Mill City Silver Division Stunners

The 2020 Silver Division at the 2019 Mill City Invitational featured teams that may not get the exposure that some of the larger clubs receive. Crossfire, Urban Ventures, Minnesota Nice, as well as second teams from the Minnesota Suns and Minnesota Stars, were the state representatives here and all possessed players who could have an impact at the collegiate level. Those coaches looking for a hidden gem or two would be wise to keep an eye on a few players within this division. <b>Megan Diggan</b>, 5’8” G, 2020, Minnesota Suns Froelich (Burnsville) Megan led her Suns team to a 5-1 record, losing only a highly competitive game in the division championship. Offensively she averaged 12.3 point per contest including 15 made 3 pointers in 6 games. That really doesn’t tell the whole story. Diggan was a terror on defense, displaying active hands and great anticipation. Diggan, ranked 143^rd in the latest PGH projections, would be a great pickup for any one of the many D2, D3, and NAIA coaches watching this weekend. <b>SeSe Burks</b>, 5’9” G, 2020, Minnesota Stars Buerman (Henry Sibley) Burks, a top 100 rated talent in her class, showed why she should be considered one of the hidden gems mentioned earlier. She has the length to play small forward and the quickness and outside game needed to play at the two guard. It is this versatility and athleticism that should pique the interest of some college coaches. She has good slashing ability as evidenced by her 12 trips to the free throw line, and showed solid perimeter skill by knocking down 4 threes on the weekend. <b>Amanda Drake</b>, 5’7” G, Crossfire South, (Lakeville South) Every team, no matter the level, needs shooters. Amanda proved this weekend that she can bring this skill into every contest. Drake led her team to a clean sweep of the division and took the championship with a perfect 6-0 record, Along the way she averaged 11.4 points per game with a total of 12 makes from beyond the arc. These are 5-game numbers as statistics were not input for one of the games. <b>Myia Ruzek</b>, 5’10” F, Minnesota Nice Kendall (Lewiston-Altura) I can now see why Myia has moved up so quickly in the 2020 rankings (71). At 5’10” she has the size and wingspan to be a disrupter defensively and the uses her length and athleticism to elevate over smaller defenders. Ruzek is someone you must see multiple times to fully appreciate all the things she brings to the court. I loved her grit and her smarts – a combo that can take a player a long way. Ruzek averaged 11.4 points with a single game high of 18, leading her team to a 4-1 record in the division. <strong>Anna Garfield</strong>, 5'10" F, Minnesota Suns Froehlich (Blaine) Anna is a strong driver who uses her body extremely well. She has the ability to stay in the air a little longer than her defender and absorbs contact. She can step out and hit the three as well. Anna averaged nearly 7 points a game in this division. Defensively Garfield uses her length and quick feet to her advantage and rebounds very well. Coach Froehlich feels she has great college potential <span style="font-size: 10pt"><em>Top photo: Myia Ruzek of Lewiston-Altura and Minnesota Nice was a top performer at Mill City. (Photo courtesy of Winona Daily News)</em></span>