Stars Bjorgaard 2022 isn't taking a back seat to the headliners

When they wear the uniform of one of the big four Minnesota AAU clubs it can take a while for players on the so-called 'second' teams to get noticed. That is particularly true during the summer before their freshmen year when we're trying to get a handle on who the top prospects are among the incoming high school class. Case in point: Stars 2022 Bjorgaard, which has very quietly crafted an impressive summer while its sister team – Stars Kolden – grabbed all the headlines. Meanwhile, Bjorgaard's core players have been developing quietly in the shadows. Entering Monday's Under Armour Mid-America Showcase in Shakopee, Chris Bjorgaard's rising freshmen are 20-7 with four of those seven losses occurring while playing up. They won a tournament in Eau Claire, Wisc. and were runners-up in another. The important thing to remember about teams like Stars Bjorgaard, North Tartan Scalia or Fury 2022 Yellow is their players won't remain in the shadows for long. A year from now the top talent will be front and center, as has occurred in the 2021 class. Among incoming sophomores, 37 of the top 50 players are from the big four clubs of which 11 are on the second team. Having said all that, we have paid more attention of late to Stars Bjorgaard 2022 and these are the prospects we are watching most closely. Hope Kanenwisher, guard, Elk River Kanenwisher is Bjorgaard's point guard but she's really more of a two. "She's my catalyst," said the coach. "Her defensive pressure and smarts really set her apart. She's really quick and plays with a high motor." Much like her sister Mikayla, who plays for Stars Antl 2020, Hope has incredibly quick feet and great anticipation. Chances are, Hope is going to sense where you're going and get there before you do. She forces a ton of turnovers as a result. Kanenwisher's offensive skillset is a work in progress. In years past her jump shot was pretty erratic and unreliable. Now when she gets her feet set and has an open look the odds are pretty good that it's going in. Becca White, guard, Osseo-Maple Grove White's offensive skills are very good. She is predominantly an outside shooter, and is undoubtedly one of the better shooters in the class. "We like to play fast and get up threes and she fits that mold," Bjorgaard said. White has excellent handles and a wicked crossover, but sometimes hesitates about what to do once she has left the bewildered defender in her dust. The pull-up jumper is her go-to move, but she has developed a nice little floater, too. The key for White going forward is to become more versatile and a little less three-point oriented. A mid-range jumper is currently under construction. Lilly Nyutten, wing, Hastings We wrote about Lilly a few weeks back since she was the first Stars Bjorgaard player to catch our eye. She is long and athletic and just oozing with potential. She's more of a wing than a post but needs to develop better handles to be truly effective on the outside. Lilly has a nice catalog of moves in the post but isn't strong enough yet to consistently make space for herself. She is a nice outside shooter. The one area where Nyutten has improved significantly this summer is her team defense, becoming a more effective help defender down low and doing a better job preventing baseline drives. Her on-ball defense is solid. Ellie Austad, TBD, St. Louis Park There are two facts about Austad that will appeal to every coach: She's a smart player and she understands that the game isn't all about scoring. "She does everything for me," Bjorgaard said. "I try to put her in positions where she can be physical. She boxes out well, she makes good picks, she can hit the three-pointer, she can post up and she handles the ball pretty well. Offensively, she can do everything I want her to do." Austad plays at St. Louis Park, which now boasts a pretty deep stable of young talent. In most programs she would have been on JV last year but I'm told that St. Louis Park frowns on moving 7th and 8th graders up early unless they are clearly capable of making an impact on varsity. A year of JV will do wonders for Ellie's development. Others to watch: Abby Grussing is one of the most athletic players in the class of 2022. She fast and fearless and can handle the ball. She can run, jump and finish. "She can do a little bit of everything," Bjorgaard said. Grussing is thick and strong but hasn't quite got all the moving parts working together yet. Grussing was at Eden Prairie but we're hearing she's headed for Minnetonka. Kate Cordes and Katie Goodwin hail from the highly-successful Shakopee class of 2022 which has been dominant in travel ball. They are strong, physical defenders who are always on the floor when Bjorgaard is trying to protect a lead. Cordes and Goodwin know how to force turnovers, create momentum, and turn defense to offense in a hurry. Both are putting in the work to become more polished offensively. Ellie Wildermuth of Wayzata is fast and athletic and has some size but hasn't shown a willingness yet to be physical down low. Her go-to move is the pump fake and drive to the rim. Once the repertoire expands, Ellie could become more of a factor in the class. Photo top: Stars Bjorgaard went 5-0 to win a title in Eau Claire, Wisc. earlier this summer.