5 fresh faces we liked at the Breakdown Tip Off Classic
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It’s one thing to go hunting for newcomers at an AAU tournament where games are separated by age and there are plenty of young prospects to peruse. Not so much at a high school event where newcomers often make only…
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Continue ReadingIt’s one thing to go hunting for newcomers at an AAU tournament where games are separated by age and there are plenty of young prospects to peruse. Not so much at a high school event where newcomers often make only cameo appearances and seldom impact the game in a big way. This past weekend at the Breakdown Tip Off Classic was different, though, as there were plenty of youngsters who affected outcomes in a significant manner. Evaluated in the order we saw them play, here are 5 fresh faces we liked at the Tip Off.
Brynn Koehnen – 2027 guard, Lakeville North
On Friday evening we witnessed a thrilling matchup between Hopkins and Lakeville North. The Panthers started the second half with a 16-point deficit, but fought back to make it a 1-point game. Junior guard Elayna Boe Elayna Boe 6'0" | SG Lakeville North | 2025 State MN had some incredible defensive minutes, especially while guarding the Royals’ all-everything guard Liv McGill Liv McGill 5'7" | CG Hopkins | 2024 State MN . And while the Panthers didn’t go home with a win, freshman guard Brynn Koehnen did catch our eye. From the moment she checked in at the scorer’s table we could see that Brynn plays with a ton of hustle and heart. She handles the ball well and is very fast running up and down the floor. Standing just 5’5, Koehnen doesn’t have a ton of size, but her tenacity and overall quickness makes up for some of that. With the game being close, we didn’t see much of Koehnen down the stretch, but the minutes she provided early in the game were solid. We look forward to seeing what kind of role the freshman takes on for Lakeville North as the season progresses.
Samantha Hachey – 2026 guard, Crosby-Ironton
A couple more fresh faces were spotted on Saturday in the matchup between Sauk Centre and Crosby-Ironton. Crosby-Ironton’s sophomore guard Samantha Hachey was the first player to catch our attention. Hachey is fast, with quick hands and good vertical, making her excellent in transition. She provides a huge spark for the Rangers on both ends of the floor and plays a solid two-man game with 2026 superstar Tori Oehrlein Tori Oehrlein 5'10" | CG Crosby-Ironton | 2026 State MN . It wasn’t too many minutes into the game before Samantha was picking pockets and scoring transition buckets. We saw her do it over and over again throughout the contest. Hachey helped lead the Rangers to a convincing 73-55 win. Samantha went 7-of-10 from two-point range and finished the contest with 16 points, 2 assists and 4 steals. She was the team’s second-leading scorer behind Oehrlein, who had 37.
Jenna Riley – 2027 forward, Sauk Centre
The other newcomer we witnessed in the Sauk Centre versus Crosby-Ironton matchup was 9th grader Jenna Riley of Sauk Centre. Riley is a 5’8 forward with guard skills and a solid basketball IQ. We saw her make a lot of good decisions on the floor, including taking care of the basketball. This was no easy feat, considering Crosby-Ironton wrapped up the contest with 14 steals. Jenna provided a lot of solid minutes on Saturday for the Mainstreeters, and she finished the contest with 6 points, 2 steals, and 1 assist. We were impressed the most by her three-point shooting. Riley has a textbook, smooth release, and knocks down shots from beyond the arc with ease. Jenna was the team’s third-leading scorer on the night, behind Tory Jennissen Tory Jennissen 6'3" | PF Sauk Centre | 2025 State MN with 17 and Cierra Kortan Cierra Kortan 5'8" | CG Sauk Centre | 2025 State MN with 21.
Ashna Ramlall Ashna Ramlall 5'8" | CG Rosemount | 2028 MN – 2028 guard, Rosemount
The youngest of the three Ramlall sisters from Rosemount, 8th grader Ashna is an incredibly talented combo guard, and one of the leading scorers so far this year for the Irish. In the summer, Ashna plays for the 2028 Fury Blue team, where she is well-known as a three-point sharpshooter. So far in the high school season that reputation remains wholly intact. She hit four shots from beyond the arc on Saturday in Rosemount’s 89-84 overtime win against Wayzata. Pictured above, Ashna provided a ton of crucial minutes down the stretch for the Irish, particularly after her sister Amisha Ramlall Amisha Ramlall 5'11" | CG Rosemount | 2027 State MN , a 2027 Top 10 prospect, fouled out late in the contest. Ashna finished with 18 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, and 4 steals. So far in three varsity outings over the past couple of weeks, Ashna is averaging an impressive 15 points per game.
Taylor Nesvig – 2029 guard, Hancock
There were a plethora of talented players in the gym over the course of the weekend, many of whom were new to varsity play, are underclassmen, or even still in middle school. Our final fresh face falls into that last category. Taylor Nesvig of Hancock is a small but mighty guard who provided 22 good minutes for the Owls in their matchup against Goodhue. Only a 7th grader, Nesvig plays with no fear. She’s quick, competes with a ton of hustle, and is an active, high-energy defender. Taylor sees the floor well and has a smooth, left-handed shot release. We were really pleased with Nesvig’s ability to quickly recover from mistakes and hustle back on defense, a vital trait for a young player finding their footing on a varsity roster. Nesvig and the Owls came away from the weekend victorious, defeating the Wildcats 51-47.
PGH scout Ally McGinnis contributed to this report.