Video analysis: 2022s with scholarship potential, part 1
Is it better to be a low-profile player in a high-profile program, or a high-profile player on a team that does most of its work away from the spotlight? Good question. Perhaps we should ask Leah Dengerud Leah Dengerud 5'9" | SF Totino Grace | 2022 State MN , a top-50 sophomore who has excelled in both roles over the past two seasons. Dengerud is a 5’9 guard/small forward who began her career at DeLaSalle. She was instrumental last season for the Islanders, particularly when a couple of their big stars were out with long-term injuries. This year, Dengerud played a very prominent role at Totino-Grace, leading her team in scoring at 14.4 points per game to go with 5 rebounds and two steals. She made 71 threes, which was top 10 in the state.
For her efforts Dengerud earned all-conference recognition and was honorable mention all-state, demonstrating with even greater clarity just what she is capable of. Now Leah tops part 1 of our latest video evaluations – 2022 prospects with scholarship potential. Here she joins Paige Peaslee Paige Peaslee 6'0" | PF North Branch | 2022 State MN of North Branch, Sophie Stork Sophie Stork 5'9" | CG NRHEG | 2022 State MN of New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva and Taya Jeffrey Taya Jeffrey 5'10" | CG Albert Lea | 2022 State MN of Albert Lea.
Leah Dengerud Leah Dengerud 5'9" | SF Totino Grace | 2022 State MN – guard, Totino-Grace
Leah is a pure shooter. That was the first thing we learned about Dengerud back in the spring of 2018 when we first began paying close attention to her potential. She has excellent mechanics, a quick release and very good shot selection. Since then Leah’s game has expanded dramatically. She’s a better ball handler, her feet have gotten quicker and she has added to her repertoire of ways to beat a defender in the open court and in traffic. She is also a great passer and has nice court vision. I think Leah’s most underrated asset, however, is her defense. As the video shows very clearly in multiple spots, Dengerud does a wonderful job on the perimeter of anticipating the pass and deploying her rather ample length and quickness to force turnovers. Ranked #47 in the class, Leah will play AAU for Minnesota Stars Fleming.
Paige Peaslee Paige Peaslee 6'0" | PF North Branch | 2022 State MN – forward, North Branch
Paige is a 5’10 power forward with a big frame, long arms and a ton of strength. She consistently plays with intensity but in a kind of carefree, natural sort of way that has always appealed to me. Peaslee has really nice footwork down low that makes her difficult to defend. She’s quicker and more athletic than you expect, which has fooled more than one or two defenders along the way. As you can see in the video, she can also shoot the basketball, both from mid-range and well beyond the arc. She runs the open court well and can elevate effectively. North Branch took big steps forward as a program this year and much of the Vikings success can be attributed to Paige’s leadership and consistency. She averaged nearly 15 points and 8 rebounds per game on her way to All-Conference selection in the Mississippi 8. Peaslee, who plays for the Minnesota Heat, is ranked #62 in the class of 2022. She also carries a 4.0 GPA.
Sophie Stork Sophie Stork 5'9" | CG NRHEG | 2022 State MN – guard, New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva
Sophie does a great job cramming a ton of good stuff into her highlight video, and she’s got plenty of good stuff to show. The 5’9 guard is a special athlete (she plays three sports) with tremendous natural ability and a size-large motor to move it all in the right direction. She’s very skilled, extremely crafty and can flat out shoot the basketball. By reaching 1,000 career points as a sophomore it’s obvious she has a scorer’s touch, as well. Sophie is so elusive one-on-one, both in the open court and weaving her way through traffic in the paint. She handles the ball well with either hand. Combine that with a really quick first step and a lot of moxie and you have a player that is very, very difficult to defend. The biggest thing for Sophie will be having the opportunity to demonstrate for the first time that she can do all of this against higher-caliber opponents. Hopefully she’ll get that opportunity this summer with Minnesota Stars Fleming. If she proves herself in that venue I suspect she will take another big leap up the 2022 class rankings where she currently sits at #68. One other crucial stat to consider: Stork is a 4.0 student.
Taya Jeffrey Taya Jeffrey 5'10" | CG Albert Lea | 2022 State MN – guard, Albert Lea
The 5’8 combo guard is long and athletic, with a high energy-level and a serious nose for the basketball. Taya plays on a high school team where she pretty much has to do it all – and she does. Jeffrey has really long strides, a quick first step and nice elevation. Her ball handling is really good, as is her touch around the rim. If you could only pick one adjective to describe Jeffrey, however, you’d have to say ‘shooter.’ The mechanics are excellent, and she has the always-important ability to execute the catch-and-shoot in a single motion which is so difficult to defend. I love how Taya uses her length defensively. Combined with an innate ability to read and react quickly, this makes Jeffrey a deadly perimeter defender. Albert Lea’s posting of stats is a bit inconsistent but Jeffrey averages in the neighborhood of 18 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assist and 2 steals per game. Currently ranked #93 in the class, Taya is poised for a big jump this summer with some more visibility. She’ll play once again for Southern Minnesota Fury.