2022 rankings update: Which newcomer cracked the top 5?

[caption id="attachment_58058" align="alignright" width="169"] Nia Holloway of Eden Prairie posed with University of Minnesota coach Lindsay Whalen at the Gophers elite camp.[/caption] What a difference a year makes. When you’re talking about young basketball prospects entering their freshman year of high school there are so many unknowns. How will they handle the increased size, speed and experience of their opponents? How will their skills evolve? How will their emotional and physical maturity progress? Those questions were certainly asked in relation to 6’0 forward Nia Holloway of Eden Prairie and DTA Academy. Nia has answered them all with a resounding ‘Wow!’ As a result, she is now a power-conference prospect while rising from #11 to #5 in the updated Prep Girls Hoops Class of 2022 rankings. There are some tremendous athletes in the class. #1 Maya Nnaji is a 6’4 power forward who helped Hopkins win the Class AAAA high school state championship and made it all the way to the final 18 at the recent Team USA U16 tryouts. #2 Amaya Battle of Hopkins and North Tartan Contreras is equally athletic, and the big point guard has a long list of suitors. #3 Mallory Heyer of Chaska and Fury 2022 UAA has a big frame, a big motor and big-time skills. She, too, made a splash at Team USA camp. And then there’s #4 Mara Braun of Wayzata and North Tartan 2021 Sinn, the silky smooth guard/wing whose game might qualify as art on hardwood. None is more athletic than Holloway. [caption id="attachment_52926" align="alignleft" width="207"] Maya Nnaji of Hopkins remains the #1 player in the Class of 2022. (Photo by USA Basketball)[/caption] Nia isn’t the only player in the Top 10 who has improved since our last rankings update at the beginning of the year. Exciting shooting guard Ellie Buzzelle of Rogers (Fury 2022 UAA) has captured the attention of numerous college programs and holds Power 5 offers in her back pocket. She rises from #7 to #6. Her Fury teammate Lilly Meister had a breakout year at Rochester John Marshall and the lanky forward has now grown to 6’2. Both of her parents were standout collegians and Meister is headed in that direction, too. She’s up from #8 to #7. Rounding out the Top 10 are combo guard Desiree Ware of Minnetonka (UVA Ware) at #8, point guard Callin Hake of Chanhassen (Fury 2022 UAA) at #9 and point guard Kaylynn Asberry of Como Park (MN P.R.E.P) at #10. Elsewhere in the Top 20 There are five players who have raised their stock in the top 20 this time around. Lengthy forward Katie Hurt of Rochester John Marshall (Fury 2022 UAA) is up two places to #11; her Fury teammate Alexa Ratzlaff of Rosemount rises from #15 to #13; and Kiani Lockett of DeLaSalle and MN P.R.E.P is also up two places to #16. Lockett’s high school and AAU teammates Savannah White and Sydney Runsewe also enter the top 20. White rises 11 rungs on the ladder to #18 while Runsewe is up 5 spots to #19. Other big gainers <ul> <li>Up 32 – Tayah Leenderts of Rosemount and Stars Nilsen moves from #65 to #33 and is the biggest riser in the Class of 2022. She’s long and athletic and has morphed from promising freshman into D1 prospect. We have seen her dominate inside in countless AAU contests this summer, building on an outstanding high school campaign.</li> <li>Up 18 – Ava Stier of Waconia and Stars Bjorgaard has been featured in Prep Girls Hoops numerous times over the past few months. She has long been overshadowed at Waconia by 2021 prospect Addy Salzer but this year has raised her level of play dramatically. Ava has a monster motor and her ceiling is rising. She’s up from #56 to #38.</li> <li>Up 14 – Telia Graham of Minnehaha Academy and Metro Stars 2020 Starks is a long-athletic talent who can play multiple positions. She rises from #35 to #21.</li> <li>Up 14 – Ella Campbell of Edina and Stars Nilsen earned her way into the starting lineup during the high school season and the savvy combo guard quickly became a major factor. Ella is up from #44 to #30.</li> <li>Up 7 – Hannah Herzig of Centennial and UVA Ware is one of the most low-key prospects in this class because she hasn’t played much varsity ball and is usually in the shadow of Desiree Ware in AAU. Nevertheless, Herzig is a player to watch. She moves from #63 to #56.</li> <li>Up 6 – McKenzie Schweim of Mankato East and MN Nice has impressed us since arriving on the scene as a quality high school point guard in 7th grade. She has led the Cougars to respectability while growing to a solid 5’10. Schweim rises from #55 to #44.</li> <li>Up 6 – Abby Grussing of Minnetonka and 43 Hoops is an athlete pure and simple. Grussing has a huge motor and her skills are improving fast. She’s up from #72 to #66.</li> <li>Up 5 – Lily Fandre of Eagan and Stars Bjorgaard is one of the best shot blockers in Minnesota, and she knows how to use her tremendous length to advantage at both ends of the floor. Lily is an emerging talent we will be watching closely. Fandre is up from #59 to #54.</li> </ul> [caption id="attachment_57994" align="alignnone" width="300"] Madison Mathiowetz of Sleepy Eye St. Mary's enters the Class of 2022 rankings for the first time. (Photo courtesy of New Ulm Journal)[/caption] 25 new faces join the party This is the third time we have ranked the Class of 2022. Last fall we selected the first 50, this winter we expanded the list to 75, and now there are 100 players who have been classified among the incoming sophomores. The highest-ranked newcomer is Ally Schultz of Lakeville South (Stars Nilsen) who comes in at #31, one spot ahead of Madison Mathiowetz of Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s (MN Rise Wolfe) at #32. The 5’11 Schultz, who is young for the class, has had a tremendous summer. After earning her way into Angie Iverson’s starting lineup at Lakeville South, Schultz’s confidence and impact has soared. Mathiowetz has been a bit of a mystery until now. Playing in a tiny program in Southern Minnesota, Madison has racked up some impressive numbers (26 ppg with a high of 41 this past season) but there were plenty of questions about whether she could do that against higher-quality opponents. This summer in AAU ball she has proven that she can. Also entering the rankings for the first time is #49 Maddie Thorfinnson of Minnewaska and DTA Academy. Thorfinsson had a big growth spurt, filled out significantly and improved her skills a lot. DTA is a loaded squad – Marqus McGlothan’s crew has 5 players in the top 35 – and Thorfinnson is often overlooked, but 5’11 guards aren’t standing around on every corner. That makes her long-term prospects very good. Among the other top newcomers are Amelia Valentino of Champlin Park (Fury 2022 Yellow) at #55, Kaila Youngs of Delano (43 Hoops) at #62, Joslyn Carlson of Goodhue (Southern Minnesota Fury) at #63, and Ava Cusciotta of Rockford (43 Hoops) at #64. <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/minnesota/rankings/2022-rankings/">Click here</a> to see the entire Top 100 in the Class of 2022. Top photo: Amaya Battle of Hopkins is the #1 guard among the top 2022s in Minnesota. (Photo courtesy of Courtside Films)