Video evaluations: Under-the-radar 2021s, part 3

By all measures the Spartans of Rochester Mayo had an excellent season winning more than 20 games and challenging for a section title. Junior forward [player_tooltip player_id="6431" first="Anna" last="Miller"] emerged as a top 20 prospect. Lengthy guard [player_tooltip player_id="146170" first="Lynnsey" last="Hady"] had a breakthrough season. Junior <strong>Elli Collins</strong> improved a ton.  [player_tooltip player_id="145076" first="Nancy" last="Soro"] earned herself next-level opportunities. And freshman [player_tooltip player_id="148328" first="Hannah" last="Hanson"] offered glimpses of a very bright future. The one player who probably deserves as much credit as all of the above, however, is point guard <strong>Mullk Hammadelniel</strong> who showed us that she’s got game. Mullk is the top prospect among those featured here in part 3 of our video analysis series on Under-the-radar 2021s. <strong>Mullk Hammadelniel – guard, Rochester Mayo</strong> Mullk is a 5’6 combo guard who has pretty much all of the assets small guards need to have: quick feet, plenty of range, the ability to create her own shot, a sweet little floater and no fear. She is an excellent distributor with good court vision who makes all of her teammates look better. She has a nice mid-range game but really excels from three-point range as is amply demonstrated with her 6-for-11 performance against Northfield. Hammadelniel also has nice handles and can get to the rim where she finishes with either hand. One thing I really like is Mullk’s ability to change speeds, momentarily lulling her opponent into a false sense of security and then blowing by to get to the basket. You’ll see it executed beautifully at the 36-second mark of the video against one of Minnesota’s very best small defenders. Defensively Hammadelniel does a nice job on the perimeter where she’s got great anticipation and quickness and good lateral movement. Mullk plays AAU for Air Minnesota. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/10337624/5e7f7866d45e150e7c61771f"><strong>Watch the video</strong></a> <strong>Ellie Albrecht – guard, Prior Lake</strong> Prior Lake has a number of nice guards, from senior [player_tooltip player_id="56253" first="Haidyn" last="Pitsch"] (Dakota Wesleyan) to scholarship-level prospects [player_tooltip player_id="109769" first="Tatum" last="Brostrom"] and [player_tooltip player_id="109754" first="Kate" last="Trachsel"], and junior <strong>Chanel Kallevig</strong>, who we profiled earlier in the week. The workhorse of the group may be Ellie Albrecht, who also plays in the small forward spot. Ellie is more about hard work than headlines, with a game that’s more sandpaper than silk, but she is the one who makes the hustle plays, forces the key turnovers and can shift the momentum of a contest. Ellie is 5’8 and has outstanding range. She is crafty in traffic and more athletic than you’d think. She’s got nice court vision and is a quality passer. Albrecht is also an elite student who can definitely compete at the next level. She’ll play AAU for Steve Brown at Minnesota Basketball Academy. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/12138932/5e7bfa73a6783d0d10a23ec7"><strong>Watch the video</strong></a> <strong>Keshona McGaughy – guard, St. Cloud Apollo</strong> It can be really difficult sometimes to fairly evaluate a player on a weak team, and St. Cloud Apollo certainly struggled this season. The Eagles won just twice during a year in which they were attempting to recover from the departure of senior standout [player_tooltip player_id="28202" first="Lariah" last="Washington"], who moved on to D1 Eastern Illinois where she won Ohio Valley Conference freshman of the year. Let’s just say she was missed. Among those left behind, McGaughy was probably the top performer. She averaged 10.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 1.3 assists per game. Keshona is a volume shooter, with plenty of range, who can get hot from deep. Her overall skillset has improved and her ball security is getting better. She is not afraid of contact and is also an aggressive defender. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/2/307831/5e8a790c664bc10b7cc5fcb2"><strong>Watch the video</strong></a> <strong>Allison Letcher – guard, Windom</strong> A 5’10 guard, Allison has some numbers that will definitely catch your attention: 17.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game. That production has earned her two Big South all-conference selections and helped her team get to the section finals for the first time in school history thanks to Letcher’s game-winning shot. Allison is long and lean. She’s got nice shooting mechanics, with a big high arc and plenty of range. She can score from both sides of the floor (finishing with either hand), has some nice moves in the paint and isn’t afraid of contact. We’re told her work ethic is impeccable. The video is a little long (keep them to 5 minutes kids!) and does a nice job of convincing us that Allison can shoot free throws (lots and lots and lots of free throws!), but it also shows that Letcher has some tools to work with. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uI6qCdJDqPQ&amp;feature=youtu.be"><strong>Watch the video</strong></a>