Winter Rankings Update: 2022 newcomers

We added 16 players to the Prep Girls Hoops Class of 2022 rankings this week as we began the Winter Rankings Update. Some were kids we had missed in the past, either due to lack of exposure or an oversight on our part. Others are athletes who have just improved over time and have now earned their way into the college basketball conversation. All are well-deserving of the opportunity. [caption id="attachment_372618" align="alignnone" width="300"]<img class="wp-image-372618 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/01/Lindsey-Hartman_Buffalo-scaled-e1641427327563-300x234.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="234" /> Hartman[/caption] <strong>THE TOP 6 NEWCOMERS</strong> <strong>#82 –</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="388032" first="Janie" last="Tormanen"] <strong>– 6’0 forward, Menagha (UM-Crookston)</strong> Better late than never. That’s how we feel about the addition of Tormanen to the rankings this time around. Even though there’s only a month or so remaining in her high school career, Janie is far from finished with basketball. She’s moving on to the Division 2 level at the University of Minnesota-Crookston this fall and there’s no doubt in our minds that she will be successful there. She’s big and athletic, with a near-perfect build for the task at hand and the kind of mobility recruiters look for. Janie can run, jump, shoot and score. So why wasn’t she ranked before now? That’s simple: lack of exposure. We just hadn’t been able to see her play up close or often. Happily, we can now say for certain that this girl can play! <strong>#117 –</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="388033" first="Lauren" last="Eckerle"] <strong>– 5’6 guard, White Bear Lake </strong> Lauren is a soccer player who also plays basketball. As well as she has played on the hard courts over the past couple of seasons, however, we simply couldn’t ignore her success and collegiate potential. Even though Eckerle has already committed to play on the pitch for South Dakota State, we believe Lauren deserves the recognition anyway. She is scoring in bunches while leading White Bear Lake to an impressive 14 wins this season. She is the Bears primary ball-handler, runs the offense, ignites the defense and does it all with maximum energy. The feisty guard is also a terrific shooter who plays with an edge. If she changes her mind about the soccer thing there will be plenty of schools ready to talk. <strong> #123 –</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="388034" first="River" last="Landers"] <strong>– 6’0 forward, Grand Meadow (Northwestern-St. Paul)</strong> River is a classic late bloomer. Watching her two or three years ago you could definitely see what was possible. It took some time, however, for all of the pieces of her puzzle to come together to paint the prettiest of pictures. Landers is long, lanky and lean, and she has incredible reach. Much-improved footwork in the paint has enabled her to become a consistent finisher down low while serving as a defensive stopper in the Superlarks’ end of the floor. River can also step outside and knock down threes so she offers the type of versatility contemporary coaches expect out of their 4 spot. Now following in her sister Rio’s footsteps at Northwestern-St. Paul, Landers figures to be a D3 standout. <strong>#128 –</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="388035" first="Amira" last="LaDuke"] <strong>– 5’11 forward, Cass Lake-Bena</strong> When you watch Cass Lake-Bena it’s hard not to focus the majority of your attention on dynamic guard [player_tooltip player_id="223913" first="Taryn" last="Frazer"]. That’s not surprising given all that she can do and the entertaining fashion in which she goes about doing it. Truth be told, though, the play of her friend Amira has just as much to do with the team’s success as Frazer does. LaDuke is turning out to be a classic late bloomer, as well, and she has truly come into her own this season. LaDuke is a double-double machine who recently passed 1,000 career points and is a prolific rebounder. Amira has nice hands, plenty of size, good mobility and the willingness to take and make contact. There are a lot of reasons why CLB has 19 wins and Amira is one of the biggest. <strong>#138 –</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="388036" first="Maddie" last="Young"] <strong>– 5’9 guard, Cloquet</strong> Maddie has been rocking the Northland for a long time now, having earn substantial playing time as a freshman at Cloquet and being a starter every year since. Last year she averaged 16 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists for the Lumberjacks. We don’t have her current numbers but a month ago Maddie passed the 1,000-career points mark. Young is a great floor leader with a high basketball IQ and a well-developed skill set. She is her team’s primary ball-handler and floor leader, a veteran who sees the court and makes quality decisions as a result. Defensively Maddie can guard 1 through 5. This is a player who has put in the work for a long time to become a solid next-level prospect. <strong>#163 –</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="388037" first="Lindsay" last="Hartman"] <strong>– 5’6 guard, Buffalo</strong> If you have been reading our coverage of the recent Breakdown tournaments it will not come as a surprise that we have added Lindsay to the Prep Girls Hoops rankings. It’s something we should have done a long time ago. Hartman is one of the premier stock risers this season, and her abilities have really seemed to blossom under new coach Barb Metcalf. Hartman has great handles, is deceptively quick, and has the ability to create her own space. She is calm and cool under pressure, plays with a high degree of intensity on a consistent basis, and can bury three-pointers from pretty much everywhere. Hartman’s best basketball is ahead of her. Given the right opportunity she will do very well at the next level. [caption id="attachment_338433" align="alignnone" width="300"]<img class="wp-image-338433 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/10/29-Brooklynn-Ver-Steeg.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /> Ver Steeg[/caption] <strong>10 MORE NEW NAMES TO KNOW</strong> Here are 10 more prospects who have been added to the 2022 prospect rankings: #186 – [player_tooltip player_id="388038" first="Nora" last="Arndt"] – 6’0 forward. Minnetonka #187 – [player_tooltip player_id="388039" first="Maryn" last="Pinoniemi"] – 5’7 guard, Menahga #188 – [player_tooltip player_id="388040" first="Rosie" last="Anderson"] – 6’2 forward, Moorhead (Valley City State) #189 – [player_tooltip player_id="339133" first="Brooklynn" last="Ver Steeg"] – 5’5 guard, Luverne #190 – [player_tooltip player_id="388041" first="Megan" last="Salgado"] – 5’5 guard, New Life Academy #191– [player_tooltip player_id="388042" first="Abby" last="Ruhland"] – 5’9 guard, Lakeville North #192 – [player_tooltip player_id="388043" first="Maddy" last="Wulkan"] – 5’4 guard, Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart #193– [player_tooltip player_id="388044" first="Kristine" last="Biniek"] – 5’6 guard, Upsala (Dakota State) #194 – [player_tooltip player_id="388045" first="Jenna" last="Ritzer"] – 5’11 forward, East Ridge #195 – [player_tooltip player_id="388046" first="Laila" last="Monroe"]  – 5’8 forward, Duluth Marshall