Newcomers who’ve impressed early in 2024

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 2023-24 Minnesota high school basketball season is nearing the halfway point. In many cases, that means non-starting seniors are seeing their playing time diminish while precocious youngsters are receiving more and more minutes. While that can be difficult for the veterans (and their parents), it's just reality in a competitive landscape. This past weekend at the Breakdown Southern Minnesota Hoops Fest at Kasson-Mantorville, Hayfield and Byron, as well at the Granite City Classic one week earlier, we watched that scenario unfolding. Here are a half dozen newcomers who've impressed early in 2024.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='667779' first='Grace' last='Prose'] &amp; [player_tooltip player_id='659117' first='Delaney' last='Dumermuth'] – 2027s, Mahtomedi</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This season, the Mahtomedi Zephyrs are a team primarily composed of upperclassmen, but there are a few youngsters earning significant minutes in the rotation. Among them are 9th graders [player_tooltip player_id='667779' first='Grace' last='Prose'] and [player_tooltip player_id='659117' first='Delaney' last='Dumermuth']. We saw both Grace and Delaney at the Prep Girls Hoops Freshman showcase back in September, and over the course of the high school season we've witnessed the two of them earning more and more minutes. In Saturday's matchup against Mankato East, Prose, who is a 5'7 combo guard, displayed her quickness, ability to handle the basketball, and three-point shooting. On the defensive end her lateral quickness and consistent tenacity makes her an outstanding on-ball defender. Grace finished the contest with 12 points and 2 steals. Delaney is a well-rounded 5'10 forward currently ranked as a top 20 prospect in the class of 2027. She is a strong rebounder who scores well around the rim and knows how to use her size and strength to advantage. She tallied 11 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals against the Cougars.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":835995,"sizeSlug":"medium","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-medium"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/01/Lilly-Henriksen-crop-1885x1238-1704907974.jpg?w=300" alt="" class="wp-image-835995" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='835982' first='Lilly' last='Henriksen'] – 2028 guard, BOLD</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With their win against the Crusaders of Mayer Lutheran on Saturday, BOLD improved its season record to 8 wins and 5 losses. We saw several solid prospects on the floor for the Warriors, the youngest being the 8th grader [player_tooltip player_id='835982' first='Lilly' last='Henriksen']. Lilly is a 5'5 guard with a solid all-around game and a world of potential. She's quick and athletic with very light feet and a plenty of length for her size. We were impressed with her ball handling ability, perimeter defense, and smooth shot release. Henriksen scored just 2 points on Saturday, but during a recent injury absence by BOLD's leading prospect [player_tooltip player_id='595575' first='Lainey' last='Braulick'], Lilly averaged 10 ppg. The key thing is the fact that she played significant minutes in Saturday's contest and made very few mistakes. That will definitely keep you on the floor at any level. This summer Lilly will play for [program_tooltip program_id='713021' first='West' last='Central United'], one of the stronger outstate AAU programs</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":835998,"sizeSlug":"medium","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-medium"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/01/Harper-Hokenson-crop-1951x1281-1704908074.jpg?w=300" alt="" class="wp-image-835998" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='835987' first='Harper' last='Hokenson'] – 2027 guard, Mayer Lutheran</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When we arrived at Hayfield on Saturday for a matchup between BOLD and Mayer Lutheran, we were expecting to see a Crusader squad led by the likes of <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1048125' first='Clara' last='Keaveny']</strong> and her sister<strong> [player_tooltip player_id='1048130' first='Izabelle' last='Keaveny']</strong>, talented regulars who've impressed over the years. We soon learned that they were absent while playing in a volleyball tournament across the Atlantic in Amsterdam. (Definitely didn't have that on our bingo card!) With some holes in the starting lineup, it was freshman guard [player_tooltip player_id='835987' first='Harper' last='Hokenson'] who took the opportunity to step up and lead. All game long Harper asserted her dominance, scoring all over the floor. She finished the contest with 24 points, including 3 triples, as well as 3 rebounds, and 3 steals. Hokenson is a good ball handler, athletic with lots of strength, and plays with a high basketball IQ. Her energy was infectious. Freshman forward <strong>Halle Hunter</strong> also stepped up for Mayer Lutheran, showcasing her length, rebounding, and defense in the post.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='836004' first='McKenna' last='Schaefer'] – 2025 forward, Providence Academy</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When watching the top teams in Minnesota high school basketball, it's not often that a completely fresh face makes her way into a varsity rotation as a junior. That's the case for Providence Academy this season as 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='836004' first='McKenna' last='Schaefer'] has announced her arrival in fine style. We're told she played high-level travel ball in elementary school but moved on from hoops to focus on volleyball. With a little persuasion from none other than [player_tooltip player_id='252381' first='Maddyn' last='Greenway'], McKenna decided to return to the court. What a return it has been! Schaefer's play at Granite City was incredibly good. Then we saw the 5'10 forward against Minnehaha Academy and Stewartville and it was more of the same. Schaefer has solid fundamentals, good quickness, and shooting ability. What is most evident is her innate feel for the game. If McKenna chooses to focus on basketball, she is absolutely a prospect for the next level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Taylor Nesvig – 2029 guard, Hancock</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We've seen Hancock several times already this season, including their recent encounters with Holdingford and Becker at the Granite City Classic. The 2022 Class A state champs sport a strong lineup and a record of 11-1. Even with a veteran pool of talent to choose from, coach Chad Nuest is giving significant minutes to 7th grader <strong>Taylor Nesvig</strong>. We first saw Nesvig in December, at the Breakdown Tip Off Classic where we were impressed with her defensive energy, non-stop hustle, and ability to recover from mistakes and keep going. That's an underrated asset for younger players. Taylor continued to make a positive impression at St. Ben's. With just over a month of varsity play under her belt, Nesvig's confidence appears to be building as she earns more time on the floor. In the Becker game she went up against top-level 2028 prospect [player_tooltip player_id='630285' first='Adele' last='Changamire'] without an ounce of fear. As she grows in size and in game, Taylor can certainly become a solid prospect for the next level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>PGH scout Ally McGinnis contributed to these player evaluations.<strong></strong></em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->