Fall Exclusive Week 3: It’s all fun and games now
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There’s way too much structure in girls basketball – most of the time. Too many set plays, too many over-organized practice sessions and not enough open-gym, run-and-gun, come-what-may hooping for hooping’s sake. That’s what makes the Fall Exclusive so much fun, a fact that was reinforced on Friday night at Bloomington Kennedy as week three of the Prep Girls Hoops/Jr All Star event took place. With a single session more to go this week, one thing is abundantly clear: everyone is having a ton of fun.
The Fall Exclusive was developed last year because there was no high school basketball on the horizon due to the uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic. There were no fall sports scheduled, either. The goal was simply to give the kids an opportunity to keep playing. The four-week event turned out to be extremely popular. This year, with fall sports in full swing, there aren’t quite as many players, and some of the bigger names in the state are busy with their “other” sports. For the 100+ kids who signed up, however, the Fall Exclusive has been a blast.
One of the things that makes it great is just how loosey-goosey everything is. There’s coaching, but not too much. The outcome of the games matters, but not too much. The referees are even laxer than usual, but not too much. We’ve got 6th graders playing with 9th graders, and 5-footers playing with 6-footers, and small-town kids going at it with top prospects from the big 4A programs, and it’s all good. Really we’re just kind of making it up as we go and I’m all in for that.
As a result we have seen some really entertaining basketball. The kids are playing incredibly hard. Like last year, a number of players have shown us much more than what we see from them in a more-structured environment. Like last year, some fresh faces have come out of nowhere to make a solid impression. We’ve seen who can adapt quickly to new teammates and a new environment, and it has been pretty obvious which players like to share the ball and which players like it less. And the compete level of some kids just sets them apart. For example…
FRESH FACES MAKING AN IMPRESSION
Nora Pederson Nora Pederson 5'7" | SG Mounds Park Academy | 2024 State MN – The 5’7 point guard from Mounds Park Academy (photo) is very skilled and utterly fearless, and has clearly demonstrated that she belongs in the 2024 Top 100 or higher.
Jazmin Daing – The uber-athletic 7th grade guard from Rochester John Marshall has super-light feet, elite quickness, and an ease of motion that makes it all look so natural. Definitely a high-end prospect in the making.
Lakyn Donnelly – The gritty little guard from the Fargo area is only a 6th grader but she certainly doesn’t play like it. This kid has handles and court vision and quickness and spunk and we like all of it.
PLAYERS THRIVING WITH LESS STRUCTURE
Shannon Fornshell Shannon Fornshell 6'1" | SF Wayzata | 2023 State MN – The 6’1 junior forward from Wayzata is clearly having fun in this format. She’s taking more chances, showing more moves, making big plays and is overflowing with confidence.
Evie Schmitz Evie Schmitz 5'7" | PG St. Louis Park | 2024 State MN – The 2024 point guard from St. Louis Park was made for the playground and she loves the wide-open nature of pickup-style basketball. We’ve loved watching her, too.
Sidney Klauer Sidney Klauer 5'7" | CG East Ridge | 2024 State MN – The 5’7 guard from East Ridge is currently ranked #61 in the Class of 2024. At the Fall Exclusive she has looked like a Top 25 prospect three weeks in a row.
PLAYERS WHO SHARE THE BALL BEST
Alyssa Baranick – The crafty little 2025 point guard from Maple Grove (photo) made an impression on us last year and she is showing tremendous growth in her game and execution this time around.
Kate Holmquist Kate Holmquist 5'7" | PG Maple Grove | 2026 State MN – The 2026 point guard from Maple Grove has been off-the-charts good over the past three weeks. You could make a case she’s been the premier performer in the event.
Chloe Johnson – Chloe’s reputation precedes her, and the 2028 point guard who will eventually play at Duluth Marshall is proving that every single one of the many accolades has been earned.
PLAYERS WHO HAVE ADAPTED QUICKLY
Vienna Murray – The 2026 guard from Tartan is quickly establishing herself as a leading light among the 8th grade class. At 5’10 she’s long and smooth and crafty, and her ceiling is growing by the week.
Mya Wilson – The 5’10 7th grader from Mahtomedi is making a case that she is the best prospect in the Class of 2027. Everyone who has watched her play live or online seems to be impressed.
Addie Hanna Addie Hanna 5'6" | PG Maple Grove | 2025 State MN , Bella Hanna, Lexi Hanna Lexi Hanna 5'9" | SG Maple Grove | 2025 State MN – We intentionally separated the Hanna triplets from Maple Grove for this event because we wanted to see what they could do flying solo. All three Top 50 freshmen have adapted beautifully.
PLAYERS WHO NEVER STOP WORKING
Ella Kletti Ella Kletti 5'5" | CG Mahtomedi | 2024 State MN – The feisty guard from Mahtomedi (photo) earned a spot in the 2024 rankings through sheer grit and determination and she is showing no signs of dialing it down on the ferocity meter.
Avery Moeller Avery Moeller 5'10" | CG Rosemount | 2024 State MN – We love players who grind it out from start to finish and the 2024 guard from Prior Lake has demonstrated that she will compete to the bitter end come what may.
Rae Ehrman Rae Ehrman 5'9" | SF Eden Prairie | 2025 State MN – We fell in love with Rae’s game at last year’s Fall Exclusive when she made it obvious there wasn’t a rebound she couldn’t get or a 50-50 ball she wouldn’t pursue. We’re more impressed than ever in this Top-20 freshman.
FAMILY FEUDIN’ ON FRIDAY NIGHT
There’s nothing quite like a little semi-friendly sister vs sister competition to liven up the proceedings. We love it every time we see the twins from Cambridge-Isanti – Maraya Wiltrout Maraya Wiltrout 6'2" | PF Cambridge-Isanti | 2023 State MN and Evelyn Wiltrout Evelyn Wiltrout 6'1" | PF Cambridge-Isanti | 2023 State MN – go head-to-head. When the twins form Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart – Rachel Kottke Rachel Kottke 5'8" | CG Buffalo Lake-H-S | 2024 State MN and Kristi Kottke Kristi Kottke 5'8" | CG Buffalo Lake-H-S | 2024 State MN – are pitted against one another you can be sure the fireworks will fly. And on Friday night we had a new family feud in the final game of the night as big sister Emily Crandall Emily Crandall 5'10" | CG Sartell | 2023 State MN and little sister Greta Crandall of Sartell (top photo) went at it hard. Emily’s credentials are well-established. The 2023 guard is a Top 75 prospect with a reputation as a hard-nosed competitor with quality skills. Greta is a 2025 prospect with a little more length and a little less sandpaper, although you would never have known it during Friday’s encounter. Afterwards they traded plenty of good-natured barbs and paused to pose for a commemorative photo. A good time was had by all and that, my friends, is what the Fall Exclusive is all about.