Scouting report: Newcomers who have impressed in March
If you read this week’s Sunday recap – The Week That Was #9 – then you already know that Eden Prairie 8th grader Tori Schlagel Tori Schlagel 5'9" | CG Eden Prairie | 2025 State MN was heralded as our…
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Continue ReadingIf you read this week’s Sunday recap – The Week That Was #9 – then you already know that Eden Prairie 8th grader Tori Schlagel Tori Schlagel 5'9" | CG Eden Prairie | 2025 State MN was heralded as our Newcomer of the Week. In The Week That Was #8, we told you about 2025 Mya Karsten of Fridley and 2024 Ella Kletti of Mahtomedi, both of whom are players on the rise. All three were deserving of the recognition, especially Schlagel who is compiling an ever-growing body of work that has offered a glimpse of greatness in her future. These three were not the only young talents to stand out in the games we watched over the past couple of weeks, though. For example, there was 7th grader Ava Meierotto of Duluth Marshall.
It’s one thing to watch a player on video; it’s another to see her live and in person. C.J. Osuchukwu, coach of the 15-2 Hilltoppers, has been effusive in his praise of Meierotto, and we have been impressed watching Ava online. Her results speak for themselves. I mean, how many 12-year-olds can make 9 threes in a varsity game? Precious few, but Meierotto did it Feb. 18 against Duluth East. Ava has played a key role all season for Marshall, where she earned a spot in the starting rotation and kept it. Last Friday we travelled to the Northland for a first-hand look at Ava’s game and we came away even more impressed.
The 5’5 guard is very athletic, with fast feet. She’s savvy beyond her years, with a solid understanding of the game and the instincts to put her opponent in a vulnerable position that can be taken advantage of. At one point in Friday’s win over Pine City, Ava did a quick retreat dribble out by the arc, and the defender took the bait. Without hesitation, Meierotto executed a quick step to her right and another towards the basket, blowing past the defender and elevating towards the rim where she finished with a soft touch. It was a big-time play, the kind that makes those Internet mix tapes that are all the rage.
Ava has a small frame, and there’s no telling how big she will eventually get. Regardless, Meierotto will be big enough to get to the next level on sheer skill and moxie. She has nice mechanics, plenty of range, and the ability to get shots up quickly under pressure. She’s currently Marshall’s third-leading scorer at just under 10 points per game and has proven to be an effective option during those rare moments when her senior teammate Gianna Kneepkens Gianna Kneepkens 5'11" | CG Duluth Marshall | 2021 State #86 Nation MN (Utah) isn’t filling up the cylinder.
Here are some other fresh faces we have been impressed with in March.
Helen Ben – 2024 guard, Park Center
The 5’9 Ben didn’t play last summer so we weren’t able to do an evaluation on her. Watching her last week in both the varsity and JV lineup for Park Center, it was very evident that Helen will be a factor among this year’s freshmen. We had been told she was a talent. Turns out we were told right. Ben is definitely raw, but her pure athleticism is first-rate. If you give her any time or space at all, Helen is going to leave you in the dust. She can get up and down the floor with the best of them. Her feet are light, her strides are long, and she has outstanding leaping ability. Ben’s first step is nuclear. Still there is much work to be done to develop a solid understanding of the game, particularly defensively. Her shooting is also a work in progress. It’s going to take some time, but if Ben puts in the work with the right guidance she will eventually land in Division 1.
Kendall McGee – 2025 guard, Breck
When a 7th grader leads her team in scoring we tend to take notice. When she takes her game up another notch as an 8th grader, while posting a 40-point performance along the way, folks are definitely going to pay attention. McGee was Breck’s undisputed leader this season. She is a talented player who makes it look really natural. She handles the ball well, is poised under pressure, and isn’t afraid of the big moment. Unfortunately the biggest moment was lost on Tuesday when McGee went down with what looked like a painful shoulder injury in the second half, a bad break that enabled Rockford to pull away in their Section 5AA first-round contest that ended the Mustangs’ season. Still, the campaign has to be considered a success for McGee and her team, which went 10-8 overall. Kendall averaged 19.7 points per game, while shooting over 48% from the field, 38% from three-point range. She also averaged 7.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 3.6 steals. McGee does wear her emotions on her sleeve right now, but given time she will no doubt become accustomed to the highs and lows of varsity basketball. There will certainly be a lot of them.
Zahara Bishop Zahara Bishop 5'10" | CG Benilde-St. Margaret's | 2025 State MN – 2025 guard, Richfield
The Spartans are as good of a three-win squad as you will see. On Wednesday night at Benilde-St. Margaret’s Richfield competed hard, played with passion, and gave the Red Knights everything they could handle for the first 25 minutes or so before two elite freshmen took over the game. That would be 2024 #1 Olivia Olson Olivia Olson 6'1" | CG Benilde-SM | 2024 State MN and #22 Tyreana Reliford Tyreana Reliford 5'11" | CG Cooper | 2024 MN . What should not be overlooked in recapping the Section 6AAA first-round encounter, is the play of another talented youngster: Zahara Bishop Zahara Bishop 5'10" | CG Benilde-St. Margaret's | 2025 State MN . We profiled Bishop back in October at the Prep Girls Hoops Fall Exclusive, where she parlayed her superior skill, speed and athleticism into a series of solid performances. Fast forward to this week and we can see that another year of varsity basketball has done well for Zahara. She scored 21 points in the loss to the Red Knights and give it everything she had until the final whistle. We look forward to seeing what she can do in the AAU season to grab herself a spot in the class of 2025 Freshmen 50. She certainly appears to belong.
Top photo: Zahara Bishop Zahara Bishop 5'10" | CG Benilde-St. Margaret's | 2025 State MN of Richfield