Class AAA All-State Team & Player of the Year

One year ago [player_tooltip player_id="2122" first="Julia" last="Bengtson"] was named Prep Girls Hoops Breakout Player of the Year. Last summer the junior point guard from Becker was among the most improved players of the AAU season. And this winter, Bengtson’s rise in stature among the very best players in the class of 2021 continued as she led the Bulldogs to the state championship game one more time. As a result, we are pleased to name Bengtson as the Prep Girls Hoops Class AAA Player of the year. Bengtson is one of five players named to our Class AAA All-State First Team along with her Becker teammate [player_tooltip player_id="30163" first="Adeline" last="Kent"], [player_tooltip player_id="6529" first="TeeTee" last="Danso"] of Simley, and DeLaSalle teammates [player_tooltip player_id="110529" first="Nurjei" last="Weems"] and [player_tooltip player_id="12727" first="Kiani" last="Lockett"]. In addition, 10 more players earned Class AAA All-State honors, for a total of eight seniors, four juniors and three sophomores. <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/julia-bengtson/">[player_tooltip player_id="2122" first="Julia" last="Bengtson"]</a> – junior guard, Becker (Eastern Illinois) Over the past two seasons, Bengtson has established herself as an elite point guard while rising to the #24 position in the 2021 prospect rankings. She’s got terrific handles, a very high basketball IQ, nearly unlimited range and innate leadership skills that you just don’t find often. Bengtson’s intangibles are off the charts, and that has rubbed off on the rest of her teammates who epitomize what team basketball is all about. Julia has a huge motor and her compete level is as high as it gets. Now that she has grown to 5’10, Bengtson also has length. This season, Julia averaged over 16 points per game while shooting 53% from the field, 47% from three-point range and 70% from the free throw line. She averaged 4.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.8 steals. As a result of all of the above, Julia drew plenty of collegiate interest and recently announced her commitment to Division 1 Eastern Illinois. <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/tiwaah-danso/">[player_tooltip player_id="6529" first="TeeTee" last="Danso"]</a> – senior forward, Simley (Bradley) TeeTee has been very good for a long time. The 6’0 forward does not necessarily pile up the points like a lot of top-15 players do, but her willingness and ability to rebound the basketball – she averaged more than 10 boards per game this season – has turned her into a Division 1 player, a dream TeeTee will realize in the fall when she enrolls at Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois. That commitment was very evident on day one of the state tournament this year as the long, lean athletic leaper dominated the glass with 17 rebounds to go along with 16 points, 6 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks. That performance was vintage TeeTee. The #13 player in this year’s senior class is an outstanding defender who combines physicality with quickness and a great first step. She is also a superior student. <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/nurjei-weems/">[player_tooltip player_id="110529" first="Nurjei" last="Weems"]</a> – senior forward, DeLaSalle The 6’0 forward, who is ranked #20 among the 2020s, has had a very nice career at DeLaSalle as her game has grown and evolved over the past few seasons. ‘N.J.’ is a terrific athlete with a long, lean physique and excellent mobility. She is also a force on the boards. Apparently Weems saved her best for last. At the state tournament, she had a wonderful first-round game in a win over Hermantown. In the Islanders semifinal victory over Simley, she was even better, going for a double-double and filling up the scoresheet. It was a microcosm of Weems’ outstanding senior season, a year in which she averaged 16 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals per game while shooting 57% from the field. When it was all over, Weems had recorded 1,168 career points and was named Tri-Metro Conference Player of the Year. <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/kiani-lockett/">[player_tooltip player_id="12727" first="Kiani" last="Lockett"]</a> – sophomore guard, DeLaSalle While Weems was dominant up front for the Islanders this season, Lockett ran the show from the back court and she ran it very well. Ranked #13 in the class of 2022, Kiani’s toolbox is impressive. She’s super smart and very skilled, is a great outside shooter and has the presence and maturity that puts her among the very best floor generals in the state. Lockett loves to attack the glass and knock down shots from distance, but it is her ability to distribute the basketball that really stands out the most. Kiani averaged 16 points, 7 assists, 3 rebounds and 3 steals this season. She shot 48% from the field and was a very impressive 85% at the free throw line. At the state tournament, Lockett demonstrated her superior foot speed, elite quickness and tenacious demeanor on defense, putting the Islanders into position to repeat as Class AAA state champions. <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/adeline-kent/">[player_tooltip player_id="30163" first="Adeline" last="Kent"]</a> – sophomore guard, Becker Adeline has arrived. That, in succinct summation, describes the year the 5’8 guard has had. Last year Kent burst onto the scene with some outstanding offensive performances. Last summer it was more of the same. But this high school season Kent was able to deliver those kinds of high-end exhibitions on a near-nightly basis. The explosive guard has excellent speed and quickness. She is a gifted scorer who loves to go hard to the rim but can pull up with a sweet mid-range jumper or finish on a nice soft floater. At 16.5 points per game, Kent was the Bulldogs leading scorer this season by a hair, reaching double digits in all but three games. She shot 48% from the field and 77% at the line while also averaging 3.