Players to watch: 5 athletes who impressed in Week #1

We love watching players make progress. Continuous improvement is vital on the way to a berth on a college basketball roster, and we saw a number of quality prospects who showed off the fruits of their labor during week #1 of the Minnesota high school basketball season. Here are five athletes (and a bonus pick) who particularly impressed in the first few days of the 2021 campaign. [player_tooltip player_id="215958" first="Tori" last="McKinney"] <strong>– freshman guard, Minnetonka</strong> Tori is the 20th ranked prospect in the class of 2024, so I don’t have to tell you that she is a player with potential. We have watched her impress with superior skills, light feet and terrific court presence in summer ball with North Tartan. Last year she got her feet wet at the varsity level as an 8th grader playing one of the state’s toughest schedules. That’s no small feat. After witnessing her performance on behalf of the Minnetonka Skippers on Thursday night we can tell you that for Tori the time is now. That’s especially notable given that the 5’8 combo guard is in the same backcourt as a pair of top 10 juniors in [player_tooltip player_id="12727" first="Kiani" last="Lockett"] and [player_tooltip player_id="57907" first="Desiree" last="Ware"], which gives Minnetonka coach Leah Dasovich an incredible third option. McKinney showed off her rather substantial skillset in a 69-46 win over Hill-Murray, but the thing that impressed us the most was her poise. “Oh my she played great!" Dasovich said after the game. “She is just so calm and unflappable.” [player_tooltip player_id="215954" first="Sidney" last="Reed"] <strong>– freshman forward, Minnetonka</strong> Minnetonka has another intriguing freshman who has yet to make an impact at the varsity level. But she will in due course. We watched [player_tooltip player_id="215954" first="Sidney" last="Reed"] a lot this summer and we saw her game evolve over time, growing to the point where the 6’2 forward earned the #15 ranking in the first sorting of the class of 2024. Although Reed’s current level of performance wouldn’t seem to warrant that lofty rating, the Prep Girls Hoops rankings are all about potential, and every college coach we have talked to about Sidney agrees that her long-term potential is outstanding. Once Sidney comes to the same level of belief in herself as the coaches have, she’s going to be great, but we’re all going to have to be patient. We watched Reed do her thing in the junior varsity game on Thursday. Next year at this time she will no doubt be in the varsity lineup following the graduation of [player_tooltip player_id="13055" first="Sophie" last="Haydon"], who has signed with D1 George Washington, along with her fellow senior forward <strong>Molly Oehme</strong>. Reed is long and fluid and tall, and those are fine building blocks for success. [player_tooltip player_id="220846" first="Mya" last="Morris"] <strong>– sophomore guard, Perham</strong> The 2023 team from West Central United was very impressive during the 2020 AAU season. One of the most impactful prospects on the team was 5’4 point guard [player_tooltip player_id="220846" first="Mya" last="Morris"] of Perham. We liked her enough to add Mya to the 2023 Prep Girls Hoops rankings in the fall in the 123rd spot. Subsequent to that, Morris made folks stand up and take notice in the final game of the fall season when she went 10-for-15 from beyond the arc against Barnesville. On Friday, Morris picked right up where she left off, scoring 20 points, including six triples, as the Yellowjackets upset AA #1 Fergus Falls by a score of 66-63. She also played a key role in guarding 2021 #12 [player_tooltip player_id="30148" first="Ellie" last="Colbeck"] (South Dakota State), which is the key to giving Fergus Falls a run for their money. Morris has a great work ethic and puts in a ton of time on skill development which bodes well for her future. By the way Perham’s spectacular court design in the gym they call ‘The Hive’ looks really, really good. On opening night Morris looked even better. <strong>Maci Farmer – sophomore guard, Jackson County Central</strong> <strong>Maci Farmer</strong> is a name that has been on our radar for awhile now since we first saw her two years ago at a showcase event in St. James. At that time she was a skinny little kid who was finding her way into varsity basketball while dropping bombs from long distance. Fast forward to last week and Farmer bombed her way into the limelight with a 36-point performance on opening night. We watched a replay of Jackson County Central’s game against Luverne and were impressed by two things: how much it looked like Maci has grown, and how much her game has grown, too. She’s bigger, stronger and more filled out. At 5’7 she’s hardly a towering presence but Farmer makes up for it with quick feet and nice athleticism. She has long arms, high-quality skills, and terrific shooting mechanics. Farmer averaged 17 points and 6 rebounds per game last year while shooting 44% from the field. She can also defend at a high level. Maci isn’t yet ranked by Prep Girls Hoops in the class of 2023 but that will change in short order. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="147454" first="Abbie" last="Riederer"] – junior guard, Minnesota Valley Lutheran</strong> Abbie was one of the most improved players in Minnesota in 2020, rising over the summer by 61 spots to #62 in the Prep Girls Hoops class of 2022. We loved what she did in AAU with Minnesota Stars Fleming. We loved her even more Saturday in MVL’s win over Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart. Riederer scored a whopping 44 points in that game, which we were able to watch in its entirety online. Abbie did it the way she always does it – by getting to the rim with long strides, nice elevation and a deft touch, and by landing shots from long distance. The 5’8 combo guard from New Ulm has now emerged as a strong Division 2 candidate. She is a team-oriented player with great instincts, a sizeable motor and the type of demeanor any college coach would want to have in their locker room. The future is bright for this fierce competitor. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="29504" first="Caiya" last="Wulf"] – senior forward, Edina</strong> For our bonus pick of the day we have to give a shout out to Edina senior [player_tooltip player_id="29504" first="Caiya" last="Wulf"] who is back in action in 2021 after missing the better part of a year with a torn ACL. We’re certain she did all the right things during her physical rehabilitation given that her dad Corey is an orthopedic surgeon who has repaired an innumerable number of knees for girls basketball players. Caiya made a splash in her first game back, scoring 18 points in Edina’s 93-41 win over Bloomington Jefferson. We watched the 6’0 forward play Saturday at St. Michael-Albertville, where she was engaged in a game-long battle with Knights sophomore [player_tooltip player_id="220824" first="Piper" last="Carlson"]. It was a physical encounter that concluded with both players fouling out with a few minutes left in the game. It was also fun to watch. Caiya, ranked #43 in the class of 2021, is one of the top unsigned seniors still on the board.