AAU Week 5: The PGH Legacy Classic in Omaha

Week 5 of the 2022 AAU season took us down the road to Omaha, a 400-mile journey to join in the fun at the Prep Girls Hoops Circuit Legacy Classic at the Union Bank and Trust Sports Complex in suburban Elkhorn. Most of the players we evaluated were from across the Midwest, including Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas and Arkansas. There were also five Minnesota teams in competition, four from Air Minnesota in Rochester and one from Minnesota Diamond Elite in the Twin Cities. That’s where we’ll focus our attention here in our recap of Week #5. <strong>MINING FOR DIAMONDS IN NEBRASKA</strong> We’re always on the lookout for hidden gems – it’s at the core of what we do – but I never thought we’d be mining for diamonds in Nebraska. We found several wearing the black and green colors of Minnesota Diamond Elite. Evolved from the former Lady Get Shook program, Richfield-based Diamond Elite has added a great deal of depth to its teams this year. Their 2025s made that clear this weekend. Watch this team for a short time and a few things become obvious real quick: They are loud. They are aggressive. And they believe they can win. The tone is set by freshman <strong>Aeyva Howard</strong>, a feisty 5’6 guard from Robbinsdale Cooper, who may be the loudest player we’ve ever heard on a basketball court. She was vocal from beginning to end, whether it was directing the action on the floor, hollering defensive instructions, attempting to distract opponents, or shouting encouragement from the bench, Howard was using her voice. She’s also got skills! Aayva shared the backcourt much of the time with 5’3 dynamo <strong>Brielle Pankake</strong> of Shakopee, a scrappy guard with quick feet, long arms and plenty of bounce. She did a great job of eluding defenders in heavy traffic, with a nose for a small opening and a great sense of timing of when to take her chance and go. She can score inside and out and is a committed defender. This team is an interesting collection of just eight players, some of whom are having their very first AAU experience. <strong>Elayna Marinaro</strong> of Roseville is a long, athletic wing with a ton of natural ability who plays with passion and can really get up in the air. <strong>Maddie Sobocinski</strong> is a solidly-built guard from Cretin-Derham Hall who offers a versatile skill set and plenty of strength. <strong>Charlotte Clifford</strong> is a big guard from Richfield who joins <strong>Sha’Sariah Works</strong> of Minneapolis Roosevelt and Edina’s <strong>Aniiya Johnson</strong> and <strong>Sarah Olson</strong> in the Diamond Elite backcourt. Together they turned in a series of quality performances in Omaha, showed off their punishing brand of defense, and earned their share of accolades. <strong>AIR MINNESOTA IS PRIMED FOR TAKEOFF</strong> AAU is all about exposure, something that can be elusive for independent clubs trying to gain footing in the youth basketball landscape. Most tournaments are run by bigger programs that are affiliated with shoe companies and long-established circuits. Those teams tend to get the best court placement at events, often leaving the independents to toil in anonymity at a gym across town where few college coaches and scouts dare to venture. That’s why the Prep Girls Hoops Circuit was established – to give those teams new opportunities to shine. Now clubs like Air Minnesota have a bigger stage on which they can prove their worth against similar programs while getting plenty of exposure, both in the gym, on social media and in stories before, during and after the events. This weekend in Omaha there were just six courts, all in one big gym, and it was packed from beginning to end. And there was plenty of media coverage. The only teams that won’t be recognized as much are the ones that didn’t provide roster information as requested. That could be the subject of a whole other article, but we’ll resist the temptation and instead focus on the fact that the PGH Circuit has been just what the doctor order for Air Minnesota. Now they are making the most of it. The Air Minnesota lineup is stronger and deeper than it has ever been, and the action in Omaha made evident. From veteran performers like 2023s <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="339138" first="Ella" last="Kadlec"]</strong> of Rochester Century, <strong>Sydney Cotton</strong> of Grand Meadow and <strong>Mya Walters</strong> of Austin to numerous fresh faces, the Rochester-based program is clearly taking flight. Two weeks ago we told you about rising star <strong>Ajiem Agwa</strong>, a 2025 point guard from Austin, and 2026 prospect <strong>Lalie Scaccio</strong> of Rochester Lourdes. We also mentioned intriguing 2025 forwards <strong>Carmen Kadlec </strong>of Rochester Century and <strong>Lexie Klecker</strong> of Owatonna, both 6-footers. In our recap of Saturday’s action in Omaha we introduced you to 2024 guard <strong>Taylor Ask</strong> of Chatfield. Here are a few more Air Minnesota prospects who impressed at the Legacy Classic. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-422906" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/05/Carsyn-Brady_AirMN23-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" /> <strong>Carsyn Brady – 2024 guard, Owatonna</strong> The uber-athletic, 5’6 guard, who is also an elite distance runner, put on a demonstration in perimeter defense that was truly impressive. Carsyn is wiry strong with super quick feet, very fast hands and a great sense of anticipation that enables her to get a finger or three on the ball in passing lanes on a regular basis. When she gets down in a stance, you know Brady means business. She can also put the ball in the basket as she showed in Omaha. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-422923" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/05/Maryn-Pool_AirMN25-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" /> <strong>Maryn Pool – 2025 guard, Owatonna</strong> Similar to Carsyn’s perimeter prowess, Maryn caught our attention early Saturday morning with her on-ball defense when she used her speed and quickness to force turnovers and create transition baskets on consecutive possessions against Omaha Supreme. We only found out later that Carsyn and Maryn are sisters, and their mom Beth (formerly Peterson) is one of the all-time greats for the Huskies. Who knew?!. The 5’5 Pool handles the ball well, is a good passer, sees the floor and makes sound decisions. Her future appears bright. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-422933" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/05/Betsy-Gillette_AirMN26-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" /> <strong>Betsy Gillette – 2026 guard, Hayfield</strong> Hayfield is a talented program that won 32 games this season and made it all the way to the final four in Class A. Even better, the Vikings’ pipeline includes a number of talented youngsters on the way up, including Gillette. The 5’10 guard is a powerfully built 8th grader who is physically advanced beyond most of her peers and plays with a quiet, calm confidence you rarely see from young players. Betsy can play fast, almost always has her head up, makes intelligent plays, uses her size wisely and she can score the basketball. <strong>Jensyn Storhoff – 2026 guard, Lanesboro</strong> Jensyn is a quality guard from Lanesboro, that bucolic little tourist village located 45 miles southeast of Rochester on the Root River. I’ve been there to cycle and kayak and dine al fresco, but I’ve never travelled to Lanesboro to scout a player. That’s about to change because Jensyn is a talent worth making a trip for. The three-sport athlete is quick, confident and all business on the court. She plays with a high degree of intensity and focus and achieves the results you’d expect from that approach. This was our first up-close view of Storhoff’s game and she left us wanting more. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-422941" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/05/Kloey-Koltegaard_AirMN25-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" /> <strong>Kloey Holtegaard – 2025 forward, Rochester Mayo</strong> At 5’10 with a big frame, Kloey has the kind of dimensions that will make her a solid power forward over the next few seasons at Mayo. If she puts in the work to develop her skills and get a little quicker, Kloey has the potential to do some good things beyond that. Holtegard has broad shoulders and strong legs, and she can get up and down the floor. We saw her knock down a couple shots from distance with a smooth stroke, as well. We liked the simplicity of Kloey’s game which will serve her well as she hones her skills and adds to her toolbox. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/05/Kiru-Orthow_AirMN24-scaled-crop-1217x800-1651553304.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-422960" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/05/Kiru-Orthow_AirMN24-scaled-crop-1217x800-1651553304-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> <strong>Kiru Othow – 2024 forward, Austin</strong> The one Air player who perhaps intrigued us the most this weekend probably played the least number minutes when we watched. That would be Kiru Othow, a very gifted 6-footer from Austin whose game has a long ways to go but whose potential is far-reaching. Kiru is the younger sister of Austin great Agwa Nywesh, a former star in the Packers boys program who helped put the town back on Minnesota’s basketball map. Right now Othow’s best assets are her remarkable shot-blocking ability and her back-to-the-basket skills. She is much-improved over the past year, however, and her ceiling is high. Put the name in your memory bank and check back in a few months. Don't be surprised if Othow has a breakout season this winter.