2024 rankings update: The Top 20 gets a makeover

There is no debating about who the top two prospects are in the Prep Girls Hoops Class of 2024. It’s easy when the #1 prospect – 6’1 guard [player_tooltip player_id="177728" first="Olivia" last="Olson"] of Benilde-St. Margaret’s – holds the top position in the entire country and the #2, 5’8 guard [player_tooltip player_id="178269" first="Liv" last="McGill"] of Hopkins, is one of the best in the USA, as well. After that, however, there is plenty to discuss. As we worked on this rankings update, the conversations were long, the considerations were many, and the assets and liabilities of those involved were debated ad infinitum. The result, in the end, was a significant makeover of Minnesota’s Top 20. With the release of the updated 2024 rankings we have three players who enter the Top 10 for the first time, and four more who have cracked the Top 20. The biggest winners were Maple Grove forward [player_tooltip player_id="215956" first="Claire" last="Stern"] and Mountain Iron-Buhl guard [player_tooltip player_id="178277" first="Jordan" last="Zubich"]. After making it into the Top 20 for the first time last winter, Stern moved up to #14 in June and now rises all the way to #3. Zubich set the AAU circuit on fire this summer. After earning the #33 ranking last winter, Zubich rose to #16 in June – an impressive improvement in and of itself. Now Jordan goes all the way to #7. Also getting into the Top 10 for the first time is crafty combo guard [player_tooltip player_id="215953" first="Marisa" last="Frost"] of Centennial, who elevates two positions to #10. A LOOK AT NEWCOMERS IN THE TOP 10 <img class="wp-image-218044 size-thumbnail alignnone" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2020/10/201023_ClaireStern_1-scaled-e1636651284467-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /> [player_tooltip player_id="215956" first="Claire" last="Stern"] has had an incredible year. At 6’0 with plenty of length, Claire is built for the 3/4 spots at the Division 1 level. She moves extremely well, runs the floor at a high rate of speed, and has the ability to finish at the basket in any number of ways. When she attacks the target hard there are very few players who can match up well. Her compete factor is exceptional. What has improved the most is Claire’s consistency and ability to let go of the misses and mistakes that used to distract her from the task at hand. [caption id="attachment_350759" align="alignnone" width="150"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/11/Jordan-Zubich_UND-crop-654x430-1636650825.jpg"><img class="wp-image-350759 size-thumbnail" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/11/Jordan-Zubich_UND-crop-654x430-1636650825-e1636650907325-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /></a> Photo: <a href="https://x.com/jordanzubich" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a>[/caption] [player_tooltip player_id="178277" first="Jordan" last="Zubich"] has been very good for a very long time. She just hadn’t had the opportunity to prove that on the big stage against better players. This summer she went head-to-head with Olson in one of the most memorable games of the year and Jordan was exceptionally good. That really put her on the D1 radar and Zubich’s phone has been ringing ever since. Most of the coaches now recruiting Jordan probably could not have picked out Mountain Iron on a map of Northern Minnesota six months ago. They’re having no trouble find their way to the Iron Range now. <img class="wp-image-194705 size-thumbnail alignnone" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2020/08/Fury-24-team-e1636651168590-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /> [player_tooltip player_id="215953" first="Marisa" last="Frost"] is one of the sneaky great prospects in the Class of 2024. She is quiet and unassuming off the court. She goes about her business with very little emotion and is seldom distracted from the task at hand. Casual observers might not pay a ton of attention to Marisa. She’s not particularly big. She’s not uber-athletic. But she is one of the smartest guards you’ll find, a surgical tactician who does a little bit of everything well. Ask a fan who played well in a particular game and they’ll probably name three or four players before Marisa. Ask an opposing coach and the response will be something like, “That Frost kid just killed us.” FOUR FRESH FACES IN THE TOP 20 While the improvement for Stern and Zubich has been remarkable, the same can be said about the four individuals who cracked the Top 20 for the first time. Eastview forward [player_tooltip player_id="215973" first="Savanah" last="Gardner"] moves up seven positions