Update: 43 seniors have made their college commitments

Waiting for Alyssa. Perhaps that’s what we should call this, the latest installment of recruiting news for Minnesota’s Class of 2020. Alyssa would be Alyssa Ustby, the highest-rated player still available for hire among the state’s incoming seniors. The #3 prospect in the state – she’s top 40 nationally – had a wide variety of suitors that has reportedly been whittled down to five contenders: North Carolina, Utah, Pittsburgh, Northwestern and Minnesota. Ustby did her official visit to Minnesota last weekend but has yet to make a selection so we’ll continue to stand by for an announcement. Other high-profile players who have yet to make an announcement include Nneka Obiazor of Eden Prairie, Zhane Thompson of Burnsville and Zareia Chevre of Simley. In the meantime we’ll update you on the 43 players from the 2020 class who have announced their choices. Since we last weighed with an update at the end of July there have been a number of high-profile commitments including the #12 player in the Prep Girls Hoops Class of 2020 rankings. That would be 6’1 forward Jayda Johnston of Roseville and North Tartan EYBL who pledged her allegiance to Valparaiso of the Missouri Valley Conference. Johnston was the 10th player in the top 15 to announce. Johnston is one of four new D1 commits. The others are #14 Lauren Frost of Park Center (Fury 2020 UAA), who committed to Omaha; #21 Annika Stewart of Wayzata (North Tartan Elite), who verballed to Nebraska; and #31 Anna Olson of Monticello (Comets Elite), who is heading for Vermont. That brings the total number of D1 commits to 16. DIVISION 1 COMMITMENTS Updated through Sept. 6, 2019 #1 Paige Bueckers – Hopkins, Metro Stars Starks (UCONN) #2 Lauren Jensen – Lakeville North, North Tartan EYBL (Iowa) #4 Mackenzie Kramer – St. Michael-Albertville, Fury 2020 UAA (Lehigh) #5 Mallory Brake – Hastings, North Tartan EYBL (Creighton) #7 Liza Karlen – Stillwater, Metro Stars Starks (Marquette) #11 Molly Mogensen – Farmington, Fury 2020 UAA (Creighton) #12 Jayda Johnston – Roseville, North Tartan EYBL (Valparaiso) #13 Abby Schulte – Maple Grove, Stars Antl (NDSU) #14 Lauren Frost – Park Center, Fury 2020 UAA (Omaha) #15 TeeTee Danso – Simley, Metro Stars Starks (Bradley) #21 Annika Stewart – Wayzata, North Tartan Elite (Nebraska) #22 Natalie Mazurek – Eden Prairie, Fury 2020 UAA (South Dakota) #24 Sydney Stensgard – Simley, Fury 2020 UAA (Montana State) #31 Anna Olson – Monticello, Comets Elite (Vermont) #33 Taylor Janssen – Rosemount, Fury 2020 UAA (Montana State) Grace Kirk – Duluth Marshall, Stars Antl (Brown) [caption id="attachment_89007" align="alignright" width="200"] Lydia Hay of Wayzata and E1T1.[/caption] DIVISION 2 COMMITMENTS Since we last checked in 10 more athletes have announced their commitment to play Division 2 basketball, all but one with teams from the Northern Sun Conference. Two players from the East Metro made their selections. #23 Lindsey Becher of Mounds View (Concordia-St. Paul) is the second-highest ranked D2 signing behind #8 Emily Russo of New Prague (MSU-Mankato). Big forward Mary Fultz of Stillwater cashed in on her excellent summer by signing with Missouri Western. Three more from the West Metro did the same thing as #58 Lily Tennyson of St. Michael-Albertville (North Tartan Elite) committed to MSU-Moorhead, #62 Alaina Brenning of Rogers (E1T1) signed with Upper Iowa and #94 Lydia Hay of Wayzata (E1T1) committed to MSU-Moorhead. Meanwhile a trio from Northern Minnesota made their choices, as well. #75 Sam Pogatchnik of Proctor (Northern Lights) committed to Bemidji State, #101 Shaily Hakamaki of Cromwell verballed to Minnesota Duluth and #144 Katelyn Marunich of Proctor (Wisconsin Playmakers) committed to Southwest Minnesota State. [caption id="attachment_89008" align="alignright" width="181"] Sam Pogatchnik of Proctor and Northern Lights AAU[/caption] Here is the complete D2 list as of Sept. 6. #8 Emily Russo – New Prague, Stars Antl (MSU-Mankato) #23 Lindsey Becher – Mounds View, North Tartan Elite (Concordia-St. Paul) #26 Gus Boyer – Waseca, MN Rise Martin (UM-Duluth) #30 Taya Hakamaki – Cromwell, Northern Lights (UM-Duluth) #35 Tori Peschel – Sauk Centre, WC United (St. Cloud State) #39 Annie Guentzel – Lakeville South, Southern