Winter recruiting update: Who’s going where in 2024?
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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:
- Olivia Olson Olivia Olson 6'1" | CG Benilde-SM | 2024 State MN – guard, Benilde-St. Margaret’s (Michigan)
- Liv McGill Liv McGill 5'7" | CG Hopkins | 2024 State MN – guard, Hopkins (Florida)
- Jordan Zubich Jordan Zubich 5'11" | SG Mountain Iron-Buhl | 2024 State MN – guard, Mountain Iron-Buhl (North Carolina)
- Tori McKinney Tori McKinney 6'1" | CG Minnetonka | 2024 State MN – guard, Minnetonka (Minnesota)
- Trinity Wilson Trinity Wilson 6'3" | PF Lakeville North | 2024 State MN – forward, Lakeville North (Vanderbilt)
- Finley Ohnstad Finley Ohnstad 6'1" | SF Lakeville South | 2024 State MN – forward, Lakeville South (Kansas State)
- Morgan Miller Morgan Miller 6'2" | PF Andover | 2024 State MN – forward, Andover (Clemson)
- Claire Stern Claire Stern 6'0" | SF Maple Grove | 2024 State MN – wing, Maple Grove (North Dakota State)
- Laura Hauge Laura Hauge 5'9" | SG St. Croix Lutheran | 2024 State MN – guard, St. Croix Lutheran (St.Thomas)
- Marisa Frost Marisa Frost 5'8" | PG Centennial | 2024 State MN – guard, Centennial (North Dakota State)
- Olivia Pawlicki Olivia Pawlicki 6'1" | SF Shakopee | 2024 State MN – forward, Shakopee (Colorado State)
- Alyssa Sand Alyssa Sand 6'2" | PF Albany | 2024 State MN – forward, Albany (St. Thomas)
- Ja’Kahla Craft Ja’Kahla Craft 5'9" | CG STMA | 2024 State MN – guard, St. Michael-Albertville (Seton Hall)
- Jocelyn Land Jocelyn Land 6'0" | PF Holy Family | 2024 State MN – forward, Holy Family (Butler)
- Gabby Betton Gabby Betton 5'9" | CG Lakeville North | 2024 State MN – guard, Lakeville North (Loyola Maryland)
- Savanah Gardner Savanah Gardner 6'1" | SF Eastview | 2024 State MN – forward, Eastview (St. Thomas)
- Amy Thompson Amy Thompson 5'10" | SG Stillwater | 2024 State MN – guard, Stillwater (South Florida)
- Piper Engelby Piper Engelby 5'11" | SG Andover | 2024 State MN – guard, Andover (New Jersey Institute of Technology)
- Kendall Barnes Kendall Barnes 5'7" | CG Roseville | 2024 State MN – guard, Roseville (UW-Milwaukee)
- Cece McNair Cece McNair 6'2" | PF Prior Lake | 2024 State MN – forward, Prior Lake (UW-Milwaukee)
- Olivia Thostenson Olivia Thostenson 6'3" | PF International Falls | 2024 State MN – forward, International Falls (Eastern Illinois)
- Kylie Waytashek Kylie Waytashek 6'2" | PF Royalton | 2024 State MN – forward, Royalton (Valparaiso)
- Ava Miller Ava Miller 6'2" | PF Rochester Mayo | 2024 State MN – forward, Rochester Mayo (South Carolina Upstate)
- Karly Jusczak Karly Jusczak 6'1" | PF Pine City | 2024 State MN – forward, Pine City (Idaho)
- Anna Stromberg Anna Stromberg 6'3" | C Legacy Christian Academy | 2024 State MN – 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:
- Jordan Ode Jordan Ode 5'11" | CG Maple Grove | 2025 State MN – Maple Grove (Michigan State)
