Promising newcomers who excelled at the Lake Slam

It's one thing to be aware of a player, perhaps having seen them briefly on one or more occasions. It's quite another to sit and watch the athlete intently for an entire game, paying specific attention to the details of how they play, noting their demeanor and intangibles, and getting a much better feel overall for what they are capable of long-term. That's what we did last weekend at the Lake Slam for a number of prospects. Here are 5 newcomers who impressed under the microscope.   [player_tooltip player_id='502589' first='Hattie' last='Fullhart'] – 2026 guard, West Central United   We had seen Hattie last fall at the Prep Girls Hoops Freshmen Showcase. What we saw at the Lake Slam confirmed our initial assessment that Fullhart is a player with next-level potential. Hattie is a little unorthodox in how she moves on the court, but there is no denying her effectiveness. The 5'9 guard from Fergus Falls plays with a ton of energy. She has good length and her long strides enable Fullhart to get up and down the floor at pace. She has good handles, excels in transition and makes good cuts. Hattie is a quality shooter who can knock it down from distance with sufficient time and space. She has good footwork in the paint where she knows how to take advantage of smaller defenders with her length and ability to finish at the rim. Hattie was a top 5 scorer in her division over the weekend with 40 points. Her ability to handle the ball under defensive pressure is improving.   [player_tooltip player_id='662404' first='Emerson' last='Johnson'] – 2026 guard, Minnesota Fury Premier   We watched Emerson a little bit last summer and at Fury practices this spring. Her light feet, ease of movement on the floor, and willingness to attack the basket with high frequency immediately caught our attention. This weekend we saw a whole lot more from the 5'9 guard/wing from Eden Prairie. Emerson is a highly-skilled athlete with good handles, nice agility, a really quick first step and the kind of confidence we love to see from young prospects. She averaged nearly 13 points per game at the Lake Slam, second-best in her division. Johnson has a smooth shooting motion and is not at all hesitant to fire the three ball and when she gets into her rhythm look out! Emerson can also get to the basket through traffic – it's impressive when it works – but tends to take it into the trees under pressure when there are simpler options available. Like most 9th graders, Emerson needs to fill out and get stronger but that will come with time. Once that happens, and her decision-making and court vision matures, Johnson is going to be very, very good.   [player_tooltip player_id='659120' first='Alise' last='Schoenrock'] – 2027 forward, Comets Hoelscher   We watched Alise earlier this spring with the Comets, as well as at the AAU State Tournament where she offered glimpses of what's possible. Unlike Johnson, she already has a ton of size. At 6-foot plus, with a big frame, Schoenrock has the ability to own her space down low. She is a quality rebounder who uses her size to get into good position at both ends of the floor. She has a nice outside shot, good court vision, passes well, and can also put the ball in the basket as her 10.5 ppg at Lake Slam will attest. When she has success early in a game, Alise can get on a roll. At the same time, Schoenrock has skills to work on. Her potential in the post is vast, but she needs to develop her footwork and some effective moves with her back to the basket. That will help her become a more consistent finisher around the rim. Alise's ball handling at pace is also a work in progress. It's all part of the maturation process, of course, and the destination is very, very attractive. Stay tuned because Schoenrock could turn out to be really good.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/05/Jenna-Christopherson.jpg?w=632" alt="" class="wp-image-662816" width="158" height="256" /></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='662406' first='Jenna' last='Christopherson'] – 2027 guard, Southern Minnesota Fury   Jenna's Hayfield Vikings were high school State Tournament participants this spring in Minneapolis and the 8th grader played a significant role in their success. You would never know from watching the 5'7 guard that she has yet to reach high school. There's a certain poise about Jenna, a calm that was visible when we watched. She's focused, even-keeled, and intent on fulfilling the assignment she has been given. Part of that is the varsity experience, of course, which always seems to be evident at this age when some kids have yet to grace a varsity roster and others have been in that role for a while. Christopherson isn't flashy but she moves well, plays with confidence, demonstrates good patience, and isn't shy about attacking the basket. She has nice shooting mechanics and gets herself in position to make good shots. When we watched on Saturday, she got better and better as the game progressed. That's what we expect will happen in the bigger picture, as well.   [player_tooltip player_id='662405' first='Addison' last='Bergstad'] – 2026 forward, Legacy Hoops Silver   We only knew about Addi because she took the initiative to reach out on Twitter and provide us with a link to her video highlights. That's never a bad thing to do, especially for young players who haven't made an impression yet. We liked what we saw enough to check Bergland out in person at the Lake Slam where she was playing for Londa England's Legacy Hoops squad. It turned out that Bergstad looked just as good live as she did on video. Standing in the 6-foot range, Addi is a versatile performer who plays multiple roles for her team. Coach England tells us Addi is incredibly coachable, adapts to assignments quickly, and delivers maximum effort from start to finish in pretty much every game. Bergstad is vocal on the court, exudes positive energy, and demonstrates leadership ability. She is an excellent rebounder on both ends, can finish both down low and on the run, and has pretty good handles. Overall, her skill set is solid for a 9th grader. We look forward to following Addi's development going forward.

It's one thing to be aware of a player, perhaps having seen them briefly on one or more occasions. It's quite another to sit and watch the athlete intently for an entire game, paying specific attention to the details of how they play, noting their demeanor and intangibles, and getting a much better feel overall for what they are capable of long-term. That's what we did last weekend at the Lake Slam for a number of prospects. Here are 5 newcomers who impressed under the microscope.