AAU Week #6: Prelim standouts en route to State

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In preparation for each tournament during the AAU season I put together a detailed viewing schedule to ensure that we see the maximum number of teams and a wide array of players. For the State Prelims and State Tournaments, we also want to watch as many great match-ups between top teams as we can. But sometimes real life gets in the way. This weekend was one of those times.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":652364,"width":256,"height":237,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/05/Winnie-Mae-Rautmann_050623.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-652364" width="256" height="237" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As many of you saw on Twitter, my tournament viewing was abruptly interrupted on Saturday afternoon by the early arrival of a granddaughter who came into the world in dramatic fashion. Apparently Winnie Mae Rautmann (Class of 2041) was in a hurry to join the rat race and had to be delivered at home by a Minneapolis firefighter named Eddie, who rose to the occasion in a big way. Needless to say it was a stressful afternoon for all involved that ended with much joy. Both mother and baby are doing well. As for my viewing plans? Well we shifted course, returned to the action early Sunday morning, and saw some terrific basketball games and individual performances throughout the day. Here's a 64,000-foot view of some of what we witnessed.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>TOP GAMES WE WATCHED</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We saw a ton of great contests, particularly on Sunday when many of the tournament favorites went head-to head, but there were two games in particular that really stood out.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Minnesota Stars 2026 3SSB defeated North Tartan 2026 EYBL 52-49</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Both squads were dialed in at 10:20 a.m. in this rematch of last year's 2026 championship game, a contest that the Stars dominated. Only half of the players in that game 12 months ago participated in Sunday's encounter – 6 from the Stars and 4 from North Tartan – but the rivalry remains just as heated as ever. The game was tied with under a minute remaining before the Stars won it at the free throw line when [player_tooltip player_id='478390' first='Sinae' last='Hill'] made 1-of-2 at the 32-second mark and <strong>Lee Lee Bell</strong> buried both of her attempts with just 6 seconds to go. A mid-court heave from [player_tooltip player_id='478350' first='Kate' last='Amelotte'] bounced off the rim for North Tartan as time expired enabling P.J. Hill's Stars team to earn the #1 seed for next week's state championship.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bell was the big story – literally. The gigantic forward from Minot, ND, who has guard-like skills and mobility to burn, collected 27 points, 16 rebounds and 4 blocks in the contest. She scored 69 points over the weekend to lead all scorers in the 15U Division. While the #1 prospect in North Dakota's freshman class dominated individually, North Tartan's top 2026s did what they normally do – shared the basketball. 8th grader [player_tooltip player_id='377583' first='Mya' last='Wilson'] led the way with 14 points, [player_tooltip player_id='344333' first='Cail' last='Jahnke'] had 10, [player_tooltip player_id='471360' first='Mya' last='Moore'] scored 9, Amelotte had 8 and [player_tooltip player_id='351665' first='Vienna' last='Murray'] scored 6. Like Bell, all five are strong D1 candidates.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>North Tartan 2024 EYBL defeated Metro Stars 2024 3SSB 71-68</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This late afternoon match-up featured the heroics of Metro Stars standouts [player_tooltip player_id='178269' first='Liv' last='McGill'] and [player_tooltip player_id='339129' first='Ja'Kahla' last='Craft'] against the top-to-bottom excellence of North Tartan's premier squadron. It was a battle from the get-go as the Florida commit McGill went head to head with several NT defenders, including 2026 #1 [player_tooltip player_id='252381' first='Maddyn' last='Greenway'] and 2025 defensive standout [player_tooltip player_id='307818' first='Mylea' last='Monahan'], but still managed to score 27. Craft had an amazing weekend and put up 17 against North Tartan before leaving the contest with calf injury midway through the second half.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Coach Matt Pryor's Metro Stars are now heavily reliant on McGill and Craft, who scored 168 of their team's 278 points (60%) for the weekend. North Tartan's 2024 team, just like the 2026s, features an incredibly balanced attack with plenty of offensive weapons but a defense-first mentality. 2025 #1 [player_tooltip player_id='252387' first='Aaliyah' last='Crump'] led the way with 17 points while Wisconsin import <strong>Rainey Welson</strong> had 15 and Greenway put up 11. [player_tooltip player_id='215958' first='Tori' last='McKinney'] was a catalyst all weekend for coach Gerard Coury's squad which earned the #1 seed and will defend its title next weekend.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":338559,"width":512,"height":341,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2021/10/172-Bella-Hanna-scaled.