2024 rankings update: Meet the newcomers
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One of the most exciting aspects of the selection process for the Prep Girls Hoops prospect rankings is determining which new players will make the grade when a particular class is updated. This month’s remake of the Class of 2024…
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Continue ReadingOne of the most exciting aspects of the selection process for the Prep Girls Hoops prospect rankings is determining which new players will make the grade when a particular class is updated. This month’s remake of the Class of 2024 was no exception. A total of 27 newcomers find their names on the list for the first time, including a remarkable 10 who landed in the Top 100. Three of those players made it into the Top 40, including an athlete returning from knee surgery – Trinity Wilson Trinity Wilson 6'3" | PF Lakeville North | 2024 State MN of Lakeville North – and two transfers whose families moved to Minnesota this year – Zoe Best Zoe Best 5'10" | SF Incarnate Word Academy | 2024 State MO of Minnehaha Academy and Jocelyn Land Jocelyn Land 6'0" | PF Holy Family | 2024 State MN of Holy Family. Here’s a rundown on the five highest-ranked newcomers along with the other 22 fresh faces.
THE TOP 5 FRESH FACES
#24 – Trinity Wilson Trinity Wilson 6'3" | PF Lakeville North | 2024 State MN – center, Lakeville North
Post players always seem to be in short supply, particularly those standing 6’3 and coming from solid basketball pedigree. Trinity, whose mom Brenda won a national collegiate championship at UConn, has both of those assets. Wilson eased her way back into basketball this summer after undergoing knee surgery to correct a congenital condition. She was a little tentative back in June but this fall Wilson has improved every week while demonstrating a world of potential. Trinity has a big body, light feet and no shortage of athleticism, all of which enables her to control the game down low at both ends of the floor. She rebounds well and scores on a ton of put-backs. As Trinity’s confidence grows, and her level of aggressiveness rises, she has the potential to be a Top 10 player in the class.
#34 – Zoe Best Zoe Best 5'10" | SF Incarnate Word Academy | 2024 State MO – guard, Minnehaha Academy
Minnehaha Academy coach Matt Pryor has no shortage of talent at his disposal, including the newcomer from Ankeny, Iowa. We watched Aaliyah all summer with North Tartan Elite, and we have been paying close attention to her this fall at AAU tryouts, the Prep Girls Hoops Top 250 Expo and in the Breakdown Fall League. Al-Hameed continues to impress and the 5’7 guard’s potential to be successful at the next level keeps growing. She is constantly on the attack and does a great job of getting to the rim with a quick first step and a strong body. She knows how to create space for herself and is really physical, resulting in a ton of contact and lots of free throw opportunities. She can also shoot it from long-distance. That’s a healthy combination for an athletic guard. Al-Hameed has shown a lot in her short time in Minnesota and she’s only just getting started.
#38 – Jocelyn Land Jocelyn Land 6'0" | PF Holy Family | 2024 State MN – forward, Holy Family
Our first glimpse of Jocelyn came on opening day of North Tartan’s fall workouts, a tryout setting where players come to display their wares in hopes of catching on with a top AAU team for next summer. Let’s just say Land made a great first impression. In the end she committed to play for Metro Stars next season and they will be very happy she did. Standing 6 feet tall with plenty of length, Jocelyn has a sizeable body that has college basketball written all over it. She’s strong and physical and uber-aggressive. She can defend, rebound and score. Land moved to Minnesota from Vermont where she had drawn plenty of headlines for her superior play. This winter we’ll find out if she can do the same here. It has certainly looked like it this fall. When she is in full flight I don’t think there are very many players in 2A basketball who are going to have any answers. She’s still fairly raw but Land’s natural tools make her a clear-cut scholarship prospect.
#70 – Mariah Pates Mariah Pates 6'2" | SF Champlin Park | 2024 State MN – forward, Champlin Park
Mariah is one of the longest players in the class at 6’1 with arms that go from here to there and back again. At the recent Jr All-Star Featured 40 event they measured players in a variety of ways and Pates had the second-highest vertical reach (96.5 inches) and second-longest wingspan (74.5). The good news is Mariah knows how to put all of that length to good use. As a quality stretch 4 she is equally good inside and out. She can post up effectively, beat defenders one-on-one to score off the bounce through contact, as well as bury shots from long distance. Not surprisingly Pates is also a very good rebounder and shot blocker. She’s also not afraid of the big moment and had one of her best games of the summer against the top 2024 All-Iowa Attack squad. I’m told she is a student of the game who is committed to continuous improvement. Pates will get her first serious varsity minutes this winter and we’ll be watching with interest.
