Top 250 Expo: Grant’s stock risers, part 2

<!-- wp:image {"align":"right","id":526629,"width":256,"height":171,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/10/48-Ella-Carstensen-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-526629" width="256" height="171"/></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The difference between high school basketball and AAU is palpable, especially if your school squad prefers to walk it up the floor and sit in a 2-3 zone. In AAU everything happens fast and a player's individual assets and liabilities are on full display for better or for worse. Count <strong>Ella Carstensen</strong> among those whose foray into AAU ball has transformed her game into a scholarship-level package of plusses. Carstensen got better every tournament this summer playing on North Tartan Elite for Bethel University assistant coach Jeff Lauinger. The fruits of that labor were on full display last weekend at the Prep Girls Hoops Top 250 Expo which is why she leads our list today of my Top 250 stock risers, part 2. Ella is trending in the right direction among prospects in Wisconsin's Class of 2024.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Carstensen's greatest strengths are her athleticism and willingness/ability to consistently attack the basket without fear. The most improved aspect of the 5'11 forward's game is her jump shot which she gets off more quickly and more accurately and more consistently than before. And she's learned how to defend man-to-man. When you add a great work ethic, a strong commitment to the process and a team-oriented mindset you have a player whose stock is on the rise.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here are the rest of our Top 250 stock risers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_634968dc641b4","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["339168"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"When Hancock triumphed over Minneota to win the State Class A high school championship last spring it was [player_tooltip player_id='453727' first='Kaitlyn' last='Rohloff'] who earned most of the headlines and rightly so. But the fact is, the Owls don't win the hardware if Zempel doesn't deliver. She played 32 minutes in the title game, went a crucial 6-for-8 at the free throw line, scored 11 points and had 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks. That's a pretty typical scoreline for her. The thing is, Zempel is capable of delivering so much more. She's long and mobile, has really nice touch, a quality mid-range game and way more athleticism than most players she faces night in and night out in Class A. She reminds me a lot of Becker graduate u003cstrongu003eMegan Gambleu003c/strongu003e, now playing at Concordia-St. Paul. With Chad Nuest taking over as coach at Hancock the Owls are probably going to play much faster. Running the floor in transition is likely going to show what Misti is truly capable of, free her up to shoot more, expand her game, and prepare her for a role as a stretch four at the next level. With three all-conference players having graduated, now is Misty's time. She made it clear at the Top 250 Expo that she is ready.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["330744"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"In summer basketball Savannah has normally operated in the shadows of standout prospects like [player_tooltip player_id='296523' first='Kendall' last='McGee'] and [player_tooltip player_id='296528' first='Sam' last='Wills'] on the top 2025 Minnesota Stars squad. When the high school season came along last winter, it was Borowicz's opportunity to shine. She seized the moment, stepped into the spotlight, earned a place in the starting five, and made it obvious that she, too, was a prospect to be reckoned with. The result was a breakthrough season for Class 3A Jordan that earned her All-Conference recognition. At the Top 250 Expo Savannah showed how much her game has grown. The Top 40 prospect is an elite shooter who can knock it down consistently from long distance. Her ball-handling and quickness is much-improved enabling Borowicz to score more off the bounce. She also sees the floor very well and has a high basketball IQ which, combined, enables her to create a ton of opportunities for her teammates. Even in an exhibition setting like the Top 250 she demonstrated her toughness and commitment to defense. In actual game situations she usually draws the assignment of defending the opponent's top ball handler on the perimeter. Add it all up and you have a solid scholarship-level prospect who deserves some accolades.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["453768"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"While Savannah has already had her breakthrough season and emerged as a standout performer, we believe that is going to happen very soon for Celia. The signs have been there for some time now and we saw it again last Saturday at the Top 250 Expo. Last winter Celia was in a supporting role at Holy Angels, playing limited minutes on varsity. Now, with the graduation of u003cstrongu003eGrace Massaquoiu003c/strongu003e (ND Science) and u003cstrongu003eKassie Caronu003c/strongu003e (Missouri Western) there should be plenty of minutes up for grabs and Lind may be the beneficiary of that. At 5'11, Celia has tremendous length, runs the floor with grace and speed, has an ever-burgeoning set of skills and from time to time shows us glimpses of a stunningly bright future. The two keys to her progress will be confidence and consistency. She is opportunistic around the basket, is a quality rebounder and has nice touch near the rim. She competes hard and goes about her business on the floor with poise and maturity. Will this be Celia's year? Only time will tell, but this is an athlete whose future looks really, really rosy.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["339096"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"Gym rat! When players truly love the game, when it is their passion, when everything else seems to take a back seat to the pursuit of basketball excellence it becomes obvious that the athlete in question is a diehard. Over the years, watching Ava work, that is always the impression we get. She's just so darned passionate, and that's half the battle when it comes to preparing for college basketball. So there she was on Saturday at Hopkins playing hard, competing on every possession, fighting for each opportunity and doing it all with a smile. Ava can play. She is an exceptional shooter who has put in untold amounts of work to hone that skill. That allows her to stretch the defense and create open opportunities for her teammates. Nebben's ball-handling continues to improve. Ditto for her defense. And on a senior-heavy squad at Class 3A Monticello she managed to appear in 29 varsity games as a sophomore. The Magic return four starters so it won't be easy to earn more minutes but when players bring energy and effort and an infectiously positive attitude to the gym every day of the season it's hard to keep them off the floor. Ava embraces the grind, respects the game and puts in the work. She will no doubt figure out a way to play at the next level.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":4,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"preview"} /-->