Spring Showdown: Freshmen who made an impression

There are 75 Minnesota freshmen currently listed in the Prep Girls Hoops rankings of 2026 talent. Come June, we will be adding another 25. That means there is plenty of opportunity between now and then when we next update the Class of 2026 prospect rankings for players to get noticed, make a solid impression and build a case that they, too, belong on the list. This weekend at the Spring Showdown in Chanhassen we saw four more freshmen worthy of consideration.   [player_tooltip player_id='502591' first='Allie' last='Gillette'] – 2026 guard, Minnesota Stars Joerger   When we watched Blaine Joerger's Minnesota Stars squad on Sunday afternoon It didn't take long to grasp Allie's potential. Within a minute or two of taking to the slippery little court in the back gym at Chanhassen, Gillette's speed, quickness and athleticism were immediately apparent. As you can see from the photo above, the starting point guard from Randolph is pretty well put together for a freshmen, the kind of player who has “jock” written all over her. Gillette is so explosive, and the girls from Play 4 Him out of northwest Iowa had few answers for Allie's sheer power and speed as she blew by and elevated with ease on her way to pay dirt. She reached double digits in the win but Gillette's defensive contributions and vocal leadership were just as impactful as her offensive success. Allie is comfortable with the ball in her hands, plays with a ton of confidence, and uses her craftiness to get to the rim and finish in a variety of ways. She is also a very good shooter. Allie averaged 7.5 points and 2.3 rebounds per game for the Rockets this winter. Given what we saw on Sunday, there is little doubt that Gillette has the potential to be a top 50 to 75 player. Joerger, by the way, was a highly-decorated high school and college player back in the day. Perhaps his point guard will make her mark in the same way.   Kacie Lesinski – 2026 guard, Minnesota Heat Lynch   We watched Kacie on Friday night and again on Sunday and it became obvious that the lengthy guard from St. Anthony Village is sitting on a ton of potential. Kacie is long and lean with a thin frame that immediately spawns questions about her ability to handle the rough going inside. Those fears were put to rest as we saw her deal with the physicality and demonstrate the kind of toughness and determination necessary to excel. Lesinski can get up and down the floor at pace. In addition to playing basketball for the Huskies, she also runs track and it shows. Kacie reminded us a lot of [player_tooltip player_id='352782' first='Josie' last='Lakosky'], the 2023 guard from Chaska who is headed to Northern Michigan to play lacrosse. She runs with that same natural ease, looks comfortable with the ball, and isn't afraid to attack. We liked Kacie's agility and mobility, which enables her to change speeds to good advantage. Her shooting mechanics are a little unorthodox but the lefty puts the ball through the cylinder at a 35% clip from three-point range which is, after all, the whole point. We also liked Kacie's aggressive defending, although she does need to invest time on her footwork.   [player_tooltip player_id='773422' first='Rebecca' last='Nelson'] – 2026 guard, Minnesota Heat Lynch   Length is a weapon in the game of basketball. That's why college coaches are always on the lookout for players with long arms and long legs who can rebound and defend with an inherent advantage. When we saw Nelson play for the Heat this weekend those assets immediately grabbed our attention. The 5'11 guard/wing/small forward also has really lengthy strides. Although she's not a racehorse, and won't wow you with her quickness, Nelson gets up and down the floor with time to spare and she isn't afraid to go on the attack upon arrival at the intended destination. Her versatility is something that has impressed coach Joe Lynch as she is playing the 3, 4 and 5 this spring. Nelson is Lesinski's teammate at St. Anthony. Both earned some varsity time this past winter but were primarily JV players. As Rebecca's decision-making and court presence evolves, as she grows into her body, as her consistency improves, it will be hard for the Huskies' coaching staff to keep her off the floor.   [player_tooltip player_id='643393' first='Brooke' last='Goerish'] – 2026 guard, North Tartan Elite   We watched Brooke play two complete games at the Spring Showdown and came away with the belief that her ceiling may be quite high. The Spring Lake Park guard/forward is long with what we like to call a “college body.” That means she has the frame dimensions to stand up to the physicality and size of players at the next level. She just looks the part. Like Michigan commit [player_tooltip player_id='177728' first='Olivia' last='Olson'], Goerish is also an elite soccer player, a goalkeeper who has the reflexes and quickness to compete at a high level in that sport. Those assets translate well to basketball. She plays tennis, too. Goerish is a nice athlete with a zero to 60 burst that's obvious. She can get to the interior one-on-one and own her space when she arrives. She defends well inside and out on the perimeter. Goerish's skill set is fairly well-developed, although she does need to improve her ball handling under intense defensive pressure. We'd also like her to be a little more vocal. We're told Brooke has a high basketball IQ and picks up defensive concepts and offensive sets quickly. Add it all up and Goerish has the goods to make it to college basketball. She also has a shot at our Top 100.

There are 75 Minnesota freshmen currently listed in the Prep Girls Hoops rankings of 2026 talent. Come June, we will be adding another 25. That means there is plenty of opportunity between now and then when we next update the Class of 2026 prospect rankings for players to get noticed, make a solid impression and build a case that they, too, belong on the list. This weekend at the Spring Showdown in Chanhassen we saw four more freshmen worthy of consideration.