, Comets 2021 Elite – The 5’5 point guard from Albany is always worth the price of admission and she did not disappoint on Saturday. To be honest, she was the one player I was most looking forward to seeing at the Shootout because I was not able to watch her play a high school game this winter. The freshman was co-player of the year in the Granite Ridge Conference. She is athletic, super quick, very crafty and tough as nails. We’re talking about an elite talent here, who is currently rated top 10 in the class. Meyer has great court vision, is a superior ball handler and can absorb and dish out equal amounts of punishment. Basically she is Taylie Scott revisited and that’s saying something.
Kia Tower, High Impact 2019 Turner – The point guard from Bigfork is a highly-skilled, very intelligent leader who is always cool and collected under pressure. Tower is deceptively quick and athletic but she tends to break down defenders more with guile than explosiveness. Kia knows how to change the pace to her advantage, patiently waiting for just the right moment and then pouncing. It helps that her step-back jumper is deadly and must always be respected. Tower is currently ranked #63 in the class.
A few new faces we’ll be watching
Brielle Bartelt, Minnesota Suns 2021 Coley – Where does Tylor Coley come up with these kids? Just when you think his team will be devastated by the loss of injured standouts Nora Francois, Takara Mason and Jojo Sheffield, along comes a new flotilla of youngsters. The latest is Bartelt, a spunky little point guard from Waterville-Elysian-Morristown where she led the Bucs’ varsity in scoring at nearly 15 points per game. Bartelt has decent ball handling skills and excellent court vision. Her shot is a little unorthodox, especially from distance, but she gets to the rim and can score in bunches. We’ll be watching Brielle closely as the summer season progresses.
Emma Lade, Comets 2022 Elite (Durbin) – 8th grade guard from Howard Lake-Waverly-WInsted
Madisyn Grudem, Comets 2022 Elite (Durbin) – 8th grade forward from Princeton
Mackenzie Sapp, MBA 2022 Olson – Part of a strong 8th grade class at Chanhassen that includes Callin Hake and Nicole Bowlin
Madison James, DTA Performance – The 5’10 forward played varsity at Princeton as an 8th grader. DTA was a pleasant surprise at St. Cloud and the versatile James was a big reason why.