Breakdown Shot Clock Classic: Best unsigned seniors

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The day began with a bang Monday at the Breakdown Shot Clock Classic (part 2) courtesy of Chris Buerman's Coon Rapids Cardinals. The squad that won just one game last year, but is clearly trending upward, scored the first 13 points in their contest with Becker, which certainly grabbed our attention in a hurry. The Bulldogs eventually came back to win by two in one of six fun contests we watched at Anoka-Ramsey Community College. We saw some fresh faces, and a number of players who have clearly improved over the past few months. Our primary focus, though, was on incoming seniors who have yet to make a college commitment. Here are a few of the unsigned 2024s who did particularly well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>PLAYER OF THE DAY</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='339117' first='Evyn' last='Eppinga'] – The speedy guard from Anoka drew one of the day's toughest defensive assignments when she was tasked with shadowing young [player_tooltip player_id='515676' first='Samantha' last='Voll'] of Monticello, a rising star in the Class of 2026 and a quality D1 prospect. Evyn did a nice job of that, although Voll still got her 20 points. At the other end of the floor, Eppinga was excellent as she put up 16, nearly double her average of one year ago, helping her team score a 60-54 win. The 5'4 senior-to-be has been trending upward all summer with MN P.R.E.P and is going to be a very nice performer at the collegiate level. Her endless energy, exceptional speed and quickness, and never-say-die approach to the game will serve her well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>TOP PERFORMING SENIORS</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":721375,"width":249,"height":256,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/07/Tatum-Findley_Breakdown.jpg?w=995" alt="" class="wp-image-721375" width="249" height="256" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='594370' first='Tatum' last='Findley'] – Everyone talks about [player_tooltip player_id='302297' first='Alyssa' last='Sand'] and [player_tooltip player_id='302300' first='Kylan' last='Gerads'] when they talk about Albany and the top Minnesota Comets 2024 squad. So they should. But Tatum's role as the steady-Eddie point guard for both teams cannot be overlooked. She just makes good reads and quality decisions, knocks down shots, and makes it possible for the other two to play to their strengths. Tatum scored 8 points Monday and was really solid.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='461384' first='Kaylee' last='Buerman'] – It's hard to overstate the level of improvement we saw from Coon Rapids at the event and the 5'8 guard, who happens to be the coach's daughter, is a huge part of what promises to be a big turnaround this winter. Their energy and enthusiasm was palpable. Buerman sparked the Cardinals to a big lead and then nailed a corner three in the waning seconds to tie it. That was her fourth triple of the game. She finished with 14 points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":721376,"width":256,"height":220,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/07/Mariah-Pates_Breakdown.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-721376" width="256" height="220" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='350094' first='Mariah' last='Pates'] – Champlin Park's win over Buffalo was truly a team effort with the offensive production and defensive assignments spread across the roster for new coach Leslie Phelps. Pates, a 6'2 forward rated #44 in the Class, continued the strong summer she has had with [program_tooltip program_id='713420' first='Minnesota' last='Diamond Elite']. Her leadership skills are really starting to show, too.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='339217' first='Savannah' last='Hedin'] – The 5'9 guard from Stewartville had an outstanding state tournament and has been very good all summer with Southern [program_tooltip program_id='712687' first='Minnesota' last='Fury']. The speedster was rolling again on Monday, scoring 15 points for the Tigers in a win over St. Michael-Albertville and defending with passion. Her younger teammates were also really good as [player_tooltip player_id='339214' first='Jayci' last='Rath'] and [player_tooltip player_id='458305' first='Audrey' last='Shindelar'] combined for 36 points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":721377,"width":256,"height":234,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/07/Abby-Richter_Breakdown.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-721377" width="256" height="234" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='215991' first='Abby' last='Richter'] – The 5'11 wing from Edina showed off her ever-expanding versatility on Monday, going 3-for-6 from beyond the arc, attacking off the bounce and doing so many little things well.. Ranked #59 in the Class, the [program_tooltip program_id='712700' first='Minnesota' last='Suns'] S40 athlete defends, rebounds, scores and leads, and has proven herself against elite talent time and again.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='215980' first='Bella' last='Sutch'] – The big forward from Spring Lake Park is a handful for opponents to deal with at both ends of the court. She's just so powerful and so relentless, making her extremely difficult to contain on offense or beat when she's defending. Ranked #57, the Fury Premier standout had 10 points vs Edina and a bunch of rebounds.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='520282' first='Olivia' last='Kesti'] – Sutch wasn't the only Spring Lake Park forward making an impact. Kesti has improved so much over the past year, rising into the Top 100 and continuing to grow her game with Crossfire Schuck. The 6-footer, who has the body of a college power forward, had a dozen points and played with a ton of energy on both sides of the ball. She's going to be a fine collegian.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Given that STMA was in the house you might be asking yourself how [player_tooltip player_id='339129' first='Ja'Kahla' last='Craft'] didn't make our list of high-performing seniors-to-be. Ranked 13th in the class, and currently collecting Division 1 offers by the truckload, surely JC had a big day, didn't she? Unfortunately not. STMA was without four starters on the day including Craft, who was travelling on a recruiting visit. Standouts [player_tooltip player_id='330743' first='Abby' last='Hoselton'], [player_tooltip player_id='344333' first='Cail' last='Jahnke'] and [player_tooltip player_id='304922' first='Ava' last='Haus'] also had other commitments.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>OTHER PERFORMANCES OF NOTE</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":721383,"width":256,"height":242,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/07/Adele-Changamire_Breakdown.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-721383" width="256" height="242" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='630285' first='Adele' last='Changamire'] – The incoming 8th grader from Becker turned in an outstanding performance at point guard for the rebuilding Bulldogs. With Sioux Falls commit [player_tooltip player_id='304938' first='Alexis' last='Rose'] still recovering from a torn ACL (she's expected back in time for the season), that left the uber-talented Changamire to run the show for a Becker squad that will look very different this season following the graduation of <strong>Maren Westin</strong> (UW-Green Bay), <strong>Dani Nuest</strong> (Michigan Tech), <strong>Ayla Brown</strong> (Sioux Falls) and others. Adele did a fine job directing the offense and showing off her individual abilities, which are rather substantial. She scored 17 points in a 57-55 victory, including a 9-for-13 performance at the free-throw line. Changamire is going to be one of the top prospects in the Class of 2028.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='215971' first='Lydia' last='Lakanen'] – The Winona State commit from Anoka was a force to be reckoned with as the Tornados recorded a 60-54 victory over Monticello, scoring 18 points in the win. She's ranked #63 in the Class of 2024. With a big body and nice touch, the [program_tooltip program_id='712700' first='Minnesota' last='Suns'] S40 athlete is part guard, part forward and highly effective.</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'] – These two are so remarkably consistent. The Albany seniors were dominant as usual on Monday, combining for 28 points to lead the Huskies to a 54-38 win over Orono. Sand, a 6'2 forward with guard skills, is the 11th-ranked senior in the state. She has committed to the University of St. Thomas. The 5'11 Gerads, rated #24, has signed with St. Cloud State.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->