Unsigned 2023s who raised their stock at the Meltdown

One last chance. For many of the incoming seniors who participated in the North Tartan Meltdown and AAU National Championships this week at Hopkins, that’s what the giant tournament represented. One last chance to play in front of more than 200 college coaches, many of whom still have scholarships to give. No senior from Minnesota drew more attention this week than the #1-rated prospect in the class – the uber-talented guard [player_tooltip player_id=’108299’ first=’Tessa’ last=’Johnson’] of North Tartan EYBL and St. Michael-Albertville. The list of coaches on hand was a Who’s Who of women’s college basketball and many of them had come to the Twin Cities specifically to see Tessa. She did not disappoint. That’s why Johnson leads the way today as we look at unsigned seniors who raised their stock at the Meltdown.   [player_tooltip player_id=’108299’ first=’Tessa’ last=’Johnson’] – guard, North Tartan EYBL (St. Michael-Albertville)   Tessa is what they call a big fish and there are still plenty of coaches casting far and wide to try and land the trophy catch for their program. No wonder. She is smooth, athletic, incredibly skilled and has all of the intangibles you could want in a great collegiate player. She was a terrific prospect entering the summer season but her play on the EYBL circuit has pushed Johnson to a new level. This week she was superb again, scoring 92 points including 26 against Full Package Black and 23 in the championship game. Whoever lands the grand prize in the Class of 2023 is going to be a big winner.   [player_tooltip player_id=’302257’ first=’Taylor’ last=’Johnson’] – forward, North Tartan EYBL (Cannon Falls)   While Tessa has been the backbone of the best North Tartan 17U squad this season, Taylor has been trying to hang with the top dogs and make the most of limited floor time. That’s not surprising. The 6’3 post, who came to the game much later than most quality prospects, accepted a roster spot on the team precisely to develop her game and because of what she could learn in practice playing against the best. Kudos to assistant coach Roger Stippel, who has invested a ton of time and energy to help Taylor improve. It’s starting to pay off. She is enormous, reasonably athletic, and the growth in her game is palpable. Don’t be surprised if she parlays the opportunity into a D1 gig.   [player_tooltip player_id=’108324’ first=’Drew’ last=’Johnston’] – guard, North Tartan EYBL (Roseville)   It’s hard to keep up with all the Johns(t)ons on this squad, but we feel compelled to talk about Drew, as well. She has only been a part of the EYBL squad for a short time now, having been elevated during the AAU season from the North Tartan Elite team. The 5’9 guard has a big motor, knows how to efficiently run an offense, handles the ball very well under pressure and can shoot lights out when she gets rolling. And now Drew has proven that she can do all of that against elite D1 competitors. She is more than capable of playing at that level. We’ll see if the right D1 program can find a spot for her.   [player_tooltip player_id=’186142’ first=’Nicole’ last=’O’Neil’] – guard, Minnesota Fury 2023 Premier (Rosemount)   Speaking of great shooters, how about the job Nicole did this week at the Meltdown. The big guard scored 81 points in the tournament (best in the division) to lead Fury Premier to a record of 5-0 and help her squad win the championship in 17U D2. O’Neil scored 25 against Team Manitoba, 21 versus All Iowa Attack and 17 in the championship game against Starks Elite. O’Neil shot just under 50% from beyond the arc for the week – 15-for-32 to be more precise – and reminded us once again that she is a scholarship-level prospect who will be a difference-maker at the next level.   [player_tooltip player_id=’148324’ first=’Peyton’ last=’Stevermer’] – guard, MN Rise Wolfe (Mankato East)   Peyton is a pit bull, a feisty guard who plays the game with passion and takes no prisoners. As we saw at the high school state tournament, the coach’s kid from Mankato East can get the job done at both ends of the floor. This week she helped MN Rise 2023 go 4-1 in their final tournament together, 10-1 during July. Peyton has been fighting through some health challenges over the past few weeks as the rigors of being a three-sport athlete have taken a toll. Somehow she has dug deep and continued to be an impact performer. Stevermer is one of the state’s best competitors, a passionate player who isn’t afraid to get down in the trenches to make things happen. That’s why she’ll be successful in college basketball.   [player_tooltip player_id=’186140’ first=’Rachel’ last=’Hagen’] – guard/forward, Starks Elite (Duluth East)   There was a lot of buzz at the Meltdown about the play of 12-year-old [player_tooltip player_id=’433933’ first=’Chloe’ last=’Johnson’], who excelled in front of D1 coaches while playing five years up for 4-1 Starks Elite. Bemidji State commits Tieryn Plasch and [player_tooltip player_id=’186112’ first=’Ashlynne’ last=’Guenther’] were good as was elite 2025 prospect [player_tooltip player_id=’296516’ first=’Regan’ last=’Juenemann’]. We would be remiss, however, if we didn’t mention Rachel, who has raised her level of play substantially. She was a beast on the glass and made a ton of great defensive plays while contributing her share of points, too. Hagen will be a solid contributor at D3 or JUCO, and there were plenty of coaches talking about taking a closer look. Hagen might be capable of more at the next level than previously thought.   [player_tooltip player_id=’148338’ first=’Grace’ last=’Counts’] – forward, Metro Stars Wiese (Providence Academy)   Coach Ellen Wiese’s Metro Stars faced a tough draw at the Meltdown and dropped their first game to national power Tree of Hope EYBL from Seattle. Not deterred, they rolled off three straight nailbiter victories and finished the event at 4-1. This team has always been about balance and effort. Workhorse guards [player_tooltip player_id=’108340’ first=’Lauren’ last=’Knudson’] and [player_tooltip player_id=’220830’ first=’Isabelle’ last=’Nelson’], and a strong group of forwards that includes [player_tooltip player_id=’220824’ first=’Piper’ last=’Carlson’], [player_tooltip player_id=’148340’ first=’Shannon’ last=’Fornshell’], [player_tooltip player_id=’108336’ first=’Audrey’ last=’Kormann’] and [player_tooltip player_id=’220845’ first=’Molly’ last=’Garber’], have had great careers. And then there is Counts, a 6’1 power forward who contributions game after game have been crucial. Grace led her team with 37 points for the week, including 14 apiece against Tree of Hope and Wisconsin Impact, playing throughout the tournament like the Top 30 prospect that she is.   [player_tooltip player_id=’220846’ first=’Mya’ last=’Morris’] – guard, West Central United (Perham)   Mya is one of the most underrated point guards in the state, but that’s about to change. The diminutive guard is going to be one of the biggest stock risers around when we update the Class of 2023 rankings this month. She certainly looked like a Top 50 prospect this weekend, scoring 77 points in five games, including 21 three-pointers. She had 15 points on 5-for-9 shooting against Nebraska Lasers. In a 61-60 win over Minnesota Heat Gustafson Morris went 7-of-12 from three for 25 points. Mya and forward [player_tooltip player_id=’178271’ first=’Willow’ last=’Thiel’] have been an outstanding one-two combination for Perham in high school and with West Central United on the Prep Girls Hoops Circuit. They closed out their AAU careers in style.

One last chance. For many of the incoming seniors who participated in the North Tartan Meltdown and AAU National Championships this week at Hopkins, that’s what the giant tournament represented. One last chance to play in front of more than 200 college coaches, many of whom still have scholarships to give. No senior from Minnesota drew more attention this week than the #1-rated prospect in the class – the uber-talented guard Tessa Johnson Tessa Johnson 5'11" | SG St. Michael-Albertville | 2023 State #36 Nation MN of North Tartan EYBL and St. Michael-Albertville. The list of coaches on hand was a Who’s Who of women’s college basketball and many of them had come to the Twin Cities specifically to see Tessa. She did not disappoint. That’s why Johnson leads the way today as we look at unsigned seniors who raised their stock at the Meltdown.