Players to Watch this Season from Lake Slam: 2024s
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Last weekend everyone stayed in town for the State AAU Prelims, but this weekend was a little lighter with teams traveling again or taking the weekend off to prepare for the State Championships. The AAU season feels like it has…
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Continue ReadingLast weekend everyone stayed in town for the State AAU Prelims, but this weekend was a little lighter with teams traveling again or taking the weekend off to prepare for the State Championships. The AAU season feels like it has been going on forever but in reality, we are only a month into it and have a lot more tournaments to cover. That means girls are just starting to get into their groove and teams are starting to click. I’m looking forward to seeing the growth of these athletes throughout the rest of the summer. Before we know it, the masks will be gone and the big crowds will be back! Look out for these athletes as they continue their AAU journey.
Macy Birkholz – Minnesota Rise 2024 Hulke
Birkholz had her best weekend yet and put on a show, shooting from beyond the arc. In one of the games it seemed as though she hit 5, but with a heat check ended up with 3 against the Minnesota Stars and had a total of 8 threes in the four games. She lets the game come to her, but when she’s on a roll she can put up big numbers. The guard is aggressive on defense and created many turnovers for the other teams. Macy is a pure scorer and had double figures in three of the four games. She helped her team take first in the pool and was the leading scorer for the top division with 41.
Grace Hamdorf – Crossfire Schuck 2024
Hamdorf is a bit of a veteran for a 9th grader. She has played high school ball since 7th grade and plays like it. She is very consistent and I saw her play “her game”, every game. For Crossfire she plays the point guard and sets the pace for the team. The offense usually runs through her and she distributes the ball well. Grace likes to run the floor in transition, and has a nice little eurostep on the fast break. After a rebound she is either looking for an outlet pass to push the ball up or will run out to finish a fast break layup with ease. Although she didn’t hit any threes this weekend, I’ve seen her shoot the ball from beyond the arc on many facets; catch and shoot and off the screen. This weekend she put up 29 points in the four games.
Another standout from Crossfire is her teammate Sarah Best, who can do it all. She is almost positionless with her body structure and skill. She can handle the ball but also strong enough to bang down low and post up on her smaller defender. Her mid-range game is nice, she is always ready to catch and shoot. She doesn’t step outside the arc much but I’ve seen her knock down threes. She impressed me in their last game against the Minnesota Comets putting 12 on the board. While you’re watching those two, also keep an eye out on Bella Sutch a forward for Crossfire who is strong down low and can finish with contact. She cleans up all the boards for the team and plays with energy and effort.
Elisabeth Gadient – Minnesota Fury 2024 Premier
Gadient also had her best tournament of the season, proving she is another top shooter in the class. The two games I watched, she hit 4 threes in each. Hand down man down is her motto. She has a quick first step that she uses to attack the hoop hard and get to the free-throw line. She is a scorer when she gets that confidence going. She ended the tournament with 34 points.
Maddie Ziembiec – Minnesota Metro Stars 2024
Ziembiec has been trending up this AAU season getting better and better each tournament. She is a combo guard that has good length and looks like she will continue to grow. As she gets stronger she will be able to finish inside more. Her biggest strength is behind the arc where she is ready to catch and shoot off the pass. She could be one of those players that averages 3 threes a game, once she works on her craft a little more.
With the depth that Metro Stars has, Daviyana Singleton may slide under the radar but she looks like a player that will get better with maturity and experience. She’s got raw talent and plays with a lot of energy. As a forward she moves around the court a lot on offense, causing her to be a havoc on defense. Singleton attacks the rim great. Once those shots start falling she will be a player to reckon with.