- Tori Schlagel Tori Schlagel 5'9" | CG Eden Prairie | 2025 State MN – Eden Prairie (South Dakota)
- Bree Bowman Bree Bowman 6'2" | SF Prior Lake | 2025 State MN – Prior Lake (Colorado State)
- Autumn McCall Autumn McCall 6'2" | PF Centennial | 2025 State MN – 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 – Rhyan Holmgren Rhyan Holmgren 5'9" | SG St. Peter | 2024 State MN (St. Peter), Elisabeth Gadient Elisabeth Gadient 5'10" | CG Goodhue | 2024 State MN (Goodhue) & Mallory Czinano Mallory Czinano 6'0" | SF Watertown-Mayer | 2024 State MN (Watertown-Mayer)
- University of Sioux Falls – Anna Vaaler Anna Vaaler 5'10" | SF Andover | 2024 State MN (Andover), Drew Buslee Drew Buslee 5'9" | PG Eagan | 2024 State MN (Eagan) & Alexis Rose Alexis Rose 5'10" | CG Becker | 2024 State MN (Becker)
- St. Cloud State – Kylan Gerads Kylan Gerads 5'11" | SF Albany | 2024 State MN (Albany), Rachel Kottke Rachel Kottke 5'8" | CG Buffalo Lake-H-S | 2024 State MN & Kristi Kottke Kristi Kottke 5'8" | CG Buffalo Lake-H-S | 2024 State MN (Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart)
- UM-Crookston – Willow Thiel Willow Thiel 5'11" | PF Perham | 2024 State MN (Perham), Halle Winjum Halle Winjum 5'6" | CG Crookston | 2024 State MN (Crookston HS) & Brynlea Mahlen Brynlea Mahlen 5'9" | CG Fosston | 2024 State MN (Fosston)
- Wayne State – Emma Frost Emma Frost 5'11" | SF Andover | 2024 State MN (Andover), Norah Danielson Norah Danielson 6'0" | SF Delano | 2024 State MN (Delano), Macy Birkholz Macy Birkholz 5'5" | CG Mankato East | 2024 State MN (Mankato East)
- Winona State – Avery Moeller Avery Moeller 5'10" | CG Rosemount | 2024 State MN (Rosemount), Lydia Lakanen Lydia Lakanen 5'10" | PF Anoka | 2024 State MN (Anoka) & Bria Stenstrom Bria Stenstrom 5'5" | PG Mounds View | 2024 State MN (Mounds View)
- Concordia-St. Paul – Ava Thompson Ava Thompson 5'6" | PG Rosemount | 2024 State MN (Rosemount) & Cassidy Pitzl Cassidy Pitzl 5'11" | SF Forest Lake | 2024 State MN (Forest Lake)
- Southwest Minnesota State (Marshall) – Kadence Hesse Kadence Hesse 5'10" | PG Sleepy Eye | 2024 State MN (Sleepy Eye) & Nicole Maenke Nicole Maenke 5'10" | CG Shakopee | 2024 State MN (Shakopee)
- UM-Duluth – Gabi Kirchner Gabi Kirchner 6'3" | PF Two Rivers | 2024 State MN (Two Rivers)
- MSU-Moorhead – Tresa Baumgard Tresa Baumgard 6'0" | PF Chisholm | 2024 State MN (Chisholm) & Ayelishka Teko-Folly Ayelishka Teko-Folly 6'0" | SF Rosemount | 2024 State MN (Rosemount)
- Bemidji State – Aubrey Heyer Aubrey Heyer 5'10" | SG Chaska | 2024 State MN (Chaska)
- Augustana (Sioux Falls, SD) – Isabella Sanneh Isabella Sanneh 5'11" | SF East Ridge | 2024 State MN (East Ridge), Olivia Kesti Olivia Kesti 6'0" | PF Spring Lake Park | 2024 State MN (Spring Lake Park)
- Northern State (Aberdeen, SD) – Taylor Tool Taylor Tool 6'1" | PF Delano | 2024 State MN (Delano)
There are 5 more Minnesota prospects heading for Division 2 programs in other states:
