Who took the spotlight at the Midwest Spring Splash?

We weren't sure what to expect Saturday in Stillwater. For the second weekend in a row, we were venturing into an AAU tournament where there were a ton of unfamiliar teams and plenty of fresh faces. That represents an opportunity to evaluate and expose players whose potential may not be widely known. The Midwest Spring Splash did not disappoint. Hosted by [program_tooltip program_id='756457' first='Opportunity' last='Basketball'] – one of the fastest-growing AAU operations we've seen in recent years – the event offered up a buffet of basketball and a wide variety of players to evaluate. Here are a half dozen prospects we liked.   PLAYER OF THE DAY   [player_tooltip player_id='502574' first='Haylie' last='Wolbeck'] – 2026, Comets Berskow   To say Haylie had a good year would be a dramatic understatement. The 5'9 combo guard from Royalton took her game to new heights. Consider Haylie's accomplishments this winter. She earned All-Section honors and was selected to the All-Conference and All-Conference Academic teams. In addition to being named her team's hardest worker, Wolbeck set school records for most rebounds (331) and steals (138) in a season along with single-game records for rebounds(20), steals (12), and assists (11). She started all 28 games while averaging 11.8 points. 4.9 assists, and 4.9 steals. Wolbeck led the Central Minnesota Conference in steals and assists, was 2nd in rebounds and 4th in blocks.   Keep in mind that Haylie set all of these marks while playing with a high-level Division 1 prospect in Valparaiso commit [player_tooltip player_id='215981' first='Kylie' last='Waytashek'], who had some impressive numbers of her own. Watching Wolbeck play on Saturday, it was obvious why. Haylie is long, moves very well, and gets up and down the floor at pace. Wolbeck isn't flashy, but she is highly intelligent. Haylie's play was huge this weekend as Comets Berskow won their division.   STOCK RISER OF THE DAY   [player_tooltip player_id='676688' first='Ali' last='Simonson'] – 2025, Crossfire Hutmacher   Like Wolbeck, Simonson isn't an unfamiliar face. The junior from Farmington has demonstrated steady improvement over the past couple of years while earning a place in the Prep Girls Hoops Class of 2025 prospect rankings at #165. If Ali keeps playing the way she did on Saturday, you could expect her to move up. The small forward, who is pushing 6 feet tall, asserted herself immediately in the proceedings against the Comets, showing off the value of her length, strength and ability to get around the court at the required speed. She is an assertive, aggressive leader who is now more vocal on the floor.   As she has grown stronger, Simonson's defensive presence has improved. Offensively, in addition to being a quality shooter, Ali has developed a much more sophisticated game and has more moves in her arsenal. She makes good reads, anticipates well and takes advantage of her opportunities. It's also clear that Simonson's confidence has grown and that's really the key if she is going to take the next steps toward college basketball.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-medium"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/04/Katherine-Whited-crop-3663x2405-1714407061.jpg?w=300" alt="" class="wp-image-901113" /></figure>   INCOMING FRESHMAN TO WATCH   [player_tooltip player_id='901096' first='Katherine' last='Whited'] – 2028, Suns Rising Blue Star   This edition of the [program_tooltip program_id='712700' first='Minnesota' last='Suns'] captured a division crown at the Spring Splash with a trifecta of impressive victories. Whited's play was one of the primary reasons why. The crafty point guard from St. Louis Park is a rising talent in the Class of 2028, and the only thing standing between her and the Freshmen 50 is a growth spurt. Katherine is super-skilled and routinely shows off the benefits of a superior work ethic and focus on skill development. This kid plays with endless energy and she's laser-focused on the long-term goal.   Whited is utterly fearless. She is a confident, sophisticated ball handler who dribbles with her eyes up, makes good reads on the fly and executes as required. When she spots an opening, Katherine explodes to the basket where she finishes well against bigger, stronger players. Despite her size, Whited has already proven that she can hang at the varsity level in Class 4A where she averaged nearly 7 ppg. She's also a terrific on-ball defender who gets up in the opponent's face and puts on endless pressure while also hunting rebounds and chasing every loose ball. All in all, it's a nice package that is probably going to take Katherine a long way.   SLEEPER OF THE DAY   Veronica Damm – 2026, Opportunity 10 Black   The big post player is subtle to be sure, but after watching her for some time it became obvious that Damm's fundamental, simplistic approach to playing in the post is going to be incredibly effective long-term. Veronica is probably 5'10 or 5'11 with a strong build, and she knows how to use her superior strength to maximum effectiveness. At St. Agnes, where Veronica was the backup center as a sophomore, we're told that she lives in the weight room. It shows.   Damm isn't a gazelle, but she moves pretty well for her size. She rebounds hard, secures the ball and quickly dishes to a primary ball-handler. She boxes out, gets good position, bottles up her opposing bigs, and keeps it all very basic. What's not to like? She's more than willing to make and take contact and was able to establish a physical presence that was undeniable. To me that's what playing down low is all about. It certainly worked this weekend as Damm helped Opportunity's top 10th graders to a division crown.   NAME TO REMEMBER   Claire Anderson – 2029, [program_tooltip program_id='713311' first='TC' last='Takeover']   By mid-afternoon on Saturday we were about to pack up and head for home when I noticed something happening on the court next to where I was watching. A few of the kids from [program_tooltip program_id='713311' first='TC' last='Takeover'] 2029 (essentially Prior Lake's 7th grade travel squad) were messing around on the floor at halftime of the game prior to theirs. Out of the corner of my eye I see this long, lanky player go airborne to finish at the rim with the kind of explosiveness and elevation that makes you go, ‘Wow! What did she just do?' I may even have even uttered that out loud to nobody in particular. It was intriguing enough to stick around for another hour. Am I ever glad I did.   The player in question is Claire Anderson, a 2029 guard/wing with a ton of length and the type of athleticism that can carry her to the Division 1 level in a variety of sports. The mobility, agility and explosiveness Claire displayed was something to behold. Anderson is already in the 5'9 or 5'10 range. Her speed, quickness and ability to elevate above and beyond the norm were really impressive. She played the 1, 2 and 3 spots equally well. She runs effortlessly, plays with gusto and seemed to enjoy every moment in a 41-38 nail-biter victory. For comparison's sake, Claire reminds us of a young Macy Smith, the 2021 graduate of Spring Lake Park who now plays college ball at the D1 level. Among current prospects, perhaps 2026 top 10 [player_tooltip player_id='280354' first='Tucker' last='Downs'] is a good benchmark in terms of raw material.   Who knows how it will all play out. Claire's sister is apparently a soccer standout bound for high-level play and the pitch might be the younger sister's preference, too. But if Claire works on skill development, pursues higher-level AAU competition, and decides basketball is the direction she would like to go, there's no telling how exciting the outcome might be. We certainly enjoyed our first look.

We weren't sure what to expect Saturday in Stillwater. For the second weekend in a row, we were venturing into an AAU tournament where there were a ton of unfamiliar teams and plenty of fresh faces. That represents an opportunity to evaluate and expose players whose potential may not be widely known. The Midwest Spring Splash did not disappoint. Hosted by Opportunity Basketball – one of the fastest-growing AAU operations we've seen in recent years – the event offered up a buffet of basketball and a wide variety of players to evaluate. Here are a half dozen prospects we liked.