Top 250 Expo Report: Post players to watch

“We’re just looking for another big.” How many times have you heard a basketball coach say that? I hear it on a more-than-regular basis, that’s for sure. Here are five bigs the coaches were watching at the Prep Girls Hoops Top 250 Expo. From a committed senior to a much-improved junior, two evolving sophomores and a freshman, these five prospects are worth paying attention to. <strong>Haylee Wheeler, 6’1 forward, 2020, Lakeville South (UM-Crookston)</strong> One Expo attendee who didn’t really need to be there was <strong>Haylee Wheeler</strong>. As one of two participants with a college commitment already in hand – Iowa commit Lauren Jensen of Lakeville North was the other – Wheeler has already earned her way to the next level. The future UM-Crookston forward was there just for fun. Ironically that’s kind of how the 6’1 senior has played since announcing her college choice several months ago. She looks more relaxed, isn’t trying to do too much on the court, and is now just letting the game come to her. This is a pattern that seems to be quite common. The recruiting process can be stressful and it often shows in how the girls play as they attempt to grasp a college opportunity. Now the pressure is off and Wheeler can just do her thing. That’s what she did this summer with Minnesota Stars Antl. That’s what she did Oct. 5 at the Top 250 Expo. Hopefully that’s what she’ll do in her senior season with the Cougars. Wheeler averaged just over 9 points per game last season with high games of 16 at Eden Prairie and 20 against Shakopee. She is more than capable of putting up those kinds of numbers on a consistent basis. Wheeler has a solid 12-15-foot jump shot and she likes to step outside and knock down three-pointers, as well. She’s a good passer – especially out of the post – and can really rebound the basketball when she is dialed in. The one area where Haylee is much improved over the past couple of years is her fitness level and the hard work she has put in there has paid off in greater mobility and enhanced quickness. Bottom line: Wheeler has a lot of upside and she showed that at the Expo. <strong>Ella Giorgi, 6’2 center, 2021, Coon Rapids</strong> Some bigs take awhile to get it all together and many are late bloomers. I think that’s what we’ll see from <strong>Ella Giorgi</strong>. She just needs to stay healthy long enough to get the job done. Giorgi has been beset by injuries during her high school career including not one but two broken wrists. She has returned with a vengeance, however, and appears to be much more confident and more assertive than in the past. One thing is for certain: Ella is huge. She is a legit 6’2 with a very big frame, just the kind of dimensions college coaches covet. Because of that Giorgi will be given every opportunity to get to the next level. Giorgi’s overall level of play is much improved. She’s more mobile and more agile, her footwork is better than before and her confidence level is clearly rising. Ella goes about her business in a business-like way while taking up a tremendous amount of space inside. This winter she’ll need to take it up a notch if her Coon Rapids team is going to improve on a  three-win season, a challenge Ella is more than capable of living up to. <strong>Lily Niebuhr, 6’3 center, 2022, Chaska</strong> Because she has summered with Rob Ware’s UVA 2022 squad we have seen a lot of <strong>Lily Niebuhr</strong> over the past few months. Yes, our attention was primarily focused on more high-profile UVA prospects such as Desiree Ware, Hannah Herzig and Leah Dengerud, but it’s hard not to notice the 6’3 center. She’s tough, she’s physical and she wants to get better. That’s a great start. Lily has a huge body; now she needs to develop a huge game. She has taken a big step in the right direction by signing on with trainer Jarryd Lloyd recently. He is the brother of WNBA star Jewel Loyd and knows a little something about what it takes to get to the next level. The resulting improvement was obvious at the Expo. Lily is getting quicker, her footwork is improved as is her ball handling. Neibuhr has transferred to Chaska from Jordan and it will be no easy task working her way onto a strong varsity squad for the Hawks. If she keeps putting in the work, however, it’s likely to happen in due course. <strong>Zoe Cutler, 6’0 forward, 2022, Chaska</strong> This was our first viewing of <strong>Zoe Cutler</strong> and we definitely liked what we saw. Cutler is lean and relatively long which offers a myriad of possibilities as her game develops. She can post up or play outside. She’s quite mobile and has good touch. This winter she needs to build on that potential and establish herself as a high school basketball player. That may mean starting at the bottom at Chaska and grinding her way up the food chain to a varsity team where a kid name Heyer currently occupies her potential position. That would be Mallory Heyer, a top-three prospect in the Class of 2022 whose aspirations and potential lie at the very highest levels of the game. There’s plenty that Zoe can learn from Mal as she hones her craft, and we will be watching the progress. Cutler will play AAU ball next summer for Chris Dalhed’s new Minnesota Stars team which has a ton of nice young talent. <strong>Jordan Anderson, 5’10 forward, 2023, Buffalo</strong> We highlighted <strong>Jordan Anderson</strong> in our event previews. Although she isn’t the biggest of the bigs, Anderson plays much bigger than you might expect. Jordan is what you could call a utility player in that she can plug a number of holes in a number of positions as needed. That versatility has greatly increased the likelihood that the freshman will crack the varsity lineup at Buffalo this year where Grant Stewart’s squad is young, young, young. Entering the Lake Conference, they face a formidable task of matching up against Hopkins, Eden Prairie and company. One asset that shines for Anderson is her coachability. Tell her to do something and she grasps the task immediately and executes it well. She will battle in the paint and fight for rebounds. She’s also developing a nice outside game and has a solid basketball IQ. What she needs now is time and she’s got plenty of that to mature and hone her game. <span style="font-size: 10pt"><em>Top photo: Senior Haylee Wheeler of Lakeville South went airborne at the Top 250 Expo. (Photo by Chris Drake for Prep Girls Hoops)</em></span>