Minnesota Fury (Wayne State) #40 Sarah Kuma – Lakeville North, North Tartan Elite (Concordia-St. Paul) #47 Paige Thompson – Hawley, North Tartan Haugo (MSU-Moorhead) #49 Jana Swanson – Cambridge-Isanti, Minnesota Stars Antl (Bemidji State) #50 Amme Sheforgen – Cambridge-Isanti, Minnesota Heat Hinck (Bemidji State) #51 Ella Grove – Alexandria, Fury 2020 UAA (U of Mary) #54 Karley Motschenbacher – Park Christian, North Tartan Haugo (MSU-Moorhead) #58 Lily Tennyson – St. Michael-Albertville, North Tartan Elite (MSU-Moorhead) #62 Alaina Brenning – Rogers, E1T1 Premier (Upper Iowa) #75 Sam Pogatchnik – Proctor, Northern Lights (Bemidji State) #84 Haylee Wheeler – Lakeville South, Stars Antl (UM-Crookston) #94 Lydia Hay – Wayzata, E1T1 Premier (MSU-Moorhead) #101 Shaily Hakamaki – Cromwell, Northern Lights (UM-Duluth) #119 Mary Fultz – Stillwater, Stars DeSart (Missouri Western) #144 Katelyn Marunich – Proctor, Wisconsin Playmakers (SMSU) NR Sarah Conlon – St. Peter, Minnesota Rise (SMSU) [caption id="attachment_89010" align="alignright" width="195"] C.J. Decker of Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted[/caption] NAIA COMMITMENTS Minnesota had its first NAIA commitment during August and followed that up with one more on Friday. The first was #95 Kyli Nelson of Red Wing and Southern Minnesota Fury who carried on the family tradition by agreeing to play at Mount Marty College in Yankton, S.D. The second was C.J. Decker of Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted who verballed to play both basketball and softball at Mayville State. NAIA has a pretty low profile in these parts, most likely because there are no member schools in Minnesota. There are plenty in the surrounding states, however, including 11 in Iowa, four each in North and South Dakota and three in Wisconsin. I think of NAIA as D 2.5 because schools can provide scholarships and the level of play tends to be a cut above most D3 programs but not quite at the level of the MSU-Moorheads of the world. The University of Jamestown in North Dakota has been the NAIA school with the most recruiting presence in Minnesota in recent years. Last year the Jimmies hit a home run when they landed 2019 #21 Hannah DeMars of Grand Rapids and #40 Macy Nilsen of Edina. Usually about half of the Jamestown roster are Minnesotans. Mayville State has also recruited a fair amount in these parts and last year grabbed #56 Jordan Zrust of Buffalo. Visit <a href="https://www.naia.org/landing/index">naia.org</a> to learn more about the opportunities available. [caption id="attachment_89003" align="alignnone" width="300"] Alivia Arnebeck of Wayzata and E1T1[/caption] DIVISION 3 COMMITMENTS The University of St. Thomas has long been a women’s basketball powerhouse in Minnesota and Ruth Sinn’s Tommies tend to grab their share of players who are more than capable of playing at higher levels. This year’s recruiting has taken on a little different look, however, since it isn’t clear to anyone just what level St. Thomas will end up in following their impending departure from the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) where all the other top Minnesota D3s reside. [caption id="attachment_89005" align="alignright" width="300"] Aliyah Ragulen of Park Center and Stars Antl.[/caption] Regardless of the outcome of all that, Sinn scored a coup in August by landing forward Brynn Schwanz of Eastview. We have Schwanz ranked #37 in the class, and it was widely expected that she would be a scholarship-level player, possibly in Division 1. She joins post Kate Burns of East Ridge who had committed earlier to UST. Alivia Arnebeck of Wayzata (E1T1) is the third D3 commit to date. She’s headed for UW-La Crosse. The first junior college commit is Aliyah Ragulen of Park Center and Minnesota Stars Antl who signed with NIACC – North Iowa Area Community College in Mason City – which annually lands several high-quality athletes from Minnesota. Don’t be surprised if one of the biggest names in the 2020 class verbals to NIACC in the not too distance future. If we have missed someone please message me on Twitter (@gmachoops) with the info and we will follow up on it! Top photo: Jayda Johnston of Roseville committed to D1 Valparaiso in Northern Indiana. She is the #12-ranked player in the Class of 2020.