Up-and-comers at the Hall of Fame Classic

Tony Ragulen January 18, 2024 @ 07:33 PM

There was plenty of star power on display at the Hall of Fame Classic at Anoka-Ramsey Community College, but there were a handful of players making contributions without a ton of fanfare. I was able to lay my eyes on a few players looking to make an impact as soon as given the opportunity.   Viviana Smith – 2027 guard, Spring Lake Park   Smith is a tough, smooth-handling guard who is not afraid of contact. During the JV game she put pressure on the defense drawing fouls and getting to the free throw line on a regular basis. She held her own during the varsity game where the action is much faster and the stakes are much higher. Being a bit on the shorter side, Smith will need to improve her outside shot to open up lanes for her to get to the bucket, which is where her bread is currently buttered. She looks to be a major part of the Panthers future going forward if she continues on this path.   [player_tooltip player_id='764201' first='Jaelyn' last='Bursey-Dixon'] – 2027, Spring Lake Park   Bursey-Dixon (pictured above) has good size and solid build. She played the 2nd half of the varsity game after playing both halves of the JV game and seemed ready for the moment. She was surprisingly much more aggressive offensively during the varsity game than she was in the JV game. She came in late in the 2nd half and gave the Panthers some solid time. She grabbed 2 boards and had a big bucket to help keep her squad in it. She's playing in a good program so she'll without question continue to improve her skill set and overall game.   Maddy Thompson – 2026 guard, White Bear Lake   Thompson is unquestionably the best shooter in the group, and while she only took one shot during the varsity game, she showed her ability to knock down shots from beyond the arc during the JV game at the Hall of Fame Classic. Standing 5'8 with an athletic build, Thompson could play a bigger role for the Bears as soon as this season if she earns the opportunity.   [player_tooltip player_id='937528' first='Braelin' last='Weber'] – 2026 post, St. Peter   You can't teach height. Weber is every bit of 6'4 and once her skill set catches up to her height, look out! With the St. Peter front court racking up fouls late in the game against Mahtomedi, the sophomore post was thrust into a pressure cooker moment. Weber held her own while contributing 3 points, 3 rebounds and changing a few more shots. I don't know what the future holds for Weber, but she'll need to continue to work on her footwork and touch around the basket to help her crack the rotation on a more consistent basis.   Naomi Whittaker-Hill – 2026 guard, DeLaSalle   Whittaker-Hill is long, athletic and tough. That's the Islander way. She's playing behind a very talented group, but when she gets in the game, it's full throttle. The sophomore guard crashes the boards with reckless abandon and has shown the ability to step out and knock down jumpers when left open. She's getting the opportunity and if she continues to improve her skill set, she could be a contributing factor for the Islanders in the years to come.

There was plenty of star power on display at the Hall of Fame Classic at Anoka-Ramsey Community College, but there were a handful of players making contributions without a ton of fanfare. I was able to lay my eyes on a few players looking to make an impact as soon as given the opportunity.