AAU Tryouts: The 5 most improved players we've seen

With the next AAU season still more than six months away it’s not easy to project who will get a lot better over the course of the winter in time to make a bigger impact next spring. What we’ve seen over the past four weeks since AAU tryout season began, however, are a number of players – some well-known, others a little under the radar – who have already made great progress since the AAU season ended. Today we bring you five players whose improvement has stood out the most. We have been to nearly 20 workouts in August for a variety of clubs, including the Minnesota Stars, North Tartan, the Minnesota Fury, Crossfire, Minnesota Suns, the Metro Stars and Minnesota Rise. We’ll visit the Comets next month and a couple others as well. Viewing tryouts can be a little sensitive since AAU clubs are very competitive when it comes to recruiting talent at this time of year and players often prefer to keep their team shopping on the down low. We understand that and respect the process and we’re grateful to the clubs for allowing us to do evaluations during their workouts. That’s why we won’t tell you specifically where we saw these athletes in August, or what team they were trying out for. That information will come out gradually as next year’s rosters are finalized. There is a lot of very interesting player movement taking place but we’ll save that for later when the hard decisions have been made. Here are the 5 most improved players we’ve seen in August. [player_tooltip player_id="302286" first="Audrey" last="Jakway"] – 2023 forward, Mounds Park Academy It’s no secret: The more work you put in the better you get. When I see a player show up at every club’s workouts, come to every showcase, take every possible opportunity to compete, I pay attention because you just know there will be results to show for it down the road. We’ve certainly seen it in the past with players like [player_tooltip player_id="147458" first="Kyla" last="Overskei"] of Maple Grove and [player_tooltip player_id="30162" first="Mikayla" last="Aumer"] Cambridge-Isanti, for example, whose labor has grown great fruit. Now we’re seeing it with Audrey, a 6-footer whose game is night and day beyond where it was a year ago. Jakway, who played for Minnesota Stars DeSart this summer, is currently ranked #149 in the class having entered the list in June. A few days ago I watched her go head-to-head for about 15 or 20 minutes with one of the very best 2023 power forwards (a surefire D1 prospect) and Audrey more than held her own. It was impressive. Every aspect of her game has improved, from her ability to post up and execute a smooth drop step, pull off a nice step-back jump shot or make buckets from distance, or beat defenders one-on-one on her way to the rim. The next rankings update will definitely reflect her efforts. Jessica Oberlander – 2023 forward, Wayzata Confidence is a fickle thing. It can come and go, wax and wane, and it can make the difference between success and failure. Watching Jess at tryouts over the past few weeks I’m guessing her confidence has been boosted. A lot. The results speak for themselves. Oberlander may turn out to be a classic late-blooming big. She’s pushing 6’3, with plenty of length, a great work ethic, and the potential to be a scholarship-level stretch 4. Oberlander is active and mobile and quicker than you’d expect. She’s a high-quality athlete with scads of natural ability and a ton of potential, but she plays at Wayzata where the talent pool runs exceptionally deep and it can take some time to earn your way into the rotation. From what we’ve seen over the past few weeks, however, I’d put money on it right now that even in a lineup that features elite forwards like [player_tooltip player_id="108312" first="Abby" last="Krzewinski"] and [player_tooltip player_id="148340" first="Shannon" last="Fornshell"], new coach Julie Stewart will find a way to get Jess on the floor this winter. Once Oberlander gains varsity experience, and spends next summer with North Tartan, the recruiters will no doubt come calling. Trinity Wilson – 2024 forward, Lakeville North Speaking of bigs, we’ve seen a lot of great stuff from Trinity over the past few weeks. We’ve been waiting for her to work her way back to health after undergoing knee surgery to correct a congenital issue. Wilson eased her way back into the lineup with Fury 2024 Premier, at first playing limited minutes and gradually increasing her contribution. Now it’s really starting to come together and Wilson looks better every time we see her. At 6’2, with a huge body, pretty light feet and a healthy dose of athleticism, Trinity is obviously a player who will get every opportunity to show what she can do. She did enough over the past few weeks to earn a spot on North Tartan’s EYBL squad thanks to a surprise opening. Big things are expected of her in Lakeville this winter, as well. Wilson’s conditioning has improved and she has excellent skills for a player of her size. If she gets position on you down low it’s over. After putting in the rehab work to get back on the floor and get in better shape, she has earned her way into the conversation as one of the best bigs in the Class of 2024. Addy Kath – 2025 guard, Minnewaska North Tartan’s 2025 Elite team was a little under the radar this summer – we’ll accept some responsibility for that – but the squad was not without talent. Certainly Stella Timmins from St. Anthony Village has caught our attention as did Cierra Kortan of Sauk Centre, who was offensively productive on a regular basis. There are other prospects in the group who we’ll be covering in due course. Throughout the August tryouts, however, the one player who has really stood out is Kath, a three-sport athlete from Minnewaska. The 5’11 freshman is a work in progress but the raw material is outstanding, the effort consistent, and her progress is exciting. Addy is a terrific rebounder who crashes the boards hard and has excellent timing and anticipation. She is a very good defender with nice length who can contest, disrupt and block shots with high frequency. On offense she gets to the basket in multiple ways and has no difficulty creating her own opportunities. She is constantly in attack mode and is now playing more under control and finishing with a softer touch around the rim. Combined with improved shooting from mid-range and outside, Kath is on her way to becoming a complete package. It’s an evolution worth watching. Haylie Jerde – 2024 Guard, Cambridge-Isanti When a player decides to take the summer off from AAU to work on skill development I am always a little bit skeptical, and the questions are many: Will they really put the work in? Will they be working on the right stuff and getting guidance from the right people? Will a lost summer of competition be a detriment to the player’s development. In the case of Jerde, the answers are yes, yes, yes, and no. The 5’5 guard has made a huge investment in herself by working out with Aumer, who is her high school teammate, and the rest of the crew at Verve Basketball, a group that includes [player_tooltip player_id="57930" first="Amelia" last="Valentino"], [player_tooltip player_id="304923" first="Ariana" last="Comfort"] and [player_tooltip player_id="252379" first="Addison" last="Mack"]. Jerde has been everywhere in August, attending tryouts for several clubs and making a solid impression wherever she goes. Haylie’s handles have improved a ton and because of it she’s now able to execute well at high tempo, run the floor with pace and move the ball more effectively. Jerde is a natural scorer with a soft touch as well as an outstanding shooter from distance. While her skillset has grown exponentially, what Haylie needs now is game experience. After starting on JV last winter, she should now get quality minutes for the Bluejackets and that’s when the hard work will really pay off. Top photo: 2023 forward [player_tooltip player_id="302286" first="Audrey" last="Jakway"] of Mounds Park Academy