Winter recruiting update: Who's going where in 2024?

It has been a long time – more than 6 months in fact – since we last updated everyone on what’s happening in the college recruitment of Minnesota’s top high school basketball players. Let’s get you caught up. The total number of prospects in the Class of 2024 who have made their college commitment now tops 100, with more than 75 of them expected to play at the scholarship level. Here’s a rundown on who’s going where in 2024.

NCAA DIVISION 1

Since the last time we provided an update, the number of Divison 1 recruits has nearly doubled to 25:

– guard, Benilde-St. Margaret’s (Michigan)

– guard, Hopkins (Florida)

– guard, Mountain Iron-Buhl (North Carolina)

– guard, Minnetonka (Minnesota)

– forward, Lakeville North (Vanderbilt)

– forward, Lakeville South (Kansas State)

– forward, Andover (Clemson)

– wing, Maple Grove (North Dakota State)

– guard, St. Croix Lutheran (St.Thomas)

– guard, Centennial (North Dakota State)

– forward, Shakopee (Colorado State)

– forward, Albany (St. Thomas)

– guard, St. Michael-Albertville (Seton Hall)

– forward, Holy Family (Butler)

– guard, Lakeville North (Loyola Maryland)

– forward, Eastview (St. Thomas)

– guard, Stillwater (South Florida)

– guard, Andover (New Jersey Institute of Technology)

– guard, Roseville (UW-Milwaukee)

– forward, Prior Lake (UW-Milwaukee)

– forward, International Falls (Eastern Illinois)

– forward, Royalton (Valparaiso)

– forward, Rochester Mayo (South Carolina Upstate)

– forward, Pine City (Idaho)

– forward, Legacy Christian (Radford)

Early commitments from Minnesota’s junior class – the 2025s – are starting to happen now. There are four D1 commits so far:

– Maple Grove (Michigan State)

– Eden Prairie (South Dakota)

– Prior Lake (Colorado State)

– Centennial (St. Thomas)

NCAA DIVISION 2

There are 34 players that we’re aware of who have announced commitments at the Division 2 level with most of those having signed to play in the Northern Sun Conference (northernsun.org) in the Upper Midwest. The circuit, which is one of the strongest D2 leagues in the country, includes programs in Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Nebraska. Here are the Minnesotans who’ve signed to play Division 2.

MSU-Mankato – (St. Peter), (Goodhue) & (Watertown-Mayer)

University of Sioux Falls – (Andover), (Eagan) & (Becker)

St. Cloud State – (Albany), & (Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart)

UM-Crookston – (Perham), (Crookston HS) & (Fosston)

Wayne State – (Andover), (Delano), (Mankato East)

Winona State – (Rosemount), (Anoka) & (Mounds View)

Concordia-St. Paul – (Rosemount) & (Forest Lake)

Southwest Minnesota State (Marshall) – (Sleepy Eye) & (Shakopee)

UM-Duluth – (Two Rivers)

MSU-Moorhead – (Chisholm) & (Rosemount)

Bemidji State – (Chaska)

Augustana (Sioux Falls, SD) – (East Ridge), (Spring Lake Park)

Northern State (Aberdeen, SD) – (Delano)

There are 5 more Minnesota prospects heading for Division 2 programs in other states:

Lake Superior State (Michigan) – (Rochester Century)

Northern Michigan – (White Bear Lake)

Maryville (Missouri) – (Coon Rapids)

Nebraska-Kearney – (Edina)

Florida Southern – (Mahtomedi)

From the Class of 2025 there are three early D2 commits:

Bemidji State – (Alexandria)

MSU-Mankato – (Lester Prairie)

MSU-Moorhead – (Barnesville)

NAIA COMMITS

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) is a great option for many prospects, but because there are no NAIA institutions in Minnesota it’s not a well-understood opportunity. I like to refer to it as D2 and a half. That’s because the level of play in most cases is above Division 3 and NAIA schools can offer scholarship money comparable to that in D2. Last year more than a dozen Minnesotans went the NAIA route. So far in the Class of 2024 there are 17 NAIA commits that we know of. The leading recruiter of NAIA players from Minnesota has usually been Jamestown University in North Dakota, which will be moving to the D2 Northern Sun Conference in 2025. In preparation for that, coach Thad Sankey has enticed five players ranked in the top 75 of the Class of 2024 to come west:

Jamestown (North Dakota) – (Prior Lake), (New Ulm), (Grand Rapids), (Stewartville), (Mountain Iron-Buhl)

Mayville State (North Dakota) – (Holy Family), (Hancock)

Briar Cliff University (Iowa) – (Sleepy Eye), (Rochester Mayo)

Morningside University (Iowa) – (Maple River), (Rochester Century), (Holy Angels)

Dakota State (South Dakota) – (Winona)

St. Francis (Illinois) – (Champlin Park)

Grand View (Iowa) – (St. Louis Park)

Viterbo (Wisconsin) – (Eastview)

Mount Marty (South Dakota) – (Owatonna)

STILL AVAILABLE

So who’s left? That’s a question I get asked all the time by college coaches still looking to plug a hole or find a hidden gem, particularly one with size. Although it’s up for debate, we think the 5 best prospects who have yet to announce a college commitment are the following:

Ava Cossette Ava Cossette 5'10" | CG Maple Grove | 2024 State MN – The crafty guard from Maple Grove is up to speed again after an ACL injury and she’s drawing plenty of conversation from mid-major programs still looking for 2024s.

Sidney Reed Sidney Reed 6'2" | SF Minnetonka | 2024 State MN – Currently sidelined by a torn ACL, the lengthy forward from Minnetonka was beginning to win over Division 1 coaches when she got hurt. Likely a D2 prospect now, Reed could be special at that level.

Angel Hill Angel Hill 5'8" | PG Minnehaha Academy | 2024 State MN – The active guard from Minnehaha Academy is having an outstanding senior year for the Redhawks where she is a difference-maker at both ends of the floor. The latest in a long line of terrific Hills, Angel may still land at the D1 level.

Somah Kamara Somah Kamara 5'8" | CG Cooper | 2024 State MN – There’s no question that the crafty guard from Robbinsdale Cooper is a Division 1 talent. She has recovered nicely from a series of shoulder injuries when she was younger and has plenty of upside.

Lilly Hahs Lilly Hahs 5'10" | SG Cretin-Derham Hall | 2024 State MN – The big guard from Cretin-Derham Hall is one of the sleepers of the class in our opinion. Her high school career was ended early by injury but she has excellent next-level potential.