Top 2028 trios at the Spring Showdown

Sometimes a photograph speaks volumes, other times not so much. One look at the trio pictured above from [program_tooltip program_id='774653' first='Minnesota' last='Bobcats'] 2028 Elite and it's pretty obvious to us that these three were meant to play basketball. #20 [player_tooltip player_id='897889' first='Madilynn' last='Bell'], #22 [player_tooltip player_id='896571' first='Parker' last='Vossen'] and #35 [player_tooltip player_id='897890' first='Ellie' last='Quast'] not only looked the part on Saturday at the Spring Showdown, they played the part, too, for a team that's built for success in the 2024 season.   Coached by Angie Quast, the 6'4 former South Dakota State Jackrabbit then known as Angie Loken, this team plays the game the right way. They share the basketball, go hard at all times, and are focused on team concepts throughout the proceedings. Give Coach Quast credit for that. She is a level-headed teacher of the game who is constantly imparting wisdom and always delivering positive messages. It was as much fun watching her coach as it was seeing their players have success.   Angie's daughter Ellie, who plays at Shakopee, is a true post player, a 6'1 athlete who is already showing signs that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Bell stands about 6'1 and the Lakeville North product is a deadly shooter from distance. As for Vossen (also from Lakeville North), well she has some hops and is everywhere on the floor all at once. With light feet, excellent athleticism, and good quickness, Vossen gets around the court in a hurry. She can attack the basket off the dribble and get up, over and past most opponents. Parker is super long, very intense, and hungry to get better. These three impressed in a first viewing. We look forward to seeing more in the near future.   Iesha Mohamoud, Vanessa Van Liere, Lauren Peterson – [program_tooltip program_id='712665' first='Metro' last='Stars'] 2028 Robinson   Just before tipoff on Sunday we asked coach Chris Robinson who his top players are that we should watch and he gave a quick reply: "They're all good!" Turns out he's right. The talent level is high on this edition of the [program_tooltip program_id='712665' first='Metro' last='Stars']. Three players had standout performances when we saw the team take on the Wisconsin Storm. Mohamoud is 5'7 with long limbs and a solid frame. We liked her basketball IQ and decision making on both ends of the floor. She's bouncy and has great lateral movement, likes to shoot the corner three. and can knock it down. Van Liere is a 5'11, highly mobile forward from Edina. She has tons of length and great instincts for rebounding the basketball. On the offensive end she can score while attacking in transition or with her back to the basket. Vanessa's touch around the rim is great for a player of her age. And then there's Peterson, an Eden Prairie prospect who led her team in the scoring on Sunday. She can score in a variety of ways, including knocking down open looks, getting out in transition, or attacking from the perimeter. Lauren has a very high motor and moves well off the ball, too.   [player_tooltip player_id='897050' first='Annabelle' last='Gothmann'], [player_tooltip player_id='911664' first='Brianna' last='Eggers'], [player_tooltip player_id='992407' first='Izzy' last='Johnson'] – [program_tooltip program_id='767539' first='Minnesota' last='Comets'] 8 Boone   The Comets top 8th graders delivered some incredibly impressive and entertaining performances over the weekend, most notably a 20-point comeback win we wrote about on Monday. Leading the way in that contest was the feisty Gothmann, who hails from Milaca. Annabelle is a point guard with strong build and an even stronger motor and will to win. She plays high IQ basketball and knows how to impact the game in numerous ways. Johnson of Elk River, who is the younger sister of Montana State's Ella Johnson, also impressed over the weekend. She is a long, super mobile and athletic forward who knows how to draw contact around the rim. Izzy is light on her feet and good at using her length effectively on the defensive end of the floor. Eggers from Buffalo was an instrumental piece for the Comets all weekend long. The lefty stands about 6'1 and excels at many of the things required of a forward in today's basketball. She hunts for rebounds and uses her tremendous length to grab countless boards over her opponents. Brianna attacks the rim with confidence, and even when she has trouble finishing she excels at drawing contact and getting herself to the free throw line. Eggers scored over 50 combined points in the tournament, with nearly half of them coming from the charity stripe.   [player_tooltip player_id='630242' first='Caelyn' last='Foster'], [player_tooltip player_id='897887' first='Tess' last='Brown'], [player_tooltip player_id='897885' first='Josie' last='Reckelberg'] – Crossfire 8 Herman   There's no question that 8th graders who have already had a significant taste of varsity basketball are at a distinct advantage over their peers. Even if they didn't play that many minutes, even if their team was at a lower level, even if they weren't on the floor at the most crucial moments of the game, young players can't help get better quickly when competing in a varsity environment. That's certainly the case for Foster, Brown and Reckelberg.   Foster hails from St. Michael-Albertville which boasts one of the deepest lineups in the state. She was a stalwart on a strong JV program competing in the toughest conference there is. She also made a few cameo appearances with the older girls and didn't look out of place. Brown and Reckelberg are from Becker where the youngsters got every opportunity to compete for the rebuilding Bulldogs, and they made the most of it. Both players spent the second half of the season either starting or playing starter minutes. Fast forward to Sunday's 2028 Blue Division championship game against the [program_tooltip program_id='718403' first='Minnesota' last='Freeze'] and their experience showed. Caelyn, Tess and Josie played like the excellent college prospects that they are as Tim Herman's girls took home the title.   PGH scout Ally McGinnis contributed to these evaluations.

Sometimes a photograph speaks volumes, other times not so much. One look at the trio pictured above from Minnesota Bobcats 2028 Elite and it's pretty obvious to us that these three were meant to play basketball. #20 Madilynn Bell Madilynn Bell 6'1" | PF Lakeville North | 2028 State MN , #22 Parker Vossen Parker Vossen 5'11" | SF/PG Lakeville North | 2028 State MN and #35 Ellie Quast Ellie Quast 6'1" | SF Shakopee | 2028 State MN not only looked the part on Saturday at the Spring Showdown, they played the part, too, for a team that's built for success in the 2024 season.