Live at the Lakes: Newcomers we liked in Bloomington

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Last week at the Minnesota AAU State Tournament, our focus was squarely on the top teams and premier players in the state. While there was plenty more of that during Live at the Lakes – the first Division 1 live viewing period tournament in Minnesota this year – but we also took time out to look for more under-the-radar prospects and fresh faces. Here are some newcomers we liked over the weekend.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='911448' first='Kylie' last='Olson'] – 2027 forward, [program_tooltip program_id='713291' first='Minnesota' last='Nice']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The most significant newcomer we saw at Bloomington Kennedy was Olson, a 2027 power forward from New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva (NRHEG) in South Central Minnesota. Kylie is pushing 6 feet tall and has a very strong, solid build. When you combine that with a pair of light, highly mobile feet, Olson can get up and down the floor with ease. Even better, upon arrival in the more contentious parts of the basketball court, she does not hesitate to get physical on either end of the floor. Olson also possesses a high motor, she plays active defense, dives for loose balls, and puts in the same level of effort whether her team is up two or down 20.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[program_tooltip program_id='713291' first='Minnesota' last='Nice'] AAU director Pierre Ellis knows a thing or two about quality bigs. He shepherded the great <strong>Ayoka Lee</strong> of Byron through six years of trials and tribulations of growing up on the court before the 6'6 behemoth went on to Kansas State where she became one of the very best centers in the country. A couple of weeks ago, Pierre clued us in on his next big forward prospect. When we took the opportunity on Sunday to see Kylie for ourselves, the 9th grader did not disappoint playing two years up on 17U.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Olson plays like a true post and models her game after Lee. Although her post footwork is an area for improvement, Kylie's instincts and touch around the rim are well-honed for a player of her age. While most of Kylie's offense comes in the low post or on offensive put-backs, she also extends her game out to the perimeter and attack the basket. We were impressed with her ability to handle the ball on the outside, something she has clearly put in time to work on. This past winter, Olson began the high school season splitting time between JV and varsity for coach Onika Peterson, but by year's end she was a key piece for the Panthers. She ended up winning the team's Most Improved Player award. Peterson has high expectations for the Olson this coming winter. We do, too. Olson has a ton of potential as a college player and is undoubtedly a scholarship level prospect who we will be keeping an eye on going forward.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here are three more newcomers who captured our attention at Live at the Lakes:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='918668' first='Kherington' last='Braun'] – 2028 guard, [program_tooltip program_id='712665' first='Metro' last='Stars'] Makepeace</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Oftentimes, the last game on Sunday afternoon at an AAU tournament isn't exactly the most competitive contest of the weekend. The players are normally flat-out exhausted and the officials have sore feet from 8 hours of court time and a strong desire to head home for a cold one. There are exceptions, however, and the 2028 matchup between [program_tooltip program_id='712665' first='Metro' last='Stars'] Makepeace and [program_tooltip program_id='767539' first='Minnesota' last='Comets'] Boone was a barnburner. Both teams brought their all to the final game and, after plenty of fireworks and a whole lot of physicality, it came down to the wire. Solid next-level prospects like [player_tooltip player_id='786314' first='Tate' last='Addler'] and [player_tooltip player_id='815078' first='Zoey' last='Johnston'] did good work for [program_tooltip program_id='712665' first='Metro' last='Stars']. Post [player_tooltip player_id='911664' first='Brianna' last='Eggers'] of the Comets was particularly impactful throughout. But it was Braun, in particular, who left it all out on the floor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Waconia 8th grader has a high motor; she plays active and aggressive defense, and on the offensive end she excels at moving without the ball and making cuts to the basket. Braun is a skilled ball handler who likes to attack the basket and take shots from the perimeter. She chooses her shots wisely and she has solid mechanics with a very quick release. Kherington got pretty wound up in this game, made her feelings known on the court more than once, didn't sugar coat her emotional investment in the outcome, and fought hard to the end before a strong Comets team completed its perfect 4-0 run through the weekend. Something tells us there is a solid rivalry brewing between these two squads.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Sarah Carlson – 2028 guard, [program_tooltip program_id='718403' first='Minnesota' last='Freeze']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The athletic guard form Legacy Christian Academy has had our attention all spring playing for a Freeze outfit that has made an impact much greater than most independent teams tend to do. Credit to one of the up-and-coming AAU clubs in the state for recruiting and retaining some nice young talent, including Carlson. Hailing from Blaine, the combo guard is a strong three-point shooter who can knock them down off the dribble or bury buckets off the catch-and-shoot. This winter, that combination paid off to the tune of 10.6 points per game and 58 made triples earning Carlson All-Conference honors as an 8th grader.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Defensively, Carlson uses her quickness to be an excellent on-ball defender who takes an aggressive stance to her assignment and isn't afraid to throw a little alpha dog mentality into the mix. According to her coaches, Carlson's best asset just might be her utter fearlessness. She doesn't back down from anyone, and is as competitive as they come. Size and strength is an obvious issue at this time. Hopefully time will take care of that to some degree which should enable Sarah to become a stronger finisher at the rim. More experience will allow her to create additional scoring opportunities for her teammates, as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Marissa Weness – 2026 guard, Crossfire Locke</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The incoming junior from [program_tooltip program_id='712697' first='MN' last='Crossfire'] Locke impressed us with her defensive play on Sunday. She stands around 5'7 with long limbs and light feet. She has good quickness and plays high-energy, active defense on players of all dimensions. Weness particularly excels at forcing turnovers on the perimeter. The sophomore saw some varsity minutes this winter for St. Michael-Albertville, primarily late in games where the outcome had pretty much been determined. This coming year she is expected to take on a much more significant role for Knights coach Kent Hamre. Marissa's defense is what will probably earn her more minutes on a strong STMA squad, and she is continuing to develop her offensive abilities, as well. One thing's for certain: Weness is not going to be outworked.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>PGH scout Ally McGinnis collaborated on these player evaluations.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->