AAU Preview: Here’s 5 teams you need to see at Summer Jam

Every year it is one of the highlights of the AAU season. Although the tournament is a little late this year, and the lineup of competitors from across the country is not quite so shiny, it’s still the Summer Jam and it tips off Friday at Shakopee High School and Concordia University in St. Paul with additional games over the weekend in Hopkins. The event has been a scheduling nightmare with the withdrawal of several teams over the past few days. Among those absent will be some of the top units in the state – Fury 2023 UAA, North Tartan 2021 Elite. North Tartan 2022 EYBL, and North Tartan 2024 Nike. Still the show must go on and there is plenty of talent to see from behind those protective masks.

Here are five teams to watch at the 2020 North Tartan Summer Jam.

Metro Stars Starks 2022

Summer Jam marks the long-awaited debut of Metro Stars Starks 2022. Coached by Tara Starks, this new squad was expected to be one of the best units in the class this season but their launch has been delayed due to health concerns. The team has a heavy Hopkins flavor with seven athletes from the Royals. They are led by 2022 #3 Amaya Battle Amaya Battle 5'10" | PG Hopkins | 2022 State #29 Nation MN , along with 2023 #2 Taylor Woodson Taylor Woodson 6'0" | PF Hopkins | 2023 State #28 Nation MN and #3 Nunu Agara Nunu Agara 6'1" | PF Hopkins | 2023 State #32 Nation MN , all of whom are big-time college prospects. Additional 2022s on the team include #24 Alayna Contreras Alayna Contreras 5'7" | CG Hopkins | 2022 State MN (Hopkins), #26 Mikayla Aumer Mikayla Aumer 5'9" | CG Cambridge-Isanti | 2022 State MN (Cambridge-Isanti), #41 Ari Gordon Ari Gordon 5'10" | SF Maple Grove | 2022 State MN (Maple Grove) and #42 Selam Maher Selam Maher 5'7" | CG St. Louis Park | 2022 State MN (Hopkins). The other 2023s are #13 Savanna Jones Savanna Jones 6'2" | PF Eden Prairie | 2023 State MN and #24 Kelly Boyle Kelly Boyle 5'7" | CG Hopkins | 2023 State MN while shifty guard Liv McGill Liv McGill 5'7" | CG Hopkins | 2024 State MN is also on board. She is probably in the top five or six prospects among this year’s incoming freshmen. The Metro Stars are going to war this weekend in the Leech Lake division where they’ll compete with the likes of Minnesota Fury 2022 UAA, Minnesota Stars Nilsen and Cal Stars of California. They’ll open play Friday at 7:15 p.m. on court 4 in Shakopee against Martin Brothers of Iowa.

43 Hoops Elite Johnson 2021

The top 11th grade team from 43 Hoops got off to a late start in the AAU season, but Demondi Johnson’s group has its collective feet wet now and we’re anticipating that they’ll be plenty competitive at Summer Jam. The team is led by Division 1 commit Addy Salzer Addy Salzer 5'10" | CG Waconia | 2021 State MN of Waconia, a 5’10 combo guard who is ranked #27 in the class of 2021. Salzer has verballed to Iona College in New Rochelle, N.Y. She’s joined by a pair of strong D2 commits in Haley Paulson Haley Paulson 5'9" | CG Orono | 2021 State MN of Orono, who signed with Upper Iowa, and Kelsey Willems Kelsey Willems 5'8" | CG Chaska | 2021 State MN of Chaska, who is headed to Augustana University in Sioux Falls. Top 50 prospect Ivory Finley Ivory Finley 5'8" | CG Rosemount | 2021 State MN has D1 tools but has yet to announce a commitment. The team also has some size in Katie Leisen Katie Leisen 5'11" | SF Eden Prairie | 2021 State MN of Eden Prairie and Delaney Hoke of Eagan. Throw in the always-entertaining Jayla Reliford Jayla Reliford 5'4" | CG Cooper | 2021 State MN of Cooper at point guard and you have a really solid group. 43 Hoops Elite Johnson plays in the Lake Minnetonka division. They’ll tip off Friday at 1 p.m. on court 8 at Shakopee against the Cal Stars.

Minnesota Stars Nilsen 2022

One of the most improved teams so far on the summer circuit is the Minnesota Stars’ best group of incoming juniors coached by Matt Nilsen. They added five quality players over the off season and those roster moves have paid off big time. One of the additions was guard Desiree Ware Desiree Ware 5'8" | CG Minnetonka | 2022 State MN of Minnetonka, a top 10 player in the 2022 class, who became the first prospect in that grade to make a college commitment when she verballed last week to Alabama-Birmingham. Mankato East teammates Lexi Karge Lexi Karge 6'2" | PF Mankato East | 2022 State MN (ranked #11) and Mackenzie Schweim Mackenzie Schweim 5'10" | PG Mankato East | 2022 State MN (#28), along with their fellow newcomers Lily Fandre Lily Fandre 6'2" | SF Eagan | 2022 State MN of Eagan (#22) and Adeline Kent Adeline Kent 5'8" | CG Becker | 2022 State MN of Becker (#34), are all Division 1-level prospects. They join standout holdovers Ally Schultz Ally Schultz 6'0" | CG Lakeville South | 2022 State MN of Lakeville South, Ella Campbell Ella Campbell 5'10" | CG Edina | 2022 State MN and Dorothy Stotts Dorothy Stotts 5'8" | CG Edina | 2022 State MN of Edina, and Tayah Leenderts Tayah Leenderts 6'0" | PF Rosemount | 2022 State MN of Rosemount. Stars Nilsen is playing in the Leech Lake division. They open play Friday at 3:30 p.m. on court 8 at Shakopee against ND Pro 2022 Porter,

FBC North 2023 Lark

This weekend will be our first look at FBC North’s 2023 team that has been making a lot of noise on the road over the past few weeks. They are led by Somah Kamara of Robbinsdale Cooper, who has been turning heads throughout July. She averaged about 9 points and 4 rebounds a game in high school play this winter and is widely considered to be a top 20 prospect among the state’s class of 2024. She’s joined by fellow incoming freshman Tyreana Reliford of Benilde-St. Margaret’s, a talented guard with a high ceiling. FBC also has three top 100 players from the class of 2023 in guard Camryn Smith Camryn Smith 5'7" | SG Spring Lake Park | 2023 State MN (#67) and forward Kylie Diaz Kylie Diaz 6'0" | PF St. Michael-Albertville | 2023 State MN (#93), both of Spring Lake Park, along with #100 Payton Mackley Payton Mackley 5'9" | CG Hill-Murray | 2023 State MN of Hill-Murray. Competing in the Mille Lacs Lake 9th grade division, FBC North opens Friday at 4:45 p.m. on court 4 at Concordia University against Minnesota Diamond Elite.

West Central United 2023

Based in Alexandria, West Central United has continued to showcase quality players year after year. This 2023 team is no exception. I watched them in Ames a month ago and was thoroughly impressed, and they have continued to play well in July. The team is led by a pair of Perham Yellowjacts: 2023 guard Mya Morris and 2024 forward Willow Thiel Willow Thiel 5'11" | PF Perham | 2024 State MN , who both have very bright futures. Perham is a veteran team, but these two are going to be key pieces this coming winter in spite of their age. Morris and Thiel are joined by a pair of Eagles from New York Mills – the school that gave us the incomparable Janet Karvonen way back when – in Kalli Olson and Isabella Bauck along with Abby Larson of Detroit Lakes. West Central United is competing in the Lake Harriet 9th grade division. They’ll open play Friday at 11:45 a.m. on court 1 at Concordia against TC Takeover 2022.