2021 guards: Here are 5 scholarship-level prospects to watch

Sometimes highlight videos don’t do a player justice – especially those whose defensive abilities raise their chances of being successful at the next level by a significant margin. Case in point: [player_tooltip player_id="109754" first="Kate" last="Trachsel"]. The Prior Lake junior is a bulldog, a tenacious one-on-one defender who makes life difficult for ball-handlers night in and night out. She’s also one of five guards featured here who are worthy of scholarship consideration. There is a tendency on highlight videos to spend 90 percent of the time focused on offense. Yes, it’s important to show what you can do with the basketball in hand, but I tell kids all the time to make sure their highlight video includes a smattering of all aspects of their game – diving for loose balls, making great defensive plays and competing with a level of intensity that sets you apart. Trust me when I tell you that Trachsel does all of that and more on a regular basis. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="109754" first="Kate" last="Trachsel"] – Prior Lake, Minnesota Stars Hersch (#46)</strong> The 5’7 Trachsel is an excellent athlete with a stocky build and plenty of strength, a fierce competitor who plays much bigger than her size. She averaged over 10 points a game this winter for the Lakers. She’s got a nice mid-range game, and as the video clearly shows she can knock shots down from distance, as well. She’s quick and instinctive and has a high basketball IQ. Kate does a great job of getting to the rim, taking advantage of a quick first step or two, and finishing consistently. Trachsel plays for Minnesota Stars 2021 Hersch, one of the best teams in the class, and has proven she can go toe-to-toe with Division 1 prospects and come out on top. And yes, she can defend, too. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4etL3Dex2f0&amp;feature=youtu.be">Watch the video</a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="6410" first="Natalie" last="Holte"] – Shakopee, Minnesota Stars DeSart (#47) </strong> Holte is one of the most underrated guards in the class. Although she averaged over 10 points per game, had 87 rebounds, 61 steals and 46 assists, statistics don’t do her justice. Holte has excellent court presence, plays with a high level of confidence, knows how to run an offense and has excellent intangibles. Her hustle is consistent, and she is a very good athlete, which is always a nice combination. I love the sequence around the 6:20 mark where Holte forces a nice steal, then attempts a difficult pass that results in a turnover, not the sort of thing you normally see on a highlight video. It’s what she does next that epitomizes her game, though, as Natalie sprints the length of the court to hunt down the ball handler and immediately steals it back. Holte is just 5’6 but has the quickness, skillset and mentality to beat bigger defenders one-on-one and get to the rim through contact. She will be an excellent Division 2 competitor. Holte returns this year to Minnesota Stars DeSart. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5T9iEAkHtI&amp;feature=youtu.be">Watch the video</a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="29523" first="Erika" last="Lane"] – Brainerd, Minnesota Suns Bluestar (#55)</strong> Erika has always been a hard worker, a player who has put in the time and effort to get better every year. If you follower her on Twitter (@erika11lane), and have watched her videos, you’ll know that Lane will be in shape and ready to roll when the shutdown ends. The 5’10 guard has a solid build and plenty of strength. She is also reasonably fast and plays with great intensity. Lane averaged 10.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.4 steals per game this season at the 4A level, capturing All-Conference honors in the process. She has a quality mid-range game and does a great job of overpowering defenders to get to the rim. If you watch Erika’s video you’ll see a ton of defensive highlights, and they start at the beginning of the video. That says a lot – about Lane’s abilities but also about her mentality. She is a tough, physical rebounder who fights for every inch. She knows how to read the ball-handler and react to the opportunity by pouncing on it and creating a scoring opportunity at the other end of the floor. Erika is the sister of [player_tooltip player_id="1724" first="Olivia" last="Lane"], who plays D1 ball at North Dakota. She’ll compete this summer for the Minnesota Suns. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13692191/5e5f390532dcb216742253fe">Watch the video</a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="109760" first="Takara" last="Mason"] – Cretin-Derham Hall, FBC North (#57)</strong> Mason is an assist machine, one of the top distributors in the class of 2021. She can also score, averaging over 12 points per game this season. And she makes big plays when her team needs them the most. We have watched ‘TK’ since elementary school, and she has always been a dynamic player who can put the ball on the floor, outfox her defender one-on-one and make shots from distance all night long. TK has swagger. She plays consistently hard and has proven in high-level AAU competition that she can go head-to-head with the best. Mason is about 5’7 in shoes give or take, and has a stocky build. She missed her freshman year with a torn ACL but came back really strong. That is a testament to her work ethic and passion for the game. Mason is a fighter who plays with intensity, aggression and confidence, a heady combo guard who will do whatever it takes to make it at the next level. Mason is a long-time member of Tylor Coley’s 2021 team which this year will play under the moniker of FBC North. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/3/13748201/5e59460196766d1bd8290c9d">Watch the video</a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="109777" first="Macy" last="Holtz"] – Plainview-Elgin-Millville, Southern Minnesota Fury (#85)</strong> Macy is a dynamic guard who has excelled at the class 2A level forever. A three-time All-Conference performer, she’s got nice handles, is an effective distributor of the basketball, and can shoot it, going 35% from three and 85% at the free throw line. Holtz gets to the rim and can finish with either hand. Her numbers are impressive, averaging 23 points per game along with 4.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 4.7 steals! She has compiled 1,546 career points, second-best in school history. Now 5’9, Macy is a great athlete which kind of runs in the family. She has a brother who plays baseball at North Dakota State and a sister who runs track at South Dakota State. Holtz plays three sports and has also earned All-Conference recognition in track and soccer. One more thing: Holtz is a 4.0 student. In a class loaded with great guards, Macy is one of the best. She’ll play again this summer for Southern Minnesota Fury. <a href="https://www.hudl.com/video/2/37415/5ea9a7f9ff01b710d0af2a24">Watch the video</a>