Incoming freshmen we liked a lot at the State Prelims
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The 2028 Division at the AAU State Prelims included 50 different teams last weekend. Our focus was on the best of the best leading up to this week’s AAU State Tournament, and we managed to see the top dozen or…
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Continue ReadingThe 2028 Division at the AAU State Prelims included 50 different teams last weekend. Our focus was on the best of the best leading up to this week’s AAU State Tournament, and we managed to see the top dozen or so seeds. Among those 100+ college prospects there were tons who stood out, from household names like Sahara Wilson Sahara Wilson 6'1" | PF Lakeville North | 2028 MN of North Tartan and Logan Miller Logan Miller 6'0" | PF Andover | 2028 MN of the Minnesota Fury to rising talent such as Amari Johnson Amari Johnson 5'9" | CG Spring Lake Park | 2028 MN ( Minnesota Stars OU) and Tate Adler ( Metro Stars Makepeace). Here are a handful who especially caught our eye.
Malin Youngberg Malin Youngberg 5'11" | SF Little Falls | 2028 MN – guard, West Central United
We’ve been hearing Malin’s name for some time now but we had never seen the lengthy 8th grader from Little Falls in person. It took approximately 5 minutes of play to determine that Miss Youngberg (pictured above) is a special talent. West Central coach Jake Smith calls Malin the “quintessential Swiss Army Knife” and he’s not wrong. At 5’11, with super long arms, quality athleticism and great elevation, Malin has the tools to execute at any position, guard any position, play any role. In other words, she is the prototypical prospect for modern college basketball.
On offense, Youngberg handles the ball well and attacks the basket with aggression and pace while using her length to finish in a variety of ways. She can knock down shots from distance or pull up and make jumpers from mid-range. Defensively her length and elevation is a weapon. She seems to get her hands on pretty much everything, and can contest shot attempts from players of all sizes and lengths.
We saw her do so many great things when we watched on Saturday. Against the Fury Youngberg tipped a pass and went coast to coast to finish over her defender. Later she blocked a shot, recovered the ball and went end to end for a pull-up three-pointer. From start to finish she played with energy and focus and was a vocal leader for her squad.
If you are looking for a good comparison consider another product of WCU – current North Tartan star Hadley Thul Hadley Thul 6'2" | SG Alexandria | 2025 State MN of Alexandria. They look a lot alike, have a similar body type and there is plenty of common in how they play the game. Malin isn’t quite as tall yet and not as polished, either. Thul is a top 10 prospect in the Class of 2025 who has been collecting impressive D1 offers for the past couple of years. It’s a big ask but we think Youngberg has the potential to be sorting through scholarship offers of her own two years from now.
Here are four more incoming freshmen who stood out over the weekend.
Brooke Soash Brooke Soash 5'6" | CG Champlin Park | 2028 MN – guard, Minnesota Fury 2028 UAA
Despite being brand new to the Fury 2028 squad, the Champlin Park guard is settling in rather quickly. In Saturday’s contest against Youngberg and company from WCU, Soash had a very solid performance in all aspects of the game. She played with IQ and poise in her typical gritty, all-out hustle-and-muscle style. On the defensive end, Brooke showed off her high-speed lateral movement when defending on the ball, and on the other end of the floor she impressed with her court vision and passing. Every time we watch Brooke she seems to deliver and that was true again this weekend as the Fury went undefeated in the Prelims. It’s hard to measure heart but Soash has a big one.
Ashna Ramlall Ashna Ramlall 5'8" | CG Rosemount | 2028 MN – guard, Minnesota Fury 2028 UAA
It should come as no surprise that the Ramlall sisters from Rosemount put up big numbers for the Fury over the weekend as they almost always do. This time it was over 150 in total. Ashna finished second in scoring in the 8th grade division, with 59 points in four games. Her biggest numbers were posted on Saturday against West Central, where Ashna led all scorers with 22 points, including four made shots from beyond the arc. Ashna is skilled, she’s fast, she’s smart and she is positively bursting with energy. Her weekend productivity reminded us once again that Ashna has to be considered as one of the best prospects in the Class of 2028.
Elsa Retzlaff Elsa Retzlaff 5'8" | CG Hillcrest Academy | 2028 MN – guard, West Central United
Youngberg wasn’t the only member of the West Central squad to distinguish herself at the Prelims. Elsa was very good on Saturday. Then on Sunday, when Malin was absent for her confirmation ceremony, Elsa was her team’s alpha dog. There are two things about Retzlaff that really stand out: First, she can shoot the heck out of the basketball from distance, and second, she is an old-school character player who is going to grind and hustle in every way possible to get a win. Elsa hails from Hillcrest Lutheran Academy in Fergus Falls where she is already nearing 1,000 career points. At 5’9 with a solid frame, she’s strong enough to power to the rim and knows what to do when she gets there. It’s a package that’s only going to get better.
Maggie Joyce Maggie Joyce 6'0" | CG New Ulm | 2028 MN – guard, Minnesota Rise Busse
The New Ulm 8th grader delivered another impressive performance for the Rise this weekend, scoring 10 points or more in three of the team’s four contests. Points tell only a fraction of Maggie’s story, however. Joyce showed off her ability to get to rim on multiple occasions on Sunday. She uses a combination of impressive footwork and her imposing size and strength to battle her way to the basket. One of our favorite parts of Joyce’s game is the grit and tenacity she brings every time she steps on the court. Whether she’s creating offense for her team, defending or making hustle plays, Maggie consistently leaves it all out on the floor. Now pushing 6 feet tall, Maggie is quickly making a name for herself among Minnesota’s top incoming freshmen.
PGH scout Ally McGinnis contributed to these player evaluations.