Meltdown Preview: A dozen games you don’t want to miss

The last hurrah. On Minnesota’s AAU calendar that is what the Meltdown represents, the penultimate event of what has been an outstanding summer of girls basketball. Officially known as the North Tartan Meltdown &amp; AAU National Championships, the tournament opens on Saturday morning and runs through Monday afternoon. It is one of a few major events nationally – you’ll also see recruiting news coming out of Dallas, New Orleans, Atlanta and beyond – that comprise the last segment of the so-called ‘live period’ when NCAA Division 1 coaches are permitted to be in the gym watching. And there will no shortage of said coaches in the Twin Cities. Some 260 teams are entered in the event by my count in grades 7 through 11. That’s 55 more than last year, and it makes for a scheduling nightmare. It took a while but the powers that be have got it all figured out for a massive slate of games to be held at Edina (the primary site) and Eden Prairie, along with Bloomingtons’s Jefferson and Kennedy high schools. Which games are the ones you don’t want to miss? We’ll save you the rigors of wading through the divisions on Tourney Machine and offer up a dozen or so  must-see encounters. They’re all from the top two divisions of the event and they are spread across Saturday and Sunday. The best unsigned Minnesota prospects are listed with each game. Enjoy! <strong>SATURDAY’S TOP GAMES</strong> <strong>2020 Division 1</strong> North Tartan 2020 EYBL vs Minnesota Stars Antl – Edina 2 at 12:40 p.m. <ul> <li>North Tartan: #9 Zhane Thompson (Burnsville), #12 Jayda Johnston (Roseville), #17 Patience Williams (Benilde-St. Margaret’s), #18 Ava Hill (Mesabi East) + 2021 #28 Sophie Wood (Chisago Lakes)</li> <li>Minnesota Stars: #25 Sydney White (Andover), #49 Jana Swanson (Cambridge-Isanti), #77 Ka’Tia Cummings (Tartan), #89 Aaliyah Ragulen (Park Center), #98 Mikayla Kanenwisher (Elk River)</li> </ul> <strong>2021 Division 1</strong> Minnesota Stars 2021 Hersch vs CSS National – Edina 3 at 1:50 p.m. <ul> <li>Stars: #3 Katie Borowicz (Roseau), #11 Tamia Ugass (Roseville), #13 Paige KIndseth (Farmington), #25 Caela Tighe (Big Lake), #26 Raegan Alexander (St. Louis Park), #27 Faith Alberts (Parkers Prairie), #38 Kate Trachsel (Prior Lake), #42 Mia Huberty (Big Lake), #52 Caiya Wulf (Edina)</li> </ul> <strong>2022 Division 1</strong> North Tartan 9th Elite vs Central Kentucky Storm – Edina 2 at 9:00 a.m. <ul> <li>North Tartan: #2 Amaya Battle (Hopkins), #10 Kaylynn Asberry (Como Park), #27 Alayna Contreras (Hopkins), #29 Selam Maher (Hopkins), #45 Ari Gordon (Maple Grove) + 2023s Taylor Woodson (Hopkins) and Tessa Johnson (STMA)</li> </ul> <strong>2023 Division 1</strong> Minnesota Fury 2023 UAA vs Nebraska Lasers Gold – Eden Prairie 5 at 3:00 p.m. <ul> <li>Fury: Ashley Schuelke (Chaska), Brynn Beffert (Hutchinson), Kennedy Sanders (Chaska), Molly Lenz (Eden Prairie), Sydnee Nelson (Red Wing), Teresa Kiewiet (Mankato West), Zoey Washington (Mahtomedi)</li> </ul> <strong>Random Choice</strong> DTA Academy 2022 Blue vs All Iowa Attack 9th Nike Black – Edina 3 at 10:20 a.m. <ul> <li>DTA Academy: #5 Nia Holloway (Eden Prairie), #17 Maddie James (Princeton), #26 Ronnie Porter (Como Park), #28 Myra Moorjani (Eden Prairie), #49 Maddie Thorfinnson (Minnewaska)</li> </ul> North Tartan 2021 Elite vs MN/WI Force 2021 – Edina 3 at 4:10 p.m. <ul> <li>North Tartan: #32 Jodi Anderson (Centennial), #34 Johanna Langbehn (Elk River), #44 Peyton Blandin (Farmington), #47 Ellie Hasz (Pine City), #48 Lizzie Berkvam (Northfield), #64 Annika Richardson (Northfield)</li> <li>Force: #45 Lilli Mackley (Hill-Murray)</li> </ul> <strong>SUNDAY’S TOP GAMES</strong> <strong>2020 Division 1</strong> Metro Stars Starks 2020 vs CSS Bison (Nebraska) – Edina 2 at 10:20 a.m. <ul> <li>Metro Stars: #6 Nneka Obiazor (Eden Prairie), #20 Mia Curtis (Minnehaha), #27 KK Adams (Hopkins), #42 Vanessa Alexander (STMA) + 2023s Nunu Agara (Hopkins), Telia Graham (Minnehaha)</li> </ul> <strong>2021 Division 1</strong> North Tartan 2021 EYBL vs Wisconsin Purple Aces – Edina 3 at 1:50 p.m. <ul> <li>North Tartan: #1 Adalia McKenzie (Park Center), #2 Jenna Johnson (Wayzata), #10 Cassidy Carson (Eastview), #15 Jordyn Lamker (Maple Grove), #18 Kendall Cox (STMA) + 2022s #1 Maya Nnaji (Hopkins), #4 Mara Braun (Wayzata)</li> </ul> <strong>2022 Division 1</strong> Minnesota Fury 2022 UAA vs Iowa Martin Bros. 2022 – Edina 4 at 8:00 a.m. <ul> <li>Fury: #3 Mallory Heyer (Chaska), #6 Ellie Buzzelle (Rogers), #7 Lilly Meister (Rochester JM), #9 Callin Hake (Chanhassen), #11 Katie Hurt (Rochester JM), #13 Alexa Ratzlaff (Rosemount), #15 Emma Miller (STMA) #22 Nicole Bowlin (Holy Family)</li> </ul> <strong>2023 Division 1</strong> North Tartan 2023 Milan vs St. Louis Eagles – Eden Prairie 4 at 10:20 a.m. <ul> <li>North Tartan: Achsah Dawson (Maple Grove), Ashley Fritz (Eden Prairie), Brynn Senden (Wayzata), Chloe Jarnot (Maranatha), Clara Glad (Rogers) + 2024 Laura Hauge (St. Croix Lutheran)</li> </ul> <strong>Random Choice</strong> Minnesota Stars 2022 Nilsen vs All Iowa Attack 9th Nike Red – Edina 3 at 3:00 p.m. <ul> <li>Stars: #20 Dorothy Stotts (Edina), #30 Ella Campbell (Edina), #31 Ally Schultz (Lakeville South), #33 Tayah Leenderts (Rosemount), #51 Ava Berg (Elk River), #53 Jocelyn Plonski (Eagan)</li> </ul> Minnesota Suns 2020 Bluestar vs Southern Minn. Fury 2020 – Edina 4 at 5:20 p.m. <ul> <li>Suns: #16 Nurjei Weems (DeLaSalle), #36 Shayla Miller (St. Louis Park), #66 Carley West (Woodbury), #83 Kayla Cox (Park Center) + 2021 #21 T’Naye Griffin (Park Center)</li> <li>Fury:  #37 Brynn Schwanz (Eastview), #43 Ali Hunstad (Zumbrota-Mazeppa), #53 Emma Kniefel (Medford), #90 Colie Justice (Austin), #95 Kyli Nelson (Red Wing)</li> </ul> <span style="font-size: 10pt"><em>Top photo: 2022 #2 Amaya Battle of North Tartan's top freshmen team will be one of the main attractions at the Meltdown for dozens of college coaches from across the country. (Photo courtesy of Courtside Films)</em></span>