Rating the 2024s: Ten newbies who have our attention, part 2

The evaluations process for the Prep Girls Hoops class of 2024 prospect rankings is well underway. We have only had one weekend of actual AAU tournament play but there has been a non-stop series of evenings spent watching scrimmages, practices and training sessions. We’ve learned a lot, and seen some exciting new faces. Yesterday we bought you part 1 of our look at some 2024 newbies who have our attention. Today we offer you part 2 featuring five more players we’re excited about. <strong>Nicole Maenke – guard, Suns 2024 Bluestar (Shakopee)</strong> I had my first look of the summer this week at Suns 2024 Bluestar, a solid collection of talent that has been assembled by Hopkins assistant Dre Jefferson. The star attraction is 2026 prospect <strong>Tori Oehrlein</strong>, a young prodigy from Crosby-Ironton who is certain to be in the Minnesota girls basketball spotlight for years to come. Spend even a little time watching this Suns unit, however, and you’ll quickly realize there are several more next-level prospects here to pay attention to. One of them is <strong>Nicole Maenke</strong>. The first thing that stood out to me at practice is just how vocal she is. Nicole was very verbal throughout, consistently encouraging her teammates and offering loud audible support. Every team needs to talk but it can be difficult to get 8th graders to do it consistently. Maenke is coming out of Shakopee travel ball and will have her first shot at the high school level this winter. She has nice quickness, a quality overall skill set and plenty of speed. I need to see her more in game settings but let’s just say the first impression was really, really good. <strong>Sophie Mareck – guard, Crossfire 2024 Robertson (Wayzata)</strong> <strong>Sophie Mareck</strong> is a gym rat and it shows. She has plenty of tools in her toolbox that have been forged through hours in the gym working to get better. In limited viewing of her game, the one thing that seems to stand out the most is her willingness and ability to defend. There simply aren’t enough players around like that, athletes who understand team defense, can read the angles, have the timing and instincts, and bring the intensity to the table every time it is needed. This is not to say Sophie is without offensive skills. Mareck has a very quick release and I’m told she is among the best three-point shooters in the 2024 class, although I haven’t seen enough of them yet to know for sure. Although she can drive and finish on a consistent basis, Sophie would much rather launch and splash and she does it with a high degree of success. The 5’8 guard also has a great attitude, a high basketball IQ, and is an excellent teammate and team leader. <strong>Claire McGregor – guard, Minnesota Rise 2024 (Maple River)</strong> Although they might not get as much exposure, there are definitely advantages for talented players who attend small high schools across the state. The best athletes tend to crack the varsity roster early and many of them make a big splash right away. Take, for example, the 8th grade season turned in by <strong>Claire McGregor</strong> at Maple River, a small high school located about 20 miles south of Mankato that brought us the great <strong>Madi Schermer</strong>. McGregor is a feisty guard with a quick release and outstanding range, excellent court vision and nice passing ability. She’s also got tenacity, grit and the ability to score in multiple different ways. Claire averaged 25 minutes per game last winter while scoring 9 points on 54% shooting from two, 35% from three and 71% at the free throw line. She also had 90 rebounds, 82 assists and 47 steals. Not bad for an 8th grader. I watched Claire a few weeks ago at a Minnesota Rise workout, my first up-close look at this promising young talent. When the Rise take to the court for the first time next weekend, I’ll be in the front row for another look. <strong>Azeri Thiemann – forward, Stars 2024 Amundson (Triton)</strong> I have liked <strong>Azeri Thiemann</strong> from the first time I saw her two years ago. At 5’11 she has plenty of height and length. Right now she’s fairly thin and in need of a whole lot more strength, but it’s not too difficult to picture the possibilities when she matures physically. Thiemann is athletic and versatile, with the ability to play fast or execute in the half court. Azeri has a nice pull-up jump shot and can get to the rim, as well. We’d like to see a little more aggressiveness, but it’s coming along now. Azeri is a teammate of standout 2023 prospect [player_tooltip player_id="108322" first="Brylee" last="Iverson"] at Triton High School in Dodge Center, which is located halfway between Rochester and Owatonna. The Cobras this year graduated six seniors, including mainstays [player_tooltip player_id="145082" first="Kendra" last="Petersohn"], [player_tooltip player_id="110905" first="Sydney" last="Gilliland"] and <strong>Holly Kubat</strong>. That should open the door for Azeri to make her mark as a freshman. <strong>Ava Thompson – guard, North Tartan 2024 Nike (Rosemount)</strong> <strong>Ava Thompson</strong> is a pistol, a spunky little point guard who plays the game with energy and style. Thompson has terrific handles. She’s small but strong, both quick and fast, and has well-honed skills and abilities. The kid has got ‘athlete’ written all over her. She plays for Angie Iverson-Ohnstad’s top North Tartan 2024 team. They went 2-2 in Ames last weekend playing up a year in the top 9th grade division. Among their wins was an impressive performance against a strong Comets 2023 Elite squad featuring [player_tooltip player_id="108304" first="Maren" last="Westin"] and [player_tooltip player_id="108338" first="Dani" last="Nuest"]. Thompson made cameo appearances on a strong Rosemount squad last winter but will no doubt have more opportunities now that five seniors have graduated, including sharpshooter <strong>Larisa O’Neil</strong>. At the moment Ava’s Hudl page has precisely one highlight, a 20-second clip of her knocking down a single free throw. I’d be willing to guess that this was her first varsity point judging by the outburst of glee from the bench. We suspect there will be plenty more to celebrate in the future. &nbsp;