2021 rankings update: Who are the hidden gems?

It’s inevitable. In every class of players there are the big stars who draw the biggest headlines and the mid-pack performers who lead their teams week after week while making the occasional splash. Then there are the sleepers, the low-profile contributors who do most of their work in the shadows, usually because their high school or AAU program isn’t a very big deal or they are on a loaded roster where their real abilities don’t often have the opportunity to shine. The Prep Girls Hoops class of 2021 is no exception. Now that the prospect rankings have been updated we have identified five hidden gems who may not have the highest of profiles today but are likely to do their best work at the next level. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="57170" first="Kelsey" last="Willems"] – guard, Chaska (43 Hoops 2021)</strong> The 5’8 combo guard is ranked #83 in the class, up from #143 a year ago. There are  people who think Willems is still rated too low and they may be right. If Willems’ skills have been underappreciated it may be because of where she plays high school ball – on a loaded Chaska squad that boasts some of the state’s best prospects in [player_tooltip player_id="57077" first="Kaylee" last="Van Eps"], [player_tooltip player_id="12714" first="Mallory" last="Heyer"], [player_tooltip player_id="108301" first="Kennedy" last="Sanders"] and [player_tooltip player_id="108310" first="Ashley" last="Schuelke"]. In their shadow Willems plays a pivotal role. She averaged nearly 7 points per game this year but offense is not her biggest selling point. Kids who love to defend and do it well usually play early and often in college. If you are reliable, don’t turn the ball over and can force opponents to do just that then you are likely to have success. That’s Willems, a lightning-quick athlete who is one of the state’s very best  lockdown defenders. She also has a high basketball IQ, nice court vision and excellent range. Willems played in a couple of different AAU programs before landing at 43 Hoops where she has blossomed under coach Demondi Johnson, who recently landed the head job at Prior Lake. He is a believer and so are we. The college coaches are not far behind. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="146168" first="Alyssa" last="Gerth"] – guard, Andover (Stars 2021 DeSart)</strong> Alyssa made one of the most entertaining plays of the year in high school basketball this winter and we were lucky enough to be on hand for her moment in the sun. With just 4.6 seconds remaining on the clock, and the score tied at 61 in Andover’s opening game of the Roseville holiday tournament, Gerth was inbounding the ball under the Woodbury basket. When it became clear that all of her teammates were covered, Gerth went to plan B, banking the ball off the back of Woodbury’s Lexie Paulson, regaining possession and calmly going up for a reverse layup to win the game. It was a smart play in a big moment, one that epitomizes what Alyssa is capable of. Gerth made it clear this season that she is a prospect to be reckoned with. The 5’9 shooting guard is ranked #82 in the class but her ceiling is probably quite a bit higher. She attacks the basket, scores inside and out, and is an excellent distributor. Alyssa is solidly built, has quality skills and a sound all-around game. Now she has the opportunity to prove herself once again in AAU ball as her Stars 2021 DeSart squad begins play this weekend at the Great 8 Showcase in Iowa. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="109781" first="Audrey" last="Martinez-Stewart"] – guard, Cretin-Derham Hall (Lady Get Shook)</strong> From the first time she stepped on the floor to play varsity basketball Audrey made it crystal clear that she had quick feet, excellent straight-line speed and a quality set of skills. That was way back in 7th grade when Martinez-Stewart first suited up at Highland Park in St. Paul. That’s also where Roseville’s [player_tooltip player_id="109737" first="Tamia" last="Ugass"] (Stars 2021 Hersch), the #10-ranked player in the class who recently signed with LSU, got her start. Ditto for elite 2022 point guard [player_tooltip player_id="57908" first="Kaylynn" last="Asberry"] of Como Park (North Tartan 2022 EYBL). Stewart moved on from the Scots entering 9th grade, heading less than two miles to the north and east to Cretin-Derham Hall. The 5’6 combo guard is ranked #92 in the class. She plays with a ton of energy and never seems to stop moving. She is an excellent three-point shooter with one of the highest percentages around, has a nice floater in her arsenal and averages about 10 points per game for the Raiders. While players tend to hop around between AAU programs Audrey has remained loyal to Omar McMillan’s Lady Get Shook program. He has always been very high on her abilities as has CDH coach Crystal Flint, who believes Martinez-Stewart can play at the scholarship level in college. Let’s hope the appropriate college coaches feel the same way. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="109802" first="Brianna" last="Stoltzman"] – guard, Mankato West (MN Rise 2021 Wolfe)</strong> Last summer Stoltzman played up one year for North Tartan Elite where she was overshadowed a bit by guards like [player_tooltip player_id="109748" first="Ivane" last="Tensaie"] (Concordia Academy), [player_tooltip player_id="56235" first="Sarah" last="Kuma"] (Lakeville North/Concordia-St. Paul) and [player_tooltip player_id="110544" first="Lydia" last="Haack"] (Elk River/Upper Iowa). At home in Mankato the situation has been similar with the now-graduated [player_tooltip player_id="110933" first="Holly" last="Wiste"], sophomore [player_tooltip player_id="109136" first="Lani" last="Schoper"] and top 10 freshman [player_tooltip player_id="108305" first="Teresa" last="Kiewiet"] grabbing the lion’s share of the limelight. Ironically, it was Brianna who led the team in scoring by a fair margin at nearly 17 points per game, including a pair of 29-point performances. She even earned a class AAA all-state honorable mention. Stoltzman is a 5’8 combo guard ranked #97 in the class. Although she can certainly put the ball in the basket, it is hustle plays that have always defined Bri’s game in my mind. She is a gritty performer who goes hard all the time and does a ton of the little things well. I attended a Minnesota Rise workout earlier this month and coach Dan Wolfe put the team through a tough regimen. Stoltzman was eating it up. She is a solid all-around talent who isn’t going to wow you with any particular aspect of her game but is definitely going to be an impact player at the next level. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="109796" first="Julia" last="Knudson"] – guard, Orono (Fury 2021 Yellow)</strong> At just 5’5, Julia is hardly an imposing figure. If there was a way to measure a player’s cerebral impact on a basketball game, however, Knudson’s metric would be darn near the top. The #113-ranked player in the 2021 class, Knudson is a high-skill guard who can handle the ball, run an offense with a businesslike demeanor and light it up from the outside. When Julia gets hot she really gets hot. At one point in January she had a 30-point game sandwiched on either side by 19-point performances. On other nights she is all about assists. I attended a Fury 2021 Yellow practice last week at a park in Eden Prairie and was reminded once again of Julia’s terrific intangibles. Simply put, she is a leader who can execute and distribute at a high level with a team-first mentality. The issue at times in the past has been a tendency to hold back a bit, to pass up open shots in favor of generously moving the ball to a teammate. To be honest I think it has been an issue of confidence, but with maturity has come belief. The resulting performance improvement has been significant. Knudson is a crafty floor general whose poise and maturity that will make her a solid performer at the collegiate level. She’ll also raise your team GPA!