Newcomer of the Year: Chloe Johnson

We knew what was coming. We've been watching [player_tooltip player_id='433933' first='Chloe' last='Johnson'] for a couple of years now and the signs of greatness have been there all along: The exceptional court vision, extraordinary feel for the game, next-level sense of timing, the incredibly developed skill set, and the desire to achieve greatness. All of it is truly remarkable. Now, with the conclusion of her first season in varsity basketball at Duluth Marshall, the rest of the state has seen it, too. In an obvious choice, was have selected the 7th grader as our Prep Girls Hoops Newcomer of the Year.   [player_tooltip player_id='433933' first='Chloe' last='Johnson'] – 2028 guard, Duluth Marshall   Duluth Marshall coach C.J. Osuchukwu has been incredibly blessed in recent years to coach some special talent. From current Brown University guard Grace Kirk to University of Utah standout Gianna Kneepkens and 2025 prospect [player_tooltip player_id='296516' first='Regan' last='Juenemann'], he has had some of the very best players in the state. What CJ sees in Johnson is special. “I have never seen a 7th grader, boy or girl, so locked in all the time. I always joke with her and say , ‘You know it's OK to be a kid' and she just smiles at me. Her work ethic is non-stop and you have to kick her out of the gym and tell her to take a break. She wants to be great, not just for herself but for her teammates. She loves pressure and if she fails she gets obsessed with trying to fix it.”   It's difficult to describe just what Johnson can do. At 5'9 with a big frame, she has size and strength way beyond her years. She shoots the ball at a very high level and can get rolling from distance and never stop. She scored a ton of points this year, and filled up the remainder of the stat sheet on a regular basis, but that's not what Johnson is all about. It's her facilitation that is truly exceptional, the best we have seen in Minnesota since Paige Bueckers.   “Chloe brings a high-level IQ to the game and makes everyone's job a lot easier on offense." said the coach. "She's a pass-first kid that I have to get after to look for her own shot. Towards the end of the season she understood what I wanted from her to impact the game.”   In combination with Juenemann – a Top 20 prospect bound for Division 1 college ball – the tandem gave the Hilltoppers an outstanding offensive punch. When Juenemann was out with the flu, Johnson took over, scoring 28 points in the first half against Denfeld and then setting up her teammates to score in the second. She finished the game 7-for-13 from three for 36 points. The next game she had 32 against Hermantown. That's kind of how the whole season went.   The question we are frequently asked is obvious: How good can she be? “She's so young and I try not to put that on a kid,” said Osuchukwu. “But I think if she stays on track she is a 4- or 5-star recruit and she could hit the WNBA.” For now Chloe will settle for Prep Girls Hoops Newcomer of the Year.   RUNNER-UP   [player_tooltip player_id='589273' first='Ella' last='Theobald'] – 2026 post, Stewartville   Entering the stretch run of the high school season a month ago we asked the question in one of our preview articles: Which freshmen will be a big factor in the post season? Among our answers was Theobald. Turns out Ella made us look pretty good. More importantly, she made her team just that much better. Stewartville earned thier way into the Class 3A state title game due in no small part to Ella's superior performance in the post. The 6-footer, ranked #28 in the class, handled her more experienced opponents well, created havoc at both ends of the floor, and forced opponents to alter their plans in order to deal with her. Theobald scored, rebounded and defended at a very high level all season and earned the nod as one of our Breakout Performers at State. We're pleased now to name her as one of our top newcomers of the year.   HONORABLE MENTIONS   [player_tooltip player_id='478350' first='Kate' last='Amelotte'] – 2026 forward, Wayzata   It's one thing to crack the starting lineup as a freshman at a Class 1A or 2A school where coaches have less-talented players to choose from and the overall numbers often dictate that fresh faces have to play. It's a whole other animal to become a starter at Wayzata, the state's largest high school and a Top 5 Class 4A program right from the get-go. That is exactly what Amelotte, the #4-rated prospect in the Prep Girls Hoops Class of 2026 did, and she looked right at home. Kate's got size, speed, skill and athleticism and wasn't at all bothered by the pressure of facing the upper echelon of the Lake Conference on a regular basis.   [player_tooltip player_id='502586' first='Maria' last='Radabaugh'] – 2026 guard, Totino-Grace   Sink or swim. That was pretty much the place Maria found herself in this season. After Totino-Grace earned the Class 3A state title in 2022, the Eagles' lineup was decimated by graduations. Either the youngsters were going to step up or T-G was going to struggle. Turns out there was plenty of struggle in the early going but then Radabaugh began to shine, more than living up to the expectations of a Top 25 prospect. Her production grew as the season progressed and she was the hero who enabled her team to advance farther in the post-season than anyone expected. The 5'7 combo guard is gifted and played like it.   [player_tooltip player_id='567389' first='Sydney' last='Friedly'] – 2027 guard, Benilde-St. Margaret's   You never know at the beginning of any given high school season which newcomers will be given the opportunity to play meaningful minutes. Even if they do find themselves on the floor sooner rather than later, there's no telling how a youngster will react against bigger, stronger, more experienced players when the heat is on. What Friedly did to impact the Red Knights was beyond all expectations and she ended up being a key piece in Benilde's run to a Class 3A state championship. She was consistent, reliable and versatile. Most of all, though, it was Sydney's defending that made a difference-maker.   [player_tooltip player_id='589276' first='Taleigha' last='Bigler'] – 2026 guard, Marshall   Taleigha had a nice summer with the Minnesota Rise in 2022, and looked very good in the fall. Regardless, Marshall is a tough lineup to break into and long-time coach Dan Westby has always appeared to favor experience veterans over talented newcomers. That's why Bigler was eased into the Marshall lineup, but her combination of ball-handling, athleticism and work ethic was simply too good to leave on the bench. By season's end the 5'6 point guard, soon to be in the 2026 Top 50, was one of Marshall's most important pieces. For that journey she deserves recognition among Minnesota's top newcomers.

We knew what was coming. We've been watching Chloe Johnson Chloe Johnson 6'0" | PG Duluth Marshall | 2028 State MN for a couple of years now and the signs of greatness have been there all along: The exceptional court vision, extraordinary feel for the game, next-level sense of timing, the incredibly developed skill set, and the desire to achieve greatness. All of it is truly remarkable. Now, with the conclusion of her first season in varsity basketball at Duluth Marshall, the rest of the state has seen it, too. In an obvious choice, was have selected the 7th grader as our Prep Girls Hoops Newcomer of the Year.