Conference preview: Who to watch in the Big 9

Grant McGinnis December 16, 2020 @ 04:35 AM

The Big 9 truly is big. Its profile in the Minnesota girls basketball picture? Not so much. Stretching 140 miles from west to east – all the way from Mankato to Winona – and 50 miles north to south – from Red Wing to Rochester – the conference covers a huge swath of Southern Minnesota territory. But because the teams play a 22-game conference schedule they don’t have as much opportunity to participate in the high-profile events that serve as a showcase for other big AAA and AAAA schools in the state. That approach to organizing a season might make scheduling a whole lot easier for coaches in every sport but it doesn’t do much for the profile of the players who rarely have the chance to show what they can do against the best teams and players in the state. Thanks to AAU, however, we are quite familiar with the Big 9’s star attractions. We’ll get to them momentarily, but first the conference itself. Last year’s standings looked like this:

20-2 – Red Wing
18-4 – Rochester Mayo
17-5 – Austin
17-5 – Mankato West
15-7 – John Marshall
11-11 – Mankato East
9-13 – Albert Lea
9-13 – Owatonna
7-15 – Northfield
5-17 – Rochester Century
3-19 – Winona
1-21 – Faribault

Red Wing’s results were no surprise as the Wingers duplicated their performance of 2018-19 to capture the title. Mayo, on the other hand, won four more games from one year to the next to finish second. John Marshall, which had finished with the same record as Red Wing the year before, slipped to 5th place. The most improved team last season was Albert Lea. Led by guard , who is one of the most dynamic players in the state, the Tigers improved from three wins to nine. Northfield, which lost senior (St. Olaf) to graduation and starting point guard (U Mary) to transfer, dropped from 14 wins to 7. So what will happen this time around? Mayo’s offense and Red Wing’s defense should keep the two of them in a battle at the top of the table. Austin lost standouts (UW-River Falls), Kyra Walters and three more to graduation but returns a strong core led by point guard . Mankato West graduated (UW-Eau Claire) and Claire Hemstock but boasts three of the premier players in the conference in senior , junior and sophomore . And then there’s Rochester John Marshall, which is led by Indiana commit and Lehigh commit . We might also see more from Mankato East, which has a strong freshmen class and is led by standout juniors and along with sophomore . BEST OF THE BIG 9 We have already mentioned a few of them but here are a dozen of the best upperclassmen to watch in the Big 9 this season.

Lilly Meister Lilly Meister 6'2" | PF Rochester John Marshall | 2022 State #55 Nation MN – junior forward, John Marshall (Indiana)
Anna Miller Anna Miller 6'2" | C Rochester Mayo | 2021 State MN – senior forward, Rochester Mayo (Drake)
Lexi Karge Lexi Karge 6'2" | PF Mankato East | 2022 State MN – junior forward, Mankato East
Mackenzie Schweim Mackenzie Schweim 5'10" | PG Mankato East | 2022 State MN – junior guard, Mankato East
Briana Stoltzman Briana Stoltzman 5'8" | CG Mankato West | 2021 State MN – senior guard, Mankato West (SMSU)
Hope Dudycha Hope Dudycha 5'6" | CG Austin | 2022 State MN – junior guard, Austin
Katie Hurt Katie Hurt 6'0" | SF Roch. John Marshall | 2022 State MN – junior forward, John Marshall (Lehigh)
Taya Jeffrey Taya Jeffrey 5'10" | CG Albert Lea | 2022 State MN – junior guard, Albert Lea
Lynnsey Hady Lynnsey Hady 5'10" | SG Rochester Mayo | 2021 State MN – senior guard, Rochester Mayo (ND Science)
Lani Schoper Lani Schoper 5'9" | CG Mankato West | 2022 State MN – junior guard, Mankato West
Annika Richardson Annika Richardson 5'10" | SF Northfield | 2021 State MN – senior guard, Northfield (Wheaton)
Abi Deming Abi Deming 5'10" | SF Red Wing | 2021 State MN – senior forward, Red Wing

8 UNDERCLASSMEN TO SEE

Teresa Kiewiet Teresa Kiewiet 5'10" | SF Mankato West | 2023 State MN – sophomore forward, Mankato West
Sydnee Nelson Sydnee Nelson 5'5" | CG Red Wing | 2023 State MN – sophomore guard, Red Wing
Hannah Hanson Hannah Hanson 5'9" | CG Rochester Mayo | 2023 State MN – sophomore guard, Rochester Mayo
Peyton Stevermer Peyton Stevermer 5'5" | CG Mankato East | 2023 State MN – sophomore guard, Mankato East
Sammi Chandler Sammi Chandler 5'8" | CG Red Wing | 2023 State MN – sophomore guard, Red Wing
Cassidy Shute Cassidy Shute 5'8" | CG Austin | 2023 State MN – sophomore guard, Austin
Mackenzi Simmons – freshman guard, Winona
Taylor Clarey – freshman guard, Rochester Century

7 UNSUNG HEROES

Mullk Hammadelniel – senior guard, Rochester Mayo
Elli Collins Elli Collins 6'0" | SG Rochester Mayo | 2021 State MN – senior guard/forward, Rochester Mayo
Izzy Goettelman – senior guard, Winona
Sydney Rahn – senior guard, Red Wing
Lexi Mendenhall Lexi Mendenhall 5'11" | PF Owatonna | 2022 State MN – junior forward, Owatonna
Emma Dudycha Emma Dudycha 5'6" | CG Austin | 2022 State MN – junior guard, Austin
Elyse Hebrink Elyse Hebrink 5'7" | CG Austin | 2021 State MN – senior guard, Austin