Minnesota Top 250 Expo: Best of Team #7

It has been a whirlwind since the Prep Girls Hoops Top 250 Expo concluded Saturday afternoon in Hopkins. We've spent the days since the event combing through copious amounts of information and writing evaluations on most of the nearly 100 players who participated. This is my final installment from the Top 250. Special thanks to Ally McGinnis, whose scouting reports have been invaluable over the past few events, and to all of our evaluators who participated. Our colleague Tony Ragulen has a couple more team summaries to come. Although the squad was missing Top 50 standout forward [player_tooltip player_id='550025' first='Kendyl' last='Lodermeier'] of Goodhue, there were still plenty of players to watch on Team #7. Here's a rundown on the group.   TOP PROSPECTS   [player_tooltip player_id='502598' first='Kathryn' last='Simonsen'] – The 5'8 guard from Eagan, who most definitely looks taller, has been a player on the rise for the past 12 months. Currently ranked #82 in the Class of 2026, Kat had an outstanding summer with the [program_tooltip program_id='774653' first='Minnesota' last='Bobcats'] where she was her team's undisputed leader week in and week out. Pictured above, Simonsen has long arms, long strides and fairly light feet. She is a competitor, with a nice feel for the game and the ability to impact the proceedings in many different ways. Kat can attack and defend with equal success. She is part of a really good new wave of talent in Eagan and this should be the year she steps into the limelight.   STOCK RISERS   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/10/Ella-Hardwick-crop-4018x2638-1697067499.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-784117" /></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='595568' first='Ella' last='Hardwick'] – The 5'8 guard from Eden Prairie had herself a day at the Top 250 Expo, generating plenty of conversation and showing just how much she has improved. That earned the FBC Real 2025 athlete a spot on Tony's All-Intangibles team. Ella can adapt to multiple positions and play several different roles. She has the strength and athleticism we look for and the energy and aggressiveness coaches love. She can also shoot it from the outside, finish at the rim and get by most defenders one-on-one. Hardwick is currently #131 among Minnesota juniors. Saturday's performance will definitely boost her stock. Hopefully she'll get bigger minutes this year at EP.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/10/583-Alexiah-LaRose-crop-4801x3152-1697067816.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-784133" /></figure>   Alexia LaRose – Much like Hardwick, the 2025 guard from Cass Lake-Bena got herself noticed on Saturday at Hopkins. It's not like we haven't seen her before. The 5'3 junior forms a potent backcourt combo at CLB with Gabby Fineday, and she has done good work with the Comets in AAU. This time, though, we saw a more confident, more poised point guard who played with a ton of energy and a whole lot of pace. She is a nice shooter who also attacks the basket without trepidation. LaRose was selected this summer to represent her Tribe – the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe – on Team Mni-Sota at the North American Indigenous Games. There will no doubt be similar honors in her future.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/10/676-Stella-Triplett-crop-4801x3152-1697067623.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-784119" /></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='502579' first='Stella' last='Triplett'] – We think Stella is a sleeping giant. The 5'10 forward from Eagan has shown glimpses of greatness over the past couple of years and it would appear that things are going to come together in short order for the 2026 prospect. Stella is tall and long and strong, with a college-type body, and she knows how to use her size to be a defensive weapon. Stella rebounds hard and has a great feel for when and how to block shots and tip passes. That's not something you can really teach. She moves well and continues to get smoother over time. Triplett is currently ranked #103 among Minnesota sophomores. As her offensive game grows, she's going to be special.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/10/687-Gabby-Boyle-crop-4048x2658-1697067582.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-784118" /></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='502573' first='Gabby' last='Boyle'] – The 5'11 forward is teammates with Triplett, both at Eagan and with the [program_tooltip program_id='712665' first='Metro' last='Stars']. We think both of them are ready for a breakout campaign. Like Stella, Gabby was just added to the Prep Girls Hoops 2026 rankings and sits at #104. Boyle is long and lean with a solid all-around game and nice fundamentals – the box outs and rebounds and simple plays that are the bread and butter of college basketball. She executes on offense, generally makes the right play and can finish well in transition. She can also shoot it as we saw Saturday when she knocked down a smooth corner three and followed up almost immediately with a sweet floater in the lane. Gabby's sister Brigid was a bit of a late bloomer and that's turning out rather well at the college level for her.   EMERGING TALENT   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/10/668-Lauren-Grimm-crop-4801x3152-1697067652.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-784120" /></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='782560' first='Lauren' last='Grimm'] – The 5'8 guard from Watertown-Mayer does so many things well all over the court. We saw that this summer with Crossfire where the 2026 prospect has proven that she can score against quality opponents. Watch her shoot the ball from distance and it will become obvious why. Always in the ready position with her feet set and hands up, Grimm has a quick release and nice shooting form with a smooth delivery. She is deceptively quick and athletic, can play with pace, and is confident with the basketball in her hands. Once she fills out and gets stronger Lauren's trajectory is heading up, up, up.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/10/Haddy-Baune.jpg?w=666" alt="" class="wp-image-784121" style="aspect-ratio:1;object-fit:cover" /></figure>   Haddy Baune – The 5'10 guard from Brandon-Evansville, just up I-94 from Alexandria, played for [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'] West this summer. While her teammate MaCee Linow was lighting up scoreboards everywhere they played, Haddy was doing the little things to make that possible. Baune is an excellent defender who can guard multiple positions. With long arms, she has a knack for blocking shots, forcing turnovers and grabbing steals. On offense, Baune gets to the rim with power and is a very good shooter with plenty of range out to the three-point line. This is a low-profile prospect whose best basketball is yet to come.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/10/729-Cecelia-Davis-crop-4801x3152-1697067735.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-784122" /></figure>   Cece Davis – One more player on Team #7 that we need to mention is Davis, a 2025 guard from St. Paul Como Park and [program_tooltip program_id='712362' first='Legacy' last='Hoops']. Unfortunately, after doing some good work on the court early on, Cece went down right in front of us with a knee injury. Seeing that happen is one of the real down sides to what we do, and it's never easy to witness. According to her comments on Twitter since the Expo, Davis is expected to be out of action for some time. We wish her well in her recovery.   PGH scout Ally McGinnis contributed to this report.

It has been a whirlwind since the Prep Girls Hoops Top 250 Expo concluded Saturday afternoon in Hopkins. We've spent the days since the event combing through copious amounts of information and writing evaluations on most of the nearly 100 players who participated. This is my final installment from the Top 250. Special thanks to Ally McGinnis, whose scouting reports have been invaluable over the past few events, and to all of our evaluators who participated. Our colleague Tony Ragulen has a couple more team summaries to come. Although the squad was missing Top 50 standout forward Kendyl Lodermeier Kendyl Lodermeier 6'0" | PF/SF Goodhue | 2025 State MN of Goodhue, there were still plenty of players to watch on Team #7. Here's a rundown on the group.