Breakdown Tipoff report: Fresh faces who made an impact

It’s always exciting at this time of year to see the fresh faces who step into the varsity lineup and immediately make their presence felt, and we saw a lot of them at the Breakdown Tipoff Classic last weekend in the Hopkins Lindbergh Center. We already told you about the debut of Wayzata freshman <strong>Brynn Senden</strong> in this year’s first Week That Was wrap-up. Her fellow Wayzata freshman <strong>Abby Krzewinski </strong>was also solid, as were Eastview freshmen <strong>Kylie Smith</strong> and <strong>Kaitlyn Schaefer</strong>, and Minnetonka 8th grader <strong>Emma Dasovich</strong>. All of their debut performances were not unexpected. We know their names, we’ve seen them play and we are anticipating big things from all of them, both now and in the future. What we didn’t expect was to see 8th grade guard <strong>Kiya Hegdahl</strong> in the starting lineup for the Orioles of St. Louis Park. Neither did St. Louis Park coach Arsenio Richardson, but the absence of veteran <strong>JoJo Sheffield</strong> and an injury to junior <strong>Faith Johnson</strong> opened the door for Hegdahl. Richardson said Kiya had been very good in practice last week and deserved the opportunity to show what she could do on the big stage. Turns out Hegdahl was up to the challenge. She isn’t tall – perhaps 5’6 or 5’7 – but Kiya is athletic, has a sizeable frame and appears strong for her age. She was excellent manning the point, playing with poise and precision. She talked consistently, directing traffic and demonstrating some real leadership potential. Those are qualities you want from your point guard; those aren’t things you often see from an 8th grader getting her first varsity start. St. Louis Park has a veteran lineup, with seniors <strong>Shayla Miller </strong>and <strong>Jordyn Turek</strong>, and juniors <strong>Kendall</strong> <strong>Coley</strong> and <strong>Raegan Alexander</strong> leading the way, but Hegdahl looked right at home among her elders. Here are four more fresh faces who stood out at the Tipoff Classic. <strong>Alivia McGill – 8th grade guard, Park Center</strong> Alivia played some varsity last season for the Pirates so she is by no means an unknown. We’ve watched her play summer ball for a very strong Minnesota Elite Team, and we’re here to tell you that McGill is one of the premier players in the class of 2024. She’s 5’7, super quick, very skilled and has the kind of swagger that makes you sit up and take notice. I always feel like she’s a little Kenisha Bell, although that comparison isn’t exactly fair. Still the potential is there. McGill is a dynamic talent who sees the floor, makes good decisions and impresses with her athleticism. On a loaded Park Center squad that features 2021 #1 <strong>Adalia McKenzie</strong>, top-15 senior <strong>Lauren Frost</strong>, top-25 junior <strong>T’Naye Griffin</strong> and a whole lot more, Alivia is about to make a very big splash. [caption id="attachment_118447" align="alignnone" width="300"] 8th grader Katie Vasecka of New Prague[/caption] <strong>Katie Vasecka – 8th grade guard, New Prague</strong> We won’t compile our first ranking of Minnesota’s class of 2024 until next fall, but we can tell you now that there is a better-than-average chance that Miss Vasecka tops the list. She’s that good. The 6-footer is tall and thin – she’s got a long ways to go in the physical development department – but Katie is also athletic, mobile and skilled, and can play any position you want. Vasecka competes with zero fear. She makes big plays, has nice touch around the basket and can definitely shoot it. We watched Katie this summer filling in on one of the older Fury teams and she looked right at home. That was certainly the case once again last weekend as New Prague scored a convincing victory over Alexandria at the Tipoff. <strong>Jennica Suggs – 8th grade guard, Minnehaha Academy</strong> When you say the name Suggs in Twin Cities basketball circles you have already said a lot. Jennica is the latest in a long line of Suggs family members to play the game at a high level. Of course she’s got a ways to go to reach the lofty heights her brother Jaylen has, considering he is a five-star recruit who plays for Team USA. Jennica didn’t start playing basketball until two years ago so she’s still very raw, but you can certainly see the potential. She’s quick and strong and played big minutes for Minnehaha Academy in the Redhawks’ three-overtime win over Sauk Centre. Regardless of where they are playing, whoever the opponent is, there’s a very good chance that Jennica is going to be the most athletic kid on the court. <strong>Tootie Lewis – freshman forward, Cretin-Derham Hall</strong> Tootie Lewis is a sleeper. Lewis has been a mainstay on the very strong Minnesota Elite Cade squad, but she has always been overshadowed there by super-skilled players such as Alivia McGill, <strong>Nicole Lillard</strong>,  <strong>Kennedy Klick </strong>and other such luminaries who have spent time with the team. Lewis stands 6 feet tall, has a big frame and is quite powerful. She is also deceptively athletic. Lewis was in the starting lineup for Crystal Flint’s CDH Raiders and demonstrated that she has earned that opportunity. We suspect that Lewis may eventually evolve into something special in the class of 2023. <strong>5 MORE NAMES TO REMEMBER</strong> <strong>Piper Carlson</strong> – 5’11 freshman guard, St. Michael-Albertville <strong>Kaylie Cox</strong> – 5’6 8th grade guard, St. Michael-Albertville <strong>Savannah Islam</strong> – 5’11 sophomore guard, Burnsville <strong>Berit Parten</strong> – 8th grade guard, Minnehaha Academy <strong>Tori McKinney</strong> – 5’8 8th grade guard, Minnetonka