to #13 after being #32 last winter. Shakopee forward [player_tooltip player_id="215985" first="Olivia" last="Pawlicki"] went from #44 in February to #28 in June to #14 today. [player_tooltip player_id="215970" first="Morgan" last="Miller"], a 6’2 forward from Andover, rises from #21 to #17. And then there is [player_tooltip player_id="178261" first="Piper" last="Engelby"], also from Andover, who catapults all the way from #32 to #18. <img class="alignnone wp-image-209174 size-thumbnail" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2020/10/104_Savanah-Gardner_1-1-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /> Gardner is a lot like Stern. She has length and speed and touch. She can play any position, guard any position, and be successful in pretty much any role you want to put her in. Like Stern, Gardner’s biggest area of improvement has been in her mental game. <img class="alignnone wp-image-338623 size-thumbnail" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/10/249-Olivia-Pawlicki-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /> A year ago Pawlicki was still adapting to her new-found height. You could see the potential; it was just a matter of time until it all came together. That time is now. Olivia has had an unbelievable rise from intriguing prospect to holder of impressive Division 1 offers. <img class="wp-image-338635 size-thumbnail alignnone" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/10/263-Morgan-Miller-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /> Miller is one of the great success stories of 2021. She has gone from a solid prospect with decent size to a 6’2 forward with rapidly developing skills and vastly improved footwork. Most observers no longer question her speed and quickness but instead marvel at her improvement and effort level. <img class="wp-image-338578 size-thumbnail alignnone" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/10/192-Piper-Engelby-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" /> Piper is the ultimate grinder, a passionate, driven competitor with size and length who gives absolutely everything she has every time she’s on the floor. Engelby is constantly working on skill development, always putting in the time to improve, and leading her team by example. There were two other athletes already in the Top 20 who enter the high school season on a roll, having each improved their ranking within the top group. Athletic guard [player_tooltip player_id="215958" first="Tori" last="McKinney"] of Minnetonka rises one spot to #5 while silky-smooth point guard [player_tooltip player_id="178265" first="Kadence" last="Hesse"] of Sleepy Eye moves up three positions to #16. THE NEW-LOOK TOP 20 Following the makeover the new Prep Girls Hoops 2024 Top 20 looks like this: #1 – [player_tooltip player_id="177728" first="Olivia" last="Olson"] – 6’1 guard, Benilde-St. Margaret’s #2 – [player_tooltip player_id="178269" first="Liv" last="McGill"] – 5’8 guard, Hopkins #3 – [player_tooltip player_id="215956" first="Claire" last="Stern"] – 6’0 forward, Maple Grove #4 – [player_tooltip player_id="178263" first="Laura" last="Hauge"] – 5’9 guard, St. Croix Lutheran #5 – [player_tooltip player_id="215958" first="Tori" last="McKinney"] – 6’1 guard, Minnetonka #6 – [player_tooltip player_id="178260" first="Emma" last="Dasovich"] – 6’1 forward, Minnetonka #7 – [player_tooltip player_id="178277" first="Jordan" last="Zubich"] – 6’0 guard, Mountain Iron-Buhl #8 – [player_tooltip player_id="178272" first="Mikayla" last="Thomas"] – 6’0 forward, Spring Lake Park #9 – [player_tooltip player_id="178270" first="Finley" last="Ohnstad"] – 6’0 forward/wing, Lakeville South #10 – [player_tooltip player_id="215953" first="Marisa" last="Frost"] – 5’7 guard, Centennial #11 – [player_tooltip player_id="178267" first="Rhyan" last="Holmgren"] – 5’9 guard, St. Peter #12 – [player_tooltip player_id="215944" first="Ava" last="Cossette"] – 5’10 guard, Maple Grove #13 – [player_tooltip player_id="215973" first="Savanah" last="Gardner"] – 6’0 forward, Eastview #14 – [player_tooltip player_id="215985" first="Olivia" last="Pawlicki"] – 6’0 forward, Shakopee #15 – [player_tooltip player_id="215957" first="Gabby" last="Betton"] – 5’9 guard, Lakeville North #16 – [player_tooltip player_id="178265" first="Kadence" last="Hesse"] – 5’11 guard, Sleepy Eye #17 – [player_tooltip player_id="215970" first="Morgan" last="Miller"] – 6’2 forward, Andover #18 – [player_tooltip player_id="178261" first="Piper" last="Engelby"] – 5’10 guard, Andover #19 – [player_tooltip player_id="178274" first="Amy" last="Thompson"] – 5’9 guard, Stillwater #20 – [player_tooltip player_id="178268" first="Anisa" last="Longs"] – 5’8 guard, Minneapolis Roosevelt