2021 rankings update: Biggest stock risers, part 1

Sometimes quality prospects are hiding in plain sight. You just need to look a little closer to see their true potential. That was certainly the case this summer for Mankato West’s [player_tooltip player_id="109802" first="Briana" last="Stoltzman"]. She was. We did. And it turned out there was way more college-level potential there than she had previously been given credit for. That’s why Stoltzman made one of the most dramatic rises in stature of anyone in the senior class as we update the Prep Girls Hoops Class of 2021 rankings – a 40-position jump into the 57th spot. [player_tooltip player_id="109814" first="Gina" last="Stefferud"]’s rise to prominence was a little different. From the first time we watched her a couple of years ago we felt there was something there worth paying attention to. At the time the Champlin Park forward was buried deep within the Crossfire organization, and she wasn’t getting much opportunity in high school ball, either. Now, after months and months of grinding, things have come together rather nicely for Gina. That’s why she is the biggest riser in this ranking update, moving up 42 spots among Minnesota’s seniors and into the #87 position. Here’s a look at Stoltzman, Stefferud and four more players whose stock took a major jump this time around. <strong>Up 42 – #87 [player_tooltip player_id="109814" first="Gina" last="Stefferud"] –</strong> The 5’10 power forward from Champlin Park is a workhorse. If you want to know why she vaulted 42 positions up the 2021 rankings, there’s your reason. It’s not as if something magical happened for Gina and she was suddenly a scholarship-level prospect. No, she earned it every step of the way. Gina has size and length, but it took a long time to acquire a skill set that was good enough to play at the Division II level. The other attribute that sets her apart is how hard and physical Stefferud plays the game. That’s what first caught our attention way back when, and the compete level has never wavered. Now Gina has the tools to go with the engine. This summer Gina was a consistent, high-level performer for Dan Froehlich’s Minnesota Suns team. From the squad’s first outdoor practice we attended in June it was obvious that Stefferud had been putting in work during the shutdown. She won every single battle that night, every race to a loose ball, and made it obvious that she was ready to go. Not long after, Minot State coach Mark Graupe came calling and next year Gina will be a Beaver. <strong>Up 40 – #57 [player_tooltip player_id="109802" first="Briana" last="Stoltzman"] –</strong> The 5’8 combo guard from Mankato West suited up for North Tartan Elite in 2019. We were impressed at the time with her grit and determination and defensive intensity. There were plenty of offensive weapons on the team, however, so we failed to take notice of just how skilled Stoltzman really is. This summer she moved to Dan Wolfe’s Minnesota Rise unit where she started at the 2-guard spot before taking over as the starting point guard. The move was a revelation – Bri scored 57 points in her next four games – that revealed the true breadth of her capabilities. It turns out that Stoltzman can run an offense at a very high level and possesses a quality box of tools.  Back in June we called her one of the hidden gems of the summer. By fall the secret was out. Bri made our AAU All-Star Team and garnered an honorable mention for AAU Defender of the Year while committing at the Division II level with Southwest Minnesota State. Now she moves up a whopping 40 spots in the 2021 rankings, earning her rightful place in the top 60. <strong>Up 35 – #97 [player_tooltip player_id="109809" first="Adi" last="Brown"] –</strong> The 5’11 guard from Lakeville South just keeps on getting better and better and better. Cougars coach Angie Iverson-Ohnstad has long been a believer in Brown; now it would appear that Adi is a believer, as well. Playing this summer for Katie DeWitt’s Crossfire South squad, Adi was solid game after game. She has length and size and can run the floor with pace. Brown is a terrific three-point shooter, which we’ve known for some time. Now her game has grown and Adi can get to the basket with great frequency, create nice opportunities for her teammates, and defend at a high level. Brown has excellent basketball IQ and always seems to be in the right place at the right time. Most importantly, Adi has become a leader who isn’t afraid to make the big play. Brown’s improvement has earned her a 35-place jump in the rankings into the top 100. No word yet on a college commitment but whoever lands this lanky guard is going to get a winner. <strong>Up 25 – #52 [player_tooltip player_id="109766" first="Gionna" last="Carr"] –</strong> The 5’9 guard started her high school career at Hill-Murray before returning home to Stillwater where she had to sit a year before suiting up at the varsity level for the Ponies. Her patience has paid off as Carr earned a scholarship this year to Division I Tennessee State of the Ohio Valley Conference. Long considered one of the state’s top defenders, Carr has expanded her game and keeps on getting better. “We covet players with length and versatility who love to compete, and Gionna is the epitome of the type of player that will flourish playing our style.” TSU coach Ty Evans said in the school’s announcement of Carr’s signing. “Gionna is the prototypical two-way player with a great feel for the game that you can’t teach. She wants to guard the best player on the other team and she has a developing offensive game that will only improve with her work ethic. She is one of the most underrated wings in the country and her best basketball is ahead of her.” We couldn’t have said it any better. <strong>Up 24 – #91 [player_tooltip player_id="109800" first="Amaya" last="Doree"] –</strong> The 5’7 guard from Champlin Park has made steady improvement over the past couple of seasons. This summer, playing for Tim Herman’s Crossfire Blue Star squad, Doree turned it up a notch or two and the results were impressive. At the Prep Girls Hoops Top 250 Expo in the fall our colleague Mason Asher selected Amaya as one of the top shooters at the event. “Doree’s athletic ability stands out quickly and a lot of kids will be recruited solely on the basis of their athleticism,” Mason wrote. “Not Doree. She’s a good defender and passer but her ability to knock down big shots stood out at the Expo. She wasn’t a player who was draining shots from behind the arc all day but within the 2021 class she was making shots that she needed to.” Doree’s long run of strong performances continued at the PGH/Jr-All Star Fall Exclusive where she was consistently good. I expect we will see more of the same when the high school season eventually opens. Doree moves up 24 spots to #91. She has committed to North Iowa Area Community College in Mason City. <strong>Up 23 – #86 [player_tooltip player_id="178414" first="Lexiss" last="Trygg"] –</strong> Size is always a valuable commodity and at 6’2 the power forward from Virginia is one of the 10 biggest bigs in the class of 2021. Lexiss has been plying her trade for some time up on the Iron Range, where the entire region is built on the discovery of valuables from under the rock. Trygg just might be one of those hidden gems.  Trygg showed up in the big city in June and wowed us at the Battle for Mom with a serious display of quality basketball on behalf of Starks Elite out of Duluth. She was way more athletic than we knew, had a much deeper bag of tricks than she had been given credit for, and she played the game with passion. Best of all, Lexiss got better as the summer went along. After earning a spot in the 2021 rankings in June, Trygg’s game went to another level the rest of the summer, earning her a 23-place jump to #86. She also received a scholarship to the University of Jamestown. Trygg averaged 14 points and 11 rebounds per game last winter. We’re expecting more of the same this time around.