- Lake Superior State (Michigan) – Taylor Clarey Taylor Clarey 5'8" | CG Rochester Century | 2024 State MN (Rochester Century)
- Northern Michigan – Jordyn Schmittdiel Jordyn Schmittdiel 5'11" | SF White Bear Lake | 2024 State MN (White Bear Lake)
- Maryville (Missouri) – Helen Ben Helen Ben 5'9" | SG Coon Rapids | 2024 State MN (Coon Rapids)
- Nebraska-Kearney – Abby Richter Abby Richter 5'11" | SF Edina | 2024 State MN (Edina)
- Florida Southern – Ella Kletti Ella Kletti 5'5" | CG Mahtomedi | 2024 State MN (Mahtomedi)
From the Class of 2025 there are three early D2 commits:
- Bemidji State – Macee Linow Macee Linow 5'6" | SG Alexandria | 2025 State MN (Alexandria)
- MSU-Mankato – Addison Hoof Addison Hoof 5'5" | CG Lester Prairie | 2025 State MN (Lester Prairie)
- MSU-Moorhead – Abby John Abby John 5'9" | CG Barnesville | 2025 State MN (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) – Julia Thoms Julia Thoms 5'11" | PG Prior Lake | 2024 State MN (Prior Lake), Daviney Dreckman Daviney Dreckman 5'8" | CG New Ulm | 2024 State MN (New Ulm), Jessika Lofstrom Jessika Lofstrom 5'11" | SF Grand Rapids | 2024 State MN (Grand Rapids), Savannah Hedin Savannah Hedin 5'9" | SG Stewartville | 2024 State MN (Stewartville), Hali Savela Hali Savela 5'8" | CG Mountain Iron-Buhl | 2024 State MN (Mountain Iron-Buhl)
- Mayville State (North Dakota) – Berkley Neubauer Berkley Neubauer 5'7" | CG Holy Family | 2024 State MN (Holy Family), Misti Zempel Misti Zempel 5'10" | PF Hancock | 2024 State MN (Hancock)
- Briar Cliff University (Iowa) – Brea Mertz Brea Mertz 5'10" | PF Sleepy Eye | 2024 State MN (Sleepy Eye), Azeri Thiemann Azeri Thiemann 6'0" | SF Rochester Mayo | 2024 State MN (Rochester Mayo)
- Morningside University (Iowa) – Claire McGregor Claire McGregor 5'7" | CG Maple River | 2024 State MN (Maple River), Bailey Klote Bailey Klote 5'10" | SF Century | 2024 State MN (Rochester Century), Jenna Buer Jenna Buer 5'9" | SG Holy Angels | 2024 State MN (Holy Angels)
- Dakota State (South Dakota) – Mackenzi Simmons Mackenzi Simmons 6'0" | SG Winona | 2024 State MN (Winona)
- St. Francis (Illinois) – Mariah Pates Mariah Pates 6'2" | SF Champlin Park | 2024 State MN (Champlin Park)
- Grand View (Iowa) – Evie Schmitz Evie Schmitz 5'7" | PG St. Louis Park | 2024 State MN (St. Louis Park)
- Viterbo (Wisconsin) – Vanessa Wright Vanessa Wright 5'6" | PG Eastview | 2024 State MN (Eastview)
- Mount Marty (South Dakota) – Morgan Fisher Morgan Fisher 5'11" | PF Owatonna | 2024 State MN (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.
Other players who are coming up frequently in my conversations with coaches include Evyn Eppinga Evyn Eppinga 5'4" | CG Anoka | 2024 State MN of Anoka, Ava Haus Ava Haus 5'9" | SG STMA | 2024 State MN of St. Michael-Albertville, Tatum Findley Tatum Findley 5'9" | CG Albany | 2024 State MN of Albany, Ella Duevel Ella Duevel 6'4" | PF Foley | 2024 State MN of Foley, and Cece Nesseth Cece Nesseth 6'0" | PF Minnetonka | 2024 State MN of Minnetonka.