AAU State Prelims: Best individual performances
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Today’s report reads like a ‘Who’s Who’ of Minnesota basketball, which should not be surprising. Given that every elite club team in Minnesota was represented at this past weekend’s AAU State Prelims, and pretty much every top college prospect in…
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Continue ReadingToday’s report reads like a ‘Who’s Who’ of Minnesota basketball, which should not be surprising. Given that every elite club team in Minnesota was represented at this past weekend’s AAU State Prelims, and pretty much every top college prospect in the state took part, it makes sense that the best individual performances would be turned in by some of the state’s very best players.
Of course, we didn’t get to see as many prospects play as we would have liked. At both the State Prelims and the AAU State Tournament, the favorites are usually clustered at one location. This weekend we were at Jefferson High School in Bloomington because that’s where the premier teams and players were. While there were more than 250 games played across the four age groups we cover – grades 8 through 11, classes 2025 through 2022 – we watched about 20 complete contests. Although I’m certain there were some terrific individual performances at the other venues, our selections here are exclusively from players we saw live.
Class of 2022
Mara Braun Mara Braun 5'11" | CG Wayzata | 2022 State #21 Nation MN – The North Tartan 2022 EYBL guard from Wayzata is no stranger to big performances in big moments. The #2-ranked junior in the state averaged 10 points per game over the weekend, but she put up 16 when it mattered most in a win over Metro Stars 2022 3SSB to earn the top seed for the upcoming State Tournament. Braun, who has committed to the University of Minnesota, was stellar.
Amaya Battle Amaya Battle 5'10" | PG Hopkins | 2022 State #29 Nation MN – Ranked #3 in her class, the Hopkins junior scored 21 points against Minnesota Fury 2022 UAA to help her Metro Stars 2022 3SSB earn a shot at the #1 seed. With the game hanging in the balance late in the second half, Battle seized control and directed her team to the victory. Amaya, who is one of the state’s very best guards, averaged 11.5 ppg over four games.
Mallory Heyer Mallory Heyer 6'1" | PF Chaska | 2022 State #36 Nation MN – The University of Minnesota commit from Chaska is coming off an amazing high school season during which she earned honors as the Prep Girls Hoops Class AAAA Player of the Year. Mallory hasn’t missed a beat since the AAU season began. The #4-ranked junior scored 16 points against the Metro Stars and averaged 11 per game at the Prelims.
Ellie Colbeck Ellie Colbeck 5'9" | PG Fergus Falls | 2022 State MN – The junior from Fergus Falls took a big step up in AAU competition this year by joining North Tartan 2022 EYBL, but it has taken her no time at all to prove she can compete with top AAU opponents. The South Dakota State commit, ranked #12 in the Class of 2022, was outstanding all weekend and averaged nearly 12 points per game.
Class of 2023
Taylor Woodson Taylor Woodson 6'0" | PF Hopkins | 2023 State #28 Nation MN – Woodson is a force to be reckoned with, having a unique combination of power, speed and skill. That’s why she is the #2-rated prospect in the Prep Girls Hoops Class of 2023. Taylor was crucial to the success of Metro Stars 2022 3SSB this weekend. She was in double figures in three out of the four games, including 15 in a Friday night win over North Tartan 2022 Elite.
Kennedy Sanders Kennedy Sanders 5'8" | CG Chaska | 2023 State MN – There’s a reason Kennedy is the #4 prospect in the Class of 2023. Her skill, savvy and swagger were all on full display at the Prelims as the Chaska point guard was once again the engine that drove Minnesota Fury 2023 UAA. Sanders opened the event with 17 points on Friday against Comets 2023 Elite, followed with 19 against Metro Stars 2023 3SSB and 22 versus North Tartan 2022 EYBL.
Maren Westin Maren Westin 5'8" | CG Becker | 2023 State MN – Maren is an amazing athlete who can do things on a basketball court that most players cannot even conceive of. That was particularly obvious Saturday when North Tartan 2023 EYBL handed the Fury’s top sophomores a very rare defeat. Westin scored 16 points in the game, nailing shots from the outside and scoring on spectacular drives to the rim. It was impressive and entertaining, too.
Molly Lenz Molly Lenz 5'8" | CG Eden Prairie | 2023 State MN – While Westin was bringing people out of their seats, the #7-ranked Lenz was very quietly directing North Tartan’s offensive attack by employing her exceptional ball-handling skills, superior strength and innate ability to see what needs to be seen and do what needs to be done. The Eden Prairie sophomore has emerged as a standout point guard prospect who consistently delivers.
Class of 2024
Olivia Olson Olivia Olson 6'1" | CG Benilde-SM | 2024 State MN – The uber-talented guard from Minnesota Fury 2024 UAA is well worth the price of admission, and she’s going to be one of the preeminent players in the country in her class. We saw the #1-ranked prospect among Minnesota freshman score 18 points in a win over Fury 2024 Premier and 21 against North Tartan 2024 Nike. She averaged 15 ppg at the Prelims and was dominant throughout.
Class of 2026
Tori Oehrlein Tori Oehrlein 5'10" | CG Crosby-Ironton | 2026 State MN – There is hardly a game that goes by where the 7th grader from Crosby-Ironton doesn’t impress. We started our weekend off by watching Tori and her Minnesota Suns 2024 Blue Star teammates on Friday night. Although Claire Stern Claire Stern 6'0" | SF Maple Grove | 2024 State MN of Maple Grove scored 24 and Nicole Maenke Nicole Maenke 5'10" | CG Shakopee | 2024 State MN of Shakopee had 18, it was once again Tori who did all of the little things that lead to victory.