Meltdown Stock Risers: 2024 & 2025 standouts
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Six months ago Regan Juenemann Regan Juenemann 5'9" | CG Duluth Marshall | 2025 State MN was just a name in a box score to most college basketball coaches. Sure she was putting up points in Northern Minnesota for Duluth…
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Continue ReadingSix months ago Regan Juenemann Regan Juenemann 5'9" | CG Duluth Marshall | 2025 State MN was just a name in a box score to most college basketball coaches. Sure she was putting up points in Northern Minnesota for Duluth East, but the then-8th-grader from Two Harbors was largely an unknown commodity. Things have changed. Last week at the North Tartan Meltdown the 5’9 combo guard had observers buzzing once again just as she has all summer for Starks Elite. That’s why Regan once again is up for recognition, this time as one of the Meltdown’s most impressive stock risers.
Juenemann has that extra something
After last year’s stop-and-start season, and a summer of near-empty gyms, the 2021 AAU campaign turned out to be a barn burner. With the D1 coaches back in the fold during the July viewing period, the volume was turned up even more, and Juenemann was one of the primary beneficiaries of that. Playing two years up on the same team as 2024 Division 1 prospect Jordan Zubich Jordan Zubich 5'11" | SG Mountain Iron-Buhl | 2024 State MN of Mountain Iron-Buhl, Juenemann once again made a positive impression. Juenemann was consistently productive for Dyami Starks’ squad, scoring in double figures through the first three games of the event and making her presence felt all over the floor.
Athleticism matters so much in recruiting. Regan is athletic. So does ball handling and shooting and court presence. Regan has all that, too. Some players just seem to have that extra little something, however, that pushes them up the prospect rankings and into the conversation. That’s Juenemann, who once again made her case at the Meltdown for a spot in the top 25 when the Prep Girls Hoops Class of 2025 is ranked for the first time this fall. She moves this winter to Duluth Marshall.
Ehrman, Winge & Southworth are on the rise
Of course Juenemann wasn’t the only player making her case at the Meltdown. Other 2025 stock risers included:
- Rae Ehrman Rae Ehrman 5'9" | SF Eden Prairie | 2025 State MN of North Tartan 2025 Nike caught the attention of coaches with her relentless approach to the game. She’s got skill and savvy, but it is the Eden Prairie athlete’s motor that makes her special. While Addison Mack Addison Mack 5'9" | PG Minnehaha Academy | 2025 State MN (Minnehaha Academy), Tori Schlagel Tori Schlagel 5'9" | CG Eden Prairie | 2025 State MN (Eden Prairie), Abby Hoselton (St. Michael-Albertville) and others on the squad drew plenty of praise from the sidelines, Ehrman made coaches take note, as well.
- Coach Bill Hinck’s Minnesota Heat squad may not draw as many eyeballs as the 2025s from North Tartan or the Minnesota Fury but the team’s two best prospects continue to make noise. Big guard Gracie Winge Gracie Winge 5'10" | CG Lakeville North | 2025 State MN of Lakeville North has been a force for Heat Hinck all summer. She scored 62 points in five games at the Meltdown while her teammate, dynamic guard Mya Karsten of Fridley, had 48. Both will be big factors in the class.
- Lengthy forward Madelyn Luft of Yellow Medicine County is the one member of Minnesota Rise 2025 who has certainly caught the attention of girls basketball observers this summer, more for her long-term potential than her present-day production. She’s a great prospect. Last week at the Meltdown, however, it was Annika Southworth Annika Southworth 5'8" | PG St. Peter | 2025 State MN who raised her stock. The crafty point guard from St. Peter, whose dad Bob is both her high school coach and coach of the Rise, demonstrated her ability to efficiently run an offense as well as put the ball in the basket. Southworth had 48 points in five games for the Rise while Morgan Hulke of New Ulm had 41 as they led the their group to the 14U Division 2 title.
