5 promising prospects we liked at the Meltdown

We spent most of our time at the Meltdown/AAU Nationals watching some of the truly elite teams and prospects in Minnesota. It was hard not to, especially when we were seeing some of them for the final time in AAU basketball. Top prospects like Sophie Hart Sophie Hart 6'4" | C Farmington | 2021 State #44 Nation MN (North Carolina State), Katie Borowicz Katie Borowicz 5'6" | PG Roseau | 2021 State MN (Minnesota), Gianna Kneepkens Gianna Kneepkens 5'11" | CG Duluth Marshall | 2021 State #86 Nation MN (Utah), Alexis Pratt Alexis Pratt 5'5" | PG Stillwater | 2021 State MN (Omaha), Cassidy Carson Cassidy Carson 6'0" | CG Eastview | 2021 State MN (South Dakota) and Paige Meyer Paige Meyer 5'6" | PG Albany | 2021 State MN (South Dakota State) did not disappoint. As usual, though, we were still on the lookout for fresh faces, players who have improved over the past number of months, and kids with untapped potential. Here are five of them we liked.

Katie Dylla – Southern Minnesota Fury 2021 (Medford)

Katie Dylla is entering her senior year at Medford High School and she remains a relatively unknown commodity. Dylla just completed her first summer of AAU competition. Let’s just say she was impressive. On a team that included Macy Holtz Macy Holtz 5'7" | PG P-E-M | 2021 State MN of Plainview-Elgin-Millville (MSU-Moorhead), Ashlyn Bigelow of Kasson Mantorville and Megan Oswald Megan Oswald 5'10" | PF Blooming Prairie | 2021 State MN of Blooming Prairie, Dylla was one of the top performers week in and week out for  Andy Bromelling’s veteran squad. Every tournament she seemed to get better. Katie is long and athletic (the roster says she stands 6’0), and has a relatively polished skill set for a player who hasn’t followed the typical path to college basketball. Now that the great Emma Kniefel Emma Kniefel 5'10" | SF Medford | 2020 State MN has graduated and moved on to play at Gustavus, look for Dylla to step up into the spotlight for the Tigers. She has definitely earned the opportunity, along with plenty of D3 college interest along the way.

Jordan Anderson – Comets 2023 Elite (Buffalo)

Jordan Anderson is not the sort of player who jumps out at you immediately. She’s not super athletic nor particularly fast. In fact there is no single aspect of her game that grabs you by the throat and says  ‘college basketball player!’ Consider the entire array of what Jordan has to offer, however, and you can’t help but be impressed by the big forward from Buffalo. Game in and game out all summer Jordan put up points, hauled down rebounds, knocked down shot after shot and came through in the important moments for Barry Peterson’s Comets. Anderson is deceptively quick, has nice footwork, understands how to simply and effectively execute moves in the low post, and has very nice touch around the basket, particularly with her left hand. When the Prep Girls Hoops Class of 2023 rankings expands in October you won’t have to look far to find Jordan’s name.

Isa Nelson – Metro Stars Wiese (Edina)

Metro Stars Wiese has had some high-quality guards over the past couple of summers, including #33 Priyanka Satish Priyanka Satish 5'4" | PG Eden Prairie | 2023 MN of Eden Prairie, #37 Jasmine Dupree Jasmine Dupree 5'8" | CG Hopkins | 2023 State MN of Hopkins and #49 Lauren Knudson Lauren Knudson 5'6" | PG Orono | 2023 State MN of Orono. In that crowd it’s easy to get overshadowed, but Isa Nelson is sneaky good. The incoming sophomore guard has quick feet and quick hands and plays with a level of focus and intensity you don’t often find. Last winter Nelson and her fellow freshmen played some varsity ball at Edina but were primarily JV players. Although she was employed mainly in a facilitation role with the Hornets she also proved she could put the ball in the basket and rebound effectively against bigger players. Now listed at 5’9, Isa is a crafty ball-handler who has the ability to slip through tight openings and find well-positioned teammates in traffic. She is a very good on-ball defender, who has the quickness to hang with athletic guards and the length to be effective against taller girls. Throw in a high basketball IQ, a relentless work ethic, and a desire to get better and you have a player worth watching. We certainly are.

Ellie Kuechle – Stars 2023 Turner (Kimball)

Derek Turner’s 2023 Minnesota Stars had precisely one marquee player this summer – Point guard Ashlee Burchette Ashlee Burchette 5'7" | CG Champlin Park | 2023 State MN of Bloomington Kennedy. Ashlee is a gifted, athletic talent who puts up points, runs the offense well and generally gets people excited about her long-term potential. While Burchette garnered most of the attention, Ellie Kuechle made it clear that she is a player that should not be overlooked. She’s not real big but the wiry guard is very athletic, with quick feet and some serious hops. Ellie is explosive and she can score. On Friday night at the Meltdown the 5’6 sophomore-to-be put a stylish stutter-step move on her defender at one point and vaulted skyward before finishing in the general vicinity of the rim. It was a big-time move from the small-town prospect. Kuechle was one of three players from Kimball on this Stars’ team. She was joined by her Cubs’ teammate Olivia Mortenson, a quick and strong guard who knows how to defend, along with lengthy guard Lexie Meyers. Kimball will probably remain off the radar but I suspect Kuechle will not.

Gabby Caldwell – Rochester Shock (Irondale)

Keith Bland’s Rochester Shock have uncovered some quality prospects over the years. Unfortunately they usually end up departing for greener pastures once the rest of the AAU world discovers just how good they are. Hannah Hanson Hannah Hanson 5'9" | CG Rochester Mayo | 2023 State MN of Rochester Mayo and North Tartan comes to mind in this regard. Now Bland appears to be casting his net a little farther afield and this summer he landed Gabby Caldwell, a talented 2023 guard from Irondale in the North Metro. The Shock’s 10th grade team had plenty of success this summer, including a nice run at the AAU state tournament. Caldwell did her share to make that happen. At the Meltdown she suited up at grade level and we were impressed. She’s long and lean and athletic. Gabby has really light feet and moves across the court with ease as a result. Her first step is excellent. Caldwell has work to do in the skill development department but the raw material is certainly there. If she puts in the work Caldwell might just find her way into the state’s top 100.