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-338559" width="512" height="341" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='337633' first='Bella' last='Hanna']</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>BIG SCORERS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='339129' first='Ja'Kahla' last='Craft'] – We'll have more on the Metro Stars 2024 3SSB guard's incredible weekend in a separate article about Top Performers but her 91 points in four games speaks for itself. Craft, pictured in the big banner photo at the top, led all scorers at the Prelims.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='302297' first='Alyssa' last='Sand'] &amp; [player_tooltip player_id='302300' first='Kylan' last='Gerads'] – The Albany duo from Minnesota Comets 2024 Canesi were not far behind Craft and McGill in terms of their contribution. Sand, who committed to the University of St. Thomas a couple of weeks ago, and Gerads, who has signed with St. Cloud State, had 110 of their team's 188 points – 58.5% of the Comets' production.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='337633' first='Bella' last='Hanna'] – The Crossfire 2025 Tusler standout from Maple Grove put up 64 points in the tournament against a tough slate of opponents. That included a 26-point performance against Fury 2026 UAA and 17 vs Stars 2026 3SSB. Not surprisingly, 40th-ranked Bella and her sisters #33 [player_tooltip player_id='206227' first='Lexi' last='Hanna'] and #60 [player_tooltip player_id='339162' first='Addie' last='Hanna'] combined for 119 points, some 50% of their team's production. The Tuslers went 2-2 and earned the 4th seed for the State Tournament in 16U.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Analaya Salanoa</strong> – The Minnesota Stars 2027 Antl standout from Roseville was on fire against E1T1 Queens, landing six triples for an 18-point performance. She led the 8th grade division in scoring with 52 points just ahead of <strong>Olivia LaBlanc</strong> of Fury 2027 Blue with 50. [player_tooltip player_id='498658' first='Morgan' last='Mathiowetz'] of MN Rise Busse, <strong>Jordan Christofferson</strong> of Inspired Athletics and <strong>Savannah Mehan</strong> of Start Strong had 43 points apiece.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Lakyn Donnelly</strong> – We've told you before about the 2028 guard from Inspired Athletics in Fargo and you'll be hearing plenty more in the years ahead. The little floor general is an elite talent with an unbelievable feel for the game. She can also score. Donnelly put up 86 points (21.5 ppg) to lead the 2028 Division by 24 points over sharpshooter <strong>Ashna Ramlall</strong> of Minnesota Fury 2028 Blue.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>INCOMING SENIORS TO SEE</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='215987' first='Daviney' last='Dreckman'] – The lengthy guard makes an impact on the game whether she scores a bucket or not thanks to a high-energy approach that works well with her length and athleticism. But she can also put the ball in the cylinder. Minnesota Rise 2024 Purfeerst played an oddball schedule this weekend, winning two on Friday night, not playing at all on Saturday, and returning Sunday to do battle in the last game of the day. Dreckman made the most of it, putting up 29 points Sunday (including 5 threes) in a win over Crossfire Davis. Daviney averaged 18 ppg in the tournament as the Rise earned the #9 seed for next weekend. Dreckman is ranked #55 in the Class of 2024 and should be considered a strong D2 candidate.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='178274' first='Amy' last='Thompson'] – The Minnesota Fury 2024 UAA squad didn't play to its capabilities this weekend but they still went 2-2 to win the 4th seed at state. We want to make mention of Thompson because the senior-to-be is an unsigned Top 20 prospect who has had a very good last six months. She averaged nearly 10 ppg at the event and made 10 triples. At the Midwest Kickoff she averaged 4 threes per game. At the opening weekend on the UAA circuit the results were similar as Thompson shot 45% from beyond the arc. Amy averaged 16 ppg at Stillwater this year and put up 29 in the Ponies' two-point win over Lakeville North at state. The 5'10 guard is a quality D1 prospect who will no doubt play at a high level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='339142' first='Avery' last='Moeller'] – The 5'10 combo guard from Legacy Hoops Elite and Rosemount has had an incredible year that has seen her vault 50 places up the Prep Girls Hoops 2024 rankings to the #61 spot. She continues to prove worthy of the rise in status. Avery scored 57 points with 12 threes this weekend in just three games, including 23 in a win over Minnesota Diamond Elite and 17 apiece against High Impact and NCB as her team earned its way into the Division 1 tournament.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='392473' first='Alexis' last='Thomas'] – We would be remiss if we didn't mention the three-point shooting prowess of the Minnesota Rise Schultz guard from Maple River. Thomas made 15 triples in three games, including 7 for 21 points in a 61-40 win over Legacy Hoops Gold. Thomas, who puts up similar numbers in high school, is a Top 150 prospect among Minnesota juniors.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>COMING UP</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Tuesday – Top performers at the State Prelims</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Wednesday – Newcomers we liked at the Prelims</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Thursday – Previewing the State Tournament</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list -->