Fall League Week 4: Andover’s Fab 4 and so much more

Blake Nichols is all in. The coach of the Andover Huskies, who is a familiar face in AAU circles with the Minnesota Fury, is heavily invested in the success of his young team. He has put in a ton of work helping his squad get better and his significant investment of time and energy may be about to pay off. The play of the Huskies was one of the highlights of the day Sunday at week four of Breakdown Fall League. We were at the Bloomington Kennedy site we watched a variety of teams in action, including Robbinsdale Cooper, Park Center, Rogers, DeLaSalle, Maranatha, Eastview and St. Paul Como Park. Here are the highlights of the day. <strong>TEAM OF THE WEEK</strong> Andover finished last season with a record of just 7-14 and then graduated three key pieces in [player_tooltip player_id="146174" first="Annie" last="Feine"], [player_tooltip player_id="146168" first="Alyssa" last="Gerth"] and [player_tooltip player_id="57142" first="Kylie" last="Scowcroft"]. That’s hardly the typical recipe for optimism entering a new year. For the Huskies, however, it could be just what the doctor ordered as the team attempts to raise its play to a loftier level. That’s because the new nucleus – a group of four outstanding sophomores we have been following for a long time now – has clearly taken center stage. This is the quartet in question: <ul> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="215970" first="Morgan" last="Miller"] – A 6’2 forward ranked #21 in the class, Miller has evolved into a sure-thing D1 talent and has the offers to show for it. She’s an athletic performer who is getting better every day.</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="178261" first="Piper" last="Engelby"] – A 5’11 guard/wing rated #31 among Minnesota sophomores, Piper is a warrior and a versatile contributor who gives everything on every play.</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="178262" first="Emma" last="Frost"] – A 5’10 guard/small forward currently listed at #35 in the prospect rankings, Emma is a tactician with a solid frame and terrific skills</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="304892" first="Anna" last="Vaaler"] – The 5’10 small forward has a ranking of #55. After a sensational summer, the high-motor athlete is about to take a big jump up. She has leaned up, stretched out and gotten so much smoother.</li> </ul> This season Nichols has the good fortune to add a quality senior to the lineup, as well. 5’8 guard [player_tooltip player_id="147469" first="Lexi" last="Imdieke"], who has suited up for North Tartan Elite, moved into the Andover district due to family circumstances and she will almost certainly grab the fifth starting spot. The rotation will also include seniors <strong>Sophie White</strong> and [player_tooltip player_id="109190" first="Jersey" last="Castillo"] along with juniors [player_tooltip player_id="57132" first="Lily" last="Peterson"] and <strong>Kayla Beckman</strong>. On Sunday Andover was on fire. Their ball movement was exceptional. The girls were so in sync, making crisp passes, playing at a high tempo, and finishing their opportunities. It was a lot of fun to watch. The balance of power has shifted in Section 7AAAA now. After a long run of success, Forest Lake is in full-blown rebuild mode as they graduated seven core players. That leaves senior [player_tooltip player_id="109158" first="Greta" last="Krieger"] to keep things moving forward. It also opens the door for Andover to make a run to the state tournament. Cambridge-Isanti, led by North Dakota commit [player_tooltip player_id="30162" first="Mikayla" last="Aumer"], is also in the hunt along with Centennial, which is now in 7AAAA. The Cougars will still be solid, but the graduation of [player_tooltip player_id="29521" first="Jenna" last="Guyer"] (UW-Green Bay) and [player_tooltip player_id="6396" first="Jodi" last="Anderson"] (North Dakota) leaves a notable hole in their lineup. That’s good news for Andover if they continue to play like they did on Sunday. <strong>IN NEW COLORS</strong> Each week at the Breakdown we look for players who are showing up in new colors. This week we saw three, including the aforementioned Imdieke. The other two are senior guard [player_tooltip player_id="109130" first="Selam" last="Maher"], who moves from Hopkins to St. Louis Park, and freshman guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="212488" first="Myah" last="Maull"]</strong>, who goes from Apple Valley to Eastview. Maull is very young but highly talented. She was a bright light on a struggling AV squad last season. At Eastview she joins a talented group of youngsters and will likely be a difference maker for the next four years. Maher is a huge addition for the Orioles. Coming off an ACL injury after battling for playing time at Hopkins, the Smith College commit will get a new lease on life at St. Louis