These unsigned seniors made a statement at the Meltdown

This is starting to sound like a broken record, and the longer the old LP plays the more I love the sound of Ashlyn Bigelow. The 5’9 guard from Kasson-Mantorville has been on a tear for the last several weeks and once again at the Meltdown/AAU Nationals the point guard for Southern Minnesota Fury 2021 stood out as one of the top unsigned seniors-to-be. Since we’ve written a lot about Ashlyn of late we won’t dive any deeper into her play. Let’s just say we are blown away by her rising level of performance, and the college interest in Bigelow has ramped up accordingly. Less than a month ago we did a rundown on top unsigned seniors at the Summer Eclipse tournament where we profiled 10 members of the class of 2021 who had performed above and beyond. Since that time six of those athletes have announced their college commitments: [player_tooltip player_id="29547" first="Ivory" last="Finley"] of Rosemount (UMASS-Lowell), [player_tooltip player_id="57110" first="Morgan" last="Krumwiede"] of Burnsville (MSU-Mankato), Bella Lenz of Prescott, Wisc. (Michigan Tech), [player_tooltip player_id="109802" first="Briana" last="Stoltzman"] of Mankato West (SMSU), Mackenzie Jones of Willmar (SMSU) and [player_tooltip player_id="109765" first="Morgan" last="Kelly"] of St. Peter (Gustavus). Let’s hope this week’s group has the same good fortune. The best of the best available When [player_tooltip player_id="109735" first="Jade" last="Hill"] and [player_tooltip player_id="109748" first="Ivane" last="Tensaie"] play well that’s not really news, because they are among the top point guards overall in the class of 2021 and they are certainly the best two who have yet to make a college commitment. Hill was outstanding once again this weekend, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. At various times throughout the weekend the Minnesota Fury 2021 UAA guard demonstrated very clearly that she knows what it means to get up in the grill of the opposing ball handler. Hill, who winters at Minneapolis South High School, is the #9-rated prospect in the class. Tensaie’s performance was no surprise, either. The Concordia Academy prospect, who is ranked #30 in the class, is in her second year playing on North Tartan’s senior elite team. She has proven over and again that she can be highly successful at that level. Ivane has been tweeting about Division 2 college visits lately and that may be the level she ends up at. I have to believe there may still be D1 possibilities out there but, as we always try to emphasize, making a good college choice should be about fit, not level. Four more workhorses for hire Here are a few more available incoming seniors who impressed at the Meltdown/AAU Nationals. [player_tooltip player_id="29523" first="Erika" last="Lane"] – Minnesota Suns Bluestar (Brainerd) If you follow Minnesota girls basketball handles on Twitter then you are no doubt familiar with Erika. She is constantly posting highlight videos of games and training sessions and the like, and why not. Lane is a great marketer but she is also one of the hardest-working, most committed players in the state, and it shows. Currently ranked #53 in the class, Erika is strong and solidly built, plays with consistent effort and intensity at both ends of the floor, and will give you everything she has at practice and in game situations day in and day out. She’s intelligent and coachable and wants to be great. What college program doesn’t need more athletes like that? In high school ball her jersey says ‘Warriors’ and she is most certainly that. There is a scholarship in the cards. [player_tooltip player_id="29549" first="Lakesha" last="Carter"] – Minnesota Rise Wolfe (Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial) Nobody seems to be quite sure what role the undersized Carter will play at the next level. If you’ve watched her as much as we have, however, that shouldn’t bother you. That’s because Lakesha is a gamer, the type of competitor who is accustomed to overcoming doubters, surprising opponents, winning over coaches and building great relationships with her teammates. She’s strong and stocky and has very quick feet along with the instinctual ability to figure out where the ball is headed before everyone else does. In other words, Lakesha is poised to steal the orb from you at any moment and deposit it for two points at the other end of the floor. Perhaps we should mention that she shot 55% from the field and 41% from beyond the three-point line last season for the Knights. She made four triples at the Meltdown against North Tartan Elite. Gustavus assistant Dan Wolfe has loved coaching her for the Rise and you will, too. [player_tooltip player_id="109794" first="Elly" last="Bahr"] – Minnesota Fury Yellow (Elk River) Sam Ebenreiter’s Fury team has been a lot of fun to watch over the years. Everyone talks about former players like Green Bay commit [player_tooltip player_id="29521" first="Jenna" last="Guyer"] and Minnesota commit [player_tooltip player_id="57085" first="Maggie" last="Czinano"], or current leaders such as MSU-Mankato recruit [player_tooltip player_id="57110" first="Morgan" last="Krumwiede"] or UM-Duluth commit [player_tooltip player_id="29489" first="Ella" last="Hronski"]. One player who rarely ever gets into the spotlight is Bahr. That’s unfortunate, because she does so many little things that win basketball games on a regular basis. First and foremost, this girl can flat out defend. Secondly, she can shoot the three. Those two attributes, along with an excellent work ethic, solid understanding of the game, positive personality, and willingness to do whatever is asked of her, should open plenty of doors at the collegiate level. Bahr is currently ranked #127 in the class. [player_tooltip player_id="109809" first="Adi" last="Brown"] – Crossfire South DeWitt (Lakeville South) Although they were without one of their most important pieces – Concordia Academy guard [player_tooltip player_id="109803" first="Grace" last="Landvik"] was unavailable for the weekend – Katie DeWitt’s Crossfire South team finished off their AAU careers with a bang by going undefeated and capturing the 11th grade D3 championship at the Meltdown. Not surprisingly, Brown played a big role in that. The long and lanky 5’11 combo guard, currently ranked #132, has been known to fire the three and she was doing so with great accuracy over the weekend. Twice Brown went 5-for-6 from beyond the arc. She was also driving to the basket, creating for her teammates and defending effectively. Brown has a high basketball IQ and always seems to be in the right place at the right time. She almost never takes a bad shot, can guard four positions, and DeWitt says she is ‘a coach’s dream.’ The Prep Girls Hoops Top 250 Expo was Adi’s coming out party; her senior season promises to be an even grander affair. Top photo: Crossfire DeWitt captured the 11th grade Division 3 title at the Meltdown. They were led by [player_tooltip player_id="109809" first="Adi" last="Brown"] of Lakeville South, who is #32 in the front row. (Photo courtesy of Crossfire)