Who raised their stock at the AAU State Prelims?
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There’s no better time to bring your best to the gym than in the biggest tournaments of the year. Last weekend at the State Prelims – the qualifying event for the AAU State Tournament in two weeks – a number…
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Continue ReadingThere’s no better time to bring your best to the gym than in the biggest tournaments of the year. Last weekend at the State Prelims – the qualifying event for the AAU State Tournament in two weeks – a number of quality prospects stepped up and made the most of their opportunity. Here are seven players who raised their stock at the Prelims.
Lauren Arnold Lauren Arnold 5'9" | CG Chanhassen | 2024 State MN – guard, North Tartan 2024 Nike
At perhaps 5’6 or 5’7 with a thin frame, Lauren isn’t about to overpower you so it makes sense that she should take the more cerebral route to success. Lauren has always been crafty, the kind of player who can think her way around the basketball court using her guile and grace to outfox opponents and create scoring opportunities as a result. This weekend the top-50 freshman from Chanhassen took her brainiac approach to a new level and was as important as anyone in North Tartan’s win over a strong Minnesota Fury UAA squad. Arnold is a great passer and excellent facilitator, and she can score in multiple ways. That’s exactly what she did at the Prelims.
Tresa Baumgard Tresa Baumgard 6'0" | PF Chisholm | 2024 State MN – forward, Playmakers North 2024 Showcase
Tresa is pretty much the polar opposite of Arnold. Standing just under 6 feet tall, with long arms, a solid physique and a healthy dose of innate athletic ability, Baumguard looks like a college basketball player. We watched the 2024 top-50 prospect online a number of times this winter and did not see anyone on Chisholm’s list of opponents who could match up with her at that level. This weekend, playing on a much bigger stage against way better competition, Tresa looked every bit as effective . The one aspect I really appreciate in Tresa’s game is her grit: she plays with a bit of an edge that will serve her well going forward. Baumgard has a ways to go in her skill development, but the work has begun and there is plenty of time to do it.
Norah Danielson Norah Danielson 6'0" | SF Delano | 2024 State MN – guard, Minnesota Fury 2024 Premier
It was not the best of weekends for Fury 2024 Premier as a group, but that didn’t stop Norah from making a positive impression on her own. The 5’11 freshman from Delano was probably coach Troy Zeiske’s most consistent performer, not surprising given her status as a top-30 prospect and a quiet team leader. Danielson has a habit of leaving her fingerprints all over a game. It is her length that really stands out. Defensively, Norah’s instinctual ability and physical dimensions enable her to get a hand on the ball with great frequency. She is active and disruptive and plenty quick. Norah is also a solid rebounder and consistent offensive producer. This is a talented player with a very bright future.
Savanah Gardner Savanah Gardner 6'1" | SF Eastview | 2024 State MN – forward, Stars 2024 Amundson
Gardner is one of the most intriguing young prospects in the state. Last summer we saw flashes of greatness from the Eastview forward. When she is dialed in, Savanah is very, very difficult to contain. She’s long and athletic, has great leaping ability and excellent body control. Friday night we watched Gardner play the very best game we have seen from her to date. She was so much more physical and more assertive than in the past, and the fire within was burning very brightly. Gardner put up 16 points against Suns 2024 Blue Star and was a force all over the court. We have Savanah listed at 5’10 but it looks like she has grown some lately. If the #32-rated freshman delivers more of what we saw on Friday she will no doubt be trending upward in the future.
Nicole Maenke Nicole Maenke 5'10" | CG Shakopee | 2024 State MN – guard, Suns 2024 Blue Star
Heading into the weekend it was not even certain if Nicole would be able to participate at the State Prelims. The 5’9 combo guard from Shakopee had tweaked her knee in Milwaukee, sat out a couple of games, and was quite limited last week in practice. Then she showed up Friday night at Bloomington Jefferson and, along with her teammate Claire Stern Claire Stern 6'0" | SF Maple Grove | 2024 State MN , turned in a dominant performance. Maenke was everywhere. She looked particularly good scoring on a couple of back-to-back Eurosteps – a move I’m not sure she could have pulled off successfully last summer – and then hit a step-back three as if to add an exclamation point. Nicole’s confidence level continues to rise. Currently ranked #26, Maenke seems to have that certain ‘it’ factor that can propel a player to higher heights than most would expect.
Alaya Carter – guard, The City 2025 Black
The City 2025 Black is a very talented group with a lot of really interesting prospects. Guards Aneisha Scott and London Harris London Harris 5'9" | CG Hopkins | 2025 State MN of DeLaSalle, along with Maliyah White of Maranatha, have already garnered plenty of attention. When we watched these 8th graders over the weekend, however, it was Carter who stood above the rest. Alaya plays at Prior Lake where she had a very good winter at the JV level. She’s smooth, with quality handles and the ability to get up and down the floor in high gear. Carter is a very natural player with a nice feel for the game, but it is her shooting that is the difference-maker for me. Although she’s a bit streaky, Alaya can flat out knock them down and look good doing it. We haven’t ranked the 2025s yet but Carter made a strong case for herself at the Prelims.
Abby Hoselton – forward, North Tartan 2025 Nike
Abby has been playing AAU basketball for about a month. After a strong 8th grade season on varsity at St. Michael-Albertville, Hoselton immediately dove into the deep end with North Tartan 2025 Nike. Coached by Ashley Ellis-Milan, it is an elite group that includes the likes of Addison Mack Addison Mack 5'9" | PG Minnehaha Academy | 2025 State MN , Bree Bowman, Tori Schlagel Tori Schlagel 5'9" | CG Eden Prairie | 2025 State MN and more. That’s heady company for someone who has never played AAU before. Watching Abby at the Prelims it’s difficult to describe for you just how far she has come over the past few weeks. Hoselton has a big body, and she’s not afraid to use her strength and size to bang for position and garner big rebounds. She’s also got skills. Hoselton posted consecutive games of 12, 9, 12 and 11 points against strong competition. Clearly, Abby is on her way and we’re excited to see where she’s going.