Week 1’s top performers at the Fall Exclusive

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Prior to Friday's opening night at the Fall Exclusive presented by Jr All Star I made a point to peruse the rosters of the 10 teams involved to see who would be participating. There were some solid prospects on the list – talented kids such as [player_tooltip player_id='304927' first='Ella' last='Kletti'], [player_tooltip player_id='205299' first='Ella' last='Kuhlman'] and [player_tooltip player_id='433933' first='Chloe' last='Johnson'], the uber-talented 7th grader who couldn't make it on opening night because she was on a recruiting trip to the University of Iowa. But the two names that jumped out at me the most were [player_tooltip player_id='215985' first='Olivia' last='Pawlicki'] and [player_tooltip player_id='252480' first='Rae' last='Ehrman']. Olivia (photo right), who has committed to Division 1 Colorado State, is from Shakopee and is the 13th-rated prospect in the Class of 2024. Ehrman (photo left), from Eden Prairie, is Top 25 in the Class of 2025. And they were on the same team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The outcome of that elite pairing was fairly predictable as the talented twosome ran roughshod over consecutive opponents in a pair of dominant performances for the red team. And they weren't the only strong players on the squad, which featured Pawlicki's Minnesota Suns teammates [player_tooltip player_id='215991' first='Abby' last='Richter'] and [player_tooltip player_id='344357' first='Evie' last='Schmitz'] along with excellent freshman [player_tooltip player_id='502560' first='Leah' last='Passe'] of Visitation. Ehrman and Pawlicki put on a show playing high-speed, high-skill basketball from start to finish. They ran the floor, moved the ball and finished at the rim. Part power, part grace, all entertaining. It was a thing of beauty.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's always fun when elite talents like Olivia and Rae team up at these kinds of exhibition events, but they weren't the only pair of quality prospects who stood out at the Fall Exclusive on Friday. Here are some other top performers who also made their mark.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":538462,"width":400,"height":263,"sizeSlug":"full","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/10/Black-Lance-Reedy-scaled-crop-2347x1541-1667176670.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-538462" width="400" height="263" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='786203' first='Bethany' last='Black Lance'] &amp; Chloe Reedy</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Arguably the top team in the younger division on Friday night was also wearing red. They, too, were led by a talented twosome who worked exceedingly well together in this free-flowing, fun-and-gun format. Just as Pawlicki and Ehrman dominated the 9th-12th graders, Chloe Reedy and [player_tooltip player_id='786203' first='Bethany' last='Black Lance'] put on a show among the youngsters.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Reedy is a wolf in lamb's clothing, a tiny elf of an athlete who has more skill than the law allows and a work ethic to match. The 6th grader from Royalton – yes that's the Class of 2029 – can do so much with the basketball and she does it all at high tempo with enough tools in her box to be successful against bigger, older, stronger athletes. Opponents and observers who watch Chloe for the first time are usually stunned by how she can maneuver and manipulate with the basketball in her hands, creating opportunities for open mates but also carving out the space necessary for herself to launch truth bombs up and over outstretched opponents who are often powerless to do anything about it.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Black Lance is a rising star in the Class of 2028 out of Brainerd. She and Reedy seemed to just click right away on Friday, thanks in large part to Beth's court vision, quality passing and innate feel for the game. The Starks Elite athlete is also highly skilled and very smooth. She can slip past defenders one-on-one in a variety of ways and did that on Friday to finish at the rim on numerous occasions. She also has a quality shooting motion that lets her cash in from distance at high frequency. This kid is a gym rat of the first order who clearly loves the game and has the drive and support system to travel around the state for training and competition. Although she's only in the 7th grade it is obvious that Black Lance is a rising star in Minnesota basketball. She was recently selected to play in the 2023 North American Indigenous Games in Nova Scotia.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='515676' first='Samantha' last='Voll'] &amp; [player_tooltip player_id='205299' first='Ella' last='Kuhlman']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Samantha and Ella were another dynamic duo on Friday night as they worked hand-in-hand on the tan team to combine their complementary skill sets into one impressive collaboration. Also on their squad were Voll's Monticello teammates 2023 guard [player_tooltip player_id='338783' first='Lily' last='Manning'] and 2024 guard [player_tooltip player_id='339096' first='Ava' last='Nebben'] along with 2026 guard [player_tooltip player_id='502564' first='Landis' last='Williamson-Andrews'] of Eastview, who we told you about Saturday in our look at fresh faces at the Fall Exclusive.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":538474,"width":400,"height":263,"sizeSlug":"full","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/10/Samantha-Voll-scaled-crop-2254x1480-1667176840.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-538474" width="400" height="263" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Voll (photo above) is long and athletic, both quick and fast and has a well-developed set of tools. At about 5'9 or so, with a big wingspan and impressive hops, Samantha has the goods to do great work one-on-one on both sides of the ball. She also sees the floor well, understands timing and pacing, and has a nice feel for the game. Coming off a great summer with the Minnesota Comets, Samantha lived up to her advance billing and earned her way into the Freshman 50, our first ranking of the Class of 2026 announced a couple of weeks ago.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":322910,"width":400,"height":263,"sizeSlug":"full","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/09/Ella-Kuhlman-scaled-crop-2453x1611-1630626891.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-322910" width="400" height="263" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mississippi 8 Conference opponents during the high school season, Voll and Kuhlman were highly effective teammates on Friday. Ella's game has really grown and so has she. She was constantly attacking the basket, moving the ball and firing the rock, all of which she does very well. A multi-dimensional player, Kuhlman (photo above) has been a mainstay in the point guard spot at North Branch since 7th grade. The Top 40 sophomore has also played at the highest levels of AAU and done very well there, too. Now, with added experience and the additional size and strength that comes with physical maturity, Kuhlman is taking her game to new heights. She'll be with North Tartan Elite in 2023.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":522197,"sizeSlug":"medium","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-medium"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/10/42-Nora-Pederson.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-522197" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='339146' first='Nora' last='Pederson'] <strong>– 2024 guard, Mounds Park Academy</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We love watching players grow and change as their games evolve and they start to tap into their true potential. The 5'7 point guard from Crossfire Schuck has formed a great one-two punch with big forward [player_tooltip player_id='302286' first='Audrey' last='Jakway'] at Mounds Park Academy. The private school on the far Eastern reaches of St. Paul is known more for its academics than its athletics but Pederson and Jakway are doing their best to change that. On Friday Nora put on a solo show playing for the pink team that also included such talented prospects as [player_tooltip player_id='339107' first='Jordyn' last='Schmittdiel'] of White Bear Lake, [player_tooltip player_id='339117' first='Evyn' last='Eppinga'] of Anoka, [player_tooltip player_id='396443' first='Greta' last='Crandall'] of Sartell, [player_tooltip player_id='453769' first='Phaley' last='Yang'] of East Ridge and <strong>Lydia Haleen</strong> of New Richmond, WI. She was a bucket-making machine thanks to a more assertive approach to the proceedings than before, a take that saw her attack the rim on a regular basis. Her ball movement and three-point shooting were as good as ever, but it was her willingness to do battle one-on-one with all comers that truly impressed. Pederson has put in the work to hone her craft. The result of that would appear to be exponential growth in the confidence department which can do wonders for a player's opportunities long-term.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->