In the pipeline: Top junior varsity talent, part 2

Talent tends to come in waves in high school basketball. Programs will have a good run from time to time, but when a strong group of seniors graduates there can often be a bit of a lull before a school returns to the top. The current situation at Eastview is a great example of that. The Lightning had an excellent run, winning state championships in 2014 and 2018 before a wave of graduations. The successful collegiate careers of its top alumnae – [player_tooltip player_id="1445" first="Megan" last="Walstad"] at UW-Milwaukee, <strong>Rachel Ranke</strong> at Kansas State and <strong>Madison Guebert</strong> at South Dakota State, for example – are testament to just how good they were. The good news is there’s another wave on the way, and it won’t be long until Eastview is contending again. And then there is Hopkins, where the talent wave never seems to end. The Royals always have a tsunami of athletes waiting in the wings to take over. As the saying goes, Hopkins doesn’t rebuild, they reload. The current situation is no different, which is why the Royals’ program is the focus of part two in our miniseries on top junior varsity talent. <strong>JV at Hopkins is different</strong> Let’s be clear here from the outset: Junior varsity basketball at Hopkins is not the same as junior varsity basketball in most locales. In fact, there have been players in recent years who have spent their entire high school careers on JV and have gone on to have nice careers at the next level. Hopkins plays the game a certain way and that way teaches the players all of the things they need to know to be successful collegians, even if they aren’t in the top group. The JV squad is normally comprised of a core group of veterans who are not destined to be stars, along with talented young prospects whose time on JV will be short-lived. This year’s team is no exception. There are players, such as 2023 #24 [player_tooltip player_id="108320" first="Kelly" last="Boyle"], who are essentially varsity players still doing a half of JV. We’d put 2022s [player_tooltip player_id="109130" first="Selam" last="Maher"] and [player_tooltip player_id="109167" first="London" last="Salberg-Thornton"] in that category, too. Then there are the career JV players such as 2021s <strong>Molly Enzler</strong> and <strong>Courtney Strachota</strong>, and 2022 <strong>Jazmine Johnson</strong>. Our focus here is the youngsters, the future stars who are waiting for their opportunity to step into the limelight. Some play JV, others are on the sophomore team, but they’re all going to be very good. These are the brightest young prospects at Hopkins not currently playing varsity: <strong>Macaya Copeland</strong> –  Like so many of the Hopkins players, the 2023 guard is quick and athletic. She’s what you might call ‘shifty’ and she knows how to utilize her one-on-one abilities to get to the basket with relative ease. Copeland is a really active defender who can anticipate and make good reads and isn’t afraid to take a charge. [player_tooltip player_id="108333" first="Jasmine" last="Dupree"] – The sophomore is equally effective as a guard or forward. The #38-ranked prospect in the class of 2023 is an excellent rebounder, a player who uses her superior strength and sizeable frame to get position and secure the basketball. Jazz can guard the perimeter or battle inside and handle a big. She is an active defender who puts the pressure on the ball handler. She can also run the floor and score at the rim. <strong>Aaliyah Crump</strong> – Perhaps the most talented player in Minnesota’s class of 2025, Crump is an early favorite to be the highest-ranked player in her grade. The 6-footer is very long, very athletic and super smooth for a young player still growing into her body. Crump can score off the bounce, knock it down from the outside and loves to get out and run the floor. Aaliyah can also defend either guards or post players. Crump is a special talent destined to play at a high level in college. <strong>Tatum Woodson</strong> – When you ask people in the Hopkins program about Tatum they often respond not with her basketball attributes but with who she is as a person: ‘What a great kid!’ Tatum is also one heck of a basketball player. The 8th grader is a quick point guard who can score, a gifted athlete with quick feet and a high IQ. As the younger sister of forward [player_tooltip player_id="108298" first="Taylor" last="Woodson"], the #2-rated prospect in the class of 2023, she has a tough act to follow, but it would appear that Tatum is up to the task. <strong>Josie Nnaji</strong> – A versatile talent in the class of 2025, Josie is also following in the footsteps of a highly-accomplished older sister. That would be 2022 #1 [player_tooltip player_id="12712" first="Maya" last="Nnaji"], who has a laundry list of high major offers. Josie doesn’t have the same size yet as her 6’4 sister, but she has plenty of potential. She is an intelligent player who puts in a ton of time on an individual basis to improve. Josie is a threat both inside and out, and she can guard everything from an athletic point guard to a big post player. <strong>Dilan Tubbs</strong> – Dilan may be the sleeper among the 2025s at Hopkins. We watched her last summer and fall only a little but that small sample size revealed some very big upside. Tubbs is well put together and has the strength and length to take advantage of opponents. Like Woodson and Nnaji, Tubbs is currently on the sophomore team where her superior rebounding skills are clearly evident. Dilan is a tireless worker with plenty of upside. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="252383" first="Lanelle" last="Wright"]</strong> – Last but not least in our look at the Hopkins pipeline is one of the most talented, most highly-skilled players in the state regardless of class. The 7th grader – yes she’s in the class of 2026 – is already an elite point guard. She’s fast and quick and crafty. She is a wonderful defender who will get in the face of the opposing ball handler and stop them in their tracks. Nobody works harder than Wright, who is 100 percent driven to pursue a high-level collegiate career. Lanelle is pretty small right now but there's plenty of height in the family and some nice basketball pedigree, as well. Coming up: In part 2 of our In the Pipeline miniseries we will look at some of the other highly-regarded understudies currently playing junior varsity basketball, including 2024s [player_tooltip player_id="215944" first="Ava" last="Cossette"] of Maple Grove, [player_tooltip player_id="215954" first="Sidney" last="Reed"] of Minnetonka, and [player_tooltip player_id="215955" first="Lauren" last="Machacek"] of Eastview.