Best of Mill City: 2023s who caught our attention
In this article:
It’s not easy for small independent clubs to get attention at big events. It’s not easy for them to get into the right brackets, either, where they can prove themselves and showcase their kids. This week at the Mill City…
Access all of Prep Girls Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingIt’s not easy for small independent clubs to get attention at big events. It’s not easy for them to get into the right brackets, either, where they can prove themselves and showcase their kids. This week at the Mill City Invitational in Chanhassen, Starks Elite did both. The Duluth-based squad didn’t win the tournament, but they did pull off one of the finest near-misses of the summer season. Their top talent also turned some heads. Although it was 2024 guard Jordan Zubich Jordan Zubich 5'11" | SG Mountain Iron-Buhl | 2024 State MN of Mountain Iron-Buhl who drew most of the headlines, 2023 guard/forward Ashlynne Guenther Ashlynne Guenther 5'11" | SF Duluth East | 2023 State MN of Duluth East was turning plenty of heads, as well. That’s why she leads our recap of 2023s who caught our attention at Mill City.
Ashlynne Guenther Ashlynne Guenther 5'11" | SF Duluth East | 2023 State MN – 5’10 guard, Starks Elite (Duluth East)
The big junior-to-be can flat out score the basketball. That has been obvious since she first arrived on the Minnesota girls basketball scene three years ago. Guenther had 40 points on opening night of the high school season this year, and two more 30+ point performances on her way to an average of 21 points per game. It’s one thing to score against Two Harbors, however, and quite another to do it against a squad loaded with Division 1 talent, including one of the premier 2024s in the country. Well, Ashlynne put up 19 against Olivia Olson Olivia Olson 6'1" | CG Benilde-SM | 2024 State MN and Fury 2024 UAA, a game Starks Elite led until the final few seconds when Olson hit a triple to force overtime and another to win it. With plenty of college coaches on hand to watch the Fury’s marquee performers, they got a nice glimpse of what Guenther can do, as well.
Ashlynne has a big frame. She’s strong and mobile and has nice touch around the basket. There is no fear involved when she gets up a head of steam on her way through the paint, where you can expect her to threaten the cylinder regardless of how big or how strong the defenders may be. Guenther can handle the basketball, moves very well for her size, and is pretty smart, too. She also averaged nearly 10 rebounds per game last winter. Add it all up and you can see why Ashlynne is a Top 65 prospect in the Prep Girls Hoops Class of 2023. We’re pretty sure Guenther will be successful in college. It’s just not clear yet what level suits her best.
TWO MORE MILL CITY STANDOUTS
Olivia Walsh Olivia Walsh 5'10" | CG Austin | 2023 State MN – 5’10 guard, Southern Minn. Fury 2022 (Austin)
Olivia has been flying under the radar a little but her blip on the green screen is about to light up big time. Walsh entered the Prep Girls Hoops Class of 2023 rankings for the first time last week, slipping into the Top 150 on the strength of her improved play this spring. If her even-better performance at Mill City is an indication of what lies ahead, however, Walsh will probably be moving northward in a hurry. Playing up one year, Walsh was explosive for Keefe Zelinski’s 2022 Southern Fury squad. She is probably the most athletic player on the team, which enables her to get steals, block shots and force turnovers on a consistent basis. She is a natural slasher with great leaping ability who can finish at the rim with either hand. Olivia understands the game well and can be relied upon to defend top players of all descriptions. Walsh’s shooting, which has been questioned in the past, is much-improved and she’s working to extend her range to the three-point line. Put it altogether and you have a player with plenty of untapped potential.
Annika Anderson Annika Anderson 5'8" | CG Eden Prairie | 2023 State MN – 5’9 guard, Metro Stars Voight 2022 (Eden Prairie)
When Metro Stars 2022 coach Jackie Voight’s team is in desperate need of a bucket there is one place she can turn and expect an on-time delivery on a regular basis. That would be Anderson, an athletic guard who plays fast, goes hard and finishes with a high degree of reliability. Plain and simple, Annika is a scorer. On Wednesday at Mill City she put up 14 points apiece against ND Pro and the Minnesota Rise as the Metro Stars swept their first four opponents. In Thursday’s 17U Green Division championship game, Anderson scored 23 to lead her team to its first title of the season, giving her 63 points for the tournament. Although Anderson’s 3-point shooting may be her strongest asset – she is incredibly consistent beyond the arc – Annika has been using her exceptional acceleration to burn defenders and attack the rim more this year and is finishing well in the process. Anderson, whose motor revs very high, is also a terrific defender that Voight often assigns to guard the other team’s best players and can usually lock them down. She is currently ranked #92 in the 2023 class.
OTHER INCOMING JUNIORS WHO STOOD OUT
Sophi Hall Sophi Hall 6'1" | CG Holy Family | 2023 State MN – 6’1 wing, Fury 2023 UAA (Holy Family)
Minnesota Fury 2023 UAA captured the Gold Division championship at Mill City with a win over Fury 2024 UAA, with Class of 2023 Top 10s Kennedy Sanders Kennedy Sanders 5'8" | CG Chaska | 2023 State MN and Aby Shubert Aby Shubert 5'8" | CG Kasson-Mant. | 2023 State MN leading the way as usual. The pair scored more than 150 points between them, and Shubert’s buzzer-beating three to force overtime vs South Dakota Attack certainly drew a lot of attention. (Kudos to Coach Blake Dudonis for drawing up a sweet play!) One Fury player who really impressed us throughout the event was Hall, whose exceptional length and athleticism was on full display from start to finish. I have no idea how many shots Sophi blocked in total, but every time we watched she was having a good old swat fest at the expense of one opponent or another. Hall is a standout prospect, an elite shooter who can also score off the bounce while also defending at a very high level. Her consistency has improved and she is driven to be the best. Hall currently holds D1 offers and is ranked #16 in the class.
Peyton Stevermer Peyton Stevermer 5'5" | CG Mankato East | 2023 State MN & Brynn Busse Brynn Busse 5'6" | CG G-F-W | 2023 State MN – Minnesota Rise 2023 Wright
Coach Dustin Wright’s Rise team from Southern Minnesota has a lot of college prospects with quality potential, mostly at the D2 and D3 level. #45-ranked Allison Milbrandt Allison Milbrandt 5'10" | SF Buffalo Lake-H-S | 2023 State MN of Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart is probably his best athlete, but she was lost earlier in the year to a torn ACL. 48th ranked Olivia Harazin Olivia Harazin 5'8" | PG LCWM | 2023 State MN of Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial is a scholarship-level candidate who has drawn headlines of late. Although we have to note the performance of Hutchinson’s Savanna Schlueter in the championship game – the scrappy guard nailed six triples in the win – it was the play of Stevermer and Busse that caught our attention throughout the tournament.
Ranked #86, Peyton is a 5’4 guard from Mankato East, where her dad Rob is the head coach. Ranked #78, Brynn is a 5’5 guard from Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop where her dad is also the head coach. Together they form a dynamic backcourt for the Rise. Both players are super quick with terrific handles, great court vision, quick feet and a feisty attitude. The pair are crafty floor generals who are more about brainpower than overpower and the results speak for themselves. They are also a ton of fun to watch.
Top photo: Fury 2023 UAA (in blue) and 2024 UAA (in white) were dominant performers at the Mill City Invitational.