Top 250 Expo: Seven more 2024 standouts of note

We’re in the process of finalizing the first ranking of the Prep Girls Hoops Class of 2024 for Minnesota. It’s never easy to put together the initial stratification of any particular class, but this one is especially difficult because the talent pool runs deep and there are an awful lot of similar kinds of players. That was certainly obvious at the Top 250 Expo Oct. 3 where we watched nearly 50 freshmen do their best to make an impression on the evaluators and college coaches. So far in our recaps of the Top 250 Expo we have highlighted nearly 30 quality freshmen. Now we offer you our final seven prospects to consider, an septet of standouts who have become familiar faces over the past few months. We think all of them are worthy of consideration to make our first top 50 for 2024. <img class="alignnone wp-image-209171 size-thumbnail" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2020/10/100_Tyreana-Reliford_1-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="215960" first="Tyreana" last="Reliford"]</strong> – The 5’10 guard from Benilde-St. Margaret’s already has varsity experience under her belt and it’s not hard to see why. She is long and fluid and athletic. Reliford has well-developed skills and nice touch. She looked very good this summer playing up a year with FBC North, she looked good at the Top 250 Expo, and she looked good once again on Sunday at the Breakdown Fall League with her high school team. <img class="alignnone wp-image-208545 size-thumbnail" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2020/10/96_Piper-Engelby_1-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /> [player_tooltip player_id="178261" first="Piper" last="Engelby"] – The 5’10 guard from Andover is a key piece of the very strong Minnesota Suns 2024 Bluestar squad. We watched her a lot this summer and have witnessed the continual growth and development. Piper puts in a ton of work to get better, and the fruits of her labor are becoming more and more obvious. She’s got length and athleticism and tenacity and that’s a winning combination at every level. <img class="alignnone wp-image-209212 size-thumbnail" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2020/10/169_Kate-Drury_1-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /> [player_tooltip player_id="214195" first="Kate" last="Drury"] – The 5’9 guard from Chanhassen and Metro Stars Barnes is hungry for success. Make that starving! Kate puts in a ton of work on and off the court. She is driven to get better and committed to doing whatever it takes to be successful. If there is an opportunity to play and compete and showcase her skills, Drury will be there to make an impression. That’s exactly what she did at the Top 250. <img class="alignnone wp-image-209187 size-thumbnail" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2020/10/125_Mattea-Henry_1-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /> <strong>Mattea Henry</strong> – We watched the 5’11 forward from Woodbury a fair amount this summer with Minnesota Stars Gardner. From the first practice we attended to the Top 250 Expo nearly four months later, the improvement is obvious. Henry is long and lean and still growing into her body. She’s also quick and athletic. Mattea has a high ceiling and she continues to take steps in the right direction. <img class="alignnone wp-image-208550 size-thumbnail" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2020/10/116_Anna-Van-Helden_1-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="215974" first="Anna" last="Van Helden"]</strong> – The 5’11 forward from Prior Lake has been one of the biggest, strongest players in the class for a long time. She has a broad shoulders and a big frame. Others may be catching up in size and strength but they’ll have to go a long ways to have as much impact as Anna can have on a basketball game. We’re told the former North Tartan forward is headed for the Minnesota Stars in 2021. <img class="alignnone wp-image-209217 size-thumbnail" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2020/10/176_Sidney-Klauer_3-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /> <strong>Sidney Klauer</strong> – The 5’7 guard from East Ridge isn’t likely to be the fastest or the biggest or the strongest player on anyone’s roster, but she’s going to make an imprint on the game in numerous ways. The Minnesota Stars guard moves well, passes well, shoots well, handles the ball well, defends well. OK, you get the idea. East Ridge is a team on the rise once again and Klauer will be right in the thick of it. <img class="alignnone wp-image-209642 size-thumbnail" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2020/10/Avery-Moeller-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /> <strong>Avery Moeller</strong> – Moeller is a lot like Klauer with one exception: her offensive aggressiveness. The 5’7 guard from Prior Lake is quick and fast and feisty, and she never passes up a scoring opportunity when it appears anywhere on the horizon. Moeller loves to penetrate and get to the basket. She’s not very big, and she is often underestimated, but Avery’s impact on the game is significant and growing.