Youngsters who got noticed over Thanksgiving

Just like every event we attend, we expended ample time and energy at the Twin Cities Thanksgiving Tip Off and at Hamline University's Pat Paterson Tournament looking for young talent. It's what we do, and the results are rarely disappointing. Here are five youngsters who got noticed over the weekend.   [player_tooltip player_id='667779' first='Grace' last='Prose'] – 2027 guard, Mahtomedi   Our first newcomer who made her presence known at the Thanksgiving Tip Off Tournament hails from the Metro East Conference. Grace is a 5'7 freshman combo guard out of Mahtomedi. Having spent the summer with [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'] Elite, Grace is well-prepared for varsity play, and truly does look like a veteran on the floor. She's a high energy player who doesn't back down from any challenge. We are impressed with her quick feet and ability to defend one-on-one. Prose also has a great feel for the game, is a tremendous ball handler, and can shoot consistently from beyond the arc. We recently saw her at the Prep Girls Hoops Freshman showcase, where she turned in a performance that helped her earn a well-deserved spot as a Top 50 prospect in the 2027 class.   [player_tooltip player_id='872714' first='Beckett' last='Greenway'] – 2029 guard, Providence Academy   Friday night featured Beckett's high school basketball debut. Greenway, as you may have guessed, is the younger sister of Maddyn, the all-everything point guard for the Lions. The younger sister is one of several talented players coming up through the Providence Academy pipeline. She is a fast, crafty guard with tremendous handles and a ton of creativity around the rim. She also has incredibly fast feet which helps make her a great on-ball defender. Only a 7th grader, Greenway saw minutes against both Benilde-St. Margaret's and Dowling Catholic out of West Des Moines, Iowa. She played a key role in defending 2025 Creighton commit Ava Zediker in the second half, and helped the Lions to a 79-76 win. Only time will tell how good the younger Greenway can be but she made a big statement right out of the gate.   [player_tooltip player_id='815110' first='Olivia' last='Fynboh'] – 2026 forward, Jordan   Oftentimes when we're scouting at a high school event for new players to feature, that means searching for younger kids who have never played varsity before. Sometimes we find a fresh face that is a bit older or has a little more experience. Such is the case for Fynboh, a 5'9 sophomore forward from Jordan who really caught our eye Friday in the Jaguars' matchup with Aquinas High School from La Crosse, Wisconsin. Right off the bat we could see her natural athletic ability and understanding of the game. Fynboh also impressed us with her grit and work ethic, as well as her midrange game and ability to attack the basket. Olivia was a major part of the 55-48 win over the BluGolds and finished with 14 points. As her technical skills come along, she could turn out to be a heck of a player.   [player_tooltip player_id='815083' first='Amelia' last='Ecker'] – 2028 forward, East Ridge   It's not every day that you see a 6-foot tall, athletic, solidly built 8th grader, but Ecker is exactly that. She's a mature, coachable player who does well offensively in the low post, or can extend her shot out past the arc. Ecker has long limbs and a ton of strength, enabling her to be a tremendous rebounder, not to mention the sheer will required to be aggressive on the glass on a consistent basis. That is something that can't often be said for players much older, let alone those who have yet to reach high school. Things didn't go exactly as planned over the weekend for East Ridge as the Raptors fell to both St. Michael-Albertville and Eastview. Still, there was a lot to like for coach Ashley Ellis-Milan. That includes what she saw from Amelia, who is just starting to tap into her potential.   [player_tooltip player_id='815078' first='Zoey' last='Johnston'] – 2028 guard, Orono   Zoey is a gamer. Regardless of the circumstances, no matter if her team is ahead or behind, she cares nothing about the size or experience of her opponents. The feisty guard is going to show up and compete. We certainly saw that at the Hamline University tournament. Johnston is the proverbial gym rat, a tireless worker who comes early and stays late. She doesn't really have any weaknesses in her game. She's versatile and well-rounded with nice handles, a quality shot and a solid IQ. The only thing she lacks is size and varsity experience and those will come in due course. Orono coach Chris Bjorgaard had intended to ease Johnston into the lineup this year but by the time the weekend concluded it was clear she's going to be a key piece of whatever success the Spartans have.   [player_tooltip player_id='815121' first='Marie' last='Jacobson'] – 2027 forward, Visitation   Our final newcomer of note has the least experience of the lot. Last year at this time she was playing 8th grade travel ball and has no high-level AAU experience, either. What Marie has is height, desire and great basketball pedigree. Already pushing 6 feet, Marie is a long, lean forward who has been thrust into an important role riding shotgun with 2025 Top 5 prospect [player_tooltip player_id='296528' first='Sam' last='Wills']. It's a big ask, but Jacobson showed a ton of potential over the weekend. She runs the floor well with long strides. She understands how to get position to grab hold of more than her share of rebounds. And she showed the willingness and ability to take and make shots from distance. Jacobson obviously needs to get stronger and gain experience, but with two parents who played college basketball it wouldn't surprise us if Marie does the same.   PGH scout Ally McGinnis contributed to this article.

Just like every event we attend, we expended ample time and energy at the Twin Cities Thanksgiving Tip Off and at Hamline University's Pat Paterson Tournament looking for young talent. It's what we do, and the results are rarely disappointing. Here are five youngsters who got noticed over the weekend.