North Tartan 2020 is Minnesota’s AAU Team of the Year

Grant McGinnis August 20, 2018 @ 06:39 AM

When all-everything point guard Paige Bueckers departed for Europe in July to pursue a U16 world championship with Team USA, not many observers believed that North Tartan 2020 EYBL would make a serious run at a Nike national championship. There were plenty of built-in excuses and many other squads from around the country with the capability to get the job done. But Tara Starks’ team has never been about excuses. Led by Lauren Jensen of Lakeville North, North Tartan did capture that national championship. For that, and so many other accomplishments throughout the summer season, we have selected North Tartan 2020 EYBL as the Prep Girls Hoops Minnesota AAU Team of the Year. “I think a lot of people didn’t think we could win Nike Nationals without Paige,” Jensen said. “Obviously losing a player like Paige will impact a team, but honestly it didn’t really change that much for us. We were just going to do what we were going to do and play how we play. For myself I knew that I had to step up. I knew that I would be playing the 1 and be playing more and taking more of a leadership role. Other than that we just needed to do what we always do to win.” What they did was play high-tempo basketball, move the ball with pace and precision and smother opponents with the in-your-face defense that has been the team’s trademark since the core group first starting playing together five years ago. Jensen’s play was stellar, forward Mallory Brake of Hastings had a huge tournament and a number of players – Kahla Adams of Hopkins in particular – stepped up to the plate and performed at their highest level of the season. “Oh man it was tough,” Starks said. “There were games when we were down with a minute left and these kids never folded. They fought, they believed and they pulled games off that I know the people standing around looking thought we were going to lose… It was all about belief. That’s one of the things I told the girls. It doesn’t matter what anyone else says. If you believe when you step on the court you become real dangerous as a team.” It was a single elimination tournament so there was no room for error. North Tartan defeated a very strong Missouri Phenom team 49-39 in the championship game after bouncing Virginia powerhouse Boo Williams by 17 in the semifinals. In the quarters they squeaked past an outstanding Philly Belles team 58-56. North Tartan also defeated Central Florida Elite and Kentucky Premiere in earlier games. “There have been a lot of times in the past when this team has had a lot of pressure on us to do one thing or another and perform well and we have always come through,” Jensen said. “It’s just so special. I have been on the team since 5th grade. I’m just really fortunate to have experienced all of this, and it has been so fun to be with a great group of girls and accomplish so much together.” Unfortunately, as the saying goes, all good things eventually come to an end and this group will not stay together for another run at a national title. After playing with each other for so long the squad is no more. It appears as though only three members of the group will be a part of North Tartan’s 11th grade EYBL squad next summer. Two-thirds of the players are planning to move with Starks to the Minnesota Metro Stars and it looks like two others are going in a different direction. The memories of earning a national championship together, though, will live on.   Photo courtesy of Crissha Walton.