Minnesota Top 250 Expo: The best of Team #1

As always, the Minnesota Top 250 Expo produced plenty of excitement, offered exposure to some fresh faces, and confirmed what we already knew about some of the state's top prospects. That's what Prep Girls Hoops is all about. That's why the annual showcase was developed. On Saturday at Hopkins High School, nearly 100 players participated. We'll be doing a separate story on each of the 10 teams that competed at the event.   Our plan is to identify the top prospects on each team, players we've already written extensively about who have earned their way into the Prep Girls Hoops Rankings. We'll follow that with a look at prospects who raised their stock at the Top 250. Finally, we'll offer some insight into emerging players who did good work on Saturday.   Let's begin in the logical place with Team #1.   TOP PROSPECTS   <figure class="wp-block-image size-thumbnail"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/10/Hope-Counts.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1" alt="" class="wp-image-780666" /></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='296515' first='Hope' last='Counts'] – At #14 in the Class of 2025, the 6'2 forward from Providence Academy was the highest-ranked prospect at the Top 250 Expo, and she played like it. Hope was dominant from the get-go. She used her size to great advantage at both ends of the court. Early in her first game Counts executed a perfect drop step, spinning past a big defender with footwork that was spot on followed by a smooth left-hand layup off the glass. A veteran move to be sure. That's what juniors with Division 1 offers do. Hope's game continues to grow in all facets.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/10/Betsy-Gillette.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-780667" /></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='478374' first='Betsy' last='Gillette'] – The 5'10 guard from Hayfield is ranked #47 in the Class of 2026. Although she has yet to make a huge impact on varsity at Hayfield – it's a complete mystery to us why that is – but we've watched her dominate on the PGH Circuit with [program_tooltip program_id='712352' first='Air' last='Minnesota'] week after week. Betsy is a big guard with size, strength, speed and skill. She plays with a confident air and has a solid feel for the game. On Saturday she showed that she knows how to attack efficiently and finish against opponents of all descriptions. It's only a matter of time before Betsy does the same in the high school spotlight.   [player_tooltip player_id='482833' first='Johnica' last='Bernotas'] – The 5'8 guard from Breckenridge is rated #60 in the Class of 2026. If you've watched Bernotas (banner photo above) in high school you know what she can do to varsity opponents. If you've seen her play AAU for a strong Inspired Athletics crew out of Fargo, then you know how she fares against stronger opposition. On Saturday we saw it again – the deceptive speed and athleticism, the quality moves on offense, the sweet pull-up jump shot and well-honed shooting in general. We love how Johnica brings the ball up the floor, eyes always up, surveying the opportunities, looking for the right play and then making it. Defensively she's equally effective. Bernotas is already a well-polished prospect with a bright future.   STOCK RISERS   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/10/Kathryn-Thayer.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-780688" /></figure>   Kate Thayer – The 5'4 guard from the Class of 2026 was a revelation at the Top 250 Expo. She's from Kelliher, Minnesota – 75 miles northwest of Grand Rapids, population 258 – and didn't play AAU. If she did there's no doubt that Kate would be an impact performer. She has quick feet, nice handles and can shoot the three. Defensively she is a pest with fast hands and the ability to force turnovers, get steals and score transition buckets. Last winter Thayer recorded a remarkable 225 steals! She also averaged 24 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists for a 25-win team. We loved what we saw from Kate, including a coast-to-coast sprint that concluded with a reverse layup. This is a player to watch!   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/10/Lily-Hubin.jpg?w=978" alt="" class="wp-image-780689" /></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='773408' first='Lily' last='Hubin'] – The 5'9 guard from Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart just entered the Prep Girls Hoops Class of 2026 rankings last week at #109, but she'll probably be in the Top 100 before you know it. Lily showed all summer with Minnesota Rise Heiderscheidt that she is capable of putting the ball in the basket. The lefty averaged 15 points per game last winter on a 25-win team. She topped the 20-point mark seven times including a season-high 28 versus Renville County West. Lily is super athletic, plays with a big-time motor, and is utterly fearless. We love her vocal defending, too. Hubin has grown her skillset substantially over the past year and it showed on Saturday.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/10/Kylie-Hammell.jpg?w=908" alt="" class="wp-image-780690" /></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='782559' first='Kylie' last='Hammel'] – The 5'10 forward made a big impact on Saturday. We've seen the 2026 prospect in AAU. We know how much she has already accomplished at Spring Grove down in Southeastern Minnesota where she puts up numbers along with rising prospects [player_tooltip player_id='633286' first='Siri' last='Konkel'] (2026) and [player_tooltip player_id='782556' first='Emerson' last='Ingvalson'] (2025). At the Expo we saw more. Kylie has nice length that she uses well on both sides of the ball. She rebounds effectively and makes hustle plays. We love her quick release in catch-and-shoot situations. At one point Saturday she drove straight at her defender, slipped deftly by at a high rate of speed, and put up a smooth floater that resulted in a free throw opportunity. It was the type of sophisticated move that offers a glimpse of how much more might be possible down the road. Look for Hammel next summer with [program_tooltip program_id='712352' first='Air' last='Minnesota'].   EMERGING TALENT   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/10/Ary-Cardona.jpg?w=897" alt="" class="wp-image-780691" /></figure>   Ary Cardona – The 5'5 point guard from Regis High School in Eau Claire, Wisconsin is a scrappy competitor who played AAU this year for HLC. We loved her intensity at the Top 250. The 2025 prospect fought for every ball and hustled throughout. She moves well laterally on defense which enables her to do a nice job hounding the ball handler one-on-one and generating steals. She also demonstrated some quality shooting from distance.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/10/Aniyah-Thomas.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-780692" /></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='560398' first='Aniyah' last='Thomas'] – The pesky 2026 guard from Mountain Iron-Buhl streamed into our consciousness last winter when she made significant contributions off the bench for the Rangers. They won 30 games and a Class A state championship and Thomas' game grew a lot over the course of the season. The 5'5 sophomore has nice handles, is confident with the ball and can shoot it from distance. Aniyah is filling out and getting stronger. She looked good on Saturday.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/10/Allison-Thomes.jpg?w=940" alt="" class="wp-image-780693" /></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='782552' first='Allison' last='Thomes'] – The 6-footer from Brainerd has nice length, which she employs effectively on the defensive end of things. She uses her wingspan to suffocate opposing ball handlers, often forcing them into untimely turnovers that result in baskets for her team. Allison rebounded well and showed off a solid mid-range jump shot. The 2026 prospect played up a year this summer for MN Xtreme.   PGH scout Ally McGinnis contributed to this report.

As always, the Minnesota Top 250 Expo produced plenty of excitement, offered exposure to some fresh faces, and confirmed what we already knew about some of the state's top prospects. That's what Prep Girls Hoops is all about. That's why the annual showcase was developed. On Saturday at Hopkins High School, nearly 100 players participated. We'll be doing a separate story on each of the 10 teams that competed at the event.