Mill City Invitational: Top Post Performances

There were so many great players at the Mill City Invitational last weekend. Here is a short list of Minnesota post players who stood out with their performances.

Solape Amusan – Fury 2019 Yellow (Woodbury) – Amusan’s game has improved greatly in the past year. A natural jump-shooter, she has made major strides with her inside game. She plays very physical around the basket, and uses her body very well in order to get consistently good position in the post. In the game I watched at Mill City, she looked to be equally comfortable shooting the 3, draining mid-range jumpers, and backing her defenders down inside. She will be a go-to player for Woodbury during her upcoming senior season.

Mallory Heyer – Fury 2022 Blue (Chaska) – If you don’t know the name Mallory Heyer by now it’s time for you to educate yourself. Heyer was the leading scorer for Chaska last season as an 8th grader, averaging nearly 14 points per game. She has only gotten better this summer while being surrounded by her ultra-talented Fury 2022 Blue teammates. Heyer is physical, and isn’t afraid to push her way to the hoop in order to get offensive rebounds. She has great length, impressive footwork in the lane, and can confidently finish with either hand. Look for Heyer to be towards the top of the list when Prep Girls Hoops publishes our first class of 2022 rankings this fall.

Nia Holloway – Metro Stars 2022 (Eden Prairie) – Holloway is a disruptive player defensively, particularly for someone who just finished middle school 2 months ago. In the game I watched her play at Mill City, she had 4 or 5 huge blocked shots and somewhere north of 15 rebounds. What impressed me was that the majority of her blocks came against jump shots away from the basket. Holloway’s length is problematic for smaller guards, who had a difficult time in their attempts to shoot over the top of her outstretched arms. On top of her defensive abilities, she is strong, has a nice looking mid-range jumper, and runs the floor well.

Taylor Janssen – Fury 2020 Yellow (Rosemount) – I was impressed with Janssen’s well-rounded game this weekend. I would categorize her as a stretch 4, whose shot forces defenders to guard her well beyond the 3-point line (8 made 3’s at Mill City). Janssen has the prototypical length that college coaches covet, and is a smart defender. The junior-to-be’s smarts allow her to collect blocks at a high rate without fouling. She was the leading scorer for her Fury Yellow team, and held her own when playing against bigger players in the post.

Jenna Johnson – North Tartan 2021 Sinn (Wayzata) – I initially struggled defining Johnson as a post player since she often plays on the perimeter for her North Tartan coach, Ruth Sinn. But what stood out to me about her game all weekend was when she was able to find her way inside. Her work in the post was as polished as anyone at Mill City. Whether it be a pump fake to get her defender in the air, or a spin move to create the separation she needed to finish at the rim, every one of Johnson’s moves was executed with purpose. She is a real match-up challenge, being able to post up smaller defenders, or drive past slower ones.

Carly Krsul – Fury 2019 Gauntlet (Robbinsdale Armstrong) – Krsul is a stud player at Robbinsdale Armstrong. And after watching her this weekend, it feels like she is able to take her game to an even higher level when she is able to create for others. Krsul flourishes on her Fury Gauntlet team for that reason. Surrounded by talented guards, the future Bucknell Bison is a willing passer in the post. She was setting up cutting Fury teammates all weekend when she drew double-teams. In addition to being a great team player, Krsul has a nose for the ball, and is a high-rate offensive rebounder.

You can read about other top performances from the Mill City Invite here (guards) and here (wings/forwards).

(photo courtesy of the Rosemount Town Pages)