Saturday's rising stars & intriguing newcomers

Some 10 weeks into the 2023-24 high school season, we've seen plenty of trends developing. Game after game, week after week certain players are making it obvious that they are destined for greatness. Here are six highly ranked 2026 and 2027 prospects we saw on Saturday at the Breakdown Community Clash who once again made us go, ‘Wow!'   [player_tooltip player_id='362575' first='Callie' last='Oakland'] – forward, St. Croix Lutheran (2026 #13)   Callie spent the better part of the past week in the sick bay, fighting off flu-like symptoms that left her at less than a hundred percent and her team in a potential pickle. On Saturday the big post pronounced herself healthy and then went on to prove it. Oakland had a monster performance on both ends of the floor against Fridley. She was a dominant force scoring in the paint, and it was difficult for the undersized Tigers to contain her. Oakland scored 14 points and wrangled 13 rebounds. She had an outstanding performance on the defensive end, as well, coming away with a whopping 7 blocked shots!   [player_tooltip player_id='578467' first='Amisha' last='Ramlall'] – guard, Rosemount (2027 #6)   Saturday's performance by the D1 prospect reminded us of how she played in the [program_tooltip program_id='712687' first='Minnesota' last='Fury']'s 2027 AAU state championship game last summer. There was her usual solid first half of play. Then came the second where Amisha went on a tear that left her stamp on the proceedings in a big way. She scored at every level in Saturday's game against East Ridge, making tough shots on the drive, getting to the free throw line, and knocking down a couple of big shots from three. Amisha finished with a game-high 20 points, and helped lead the Irish to a 71-59 win over the Raptors.   [player_tooltip player_id='478350' first='Kate' last='Amelotte'] – guard/forward, Wayzata (2026 #5)   Tempers flared down the stretch in the second half of Wayzata's matchup with Andover. The game was close and things were getting physical when a couple of the Andover Huskies appeared to “poke the bear” as they say. That bear was Amelotte, pictured above with her teammate [player_tooltip player_id='212489' first='Sophie' last='Hawkinson']. A top 5 sophomore forward/guard who can do it all, we've seen in previous contests that the more fired up Kate is, the more effective she tends to be. That held true on Saturday. After some aggressive on-court “conversation” from an opponent, Amelotte was in no way amused. She responded by amping up her own physicality and going on a late-game spree of success to clinch a victory.   [player_tooltip player_id='567389' first='Sydney' last='Friedly'] – guard, Benilde-St. Margaret's (2027 #26)   The Red Knights of Benilde-St. Margaret's have several well-known players on their roster from Top 20 junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='208184' first='Zahara' last='Bishop'], to newly named McDonald's All American [player_tooltip player_id='177728' first='Olivia' last='Olson']. One player we believe deserves more recognition is Friedly. The sophomore guard quietly earned big minutes last year for the Red Knights and this year is a highly impactful starter. While the things she does on court are not flashy, they are immense. Rare for a 9th grader, Sydney plays with a ton of poise. She can score all over the floor and is a reliable play caller and defender. She contributed 12 points and a whole lot more in Saturday's win over STMA.   [player_tooltip player_id='344333' first='Cail' last='Jahnke'] – guard, St. Michael-Albertville ( 2026 #4)   There's no question that [player_tooltip player_id='339129' first='Ja'Kahla' last='Craft'] and [player_tooltip player_id='330743' first='Abby' last='Hoselton'] are currently the most important pieces in the STMA lineup, but it won't be long before the Knights will be Jahnke's team. The top 5 sophomore is evolving before our very eyes this winter, transforming herself from emerging talent to bona fide star. She certainly has all of the ingredients to be successful, starting with truly incredible length. Cail has to be 6'2 by now. At least that's how she looks with those impossibly long legs and arms that stretch from here to there. She was the team's second leading scorer on Saturday, hitting shots from all over the floor for 15 points.   [player_tooltip player_id='458302' first='Abbie' last='Pietila'] – guard, Delano (2026 #19)   We spent Saturday at St. Michael-Albertville but the Community Clash also had contests going on at Chanhassen and Becker. Undefeated Delano and one-loss St. Peter took to the court at 12:30 over at Chanhassen and it didn't take long for word to filter back to STMA that the much-anticipated encounter was turning out to be a barn burner. Pietila turned in the latest in a series of stellar performances running the show for the Tigers. Her savvy approach to the task is special, with a terrific feel for the game, the IQ to know what to do next, and the skill set to pull it off. Yes, Abbie can put up points (she had 16 on Saturday) but it's what else she does that really matters.   NEWCOMERS WHO INTRIGUED US   While much of the attention on Saturday was focused on the emerging stars of high school basketball, there were some unknown commodities who got noticed, as well. We would be remiss if we didn't at least make mention of a few upperclassmen who came into the weekend flying completely under the radar but got themselves noticed at the Community Clash. Here are a few:   Sophia Jensen – 2024 forward, Fridley   The first matchup of the day on Saturday was between St. Croix Lutheran and Fridley. With senior post Daeserae Williamson out for the Tigers, we got a chance to watch 2024 forward Sophia Jensen. Sophia has a big frame and a ton of strength, and she moves well for her size. We liked her hustle, ability to use her power effectively, her rebounding prowess, and her three-point shooting. Jensen scored 15 points against St. Croix Lutheran and is averaging just over 10 ppg.   Mya Nunez-Williams & Stella Sell – 2025s, St. Croix Lutheran   We saw solid performances from juniors Mya Nunez-Williams and Stella Sell for the Crusaders on Saturday. Nunez-Williams is a tiny guard who excels at attacking the basket and scoring at the rim. Despite her size, she uses a burst of speed to exploit gaps in the defense. She finished with 7 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists. Sell is a 5'9 forward who started and earned quality minutes for the Crusaders. We were impressed with her ability to maintain position and grab clutch rebounds, as well as her lateral movement and penchant for defending the ball on the perimeter. Sell is versatile enough to play in the post or on the wing.   [player_tooltip player_id='854910' first='Emmanuella' last='Sennowo'] – 2025 forward, East Ridge   Big power forward [player_tooltip player_id='854910' first='Emmanuella' last='Sennowo'] from East Ridge was largely unknown to us when the day began on Saturday. By day's end it was clear she is a prospect we need to get more eyes on. What we do know is that she is an athletic player with a ton of size and strength that seems to have a natural feel for the game. She has nice touch around the rim and a quality jump shot. Emmanuella did not starting playing basketball until 7th grade so she is still learning the nuances of the game and developing her burgeoning skills. With her size, athleticism and an investment of time and effort, Sennowo might turn out to be a scholarship-level player.   PGH scout Ally McGinnis contributed to these player evaluations.

Some 10 weeks into the 2023-24 high school season, we've seen plenty of trends developing. Game after game, week after week certain players are making it obvious that they are destined for greatness. Here are six highly ranked 2026 and 2027 prospects we saw on Saturday at the Breakdown Community Clash who once again made us go, ‘Wow!'