Names to Know Heading Into AAU

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Before the AAU season begins, I'd like to highlight a few under-the-radar kids to watch over the summer. The kids I want to highlight today are athletes I haven't talked about a ton recently and have the potential to make a name for themselves this summer.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='444787' first='Maia' last='Ellis']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Coaches love players who can defend, and Ellis fits that bill. The Verona product is an athletic 5-foot-10 or 5-11 wing that moves her feet well on the perimeter. She also plays on talented high school and AAU teams, so her ability to play on that end gets overshadowed sometimes, but she can get to the rim. I also think her shot is solid enough to punish defenses that help off of her. Someone will fall in love with her game, and she'll help a program win games at the next level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='342096' first='Tierney' last='Madigan']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There's something about kids without many weaknesses in their game. I've seen Madigan play countless roles for her high school and AAU team, and her teams win a lot, and that's no coincidence. She can grab offensive rebounds at will, create off the dribble, defend on the perimeter, draw a charge, make a pinpoint pass, and make it all look like it's second nature. She's not flashy and won't show over-the-top emotion, but she wins games.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='338964' first='Addison' last='Miranda']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In this day and age, shooting is at a premium, and Miranda has all the shooting you could want as a coach. She moves well away from the ball and draws the attention of an entire defense so they can keep someone close to her. Even when the opposing team does have a defender in her airspace, sometimes it doesn't matter, and Miranda will bury a 3-pointer off the catch with a defender on her hip. I have no doubts that Miranda could help a college program by providing the spacing for her teammates to attack the rim and make shots next year if she had to, but she's only improving.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='337030' first='Amanda' last='Heusterberg']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Over this summer, Heusterberg has a chance to be a name that people throw around asking about who she is. Well, I'll tell you. The 6-foot wing out of Shoreland Lutheran has quietly put together an impressive resume over the past few seasons. She's had some outstanding performances in the Metro Classic. Heusterberg rebounds well and can step out and knock down 3's at a good clip. AAU will be a step up for her, but the things she does well will play in a more free-flowing setting. Learn about her now because she'll probably have some real flashes. I've been a big fan of hers for the past few years.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->