AAU Tryouts: Young guards who have stood out

There are always plenty of plot lines when it comes to analyzing the annual end-of-summer AAU tryout season, and two of them recur just about every day we are in the gym. First, the ‘Who is she?’ question, as in ‘Who is that girl I’ve never seen before capturing my attention on court three?’ And second, the ‘Wow! I didn’t expect to see her here’ statement that translates roughly to, ‘Is (firstname lastname) really leaving the (insert club name here) to play for the (insert club name here)?’ Since we’re not in the business of speculation, and we’re not interested in running a rumor mill, we’ll ignore the latter query and focus on the former. Our goal is to identify fresh faces and rising stars who are likely to make an impact in 2022 and beyond, and to tell you who the top performers have been at AAU tryouts, workouts and open gyms over the past few weeks. Today, in our second installment of tryout reports, we’ve got five young guards who have really stood out. [player_tooltip player_id="205299" first="Ella" last="Kuhlman"] <strong>– 2025 guard, North Branch</strong> It’s not a surprise that Ella has looked good in tryouts. By this point she is a proven commodity with a ton of experience for her age. Kuhlman has been a regular at North Branch for two years already, a big-school program going through a rebuild. She earned her way into the rotation as a gifted 7th grader before making a bigger impact last season, averaging 13.6 ppg, including a high game of 30 against Hinckley-Finlayson. Ella lit it up at our Fall Exclusive last year, as well. Now 5’8 and quickly filling out, she’s got great handles and light feet. She knows how to run an offense, too. We love her court vision, patience and poise. She can also fire the three with a high degree of success. Ella was a member of Fury 2025 Blue this year but now shifts over to the Metro Stars where she’ll have the opportunity to do even more. <strong>Maria Radabaugh – 2026 guard, Roseville</strong> We’ve seen Maria around the gym a lot over the past couple of years, but we haven’t watched her at length or with our lens specifically trained on what she can do. Until now. Other than our ongoing coverage of the super elite performers who have already made an impact on varsity – [player_tooltip player_id="205310" first="Tori" last="Oehrlein"] and [player_tooltip player_id="252381" first="Maddyn" last="Greenway"] to be exact – August marked our first real foray into watching the 2026s with any great focus. Now that we’re paying more attention to this year’s incoming 8th graders it’s obvious that Maria is going to be one to watch in this class. The super quick guard from Fury 2026 Blue is small and thin but wiry. She’s got very light feet and can make her way around the court as rapidly as anyone. She uses those wheels to elude defenders and get to the rim well for her size. What she does best, however, is shoot the three and she does that really, really well. Look for her handles to improve and her body to fill out in the months ahead. <strong>Kate Holmquist – 2026 guard, Maple Grove</strong> Genetics matter. That’s why we always ask questions when we first encounter talented young players. Our nosiness might be bothersome but it’s well-intended. We want to know how tall mom and dad are and if they were high-level athletes. Grandparents matter, too. It’s not a science, of course, but it’s important information when trying to deduce how good a player can be. If I tell you that Kate’s mom Jaime (Pudenz) is one of best point guards to ever play at the University of North Dakota, would that influence your opinion of Kate’s potential? It certainly affects mine! Just watching the younger Holmquist tells us that she is a bulldog – a strong, scrappy, physical point guard with great handles, a warrior’s mentality and a feel for the game. She’s already an outstanding defender who can nullify opponents of all shapes and sizes. Kate will return to North Tartan 2026 Nike next spring and will be a prospect to watch in the Class of 2026. <strong>Avery Douglas – 2026 guard, Swanville</strong> Kuhlman isn’t the only youngster we’ve seen lately who has already made an impact on varsity. Avery is one year younger than Ella and she is already making her mark with the big girls at Class A Swanville northwest of St. Cloud. Watching her closely over the past few weeks it’s not hard to see why. Avery is very skilled with excellent handles and a nice feel for the game. She’s also very athletic and strong for her age, with a stocky build and powerful legs. She’s quick and aggressive and not at all afraid on the floor. As you’ll see if you check out Douglas’ highlights, she can also really shoot it, with great mechanics, a quick release and the ability to get the ball up in the air fast, all really important assets for a small guard. Swanville is a tiny school so the opportunity was there for Avery to step into the action immediately and be a big contributor. She played this summer for the Minnesota Comets. <strong>Audrey Shindelar – 2026 guard, Stewartville</strong> Stewartville just keeps pumping out great basketball players. The Tigers have had so many quality guards come through the program of late, including 2020 graduate [player_tooltip player_id="110906" first="Lily" last="Welch"], 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="57138" first="Maia" last="Peterson"], and 2023s [player_tooltip player_id="148327" first="Haylie" last="Strum"] and [player_tooltip player_id="186114" first="Keeley" last="Steele"] to name a few. Next up is Shindelar, who comes by her rather ample ability honestly. Like Holmquist she has inherited great genetics. Mom, we’re told, played at Northern Colorado. In addition to passing along some helpful DNA it would appear mom has also handed down some skill training and development. Audrey, who is about 5’7 right now, is a terrific ball-handler and a great tactician. She understands pacing and timing well for her age, and has a nice sense of where the ball needs to go and when it needs to go there. She’s quick and crafty and shoots it lights out. Shindelar, who is all business on the floor, plays for Southern Minnesota Fury 2026. <span style="font-size: 10pt;"><em>Top photo: 2025 guard [player_tooltip player_id="205299" first="Ella" last="Kuhlman"] of North Branch</em></span>