Top 10 performers at the Meltdown/AAU Nationals, part 2
If you are a regular reader then you know Prep Girls Hoops is all about locating and profiling new talent, the fresh faces who continue in inject new life into Minnesota girls basketball. This week we’ll offer up more than…
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Continue ReadingIf you are a regular reader then you know Prep Girls Hoops is all about locating and profiling new talent, the fresh faces who continue in inject new life into Minnesota girls basketball. This week we’ll offer up more than a dozen such prospects for your perusal, but before we do we need to acknowledge once again some of the state’s most well-established stars. These are the leading lights who attract the most attention and garner the elite college offers. While the newcomers are getting their feet wet and figuring it all out, these kids are winning your team games night in and night out. Today we offer you installment #2 of our Top 10 performers at the Meltdown/AAU Nationals.
Tessa Johnson Tessa Johnson 5'11" | SG St. Michael-Albertville | 2023 State #36 Nation MN – North Tartan 2021 Coury (St. Michael-Albertville)
Tessa is only a rising sophomore and we are already running out of superlatives to describe the lengthy guard who is the #1 prospect in the Prep Girls Hoops class of 2023. What a year Johnson has had. Back when she was a tiny little guard playing for North Tartan as a 7th grader they called her the ‘Silent Assassin’ thanks to her knack for knocking down ice-water threes to seal countless victories and win a national championship in Orlando. Today she is a sizable presence who can burn you with grace or grit, is one of the smoothest shooters you’ll see and runs the floor as well as anyone in the state. Johnson is also the darling of numerous high major collegiate coaches. Playing three years up for North Tartan’s top 2021 team, Johnson has had a stunningly-good summer which she capped off by winning a national title at the Meltdown. She scored 14 in the championship game, the same as Wayzata’s Mara Braun Mara Braun 5'11" | CG Wayzata | 2022 State #21 Nation MN whose performance this July and August was just as good at Johnson’s.
Teresa Kiewiet Teresa Kiewiet 5'10" | SF Mankato West | 2023 State MN – Minnesota Fury 2023 UAA (Mankato West)
There are so many star-quality players on the roster of the Fury’s best group of 2023s. Eden Prairie’s Molly Lenz Molly Lenz 5'8" | CG Eden Prairie | 2023 State MN , for example, had 16 points in the championship game (12 in the second half) as the Fury topped the Wisconsin Impact to win a national championship at the Meltdown. Chaska point guard Kennedy Sanders Kennedy Sanders 5'8" | CG Chaska | 2023 State MN ’ reputation as one of the state’s top prospect is well-established. Guard Zoey Washington Zoey Washington 5'9" | CG St. Croix Lutheran | 2023 State MN of Mahtomedi turned in an excellent performance in the championship game with 15 points, including three triples. And then there is Kiewiet, who consistently offers up what you’d hope for from a physical forward. It’s hard to put Teresa in a box. She has a big body that she uses to overpower defenders and a scorer’s touch around the rim. It’s a rare combination of power and precision that few players possess. Teresa put up a dozen points in the championship game, including 10 in the second half. She is the #12 prospect in the 2023 class and a big reason why Fury 2023 UAA have regularly rolled over opponents for a long time now.
Taylor Woodson Taylor Woodson 6'0" | PF Hopkins | 2023 State #28 Nation MN – Metro Stars 2022 Starks (Hopkins)
When we first watched Taylor play AAU basketball for the Survivors back in the day it was like watching a veritable giant among the Lilliputians. She was just so much bigger and stronger and faster than everyone else. Now that she is an established varsity star and has proven herself over and again against older players, Woodson is still a giant who is bigger, stronger and faster than most of the opponents she faces. After capturing the 10th grade state championship two weeks ago, the Metro Stars grabbed a national title at the Meltdown, winning in a dramatic four-overtime final. Woodson scored 13 points in that game and was a force at both ends of the floor as she was throughout the tournament. She is one of the state’s premier rebounders, fights hard for every inch, and plays the game with a quiet confidence that produces consistent, quality results.
Laura Hauge Laura Hauge 5'9" | SG St. Croix Lutheran | 2024 State MN – North Tartan 2023 Milan (St. Croix Lutheran)
More than once I have overheard spectators at North Tartan games gasp when Laura puts up an early three-point attempt from somewhere near the center court logo. If it misses the reaction is usually something like, “Oh my God! Why is she shooting it from way out there!?” If it goes in, which is what happens more often than not, the response is usually, “Oh my God! How can she make that shot?!” Yes, Hauge’s MO is obvious: She is one of the very best long-distance shooters in the state regardless of class. Watch her play for more than a minute or two and it becomes clear that Laura can do so much more than that which is why the elite 2024 prospect already has high-major offers and a two-year track record of as a high school varsity standout before she has even entered the 9th grade.
Sophie Lahti Sophie Lahti 6'1" | SF Pine City | 2023 State MN – North Tartan 2023 Elite (Pine City)
Sophie is officially on the radar. The 6-foot sophomore-to-be has emerged this year as one of the rising stars of the 2023 class. Eighteen months ago we included her in a list of ‘most exciting newcomers’ of the AAU season. Since then she has filled out and bulked up, improved her ability to score in multiple ways, and established clearly that she is one of the most athletic players in her class. Now ranked #18 among the 2023s, Lahti plays with an energy level that is second-to-none. She goes hard for every loose ball, never shies away from contact, and attacks the rim with vigor. If anything Sophie needs to slow down a little at times so she can play a little more under control and a lot more effectively. That will come. Sophie holds at least one Division 1 offer and there are many more in the offing. Lahti has only scratched the surface of her potential.