AAU All Stars: Class of 2021 selections & MVP Paige Meyer
I remember the first time I saw Paige Meyer Paige Meyer 5'6" | PG Albany | 2021 State MN play, and as I stood slack-jawed at the end of the court at Bloomington Kennedy Activity Center the only word I…
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Continue ReadingI remember the first time I saw Paige Meyer Paige Meyer 5'6" | PG Albany | 2021 State MN play, and as I stood slack-jawed at the end of the court at Bloomington Kennedy Activity Center the only word I could manage to muster at that moment was ‘Wow!’ Over and over I said it, out loud and to myself, and we have been wowed ever since by the 5’6 point guard from Albany and Minnesota Comets Elite. Paige has had some terrific summers and she capped it off this season with another series of stellar performances on behalf of the Comets. For these efforts we are pleased to name the South Dakota State University commit as our AAU Class of 2021 Most Valuable Player.
Over the years we have watched the Comets Elite squad evolve into an impressive machine. Built around Meyer and Becker combo guard Julia Bengtson Julia Bengtson 5'10" | PG Becker | 2021 State MN (Eastern Illinois), coach Matt Hoelscher’s team has a slew of next-level performers from Becker, including Megan Gamble Megan Gamble 5'10" | SF Becker | 2021 State MN (Concordia-St. Paul), Courtney Nuest Courtney Nuest 5'8" | CG Becker | 2021 State MN , and Alayna Lindquist Alayna Lindquist 5'8" | CG Becker | 2021 State MN . This year they added Faith Alberts Faith Alberts 6'0" | PF Parkers Prairie | 2021 State MN of Parker’s Prairie and Annika Richardson Annika Richardson 5'10" | SF Northfield | 2021 State MN of Northfield to the mix. On a couple of weekends, however, Nuest and Bengtson were absent and the Comets had to compete with just six players. One of those six was Meyer, the #14-ranked player in the class of 2021, and she carried the mail as she usually does.
Meyer is super-skilled and very intelligent, but it is her grit and physicality and will to win that really stands out. Paige has overcome the doubters, silenced the critics, carried her high school team to the state tournament and been the key player in countless AAU victories. It has been a pleasure watching her compete and we have enjoyed every minute of it.
2021 ALL STAR TEAMS
For this summer season we have chosen first, second and third all-star teams and added a fourth unit of honorable mentions. The selections are based on the player’s graduation year, not the level they played at in 2020. That’s why you won’t find such standout performers as Tessa Johnson Tessa Johnson 5'11" | SG St. Michael-Albertville | 2023 State #36 Nation MN (St. Michael-Albertville) and Mara Braun Mara Braun 5'11" | CG Wayzata | 2022 State #21 Nation MN (Wayzata) of North Tartan, or Kiani Lockett Kiani Lockett 5'9" | PG Minnetonka | 2022 State MN (Minnetonka) of FBC North, included in the 2021 selections. They’ll show up among the members of their own graduating classes. We have also eliminated players not from Minnesota, which leaves out Maty Wilke (Wisconsin), Haleigh Timmer (South Dakota) and Logan Nissley (North Dakota) of North Tartan.
Congrats to all of the selections!
FIRST TEAM
- Paige Meyer Paige Meyer 5'6" | PG Albany | 2021 State MN – Comets 2021 Elite (Albany) (South Dakota State)
- Alexis Pratt Alexis Pratt 5'5" | PG Stillwater | 2021 State MN – Fury 2021 UAA (Stillwater) (Omaha)
- Sophie Hart Sophie Hart 6'4" | C Farmington | 2021 State #44 Nation MN – Fury 2021 UAA (Farmington) (North Carolina State)
- Jordyn Lamker Jordyn Lamker 6'0" | SF Maple Grove | 2021 State MN – Stars 2021 Hersch (Maple Grove) (St. Thomas)
- Anna Miller Anna Miller 6'2" | C Rochester Mayo | 2021 State MN – North Tartan 2021 (Rochester Mayo) (Drake)
SECOND TEAM
- Katie Borowicz Katie Borowicz 5'6" | PG Roseau | 2021 State MN – Stars 2021 Hersch (Roseau) (Minnesota)
- Kendall Coley Kendall Coley 6'2" | SF St. Louis Park | 2021 State #94 Nation MN – FBC North 2021 (St. Louis Park) (Nebraska)
- Gianna Kneepkens Gianna Kneepkens 5'11" | CG Duluth Marshall | 2021 State #86 Nation MN – Fury 2021 UAA (Duluth Marshall) (Utah)
- Ashlyn Bigelow – Southern Minnesota Fury (Kasson-Mantorville)
- Briana Stoltzman Briana Stoltzman 5'8" | CG Mankato West | 2021 State MN – Rise 2021 Wolfe (Mankato West) (Southwest Minnesota State)
THIRD TEAM
- Jade Hill Jade Hill 5'8" | PG Mpls. South | 2021 State MN – Fury 2021 UAA (Minneapolis South)
- Ivory Finley Ivory Finley 5'8" | CG Rosemount | 2021 State MN – 43 Hoops Johnson (Rosemount) (UMASS-Lowell)
- Ivane Tensaie Ivane Tensaie 5'7" | CG Concordia | 2021 State MN – North Tartan Elite (Concordia Academy)
- Megan Gamble Megan Gamble 5'10" | SF Becker | 2021 State MN – Comets 2021 Elite (Becker) (Concordia-St. Paul)
- Morgan Krumwiede Morgan Krumwiede 5'10" | SF Burnsville | 2021 State MN – Fury 2021 Yellow (Burnsville) (MSU-Mankato)
HONORABLE MENTION
- Morgan Kelly Morgan Kelly 5'11" | PF St. Peter | 2021 State MN – Rise 2021 Wolfe (St. Peter) (Gustavus)
- Macy Smith Macy Smith 5'10" | CG Spring Lake Park | 2021 State MN – Fury 2021 Yellow (Spring Lake Park)
- Tamia Ugass Tamia Ugass 6'3" | C Roseville | 2021 State MN – Stars 2021 Hersch (Roseville) (Louisiana State)
- Peyton Blandin Peyton Blandin 5'8" | SG Farmington | 2021 State MN – North Tartan 2021 Elite (Farmington) (Southwest Minnesota State)
- Miah Monahan Miah Monahan 5'8" | CG Glencoe-Silver Lake | 2021 State MN – Fury 2021 UAA (Glencoe-Silver Lake) (Eastern Illinois)
Top photo: Comets 2021 Elite was led by South Dakota State commit Paige Meyer Paige Meyer 5'6" | PG Albany | 2021 State MN (#21, bottom right) of Albany.