Thoughts From Day Two of the Breakdown Tip Off Classic
In this article:
Last night concluded a very fun-to-watch Breakdown Tip-Off Classic at Hopkins High School. There was a full slate of games from what felt like sunrise to midnight. However, in a state like Minnesota, the talent in the gym rarely disappoints,…
Access all of Prep Girls Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingLast night concluded a very fun-to-watch Breakdown Tip-Off Classic at Hopkins High School. There was a full slate of games from what felt like sunrise to midnight. However, in a state like Minnesota, the talent in the gym rarely disappoints, and Saturday was no different. That said, let’s talk about a few of the standouts.
Ava Thompson Ava Thompson 5'6" | PG Rosemount | 2024 State MN
In the 9:30 am game slot, Rosemount took on a talented Andover team and battled the entire game, eventually taking the win. In that game, Thompson had her fingerprints all over the place. She’s a strong guard in the 2024 class that does a little bit of everything for the Irish. In the second half of the game against Andover, the 5-foot-7 guard dominated physically. She got to the rim and delivered some punishment to some tall wings and posts and finished through the contact. Thompson is skilled and showed how talented she is on Saturday.
Aaliyah Crump Aaliyah Crump 6'1" | SF Minnetonka | 2025 State MN
A few players over the weekend have a legitimate claim to having the most dominant game, and Crump is one of those candidates. In the first half against Hortonville (WI,) Crump came close to outscoring her opposition with 22 first-half points, most of which came when she collected a pair of early fouls. The 6-foot-1 uber-talented wing had her perimeter jumper going to the point where the Polar Bears would play as good of defense as you could ask, and she still barely hit the rim. When Crump is at her best, no defensive scheme will slow her down.
Rainey Welson Rainey Welson 5'9" | CG Hortonville | 2025 State WI
In the second half of Hortonville’s game against Minnetonka, Welson took over. The sophomore was in a rhythm, and there was nothing the Skippers could do about it. She exploded past some defenders who were too close to her and started backpedaling a few times when she got loose to take some right-wing 3-pointers. After a quiet first half, the sophomore left her mark on the Hopkins floor with a sensational second half.
MiKayla Werner MiKayla Werner 6'0" | PF Hortonville | 2024 State WI
The Polar Bears are dangerous with Welson, but kids like Werner make them a frustrating struggle to figure out. On Saturday, Werner dominated the boards, I don’t have the stats on hand, but I’d be stunned if she didn’t record a double-double. So she dominated the glass, cool, but she also stepped back and knocked down a 3-pointer. You won’t find many kids who can control the game on the boards and stretch the defense as the junior did against Minnetonka. She may not be the story coming out of that game, but she made life easier for her teammates.
Kallie Peppler Kallie Peppler 6'0" | PF Hortonville | 2024 State WI
In the opening few minutes against Minnetonka, Peppler made a few mistakes with the ball, especially in transition, but after those few miscues, she was as flawless as you could ask. Her length caused countless issues around the basket. The junior made some out-of-this-world finishes with her left hand around the basket in the first half when the Polar Bears struggled offensively. Peppler even recorded a few blocks against some size. After an up-and-down weekend for her at Kettle Moraine previously, she played the best I’d ever seen her play against an uber-talented team from Minnesota this weekend.
Trinity Mocadlo Trinity Mocadlo 5'8" | PG Hortonville | 2023 State WI
I don’t think anyone has ever said this about a player, but Mocadlo played excellent defense against Crump in the first half when she scored 22 of the Skippers’ 28 first-half points. She drew two fouls against one of the most talented players in the country, and minus two miscommunications on 3-pointers, Mocadlo was essentially in her jersey the entire half. The Polar Bears did some different things defensively in the second half, so she wasn’t on her as much as the first. However, she still had most of the defensive responsibility in the second half and played well. Her ability to push the ball through the full-court press also unlocked the Polar Bear offense in the second half.
The senior had a rough first half shooting the ball, but her shooting in the second half pushed the Polar Bear lead to nearly 20. Funk camped out in the right corner and let that ball fly when Mocadlo, Welson, or Peppler broke the press, and her defender helped off of her. She made at least four 3-pointers in the second half and gave the Polar Bears a lead they wouldn’t come close to relinquishing.