Top Prospects at the North Tartan Meltdown

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The North Tartan Meltdown took place in Minneapolis July 20th-22nd and an abundance of South Dakota high school girls basketball prospects showed up for the event. Here's a list of some of the top performances in the tournament...</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='342168' first='Lauren' last='Grinde'] - Tri-Valley - 5'7" G - Class of 2024</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lauren was on fire at the meltdown. She was knocking down threes, hitting mid-range pull-ups off the dribble, and jumping passes for layups at the other end all tournament. On defense, she has the physical ability to keep her spot and keep offensive players from getting in positions to attack the basket or post up. She also does an excellent job of playing up in the passing lanes to create turnovers for the opponent. Offensively she can get to the basket and has a nice euro step and an impressive vertical if she needs to go by or above the defense. From the perimeter, she moves effectively to get herself in position to catch and shoot threes and was one of the most consistent shooters at the tournament.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='488324' first='Jaelyn' last='Huntimer'] - Arlington - 5'9" G - Class of 2025</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jaelyn is a big-time stock riser and she showed why at the Meltdown, showing up on both ends in every game and helping her squad win the championship in their bracket. On defense, she has great length, lateral quickness, and just the right amount of aggression to force turnovers while staying out of foul trouble. She puts pressure on the ball while keeping her opponent from getting to the paint and she uses her speed and length to tip and steal passes. Offensively Jae has a diverse game which includes dribble-drive, mid-range, and three-point shooting. She has great instincts and does a great job getting to the rim to get a high-quality shot as well as creating for others. Off the dribble, she can pull up in either transition, off a cut, or off of a screen and knock down jump shots. Add in a high-efficiency shot from beyond the arc and you have one of the most well-rounded prospects in the group.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='441998' first='Brynlee' last='Landis'] - Colman-Egan - 5'9" G/F - Class of 2025</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Brynlee had a great tournament and showed why she has been moving up the rankings and is another stock-riser to look for in our next rankings update. She has a lot of talent and does all the little things that aid in helping her team win basketball games. She is aggressive on offense and gets to the paint effectively to score and has the IQ to understand when to find a shot for her teammates as well. She's a diverse prospect who rebounds, defends hard, runs the floor in transition, and uses her natural leadership skills to communicate with her team and make others around her better.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='417228' first='Makinley' last='Lawrenson'] - Harrisburg - 5'11" F - Class of 2024</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Makinley is playing for the SD Network program this summer and continues to increase her stock as an incoming senior who remains unsigned. She might have the best length of this group for the under six-footers and this aids well in making it tough on opponents on the defensive end. She can guard the post as well as the perimeter with a great combo of frame and speed. She is taking more outside shots and continues to develop into an athlete who can score on all levels. Her mid-range jump shot is solid and she handles physicality inside to be able to get her shot up in traffic. On defense, she's a steal and block machine with her length, quickness, and instincts. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='391801' first='Carli' last='Kuyper'] - Lennox - 6'3" C - Class of 2024</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Carli has had one of the most impressive AAU summers I have seen. Playing for the Sanford Sports Academy, she has gone from a 6'3" post player with raw talent and not a ton of college interest to a dominant 6'3" post player that has colleges starting to line up and propose an opportunity to continue her basketball career. Carli demonstrated an ability to take over games in the paint as she was able to bury defenders inside and score with nearly every touch she got inside. Pair this with a really nice three-point shot and you have a college-ready athlete who can score from anywhere on the floor with almost any matchup. On defense, she was blocking shots and altering shots inside with her 6'3" frame and high IQ.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='241312' first='Sawyer' last='Stoebner'] - Mitchell - 5'9" G/F - Class of 2024</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sawyer showed why Black Hills State University has invested in her playing for the program over the next 4 years. She was dominating opponents all tournament long and took control in many games. Her aggressive mentality allows her to get to the rim at will and score a ton of points off the dribble drive. Defenses are forced to collapse around her on the drive which sets up opportunities for her to show off her passing game in finding weak side post players or shooters on the kick out. She might be one of the best rebounding guards in the state and does an excellent job shutting down her opponent on defense as well with great foot speed, a competitive mindset, and a high basketball IQ. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='613984' first='Avery' last='Reitz'] - Sioux Falls Christian - 5'9" F - Class of 2025</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Avery had a really impressive tournament and had a big impact on her team's success at the Meltdown. She runs the floor extremely well at 5'9" and is a huge asset in the transition game. In the half-court, Avery shows off a post presence with great footwork, patience, and the ability to use her length to score over or around defenders. She can knock down shots from the mid-range and out beyond the three-point line and is a high-percentage scorer. Defensively she works hard and aids in the rebounding game on both ends as well. She has the height, length, and speed to guard positions 1-5 making her a valuable asset for matchup purposes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='525673' first='Melina' last='Snoozy'] - Dakota Valley - 5'8" G - Class of 2027</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Melina is playing up an impressive two age divisions at the Sanford Sports Academy and she continues to show why she is one of the top prospects in the state. She was one of the most consistent scorers at the event and showed off her abilities in a variety of ways. She is a great shooter off the move and uses flare screens, run screens, and ball screens to create space to get her shot off with ease. Her range is impressive as she can knock it down from well beyond the arc. Her defensive and rebounding game continue to improve and as she gains more all-around experience at such a young age she will undoubtedly be on a ton of college radars.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='375940' first='Logan' last='Smidt'] - Brookings - 5'7" G - Class of 2025</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Logan was electric all tournament long and one of the best highlights of the event came on a last-second shot at the buzzer to earn her team a W! She continued to show off her ability to get to the rim and score as well as create shots for others. Her outside shooting has been put on display lately as well as she has gotten hot from deep in games recently and put up big numbers in the points column. A fantastic rebounder, a tough-nosed defender, and a super competitor, Logan is a blast to watch and continues to prove why she is ranked one of the top athletes in her class!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='181885' first='Emilee' last='Fox'] - Mount/Vernon-Plankinton - 5'8" G - Class of 2024</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Emilee is the top point guard prospect in the state of South Dakota and she continued to show why. She has elite vision and sees things out on the floor that nobody else in the building does. She puts on a clinic with her handles and is nearly unguardable as she can use dribble combos to get by her defender and possesses one of the best step-backs in all of the South Dakota prospects. Her ability to create space to get her shot off allows her to get rhythm shots without even needing to come off of a screen or be set up by a teammate. She's an all-around guard who knocks down threes, scores off the drive, dishes out multiple assists, shuts down opposing guards, and grabs rebounds on both ends, game in and game out. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->