PGH Freshmen Showcase: The best of Team #7 and #8

Some 120 players from Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, Wisconsin and Illinois took part in the Prep Girls Hoops Freshman Showcase on Sunday at Hopkins High School. We're recapping the event on a team-by-team basis. Check out our look at <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/2023/09/pgh-freshman-showcase-the-best-of-team-1-and-2/">Teams #1 and #2</a> as well as <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/2023/09/pgh-freshman-showcase-the-best-of-team-3-and-4/">Teams #3 and #4</a>. Here's a rundown on the top performers from Teams #7 and #8.   STANDOUT PERFORMERS   [player_tooltip player_id='630225' first='Alexa' last='Juntunen'] – The 5'7 guard from Rogers, pictured above, started the summer as an unknown AAU newbie and made an impression right away with Minnesota Stars Fleming. Since that time, she has improved significantly which was obvious on Sunday when Juntunen was among the top performers. Alexa plays with a ton of bounce. She's got quick feet, is quite explosive, and plenty athletic. She has quality handles, terrific speed, and the ability to finish through contact. Defensively she uses her quickness and anticipation to force turnovers and forge opportunities. Once again on Sunday, Alexa made a strong case that she deserves a spot in the Freshmen 50 rankings.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-medium"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/09/Candace-Ndomb-crop-653x429-1694464481.jpg?w=300" alt="" class="wp-image-760493" /></figure>   Candace Ndomb – The 5'8 guard was a complete unknown entering the Freshmen Showcase. That's because her family recently relocated from Kalamazoo, Michigan to Minnesota. She'll suit up at Duluth East this winter. If her play on Sunday was an accurate indicator, the crafty guard is going to make a ton of noise here. She's got super quick feet, is very athletic, and has a nice skill set. She clearly likes to shoot the three-ball and she's good at it. Defensively Ndomb caused a ton of difficulty for opponents. We were impressed by her ability to shake off mistakes and quickly recover to make a great play. Candace won't be in the Freshmen 50 because she didn't compete here this summer, but we're bullish on her long-term outlook.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-medium"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/09/Ava-Cupito-crop-755x496-1694464541.jpg?w=300" alt="" class="wp-image-760495" /></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='377584' first='Ava' last='Cupito'] – Nobody needs a roster to know who Ava is. The 5'10 guard has been turning heads in Minnesota for a very long time. At 5'10 she's got size with a big frame, a solid base and elite athleticism. Cupito can play multiple positions with equal effectiveness.  She can score off the bounce, make shots from the outside off the catch, and creates her own shot, as well. Ava has been an impact player on varsity at Minnehaha Academy the past two years and has now moved over to Hopkins. Simply put, Ava is one of the very best prospects in this class and that was obvious again on Sunday.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-medium"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/09/Kaja-Nash-crop-654x430-1694464607.jpg?w=300" alt="" class="wp-image-760497" /></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='600748' first='Kaja' last='Nash'] – Like Cupito, Nash is a varsity veteran who began her high school career at Maranatha and has now enrolled at Southwest Christian for high school. Coming off an outstanding summer with Minnesota Stars Antl, the 5'9 guard is a ball of fire on the floor. She's quick and fast. She's feisty and competitive. And she has skill – tons of it. On defense, Kaja seems to be everywhere at once. What makes it all work is Nash's motor, which runs hot all the time. It's hard to say yet where Kaja fits in the pecking order among the best 2027s in Minnesota but she is definitely trending in the right direction.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-medium"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/09/Emma-Millerbernd-crop-655x430-1694464664.jpg?w=300" alt="" class="wp-image-760501" /></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='529357' first='Emma' last='Millerbernd'] – Like Cupito, Emma is a well-established candidate for high-level collegiate basketball. She entered our stream of consciousness as a 7th grader at Providence Academy where Millerbernd immediately established herself as a reliable defender with offensive skills and maturity beyond her years. Last year she earned our high school Defensive Player of the Year honor as an 8th grader. On Sunday, the 5'9 guard was dominant on the offensive end, as well. She attacked constantly, using her speed, skill and strength to score through contact on numerous occasions and showing off a big box of tools with the basketball. We're not sure how it's going to shake out yet but Millerbernd has to be Top 5 in the Class, doesn't she?   WHO ELSE MADE A GOOD IMPRESSION?   Josie Martin of Minnetonka showed a lot of skill, smarts and confidence with the basketball. The 5'3 guard from Minnetonka and [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'] Elite was able to find holes and get to the basket through a flock of defenders and finish well. Josie has great shooting form. On defense, she anticipated well and got her hands in the passing lanes effectively. Rylee Routledge of Minot, North Dakota did likewise. The 5'7 guard from Inspired Athletics in Fargo showed off her quick feet, superior acceleration and straight-line speed, using all three assets to evade defenders and score at the rim. Rylee has a smooth release and can make shots from distance. She played hard all day at Hopkins.   We watched Josie Francois of Richfield a fair amount this summer on the Prep Girls Hoops Circuit with [program_tooltip program_id='713420' first='Minnesota' last='Diamond Elite']. The 5'4 guard has made a lot of progress in her game. She handles the ball well, sets the tempo for her team and finishes at the basket when the opportunity presents itself. She was one of several guards on Teams #7 and #8 who took advantage of their opportunities on Sunday.   [player_tooltip player_id='675980' first='Jessa' last='Schultz'] of Holy Angels and Crossfire Stern showed off her shooting prowess from distance. We love Jessa's level of intensity and on-court confidence. The 5'8 freshman goes hard all the time, talks a lot on the floor and takes advantage of her strength. Her Crossfire teammate [player_tooltip player_id='675981' first='Kaidyn' last='Roisum'] of St. Michael-Albertville was also very good. She's got nice handles, makes good cuts, and is quite opportunistic on offense. The 5'9 athlete was also a committed defender on Sunday and played hard from start to finish. Another Crossfire athlete who showed a ton of heart and hustle was 5'9 guard Elle Neiderhiser from New Prague.  She fought for every loose ball and battled all day.   [player_tooltip player_id='761285' first='Sami' last='Warwas'] of Mountain Iron-Buhl made it obvious that she is ready to make a bigger impact for the Rangers this winter. The 5'9 guard has nice fundamentals and always seemed to be in the right place at the right time. She is an unselfish player committed to team success, which pretty much describes everyone on the MIB roster.   There's not a ton of size in the Class of 2027 so we paid closer attention to all of the athletes with height and length. That included 6-footer Rachel Wassermann of Delano, who played this summer for Minnesota Stars Fleming. Her wingspan is a big asset on defense and enables her to grab o-boards, too. Rachel was able to get to the free throw line as well as knock down some shots.   Writer Ally McGinnis also contributed to this article.

Some 120 players from Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, Wisconsin and Illinois took part in the Prep Girls Hoops Freshman Showcase on Sunday at Hopkins High School. We're recapping the event on a team-by-team basis. Check out our look at Teams #1 and #2 as well as Teams #3 and #4. Here's a rundown on the top performers from Teams #7 and #8.