2023 Rankings Update: The big stock risers

The new Minnesota Class of 2023 rankings were released on Tuesday and there has been an incredible shakeup. To be honest, this has been the most difficult rankings remake in the six years I have been involved in the process, first with Northstar Girls Hoops and now with Prep Girls Hoops. With so many newcomers making an impact, so many late bloomers raising their level of play, and the far-reaching long-term effects of the transfer portal and the NCAA granting players an additional year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we felt the 2023 rankings needed a complete rethink. The results are quite dramatic.   As you'll see here, we have had some of the biggest single-session stock risers ever. For some the big jump is a result of a substantial improvement in level of performance. For others it represents a correction – a mea culpa of sorts that acknowledges previous misjudgment on our part. We do our best but don't always get it right. The unfortunate part of the process is that a number of players have seen their name slip down the list by a significant number of spots. What's important to understand is the fact that a downward move doesn't necessarily mean that the prospect's level of play has dropped. Allow me to explain.   Let's say Jane Doe is ranked #100 in the spring. Along come five fresh faces who distinguish themselves with superior play during the summer season, earning a spot in the Top 100. That means Miss Doe is now at #105. Meanwhile, let's say three or four players who started the AAU season ranked in the #101 to #200 range distinguish themselves with superior play and deserve to move up. That moves Jane down another three or four spots. If we have errored in previous judgement on a couple more kids then suddenly Miss Doe is ranked at #110. That can be a tough pill to swallow – for the player, for her parents, for the AAU club where she plays – but it's one of the difficult realities of trying to determine who Minnesota's best college prospects are.   That brings me to one more reminder: These rankings are about a player's potential as a college basketball player, not their current level of performance. The market for 5'5 point guards, even those who score 20 points a game and lead their high school team to 20-win seasons, is pretty limited at the scholarship level. Meanwhile any post player over 6 feet tall is going to draw a ton of attention even if their game is currently far from polished.   On to the big stock risers we go.   BIG RISERS IN THE TOP 50   +39 [player_tooltip player_id='108336' first='Audrey' last='Kormann'] – After years of incremental improvement it all came together this summer for the 6'2 forward from Maple Grove pictured above. The Metro Stars Wiese post has committed to Division 1 New Jersey Institute of Technology while moving up from #80 (which was way too low in the first place) to #41.   +26 [player_tooltip player_id='186113' first='Aalayah' last='Wilson'] – The shifty guard from Osseo is one of the state's most prolific scorers. She proved that again this summer with FBC Real, drawing attention from a number of collegiate programs. Aaliyah verballed to Lindenwood University in Missouri, which is moving from D2 to D1. She rises from #52 to #26.   +23 [player_tooltip player_id='186112' first='Ashlynne' last='Guenther'] – The versatile guard/forward from Duluth East demonstrated all summer just how much she has improved. She showed up with Starks Elite as a leaner, quicker, more polished version of herself and it earned her a spot at Bemidji State. Ashlynne moves from #57 to #34.   +22 [player_tooltip player_id='220824' first='Piper' last='Carlson'] – The power forward from St. Michael-Albertville is a fierce competitor who has polished her game to the point where she has earned plenty of attention and at least one D1 offer. The physical post from Metro Stars Wiese moves up 22 positions from #64 to #42.   +21 [player_tooltip player_id='148318' first='Lexi' last='Karlen'] – The big forward from Stillwater was a workhorse this summer for Metro Stars Pryor, a star-studded unit loaded with Division 1 talent. Lexi was consistently good throughout the AAU campaign and verballed to Minnesota-Duluth. Her rise from #66 to #45 is a correction on our part.   +20 [player_tooltip player_id='339102' first='Brylie' last='Schultz'] – The power forward from Wheaton-Herman-Norcross is the quintessential late bloomer who emerged from small-school ball, proved herself with North Tartan Elite, and cashed in with a commitment to D2 Nebraska-Kearney. She improves from #70 to #50.   +18 [player_tooltip player_id='302273' first='Abigail' last='O'Reilly'] – Speaking of late bloomers, the gigantic power forward from Plainview-Elgin-Millville had a stellar summer with Minnesota Rise Wolfe. Had she waited a few more weeks there's no doubt Abby would have gone D1. The big winner is St. Cloud State. O'Reilly goes from #62 to #44.   BIGGEST OVERALL STOCK RISERS   +93 [player_tooltip player_id='353081' first='Macaya' last='Copeland'] – It's not easy to escape the shadows of the superstars at Hopkins but that is exactly what Macaya has done. The uber-quick guard from 43 Hoops has been nothing short of outstanding all summer. She takes a remarkable 93-position leap from #164 to #71.   +80 [player_tooltip player_id='389636' first='Madeline' last='Guetzkow'] – The lanky forward from Mayer Lutheran showed out at the state high school tournament in March and followed that up with a solid summer on behalf of Crossfire Blue Star. We definitely underestimated her in early evaluations. That's why she improves from #183 to #103.   +57 [player_tooltip player_id='220846' first='Mya' last='Morris'] – The crafty little point guard from Perham came back from an ACL injury this season and promptly reminded us that we blew it in previous evaluations. By a lot! She was dominant on the Prep Girls Hoops Circuit for West Central United and is a legit scholarship candidate. She rises from #119 to #62.   +50 [player_tooltip player_id='361969' first='Molly' last='Bills'] – The lengthy guard from LaCrescent has worked in relative anonymity over the years, and our previous rating was based largely on video viewing which doesn't always do a player justice. We watched her live with Playmakers this summer and were very impressed. She's up from #184 to #134.   +34 [player_tooltip player_id='339166' first='Savannah' last='Schlueter'] – The ultra-competitive senior-to-be from Hutchinson is one of the state's premier shooters. Savannah had multiple games this summer where she buried seven, eight or nine threes in a contest for Minnesota Rise Busse and will be a D3 standout. She moves from #159 to #125.   +26 [player_tooltip player_id='148324' first='Peyton' last='Stevermer'] – The crafty guard from Mankato East is a multi-sport athlete who excels regardless of the game, setting or opposition. Peyton was particularly exceptional at the high school state tournament. Let's just say we missed it by a bunch before and a move from #95 to #69 is long overdue.   THE REST OF THE DOUBLE-DIGIT STOCK RISERS   +19 [player_tooltip player_id='302265' first='Shyla' last='Moore'] – guard, Shakopee-MN Diamond Elite (#147 to #126)   +19 [player_tooltip player_id='352774' first='Sage' last='Ganyo'] – guard, Mountain Iron-Buhl-Hi Impact (#120 to #101)   +17 [player_tooltip player_id='302269' first='Jada' last='Bierschbach'] – guard, Rocori-Crossfire Blue Star (#149 to #132)   +16 [player_tooltip player_id='302283' first='Olivia' last='Walsh'] – forward, Austin-Southern MN Fury (#76 to #60)   +14 [player_tooltip player_id='148326' first='Brynn' last='Busse'] – guard, Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop-MN Rise Wolfe (#77 to #63)   +11 [player_tooltip player_id='302260' first='Tori' last='Miller'] – forward, Goodhue-MN Rise Wolfe (#83 to #72)   +11 [player_tooltip player_id='220830' first='Isabelle' last='Nelson'] – guard, Edina-Metro Stars Wiese (#88 to #77)   +10 [player_tooltip player_id='186139' first='Cassidy' last='Shute'] – guard, Austin-Southern MN Fury (#117 to #107)

The new Minnesota Class of 2023 rankings were released on Tuesday and there has been an incredible shakeup. To be honest, this has been the most difficult rankings remake in the six years I have been involved in the process, first with Northstar Girls Hoops and now with Prep Girls Hoops. With so many newcomers making an impact, so many late bloomers raising their level of play, and the far-reaching long-term effects of the transfer portal and the NCAA granting players an additional year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we felt the 2023 rankings needed a complete rethink. The results are quite dramatic.