Unsigned upperclassmen who stood out in Week #11

Put in the work. If you are looking for a simple formula to improve your game and get to college basketball, this is it. Work with a trainer. Work on your own. Work with your team. Work on your intangibles. Nobody has worked harder than [player_tooltip player_id='339110' first='Haylie' last='Jerde'] to improve her skillset, build on her strengths and – most importantly – improve the way she thinks the game. She was one of several upperclassmen who raised their stock when we watched during week #11. We single out Jerde (pictured above on the right) only because we have personal knowledge of Haylie's path and have seen just how far she has come over the past few years. You can be certain that the other players cited here are on the daily grind to the next level, as well.   [player_tooltip player_id='339110' first='Haylie' last='Jerde'] – 2024 guard, Cambridge-Isanti   Our Friday night visit to Monticello featured an outstanding performance from three upperclassmen from the Cambridge-Isanti squad in their 54-49 win over the Magic. First up is senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='339110' first='Haylie' last='Jerde'], who has put in countless hours improving her game over the past few seasons. Now in her final year of high school play, the hard work is paying off. Haylie showcased her ability to be effective on both ends of the floor, playing with tenacity all game long. She knocked down 3 straight triples to open the second half, sending the Bluejackets on a 9-2 run and erasing a 7-point deficit. When the game was on the line, Jerde knocked down a pair of crucial free throws to help push the Bluejackets continue their hot streak. Haylie finished with 17 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 blocks.   [player_tooltip player_id='481473' first='Breanna' last='Knight'] – 2025 guard, Cambridge-Isanti   The Bluejackets had another player who made clutch free throws all night long in junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='481473' first='Breanna' last='Knight'] (pictured above on the left). Ranked near the 150 mark in the Prep Girls Hoops Class of 2025, Knight was aggressive attacking the basket all game long, earning herself a plethora of opportunities at the charity stripe. Bre went 11-for-14 at the line, including four huge makes late in the game to seal the win over Monticello. In addition to her scoring abilities, Knight also showed off some quality aggressiveness on defense, picking up 7 steals in the contest. We were impressed with her ability to use her speed and athleticism to advantage, while not playing the game too fast; a skill that is often hard to master for players at the high school level. Bre followed up with another stellar performance on Tuesday night, scoring 29 against St. Francis.   [player_tooltip player_id='778748' first='Ellie' last='Davis'] – 2025 forward, Cambridge-Isanti   Our final Cambridge-Isanti upperclassmen who raised their stock last week was junior forward [player_tooltip player_id='778748' first='Ellie' last='Davis']. Standing 6 feet tall, Davis is not a huge post player, but man is she strong not to mention mobile. Davis is the type of player who doesn't bat an eyelash when tasked with doing the dirty work, like chasing loose balls or wrestling multiple players for a rebound. Ellie has put in the work to develop her offensive game. We saw her score with a nice drop step on multiple possessions, where she showed nice touch around the rim. On the defensive end, Davis uses her length to block shots on a consistent basis. So far this season she is averaging 2.1 per game, but on Friday night when we watched she had 5. Currently ranked #81 in the Class of 2025, Davis is also averaging a double-double this season, with 12.3 points and 10.4 rebounds per game.   [player_tooltip player_id='396423' first='Cierra' last='Kortan'] – 2025 guard, Sauk Centre   On Saturday we ventured to the Breakdown Winter Lakes Classic in Alexandria for three matchups, the first being between 16-3 Sauk Centre and 18-2 Pelican Rapids. With recent wins over Minnewaska, West Central, and BOLD, the always-competitive Mainstreeters are having a strong 2023-24 season. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='396423' first='Cierra' last='Kortan'] showed out in Saturday's contest, displaying her grit and determination all game long. She hit shots from all over the floor, scoring a team-high 19 points against the Vikings. We were impressed with Cierra's ability to handle the ball under pressure, despite the aggressive defensive strategy from Pelican Rapids. Currently ranked as a top 50 prospect in the 2025 class, Kortan's high motor and proficient scoring ability should translate well in college where she is drawing plenty of interest at the Division 2 level. Unfortunately for the Mainstreeters, Cierra's standout performance was not enough to fend off the Vikings, who managed to snap Sauk Centre's 10-game winning streak.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-medium"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/02/Ellie-Wright_Pelican-Rapids-crop-1823x1197-1707313872.jpg?w=300" alt="" class="wp-image-850812" /></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='850566' first='Ellie' last='Welch'] – 2024 forward, Pelican Rapids   It is always exciting for us when a player has a standout performance the first time we are able to pay close attention live and in person. That is exactly what happened on Saturday morning with Pelican Rapids senior [player_tooltip player_id='850566' first='Ellie' last='Welch']. Standing at 5'10, she gave up half a foot to her defensive assignment, 6'4 [player_tooltip player_id='396422' first='Tory' last='Jennissen'] of Sauk Centre, but for Welch that didn't matter one bit. From the tip she defended with a high level of aggressiveness and physicality, holding Jennissen to just 2 points in the contest. On the other end of the floor Ellie showed her ability as a scorer, attacking the basket and knocking down four shots from three-point distance. Her release is smooth and her shot was always in alignment, allowing her to score with a high rate of efficiency. She finished the game with 20 points. Overall, the senior forward plays with great instincts and shows immense potential as a college prospect. She will be a D3 standout for any program that signs her.   PGH scout Ally McGinnis compiled these evaluations.

Put in the work. If you are looking for a simple formula to improve your game and get to college basketball, this is it. Work with a trainer. Work on your own. Work with your team. Work on your intangibles. Nobody has worked harder than Haylie Jerde Haylie Jerde 5'6" | CG Cambridge Isanti | 2024 State MN to improve her skillset, build on her strengths and – most importantly – improve the way she thinks the game. She was one of several upperclassmen who raised their stock when we watched during week #11. We single out Jerde (pictured above on the right) only because we have personal knowledge of Haylie's path and have seen just how far she has come over the past few years. You can be certain that the other players cited here are on the daily grind to the next level, as well.