#81 – Ja’Kahla Craft Ja’Kahla Craft 5'9" | CG STMA | 2024 State MN – guard, St. Michael-Albertville
We watched Ja’Kahla a lot this summer with the Metro Stars and the guard/forward impressed with her physicality and toughness. She is really, really strong, has a big motor and isn’t afraid to bump and bang with opponents of all sizes if that’s what is necessary for her team to be successful. As we saw at the Top 250 Expo, Craft has a quick first step and, as a result, can get to the rim frequently where she knows how to finish with a soft touch. Her mid-range jump shot is solid and she is a streaky shooter who can really get rolling when she’s hot. Ja’Kahla stands about 5’8 or 5’9 but definitely plays bigger than her size. Her offensive rebounding in particular is very good and she can rack up a ton of put-back baskets.
THE OTHER 22 NEWCOMERS
#91 – Evie Schmitz Evie Schmitz 5'7" | PG St. Louis Park | 2024 State MN – guard. St. Louis Park
#96 – Peyton Shaffer Peyton Shaffer 6'0" | SF Stillwater | 2024 MN – forward, Stillwater
#98 – Nora Pederson Nora Pederson 5'7" | SG Mounds Park Academy | 2024 State MN – guard, Mounds Park Academy
#99 – Bailey Klote Bailey Klote 5'10" | SF Century | 2024 State MN – forward, Rochester Century
#100 – Lauren Bengtson Lauren Bengtson 5'8" | CG Cretin-Derham Hall | 2024 State MN – guard, Cretin-Derham Hall
#109 – Olivia Wren Olivia Wren 5'10" | SG Roosevelt | 2024 State MN – guard, Minneapolis Roosevelt
#110 – Jordyn Schmittdiel Jordyn Schmittdiel 5'11" | SF White Bear Lake | 2024 State MN – guard, White Bear Lake
#111 – Ayelishka Teko-Folly Ayelishka Teko-Folly 6'0" | SF Rosemount | 2024 State MN – forward, Rosemount
#112 – Jadyn Spann Jadyn Spann 6'0" | PF Champlin Park | 2024 State MN – forward, Champlin Park
#113 – Janiya Wright Janiya Wright 5'9" | SG Maranantha | 2024 State MN – guard, Benilde-St. Margaret’s
#114 – Gabi Kirchner Gabi Kirchner 6'3" | PF Two Rivers | 2024 State MN – guard, Two Rivers
#115 – Gabby Fors Gabby Fors 5'7" | CG Eastview | 2024 State MN – guard, Lakeville North
#116 – Ava Nebben Ava Nebben 5'9" | CG Monticello | 2024 State MN – guard, Monticello
#117 – Britta DeMar Britta DeMar 5'7" | SG Elk River | 2024 State MN – guard, Elk River
#118 – Leilani Fonoti Leilani Fonoti 5'10" | SG Cloquet | 2024 State MN – guard, Cloquet
#119 – Anna Goodman Anna Goodman 5'5" | PG Lakeville South | 2024 State MN – guard, Lakeville South
#120 – Evie Kompelien Evie Kompelien 5'8" | SG Orono | 2024 State MN – guard, Orono
#121 – Bria Stenstrom Bria Stenstrom 5'5" | PG Mounds View | 2024 State MN – guard, Mounds View
#122 – Chloe Christie Chloe Christie 5'7" | CG Coon Rapids | 2024 MN – guard, Coon Rapids
#123 – Azeri Thiemann Azeri Thiemann 6'0" | SF Rochester Mayo | 2024 State MN – forward, Triton
#124 – Avery Moeller Avery Moeller 5'10" | CG Rosemount | 2024 State MN – guard, Prior Lake
#125 – Sarah Best Sarah Best 5'9" | SG Wayzata | 2024 MN – guard, Wayzata