Summer recruiting update: Who’s heading where?

Summer recruiting update: Who&#8217;s heading where?

Grant McGinnis June 30, 2023 @ 08:49 PM

Things are shaping up rather nicely in the recruiting department for Minnesota’s Class of 2024. With Thursday’s announcement from Morgan Miller Morgan Miller 6'2" | PF Andover | 2024 State MN of Andover, there are now 15 incoming seniors who have made Division 1 commitments to date. Miller verballed to Clemson University of the Atlantic Coast Conference becoming the 6th player in the Class to commit to a Power 5 program. Here’s a quick summary of who’s heading where (so far) among the 2024s as we enter the all-important July viewing period. The # designation is a player’s current position in the Prep Girls Hoops Class of 2024 prospect rankings.

HIGH-MAJORS

These are the six high-major recruits:

#1 – guard, Benilde-St. Margaret’s (Michigan)

#2 – guard, Hopkins (Florida)

#3 – guard, Mountain Iron-Buhl (North Carolina)

#5 – forward, Lakeville North (Vanderbilt)

#8 – forward, Lakeville South (Kansas State)

#16 – forward, Andover (Clemson)

D1 MID-MAJORS

The most recent of the Division 1 mid-major commits is forward Karly Jusczak Karly Jusczak 6'1" | PF Pine City | 2024 State MN (photo above) of Pine City, who signed with Idaho. She is the 9th mid-major verbal and the 15th Division 1 recruit overall. Karly, who plays for North Tartan EYBL, had originally committed to play D2 ball at Nebraska-Kearney but when UNK coach Carrie Eighmey landed the Idaho job Jusczak decided to join her. These are the mid-major commits so far:

#6 – forward, Maple Grove (North Dakota State)

#7 – guard, St. Croix Lutheran (St. Thomas)

#9 – guard, Centennial (North Dakota State)

#10 – forward, Shakopee (Colorado State)

#11 – forward, Albany (St. Thomas)

#12 – forward, Holy Family (Butler)

#14 – guard, Lakeville North (Loyola Maryland)

#15 – forward, Eastview (St. Thomas)

#39 – forward, Pine City (Idaho)

DIVISION 2 COMMITS

This week Shakopee guard Nicole Maenke Nicole Maenke 5'10" | CG Shakopee | 2024 State MN announced her commitment to Southwest Minnesota State. The 37th-ranked prospect in the Class of 2024, who plays AAU for Metro Stars Szabla, is the 13th player in the Class to go D2. These are the D2 signees:

#20 – guard, St. Peter (MSU-Mankato)

#21 – guard, Sleepy Eye (Southwest Minnesota State)

#22 – guard, Goodhue (MSU-Mankato)

#24 – forward, Albany (St. Cloud State)

#26 – guard, Delano (Wayne State)

#30 – guard, Becker (Sioux Falls)

#37 – guard, Shakopee (Southwest Minnesota State)

#43 – guard, Andover (Wayne State)

#49 – guard, Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart (St. Cloud State)

#50 – guard, Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart (St. Cloud State)

#52 – guard, Chaska (Bemidji State)

#54 – guard, Mankato East (Wayne State)

#63 – forward, Anoka (Winona State)

Although it’s very rare for players at the Division 3, NAIA and JUCO levels to commit this early we have seen two players make announcements of late. Guard Berkley Neubauer Berkley Neubauer 5'7" | CG Holy Family | 2024 State MN of Holy Family and Crossfire Schuck committed to NAIA school Olivet Nazarene of Illinois and guard Brooke Christianson Brooke Christianson 5'5" | CG Glencoe-Silver Lake | 2024 State MN of Glencoe-Silver Lake and the Minnesota Rise signed with D3 Concordia-Moorhead.

BEST 5 PLAYERS AVAILABLE

Although there’s plenty of room for debate, these are the five highest-rated prospects in the Prep Girls Hoops rankings who are still available:

#4 – guard, Minnetonka (North Tartan EYBL)

#13 – guard, St. Michael-Albertville (Metro Stars 3SSB)

#17 – guard, Stillwater (Fury 2024 UAA)

#18 – guard, Maple Grove (Fury 2024 UAA)

#19 – guard, Andover (Minnesota Suns S40)

5 MORE NAMES TO CONSIDER

These five names keep coming up in our conversations with college coaches:

#23 – guard, Champlin Park (North Tartan Elite)

#25 – guard, Roseville (Minnesota Stars 3SSB)

#27 – forward, Prior Lake (Minnesota Stars 3SSB)

#28 – guard, Andover (Fury Premier 2024)

#29 – guard, Eagan (Metro Stars Szabla)

WRAPPING UP THE 2023s

Having walked across the stage this spring the Class of 2023 has moved on to college basketball now with more than 150 players that we know of making commitments to play at the next level. There were three late Division 1 signings, something that has been a rarity in the past but might be more of a regular occurrence in the transfer portal era.

#18 Vanessa Saidu – forward, Robbinsdale Cooper (Texas A&M)

#25 Emily Christianson – guard, East Ridge (Drake)

#48 Kelly Boyle – guard, Hopkins (North Carolina-Greensboro)

Saidu was the 7th high major commit in the Class of 2023 which finished with 30 players going D1, at least 30 more going D2, and more than 150 total.

WHAT ABOUT THE 2025s?

We’re expecting some incoming juniors to take the plunge at the end of the summer once the dust settles from the July viewing period. So far, however, only one player in the Class of 2025 has announced: #11-ranked Autumn McCall Autumn McCall 6'2" | PF Centennial | 2025 State MN of Centennial (Fury 2025 UAA) who will sign with St. Thomas.