8 unsigned juniors who impressed at the Lake Slam

It took a long time for the first domino to fall for the Class of 2020 in the race for college commitments, but Minnesota’s top juniors are off and running now. On Tuesday Grace Kirk of Duluth Marshall became the 8th junior in the state to make a Division 1 commitment when she verballed to Brown University of the Ivy League. That bumped her off of our list of top unsigned juniors who stood out this weekend at the Lake Slam. Based on the chatter we’ve been hearing since the tournament ended, there could be a number of other 2020 commitments coming soon. So far the list of Minnesota verbals that have been made public looks like this: <ul> <li>Paige Bueckers, guard, Hopkins (UCONN)</li> <li>Lauren Jensen, guard, Lakeville North (Iowa)</li> <li>Kenzie Kramer, guard, St. Michael-Albertville (Lehigh)</li> <li>Mallory Brake, forward, Hastings (Creighton)</li> <li>TeeTee Danso, forward, Simley (Bradley)</li> <li>Grace Kirk, guard, Duluth Marshall (Brown)</li> <li>Sydney Stensgaard, guard, Simley (Montana State)</li> <li>Taylor Janssen, forward, Rosemount (Montana State)</li> <li>Taya Hakamaki, guard, Cromwell (UM-Duluth)</li> <li>Paige Thompson, forward, Hawley (MSU-Moorhead)</li> <li>Karley Motschenbacher, guard, Park Christian (MSU-Moorhead)</li> </ul> Of course there is plenty more talent where those kids came from. We know of at least 15 other players who have Division 1 offers and some of them are included on our list below. Without further ado, here are some unsigned juniors who performed well at the Lake Slam under the watchful eye of dozens of college coaches from coast to coast. They are listed in order of their Prep Girls Hoops Class of 2020 ranking. THE SURE-FIRE D1s #3 Alyssa Ustby – wing, Fury 2020 UAA (Rochester Lourdes) There is no shortage of suitors for the services of the uber-athletic, very versatile Alyssa Ustby. Several of them were in attendance on the weekend – most notable in these parts would be Coach Lindsay Whalen of Minnesota – and many more are still trying to get in on the action. Ustby, as per usual, did not disappoint and her Fury squad went 4-1 on the weekend after winning a state championship one week ago. The long, lanky junior is remarkably consistent and she showed it with games of 10, 15, 11, 10 and 12 points on a squad loaded with others who can score. Then she went home on Monday and promptly hit a timely grand slam homer to help her high school softball team win in sections. #8 Liza Karlen – forward, Metro Stars Starks (Stillwater) Liza Karlen has had to make a lot of adjustments over the past couple of years, moving from St. Paul Central to Stillwater in high school and playing for three different AAU squads. After watching her the past couple of weeks, however, it is obvious that the 6’2 Karlen has returned to peak form once again. She’s rebounding hard, running the floor well and she looks much more comfortable on the court. Liza is also scoring at a high rate. With Paige Bueckers off in Colorado for Team USA tryouts, the Metro Stars went 3-1 and Karlen was a big reason why. She averaged over 17 points per game for the weekend, second-most in the top Platinum Division, including a 24-point performance against Stars Hersch. [caption id="attachment_50887" align="alignleft" width="200"] Maple Grove guard Abby Schulte continues to impress at the highest level. (Photo courtesy of Hometown Source)[/caption] #12 Abby Schulte – guard, Minnesota Stars Antl (Maple Grove) Abby Schulte is one of the most under-appreciated talents in Minnesota’s Class of 2020. She’s just so darn competent at pretty much every aspect of the game. She’s strong, athletic, intelligent and reliable. She’s a great leader, plays well under pressure, and can be counted on to perform at a high level night after night. Grace Kirk might be a little more flashy but Schulte is the one who drives the Stars Antl bus. The 5’11 guard did her thing once again this weekend. Now the D1 coaches need to pick up the phone and call because she’s going to be great at the next level. #13 Zhane Thompson – guard, North Tartan EYBL (Burnsville) When North Tartan’s top unit underwent an unplanned makeover this winter, it wasn’t exactly clear who would step into the lineup and be a difference maker. We knew Lauren Jensen and Mallory Brake would lead the way, and Wisconsin import Maty Wilke was expected to be a big factor, but who else would show up and get the job done? Enter Zhane Thompson. More than a month into the spring season now, it is more obvious than ever that the Burnsville guard is super-skilled, very smart and extremely tough. She proved it again this weekend as the EYBL juniors went undefeated at 4-0. Her stock was pretty high a few months ago, but it’s rising fast now. THE BEST OF THE REST #45 Kalena Myers – guard, E1T1 Premier (Apple Valley) E1T1 was nowhere near full strength this weekend as the club had to cobble together a lineup from multiple rosters. The core veterans, including Ali Karels and Alaina Brenning of Rogers and Apple Valley’s Kalena Myers, had to bear the brunt of the load. As usual, Myers gave maximum effort on behalf of her team with offensive production of 13, 12, 18 and 12 points to lead the 2020 Blue Division in scoring. Myers has been underestimated forever, but she is the key cylinder in Apple Valley’s engine and the same is true in AAU. Don’t sell her short. [caption id="attachment_50890" align="alignright" width="275"] Amme Sheforgen of Cambridge-Isanti continues to point the way for the Minnesota Heat. (Photo by Jared Martinson, Prep Hoops)[/caption] #50 Amme Sheforgen – guard, Minnesota Heat Hinck (Cambridge-Isanti) After transferring from St. Francis to Cambridge-Isanti last season, Amme Sheforgen was relegated to a new role: the best JV player in Minnesota. When she returned to varsity ball in January, however, it was obvious that she had not lost a step. The 5’10 guard is strong, steady and deceptively quick, plus she knows how to put the ball in the cylinder. Heat Hinck is battling a ton of injuries right now, and with bigs Emma Goldeman and Jordyn Allen on the sidelines it has been tough sledding. Sheforgen once again carried the load. Particularly impressive was an 18-point performance in a narrow loss to Team Wisconsin which, last time we checked, had 5 Division 1 kids in the lineup. #54 Lydia Haack – guard, North Tartan Elite (Elk River) Size matters. If it didn’t there’s little doubt that Lydia Haack would be one of the most sought-after guards in Minnesota. Her sister Gabi was Miss Basketball and is now all-everything at Bradley. Back home in Elk River, Lydia is still having to prove herself again and again. She’s 5’3 if we’re being generous, but this weekend she played as big as anyone in the lineup for North Tartan Elite. Haack was a one-woman press on Sunday, and continuously set the tone with her suffocating ball pressure. Her offensive decision-making was also excellent, resulting in a 34-point day as North Tartan finished the weekend at 3-1. #56 Lily Tennyson – forward, North Tartan Elite (St. Michael-Albertville) Lily Tennyson is still one of the lowest-profile talents in Minnesota despite her length, athleticism and excellent skill set. That circumstance has little to do with Tennyson’s ability, which is very high, and everything to do with the fact she plays on a loaded squad at STMA. There she is usually overshadowed by the likes of Kenzie Kramer, Vanessa Alexander, Tessa Johnson, Jadyn Hansen and Kendal Cox. Her contributions as the 6th player for the Knights are undeniable, however, as was her impact for North Tartan Elite this weekend. Lily has emerged as coach Jon Herbrechtsmeyer’s go-to defensive stopper and she can still knock down the three. Tennyson certainly passes the D2 eye test and her game is pointing in that direction, as well. Top photo: 6'2 forward Liza Karlen of Stillwater was the center of attention this weekend for Metro Stars Starks. (Photo by Jared Martinson of Prep Hoops)