Breakdown Fall League wraps up sneak preview season

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Breakdown's annual Fall League came to a close on Sunday as we inch closer to the beginning of the high school regular that's scheduled to open Thanksgiving week across Minnesota. We went to Minnetonka for the last week of Fall League and found several standouts to spotlight. Sunday was intense. The energy level and degree of physicality took a noticeable jump from previous weeks as we saw numerous high-octane battles. Here are some teams and players that left it all out on the floor in week #4.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>CAN THE COOPER HAWKS SOAR SOME MORE?</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We watched Robbinsdale Cooper twice to begin the day at Minnetonka, first against St. Anthony Village and immediately thereafter vs Coon Rapids. It was clear from the get-go that Cooper had come to play. The mano-a-mano encounter between Hawks senior [player_tooltip player_id='215943' first='Somah' last='Kamara'] (ranked #43) and Coon Rapids Top 35 senior [player_tooltip player_id='302295' first='Helen' last='Ben'] (Maryville University commit) was particularly intense as the two gifted guards traded buckets for an hour. Featuring high-tempo, end-to-end basketball from start to finish, It was one of those anything-you-can-do-I-can-do-better encounters that left all of us thoroughly entertained.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It will be interesting to watch coach Ebony Rich's squad this season. Coming off a 20-win campaign a year ago, the Hawks have graduated standouts <strong>Vanessa Saidu</strong> (Texas A&amp;M), <strong>Bre Frazier</strong> (McClennan CC), <strong>Pauline McCarthy</strong> and <strong>Bella Davison</strong> (Peru State). If Sunday's play is an accurate indication, Cooper should continue to be solid. Here are a couple of players who stood out for the Hawks.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":804005,"sizeSlug":"medium","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-medium"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/09/701-Nyema-Montgomery-crop-4009x2632-1699548866.jpg?w=300" alt="" class="wp-image-804005" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='764220' first='Nyema' last='Montgomery'] – 2027 guard, Robbinsdale Cooper</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Having watched Nyema at the Freshman Showcase, we were looking forward to seeing how the 2027 top 50 guard would look with the varsity. From the jump, she was very good. Montgomery is a quick, well-built guard with plenty of skill including quick hands and fast feet. She sees the floor well and is a hardworking and intelligent defender. Her hustle is consistent. When guarding off the ball Nyema's head is on a swivel and she consistently gets to her spot on time to play help defense. On the other end of the floor, Nyema is great at attacking the basket. Montgomery's solid build enables her to absorb lots of contact from the defense, and her high vertical allows her to elevate over what is often multiple defenders and score at the rim.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='453751' first='Jordyn' last='Cooke'] – 2025 forward, Robbinsdale Cooper</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another player who stood out was Cooke, a 6-foot post with a sturdy build. Jordyn's height and strength allow her to wrestle boards away from her opponents, and her long arms help to make her a persistent shot blocker. Cooke does very well in the low post, often scoring on offensive put-backs. But it was her perimeter play that really impressed us. Aside from her ability to shoot from the outside, Jordyn sees the floor and her cutting teammates very well. Repeatedly we witnessed her drop perfectly timed and placed passes into the lane for the cutter. Jordyn is already a ranked player among Minnesota's 2025s with a ton of potential. We look forward to seeing the ways in which Jordyn grows her game in the latter half of her high school career.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>WOCK TAKES A LEAP AT MINNETONKA</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Later in the day we settled in to watch Minnetonka's varsity take on <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='252381' first='Maddyn' last='Greenway']</strong> and Providence Academy followed by Chaska. While the Skippers were missing some of their star talent – 2025 #1 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='252387' first='Aaliyah' last='Crump']</strong> and 2026 #3<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='252383' first='Lanelle' last='Wright'] </strong>sat out on Sunday – we still got to see some great basketball. As you can probably imagine, the matchup against PA was some particularly high-caliber competition. There was one player whose performance really grabbed our attention.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='520270' first='Harley' last='Wock']</strong> <strong>– 2025 guard/forward, Minnetonka</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Given that they are one of the top-ranked teams in Class 4A, it's no surprise that the Skippers have a ton of star power on their roster, but the depth goes well beyond the starting 5. Take Harley, for example. At 5'11”, the&nbsp; junior guard/forward brings an impressive amount of size and athleticism to the floor. Pictured above, Wock is fast, with a long stride, she's strong, and she plays physical. Harley's long arms and immense vertical help to make her a strong rebounder and shot blocker. Her shot is smooth, and she can fire it from all over the floor. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Overall, Wock plays with a ton of hustle and heart. Although her shots weren't falling as frequently as she might like on Sunday, her shot selection was on point. When Harley elevates for the mid-range jumper there's not a whole lot defenders can do. This girl is bouncy! At the other end of the court, Wock is a committed defender who does a nice job in help D. Her shot blocking is elite. After a late start in high-level ball, Wock's game is coming together very nicely now. Currently ranked #80 in the Class of 2025, Harley is looking more and more like a scholarship-level prospect.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":803883,"sizeSlug":"medium","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-medium"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/11/Ella-Keenan-crop-3901x2562-1699541017.jpg?w=300" alt="" class="wp-image-803883" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Keenan</figcaption></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>A NEW ERA IN CHASKA</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When Colorado knocked off #1-ranked Louisiana State in the biggest upset of college basketball's opening day, Chaska grad <strong>Kennedy Sanders</strong> was in uniform for the Buffaloes. It will likely take her some time to adapt to the high Division 1 level of competition, but when push comes to shove Kennedy will be there. She was rated #4 In the Class of 2023 for a reason. Based on what we saw Sunday, it looks like Chaska will soon adapt to her absence, as well. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Much of the Hawks' potential success will rest on the shoulders of senior guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='302310' first='Aubrey' last='Heyer']</strong>. The Bemidji State commit had the ball in her hands all day long on Sunday – that used to be Sanders' job – and she did a really nice job of execution. The Top 50 senior will need to do more of the same if Chaska is going to come close to last year's 27-2 record despite losing graduates like <strong>Anna Lenzen</strong> (U Mary) and <strong>Ashley Schuelke</strong> (Concordia-St. Paul). Sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='515651' first='Addi' last='Schneider']</strong> will need to be big as will junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='550015' first='Alexis' last='Schaefer']</strong>. One core player who stood out on Sunday was junior forward <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='346160' first='Ella' last='Keenan']</strong>.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='346160' first='Ella' last='Keenan']</strong> <strong>– 2025 forward, Chaska</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A Top 25-ranked prospect in the Prep Girls Hoops Class of 2025, Ella is a skilled post player who does many of the little things to help her team succeed. Standing about 6'1 with a solid frame, Keenan is a threat inside the lane on both ends of the floor. She has a strong post-up, good footwork, and scores a lot of her points on offensive put-backs. Outside the paint, Ella moves well and has a big first step when attacking the rim. She routinely sets solid screens on and off the ball to get her teammates a wide open shot or lane to the basket. One thing we love about Keenan's game is its simplicity. She's just subtle, with a big box of tools and the ability to execute in the most efficient manner possible. Ella's not likely to make your highlight reel but she will dominate when it's needed the most.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>PGH scout Ally McGinnis contributed to this report.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->