Legacy Region Finals: Minnesota stock risers, part 1
We’re all about uncovering hidden talent. Anybody can scout the best of the best – players with Division 1 pedigree practically jump into your lap in the gym – but the goal for Prep Girls Hoops scouts is to seek…
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Continue ReadingWe’re all about uncovering hidden talent. Anybody can scout the best of the best – players with Division 1 pedigree practically jump into your lap in the gym – but the goal for Prep Girls Hoops scouts is to seek out the prospects that haven’t risen to the surface yet. At the PGH Circuit Legacy Region Finals in Wayzata last weekend we found a number of Minnesota prospects on the rise. Here are the first five of 10 we really liked.
Halle Eischens – guard, West Central United 2025
One of the biggest challenges for small-school players who bring their game to AAU is adapting to a deeper pool of teammates and opponents, a higher pace of play and a more physical brand of basketball. Some make the adjustment well, others do not. Some cling to their role as primary ball-handler and scorer while others recognize that they need to do something different for their new team. That’s exactly what the 5’9 guard from Park Rapids has done. On a very talented WCU squad, Halle (top photo) is playing more off the ball, getting more comfortable taking three-point shots, and showing off her high-level passing ability. That’s made the big guard an invaluable asset this spring. At Wayzata she showed us a simple, intelligent approach to the game. She made smart decisions, played with high energy, committed few errors, and offered up a silky smooth shooting motion. West Central coach Brett Smith reports that Halle is the first one in the gym and the last one out, and that level of dedication is paying off.
Sydney Dahl – guard, West Central United 2025
If I told you there was a 6-foot freshman guard/small forward with length, strength, speed and skill over on court X, chances are you’d make a beeline for that location ASAP, wouldn’t you? If, as an added bonus, we informed that she is her team’s most versatile defender who can guard every position on the floor, you’d put it in high gear. Well Sydney is all that and more, which is why she made our 17U All-Tournament Team. She’s long, athletic, and skilled. She can post up or make threes, has a really nice mid-range game and a pretty quick initial step one-on-one. She showed great elevation in one particularly impressive blocked shot, and she plays with a high degree of effort. Here’s the thing: the Minnewaska guard appears to have no idea yet just how good she can actually be. By the way, dad is 6’9 and played college basketball. By our calculations all of that adds up to a scholarship-level prospect which is exactly what Dahl is.
Anna Rynkiewich – guard, Minnesota Diamond Elite 2023
Some 15 years ago it was difficult to get a seat in the gym at St. Paul Central as spectators flocked to see Coach Willie Taylor’s outstanding squads of the 2007-08 era. It’s not quite like that for the Minutemen these days in a struggling St. Paul Conference, which is why a player like Anna can fly under the radar for so long. She was a double-digit scorer in every contest but one for Central this winter, averaging 15 points per game with a season-high of 30. At the Legacy Region Championship, Anna demonstrated clearly that she could produce against quality AAU kids, too. The 5’9 guard used her length, speed, reach and touch to earn All-Tournament Team honors. She can handle the ball, finish at the rim, and can really shoot it. She’s a decisive passer who sees the floor and fires bullets to open teammates. We love Anna’s motor, too, but most of all we were impressed with her grit. Anna will no doubt be entering the Prep Girls Hoops Class of 2023 rankings this month. This weekend she looked like a scholarship-level prospect.
Rebekah Gendler Rebekah Gendler 5'10" | SG Mpls Southwest | 2024 State MN – guard, Minnesota Diamond Elite 2024
I have watched Rebekah off and on over the past couple of years at Minneapolis Southwest, and the sophomore has always struck me as a potential late bloomer we should be keeping an eye on. This weekend we saw Gendler version 2.0, a taller, longer, faster replica who showed clearly just how much her game has grown. Now 5’9, Gendler has developed a nice set of skills. She’s quicker than before, moves laterally better than she did, and isn’t shy about attacking the paint when the opportunity presents itself. Her defensive game has improved a ton, as well, and she was frequently getting deflections and tips on the perimeter. That, more than anything, is why she’s going to move up in the Lakers’ pecking order next winter. Gendler has a high IQ, her shot is improving, she plays hard all the time, and – perhaps most importantly – her confidence is on the rise. Stay tuned because Gendler’s story is just starting to unfold.
Kennedy Schammel – guard, Air Minnesota 2025
When I put my schedule together for any given weekend I try to organize things so I can watch two courts at once. This gives me the opportunity to see more players in a short window of time, although I usually end up paying a lot more attention to one court than the other. That was the situation this weekend at Wayzata when out the corner of my left eye I caught sight of Kennedy busting past a defender with an explosive first step to drive to the hoop and score. That’s impressive for a small guard who is listed at just 5’2 and is the type of move that always grabs our attention. With a stocky build, and those strong tree-trunk legs we so often see on high-level soccer players, Kennedy has plenty of power. She was constantly on attack when we watched, showing the ability to beat defenders one-on-one, absorb plenty of contact, and still manage to get to the intended destination to cash in. The freshman from Owatonna can handle the ball, has a big-time motor, and gets up and down the floor at a high rate of speed.