Newcomers who excelled at the Battle on the Hardwood

Hope Fieldhouse in Rosemount is one of our favorite places to watching basketball. With four hardwood courts and a raucous atmosphere, the non-profit facility is a great place to host a tournament and the hospitality is second to none. The Fieldhouse was the primary site this weekend for the [program_tooltip program_id='712697' first='MN' last='Crossfire'] Battle on the Hardwood. We took in several hours worth of championship play on the main court Sunday, evaluating prospects both familiar and unfamiliar. These three standouts earned significant recognition for their play this weekend and their potential down the road.   [player_tooltip player_id='918612' first='Lexi' last='Lawrence'] — 2027 forward, [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'] Smart 17U   Finding young, scholarship-level prospects who haven't been told just how good they can be is certainly one of the most rewarding parts of the job as a Prep Girls Hoops scout. For many players, it is a life-changing moment. For others it's confirmation of what they have already known. It was probably a bit of both Sunday afternoon when we watched Lexi, a 9th grader from Sacred Heart School in East Grand Forks. It was immediately clear that Lexi is an athlete, standing 6 feet tall with incredible length. She moves very well up and down the floor and has light, quick feet.   Playing two years up in [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'] Smart's first tournament of the year, she kept her game simple, yet effective. Lawrence (pictured above) fit in perfectly with a solid group of older players led by MSU-Moorhead commit [player_tooltip player_id='595564' first='Abby' last='John'], This NT satellite squad represents a variety of small school athletes across West Central Minnesota. whose attention until now has been focused on spring sports. After watching Lawrence school his cadre of 6-footers in a high school game this winter, [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'] coach David Smart of Ada-Borup West was thrilled to add Lexi to his AAU team roster. It was a move that quickly paid dividends in Rosemount. Using her excellent fundamentals, and making great decisions every time she got the ball, Lexi impressed us even more when we learned that the Battle on the Hardwood was her first AAU tournament. Ever. Even better, she's got great basketball lineage as her mom was a standout at the University of North Dakota where she played alongside current UND coach Mallory Bernhard. There is every chance, in our opinion, that Lexi can get to that level, as well.   Breckin Whynott — 2027 forward, [program_tooltip program_id='712362' first='Legacy' last='Hoops'] Silver   Standing nearly 5'11, the rangy forward from Woodbury is long and athletic. Obviously, that gives her physical advantages over opponents. Breckin's athleticism and bouncy nature allow her to grab rebounds over other players at both ends of the court, and she is deceptively strong, too. While her skills are still raw, there are lots of intangibles to appreciate in Whynott's game. We liked her willingness to be aggressive and fight for every single possession and loose ball. Not once did she show fear or lack confidence on the floor.   Whynott has solid fundamentals and strong instincts, as well. On plays where many young players would rush things or take a bad shot, Breckin leveraged an extra second or two to make the right decision, leading to more success for her team. Over three games this weekend, Whynott topped her division in scoring with 34 points, including a 16-point performance against All Iowa Attack 9th Central. Breckin is a multi-sport athlete who has played high-level club soccer. She tells us that she has departed the pitch now in favor of the court, which is great news for her prospects at a basketball player.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-medium"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/06/Kate-Ebert-SSP-crop-3381x2220-1717514783.jpg?w=300" alt="" class="wp-image-918634" /></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='895768' first='Katelynn' last='Ebert'] — 2025 guard, Opportunity 11 Black   We were about to exit Hope Fieldhouse to make the trek north to Minneapolis for the Minnesota Lynx game against Dallas when our final fresh face of the day grabbed our attention and delayed the departure. That happened in a matchup between [program_tooltip program_id='713023' first='West' last='Central Wildcats'] Foley and Opportunity 11 Black, which features the South St. Paul point guard. Quite frankly, we wish we would have been paying attention sooner. Everything about Kate's game screams leadership. She's vocal on the floor, consistently keeps her composure, and plays very high IQ basketball. It's obvious that Ebert has worked hard at her craft, and it can be seen in her high energy defense, ball handling, and offensive bag of tools. She can score at multiple levels or be a facilitator for her teammates.   Standing at 5'5, she is on the smaller side, but Kate is very quick, has a high motor, and is building strength – she told us she lifts weights five days per week. Ebert played significant minutes for the Packers this winter, becoming SSP's leading scorer and earning all-conference honors. Kate currently has a D3 offer from Luther College and is seeking more opportunities at that level.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-medium"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/06/Crossfire-Herman-duo-crop-3894x2557-1717514884.jpg?w=300" alt="" class="wp-image-918639" /></figure>   There was a festive atmosphere at Hope Fieldhouse on Sunday courtesy of tournament hosts [program_tooltip program_id='712697' first='MN' last='Crossfire']. 2028 prospects Reese Keating and [player_tooltip player_id='630242' first='Caelyn' last='Foster'] of Crossfire Herman joined in the fun. The highly skilled pair has impressed us all summer as we prep for the first ranking of the incoming freshmen.   These evaluations are courtesy of PGH scout Ally McGinnis.

Hope Fieldhouse in Rosemount is one of our favorite places to watching basketball. With four hardwood courts and a raucous atmosphere, the non-profit facility is a great place to host a tournament and the hospitality is second to none. The Fieldhouse was the primary site this weekend for the MN Crossfire Battle on the Hardwood. We took in several hours worth of championship play on the main court Sunday, evaluating prospects both familiar and unfamiliar. These three standouts earned significant recognition for their play this weekend and their potential down the road.