Seven of the Most Versatile Players at the AAU State Tournament

When people talk about versatility in basketball, they're generally talking about players who can either play or defend (ideally both) multiple positions. These types of players tend to be long, posses a variety skills, and do a lot of different things for their teams. In short, they're stat-sheet stuffers. And in an age where there is more and more talk about "positionless" players, versatility has never been more important. Here are seven players who were the embodiment of versatility at the AAU State Championship this weekend: <span style="text-decoration: underline"><strong>Cloey Dmytruk - 2022 - UVA Ware (Como Park)</strong></span> - I'll be honest, Dmytruk took me by surprise this weekend. I personally hadn't seen her play since last summer, and I could hardly believe the transformation that she's made as a player since then. When I watched UVA on Saturday, Cloey played with a confidence that I hadn't seen from her in my previous viewings. She rebounded at a high rate, moved well without the ball, sank multiple 3-point jumpers, and was active in her communication. If Dmytruk continues to improve at the rate that she has over the past 12 months, she will be one heck of a player when all is said and done. <span style="text-decoration: underline"><strong>Maya Fitzpatrick - 2020 - Minnesota Stars DeSart (Champlin Park)</strong></span> - We watched Fitzpatrick play in the all Minnesota Stars match-up of DeSart vs Antl. Stars Antl was buoyed inside by a pair of top 10 players in <strong>Nneka Obiazor</strong> and <strong>Emily Russo</strong>, but Fitzpatrick held her own against the size and strength of the Stars' top team. Maya did a little bit of everything for Stars DeSart. The Champlin Park forward made two first half 3's, maintained good defensive position against a bigger opponents, and even brought the ball up the court when Stars Antl started pressuring the DeSart guards. <span style="text-decoration: underline"><strong>Lydia Hay - 2020 - E1T1 (Wayzata)</strong></span> - Hay looks the part of a college basketball prospect. She is long, lean, and has an effortless-looking stride. She's active too, and especially well-rounded on the defensive end. We were there for E1T1's opening round game against the Minnesota Heat, and Lydia guarded every position on the court at some point throughout the contest. It was a grind-it-out type of game, and Hay's contributions were a large reason why E1T1 was able to pull out a 40-35 victory. <span style="text-decoration: underline"><strong>Katie Hurt - 2022 - Minnesota Fury UAA (Rochester John Marshall)</strong></span> - Katie Hurt is one of the first names that pops into my head when I think of versatility. Hurt is equally dangerous from the perimeter and the post, making her a match-up nightmare. We watched a bit of Fury UAA's opening round game before it got out of hand. There was a sequence in that game during which Katie hit back-to-back 3's, followed by a rim-run for an easy transition bucket. This all happened in the span of about 75 seconds of game time. It was the perfect illustration of why Hurt gives opposing defenses fits, and why her ceiling is so high with three years still to go before graduation. <span style="text-decoration: underline"><strong>Grace Kirk - 2020 - Minnesota Stars Antl (Duluth Marshall)</strong></span> - Grace Krik has been a scoring machine at Duluth Marshall, where she averaged 27 PPG during her junior season. It was fun to watch her go up against some better competition at the AAU State Tournament. Grace scored early and often in Stars Antl's opening game, and it quickly became apparent that the team was far better with her on the court. Kirk and back-court mate <strong>Abby Schulte</strong> are a dynamic duo to put it lightly. This weekend, Grace was exceedingly comfortable with the ball in the post, which was a pleasant surprise given that she mainly plays as a guard. She showcased a number of inside moves for when guarded by smaller players, and had impressive footwork around the hoop. <span style="text-decoration: underline"><strong>Abby Krzewinski - 2023 - Minnesota Crossfire (Wayzata)</strong></span> - If it seems like we've been writing about a lot of young players from Wayzata coming out of the State Tournament, that's because we have. Needless to say, the future is bright for the Trojans. Krzewinski's star shined brightly throughout the weekend, as she scored the 5th most points in the 2023 division, despite playing in three games while many teams had the opportunity to play four. We watched Krzewinski's team go up against a more highly-ranked Minnesota Suns Bluestar team and give them all they could handle. Abby played point guard, while also leading her team in rebounds. She has good strength and size for an 8th grader. And while we may have to wait a couple of years for her to get a shot in the Wayzata varsity rotation, it's clear that she'll be ready whenever that opportunity presents itself. <span style="text-decoration: underline"><strong>Addy Salzer - 2021 - 43 Hoops (Waconia)</strong></span> - Salzer is the best player on her 43 Hoops 2021 team, that's not really up for debate. But playing on a team that doesn't have quite the same depth as a Fury UAA or North Tartan EYBL has arguably given Addy more opportunities to showcase the breadth of her abilities. And her skills were on full display this weekend. Even when she wasn't putting up her biggest scoring numbers, Salzer was still impacting the game in a number of ways. She rebounded well, took care of the ball, and guarded a number of positions defensively. The combination of Salzer's size and skill set make her a high-end college prospect. &nbsp; <span style="text-decoration: underline"><strong>Minnesota AAU State Tournament Series:</strong></span> <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/2019/05/six-of-the-best-floor-generals-from-the-aau-state-tournament/">Six of the Best Floor Generals from the AAU State Tournament</a> <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/2019/05/six-big-time-post-players-at-the-aau-state-tournament/">Six Big Time Post Players at the AAU State Tournament</a> <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/2019/05/six-of-the-best-defenders-at-the-aau-state-tournament/">Six of the Best Defenders at the AAU State Tournament</a> <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/2019/05/six-of-the-best-shooters-at-the-aau-state-tournament/">Six Sharpshooters from the AAU State Tournament</a>