Breakdown Summer State: 1A All-Tourney Team

Class A is always interesting to watch, but we do tend to see the same teams participating in the bigger scholastic events every season. The reality is there are a relatively small number of programs out of the 150 Class A schools who are serious contenders to win a section or state title every spring. Many of them rarely venture out of their own back yards. That's why it was great to see Lac Qui Parle Valley in the house at the Breakdown Girls Summer State Tournament on Sunday. Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa was there, too, along with Yellow Medicine East and the defending state champions from Hancock – four programs we don't see nearly enough of, all of which are well worth watching.   In the end it was the very familiar girls in the red, black and gold of Mountain Iron-Buhl who walked away with the hardware. The Rangers, anchored by one of the very best players in the state in [player_tooltip player_id='178277' first='Jordan' last='Zubich'], earned it with three excellent performances. But some talented kids from the lesser-known programs made their presence felt, as well. Here are the 10 prospects who earned Prep Girls Hoops Class A All-Tournament Team status.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/08/Taylor-Shelstad-crop-1626x1068-1659656300-e1659656330973.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-472574" height="351"/></figure>   First Team   [player_tooltip player_id='436088' first='Taylor' last='Shelstad'] – 2023 guard, Lac Qui Parle Valley   Taylor made a big splash earlier this year when she turned in a series of outstanding performances on behalf of the West Central Wildcats at the Spring Showdown in April. We were duly impressed with the 5'7 guard's leadership abilities, quality ball-handling, high IQ and great court vision. Fast forward to Sunday's affair at Hopkins and Taylor delivered a whole lot more of the same. She averaged 15 points per game at the Breakdown, distributed the ball very well, and played like the experienced veteran that she is. When she brings the ball up the floor Taylor's eyes are almost always up and her head is on a swivel. She can really shoot it, too, with a quick release and a nice, high arc. It's not easy to find kids with the type of light feet, easy athleticism, and calm demeanor that Shelstad has. A 3.9 GPA just adds to the package. Taylor should have a bright future at the scholarship level and coaches need to jump on board.   [player_tooltip player_id='352774' first='Sage' last='Ganyo'] – 2023 guard, Mountain Iron-Buhl   It's not easy playing in the shadows of a kid like Zubich, an all-everything talent who repeatedly seems to make highlight reels and raise her status among Minnesota's best prospects. Truth be told, however, more often than not it is Ganyo who does the hard work that wins basketball games for MIB while enabling Jordan to shine. The combo guard might not be very big but she packs a punch with Mike Tyson-like pop. Ganyo was an All-State performer again last winter. We saw her top the 1,000-career point mark at the Granite City Classic on a day when MIB as a group but Ganyo in particular put on a clinic. Sage was nothing short of excellent on Sunday in leading the Rangers to the Summer State Tournament Class A crown. She scored 55 points on the day – 20 against Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart, 20 versus Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa and 15 in the championship game against Lac Qui Parle Valley. Bottom line: Sage is a winner and she proved it once again on Sunday.   Camryn Lee – 2023 post, Lac Qui Parle Valley   The 6'1 post was a revelation on Sunday. We had never seen her before. Not on video. Not online. Not in person. Let's just say she made a big first impression on everyone in the gym who was paying attention. With a huge body, Lee stood out on the floor immediately. After a few minutes of viewing it was obvious that she has good mobility, nice footwork and a terrific set of hands. The combined efforts of Lee and Shelstad made LQPV an immediate contender. Camryn displayed on-court intelligence, plenty of physical presence, and the ability to take control in the paint at both ends of the floor. She was a handful! Camryn is a quality three-point shooter off the catch and cashes in at over 80% at the free throw line. Lee scored 17 points against Yellow Medicine, 14 against Hancock and 12 versus MIB. She also has a 3.9 GPA. Division 3 recruiters should take a look because Lee can be a difference-maker at the next level.   Abby Berge – 2023 guard, Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa   Abby stepped into the spotlight at the 2021 state high school tournament, emerging from the shadows of BBE great Alissa Knight to show that she, too, is a player to be reckoned with. That season, Berge evolved from a defensive specialist into an all-around performer, earning a place in the Jaguars starting lineup and averaging almost 20 points per game. Last season she was an All-State selection, too. On Sunday we saw more of the same from the 5'10 guard who has tremendous length, really nice ease of movement, and a good feel for the game. BBE didn't have quite enough to get past Mountain Iron-Buhl this time around despite a 30-point performance from their leader. Abby had 14 against Hancock and another 12 versus Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart. We love the way Berge plays. She's calm and confident and let's the game come to her. She's also a great leader and a fierce competitor. There's no telling just how high her ceiling might be.   [player_tooltip player_id='178277' first='Jordan' last='Zubich'] – 2024 guard, Mountain Iron-Buhl   Let's be honest here: the level of competition in Minnesota Class A girls basketball is a notch or three below what Jordan has been playing all summer. I mean, the lengthy guard has been burying half-court shots and hitting game winners against high-major commits from every corner of the country, players who are headed for the likes of UConn and South Carolina and Baylor. At the same time she has been collecting Division 1 offers like kids gather candy on Halloween. But every time there's a ball on the floor and a game in the gym and a W on the line, JZ is going to show up and go to war. That's what she did on Sunday. In the championship game against LQPV, Zubich scored 24 points in the first half. Yep, the first half. After that it was pretty much academic as the Eagles had no answer for the Top 5 junior. Regardless, it never gets old watching Zubich turn in an All-Tournament Team performance. She is elite in every sense of the word.   Second Team   [player_tooltip player_id='461340' first='Hali' last='Savela'] – 2024 guard, Mountain Iron-Buhl   [player_tooltip player_id='453727' first='Kaitlyn' last='Rohloff'] – 2025 guard, Hancock   [player_tooltip player_id='304915' first='Rachel' last='Kottke'] – 2024 guard, Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart   [player_tooltip player_id='304916' first='Kristi' last='Kottke'] – 2024 guard, Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart   [player_tooltip player_id='186143' first='Hannah' last='Stark'] – 2023 forward, Yellow Medicine East

Class A is always interesting to watch, but we do tend to see the same teams participating in the bigger scholastic events every season. The reality is there are a relatively small number of programs out of the 150 Class A schools who are serious contenders to win a section or state title every spring. Many of them rarely venture out of their own back yards. That's why it was great to see Lac Qui Parle Valley in the house at the Breakdown Girls Summer State Tournament on Sunday. Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa was there, too, along with Yellow Medicine East and the defending state champions from Hancock – four programs we don't see nearly enough of, all of which are well worth watching.