Finally, here is a name to stash away in your memory bank for future reference: Zoey Biondich. After receiving a tip that she was a player to see, we caught the Eastview guard in action Thursday morning with her Crossfire 2024 Gill teammates at Bloomington Jefferson. We certainly liked what we saw. Zoey is quick and athletic. She has excellent leaping ability which enables her to out-rebound much bigger players. She shoots it well, too, including from long range. Zoey is a little on the small side but as an incoming freshman that could still change.
BEST OF THE 2024 STOCK RISERS
There were some terrific prospects in the gym at the Meltdown from all over the country. That’s why there were so many Division 1 and 2 coaches in attendance. The one player everyone was talking about most, however, was Olivia Olson Olivia Olson 6'1" | CG Benilde-SM | 2024 State MN of Fury 2024 UAA. When the Benilde-St. Margaret’s guard was in action the court was jammed with high-major recruiters and mid-major coaches trying to get in on the Olson sweepstakes, too. They did not go away disappointed as the Team USA selection showed off her grace, athleticism, superior touch and overall skill set that has made her one of the top handful of players nationally among incoming sophomores.
Olivia wasn’t the only player on her team to make an impression. Katie Vasecka Katie Vasecka 6'1" | CG South Dakota | 2024 MN , the former New Prague Trojan now plying her trade in South Dakota, was outstanding. 5th-ranked Mikayla Thomas Mikayla Thomas 5'11" | SF Spring Lake Park | 2024 MN of Spring Lake Park made her presence felt among the D1 crowd as did forward Morgan Miller Morgan Miller 6'2" | PF Andover | 2024 State MN of Andover, whose breakout summer season concluded on a very high note.
Nobody is sleeping on Kadence
We have been chronicling the rise of Kadence Hesse Kadence Hesse 5'10" | PG Sleepy Eye | 2024 State MN from Sleepy Eye for the past two years, and recently moved her into the top 20 in our Prep Girls Hoops Class of 2024 rankings. For many of the coaches in attendance last week at the Meltdown it was their first opportunity to see the Minnesota Rise 2024 point guard live and in person. They were suitably impressed. By week’s end, and again over the weekend in Iowa, the list of interested D1s was growing. Hesse is the alpha dog of Ryan Hulke’s Rise 2024 squad, a gifted floor general who leads pretty much every game in scoring and always seems to make big plays at the right time. Her Sleepy Eye teammate Brea Mertz Brea Mertz 5'10" | PF Sleepy Eye | 2024 State MN had a good week, as well, and mega-motor guard Macy Birkholz Macy Birkholz 5'5" | CG Mankato East | 2024 State MN of Mankato East brought her high-energy game to the party once again.
We watched Southern Minnesota Fury 2024 numerous times over the course of the summer and on every single occasion Taylor Klement Taylor Klement 5'9" | SG Stewartville | 2024 State MN of Stewartville was a major factor. The big guard, ranked #76 in the class, may not have made a significant impact on the Tigers’ varsity just yet but you can bet she will very, very soon. Klement opened the tournament with a 25-point performance against Minnesota Diamond Elite and led all 2024 D2 scorers with 74 points at the Meltdown. Her equally impressive teammate Claire McGregor Claire McGregor 5'7" | CG Maple River | 2024 State MN (#82) of Maple River had 19 in that same Tuesday game and 66 for the tournament. Claire was once again was the spark plug of the SM Fury lineup. The team went 4-1 and finished second in 15U Division 2.
We watched one more 2024 of note on Thursday. That would be Anni Quaas, who is Biondich’s teammate on Crossfire 2024 Gill. Anni is green but growing, and her long-term potential seems noteworthy. Quaas, who plays multiple positions from point to post, offers a nice combination of length, size, speed and quickness. She is an active defender with quick hands. Quaas, who will be a sophomore at Northfield this winter, is also the leading scorer on Johnny Gill’s squad. Anni has a long way to go but the destination will probably be worth the journey.
Top photo: Rae Ehrman Rae Ehrman 5'9" | SF Eden Prairie | 2025 State MN of North Tartan 2025 Nike (Eden Prairie)