Park where she will be a key piece. <strong>RIVALRY OF THE WEEK</strong> When we saw the match-up we knew we had to be courtside on Sunday for Robbinsdale Cooper versus Park Center. It always seems to be entertaining when the Hawks and Pirates do battle. Both teams play fast. Both teams have great athletes. And both teams bring a contingent of fans who tend to be more vocal than average. That makes for fun basketball viewing, does it not? Although the game was much lower-scoring than previous encounters, it was no less intense. This year’s lineups offer a pair of potentially intriguing match-ups that came to be on the weekend as guard [player_tooltip player_id="148339" first="Bre" last="Frazier"] of Cooper went head-to-head with PC’s [player_tooltip player_id="302295" first="Helen" last="Ben"] while big <strong>Pauline McCarthy</strong> of the Hawks faced uber-talented forward [player_tooltip player_id="302254" first="Vanessa" last="Saidu"] of the Pirates up front. It did not disappoint. Those four will have to have big seasons for their respective teams after graduations left a ton of roster spots up for grabs. Cooper graduated [player_tooltip player_id="109773" first="Jayla" last="Reliford"], [player_tooltip player_id="109740" first="Kierra" last="Wheeler"] and [player_tooltip player_id="57093" first="Andrea" last="Tribble"]. Park Center lost the #1 player in the class of 2021 in [player_tooltip player_id="6389" first="Adalia" last="McKenzie"] (Illinois) along with <strong>Aliyah Wensel</strong> and <strong>Chloe Cink</strong>. It will be interesting to see who’s got next. <strong>PLAYERS TO WATCH</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="304936" first="Madison" last="Malecha"] – 2024 combo guard, Burnsville Madison is a Top 100 prospect among Minnesota sophomores. The 5’10 guard is long and wiry, runs the floor really well, and is fairly bouncy. Her length is a weapon defensively, and she’s got a good idea of where to be on the court and when to be there. Madison got off to a slow start when we watched on Sunday against Fridley before taking off in the second half. The lefty knocked down a shot from distance and that seemed to light her own fire. You’ll find Malecha at the Fall Exclusive playing for the Buckeyes. [player_tooltip player_id="147446" first="Faith" last="Morris"] – 2022 forward, Eastview Faith is a battle-tested veteran on an injury-ravaged squad full of fresh-faced youngsters. On Sunday she played like it. In fact, it is the best we’ve seen from Morris, a 5’11 power forward who has the size, athleticism and mobility to be a force inside and out. We have always liked Faith’s potential but, truth be told, she has been quite inconsistent over the course of her Lightning career. When she’s dialed in, when her confidence is high, when she is moving at pace, Morris looks like a really good long-term prospect. Sunday the Minnesota Stars veteran was dominant. <strong>SQUAD TO SEE</strong> You have to feel for the girls at Rogers. In her five seasons as a member of the varsity team, Top 10 senior and Grand Canyon University commit [player_tooltip player_id="12718" first="Ellie" last="Buzzelle"] has had five head coaches. Last season Patrick Bowlin did a remarkable job at seemingly turning the program around. After starting the campaign 1-8 the Royals won 9 of their next 10 before eventually bowing out in section play to Elk River. Late this summer Bowlin left for a career opportunity that was just too good to pass up as he joined Kevin Borseth’s staff at Division 1 UW-Green Bay. That left the Rogers job open once again. Now former head coach Karlee Anderson, who led the team back when University of South Dakota star <strong>Hannah Sjerven</strong> was the backbone of the team, has stepped into the role again. She can now build on the foundation laid by Bowlin. Sunday I watched the Royals against one of the multiple Wayzata squads participating in Breakdown Fall League. The Royals were without Buzzelle, junior guard [player_tooltip player_id="302287" first="Emily" last="Glass"], and junior post [player_tooltip player_id="108314" first="Katelyn" last="Maciej"], a Top 20 prospect. Nevertheless they did some good stuff led by 2023 Top 10 [player_tooltip player_id="108300" first="Clara" last="Glad"], fresh from a West Coast recruiting trip where she picked up more D1 offers. Those four will be key to the team’s success this season, along with junior <strong>Alexis Moberg</strong> who is out for a little while longer with a patella injury. One other player worth paying attention to is freshman <strong>Chloe Netzinger</strong>, a long, athletic guard who showed very clearly on Sunday that she has the potential to be a future standout. <span style="font-size: 10pt;"><em>Top photo: Freshman <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="212488" first="Myah" last="Maull"]</strong> moves from Apple Valley to Eastview this fall.</em></span>