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 3 steals per game. Kent is currently ranked #44 in the class of 2022 but is on her way up, up, up. SECOND TEAM <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/ysareia-chevre/">[player_tooltip player_id="110527" first="Zareia" last="Chevre"]</a> – senior guard, Simley (Monmouth) Zareia is a powerful athletic guard who can play multiple positions and gives defenders fits at all of them. Ranked #11 in the class of 2020, Chevre can handle the basketball, score off the bounce and create her own shot. Her memorable performance at the Kasson-Mantorville Showcase demonstrated all of that as Zareia scored 27 points to lead her team to dramatic victory less than 24 hours after having a root canal. Chevre averaged 12 and 4 this season and committed to D1 Monmouth in New Jersey. <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/sydney-stensgard/">[player_tooltip player_id="1941" first="Sydney" last="Stensgard"]</a> – senior guard, Simley (Montana State) Danso and Chevre have garnered a ton of attention for Simley but Stensgard has been the consistent workhorse who quietly performed at a very high level as the Spartans rose to prominence over the past few seasons. Her prospect status has risen accordingly as the #22-ranked player in the class of 2020 turned herself into a valuable D1 commodity. The high-IQ shooting guard scored over 16 points per game this winter, dropping long bombs night after night, and being an excellent floor leader. <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/ella-grove/">[player_tooltip player_id="2032" first="Ella" last="Grove"]</a> – senior forward, Alexandria (Mary) Ella is a terrific all-around performer, a 6-footer who has had a highly successful career on a highly successful team in Alexandria. Her free-flowing, natural style of play masks an inner toughness and will that earned her a next-level opportunity at Mary. She attacks the rim, shoots it well from distance, rebounds hard and defends with the best of the them. The top-50 prospect averaged 14 and 7 this winter while leading the Cardinals back to the state tournament. <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/frankie-vascellaro/">[player_tooltip player_id="2117" first="Frankie" last="Vascellaro"]</a> – junior forward, Holy Angels Vascellaro is one of the state’s most consistent players, a fearless floor leader who puts up points on a regular basis despite being the object of everyone’s defensive game plan. Frankie, who is a top-20 prospect, stands 6 feet tall, can play multiple positions, and has a mid-range game that has proved impossible to stop. She averaged 19 ppg, with a high of 40, and reached double figures in every game. She is an 83% free throw shooter and averaged 8.8 boards while also leading her team back to the state tournament. [player_tooltip player_id="57914" first="Ronnie" last="Porter"] – sophomore guard, St. Paul Como Park This season the diminutive combo guard continued to defy the odds. Porter is one of the quickest players in the state with super-fast feet, excellent handles and tremendous range. She can also put the ball in the basket as the #18-rated prospect in the 2022 class averaged 20 points per game and topped 1,000 career points as a 10th grader. Her 5.1 assists and 3.8 steals also help tell Porter’s story. Ronnie’s got a big motor and an insatiable desire to win. HONORABLE MENTION <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/anna-olson/">[player_tooltip player_id="28792" first="Anna" last="Olson"]</a> – senior forward, Monticello (Vermont) Anna has always had a very low profile for such a high-end talent. Monticello hasn’t been a marquee program, and Olson played for many years on the Minnesota Comets second team with her friends. That didn’t stop Olson from surpassing 1,500 career points and earning a Division 1 opportunity with Vermont where she’ll start her collegiate career in the fall. The lengthy 6’2 forward, ranked #23 among Minnesota seniors, averaged 18 points and 10 rebounds and had 44 blocks. <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/patience-williams/">[player_tooltip player_id="110530" first="Patience" last="Williams"]</a> – senior forward, Benilde-St. Margaret’s It was a challenging season for Benilde-St. Margaret’s and most of the heavy load rested on the shoulders of Williams, who is a top-20 player in the senior class. She came through the majority of the time for the Red Knights, averaging a near double double. Patience is a lengthy post who plays hard and is an instinctual rebounder. She has come such a long way since the early days of her high school career at Fridley and has earned this recognition. <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/tess-johnson/">[player_tooltip player_id="110553" first="Tess" last="Johnson"]</a> – senior guard, Waconia (UW-Stout) Waconia has some terrific sophomores and juniors in its lineup but it was Johnson’s senior leadership that set the tone for the Wildcats. Her numbers – 8.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.3 steals per game – won’t knock your socks off but Tess’ in-game results most certainly will. Johnson simply makes things happen, and when the game was on the line this clutch playmaker was Waconia’s go-to girl. Tess finished with 1,216 career points. She’ll play college ball at Wisconsin-Stout. [player_tooltip player_id="109746" first="Jordyn" last="Hilgemann"] – junior forward/guard, Marshall (Northern State) Hilgemann has been the Tigers’ backbone for the last three seasons, pouring in the points and draining from distance game in and game out. This year Marshall went undefeated until its final game as Jordyn averaged over 25 points per game while shooting 53% from the field and 78% at the line. Twice she topped 40 points, four more times she was in the 30s. The 5’10 forward/guard, who is top 35 in her class, was an early commit to D2 Northern State. <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/mia-huberty/">[player_tooltip player_id="57096" first="Mia" last="Huberty"]</a> – junior guard, Big Lake Huberty is one of Minnesota’s most underappreciated talents. Every time you think she might have peaked, Mia takes it up another notch and shows you just a little bit more. This year the #36-rated prospect in the class of 2021 averaged 16.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 3.5 steals per game. The 5’9 guard earned all-conference honors and was co-MVP at Big Lake. She also excels in the classroom with a 4.17 GPA and an ACT score of 32. Top photo: Becker’s [player_tooltip player_id="2122" first="Julia" last="Bengtson"] soared to new heights for the Bulldogs. (Photo courtesy of StarTribune)