2028 AAU Breakout Player of the Year: Maggie Dyer

The first time we paid close attention to [player_tooltip player_id='908260' first='Maggie' last='Dyer'] was in the summer of 2023 when the then-7th grader was competing two years up on behalf of [program_tooltip program_id='712352' first='Air' last='Minnesota'] at the Prep Girls Hoops Circuit Legacy Region Finals. We'd been told about Maggie's potential, but seeing it for ourselves just hit different. Fast forward one year and the Rochester Mayo freshman-to-be is one of the brightest young prospects in the state of Minnesota. After a summer of growth and improvement – and tangible results to show for it with [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan']'s 14U Nike unit – we are pleased to select Maggie as our 2028 AAU Breakout Player of the Year.   Her evolution has been fun to watch. The 5'10 prospect (pictured above second from left with her Mayo teammates) can play the small forward or shooting guard spots equally well. She's big enough to defend every position. She's quick enough to hang with pretty much anyone. She has a nice-sized frame and a ton of physical gifts. Her desire to be great is palpable. It's a solid package.   “She started out as a slasher/driver and improved in so many areas,” said her AAU coach Scott Lauinger, who is a college assistant at Bethel University. “She can post up and score in a variety of ways, even against bigger players. Her perimeter game really improved as she became more confident in her shot. She had one game in Chicago where her first three touches were all made threes. Then her defender had to come out so she attacked the rim.”   Defensively her length is a factor. Ditto for her quick feet and innate sense of anticipation. “In high school she had played mostly zone defense,” said Lauinger, “but she really began to understand our man-to-man philosophy. She can guard all five positions well and she is such a strong rebounder.”   We wrote this about Maggie back in July of 2023 at the Circuit tournament: “She's long and athletic, highly mobile and can get up and down the floor with lengthy strides and plenty of pace. Her elevation is impressive, too. We loved her maturity and demeanor on the court. Maggie did nice work on defense where she used her long arms and quick feet to cause all manner of problems for opponents.”   In May, we gave Maggie a coveted spot on our PGH Class of 2028 Watch List and saw her earn All-Tournament honors at the AAU State Tournament: “The 8th grader from Southeastern Minnesota has emerged this summer as an elite player in the Class of 2028. Maggie has long demonstrated her skills in the guard position – she can handle the ball, shoot, and score at multiple levels – but now nearing her freshman year, she has grown quite a bit, too.”   In June, we saw Dyer dominate at the Breakdown Shot Clock Classic in St. Paul: “It's difficult to overstate just how good Maggie has been this summer… She was dominant, scoring 16 in the first half against Eden Prairie and finishing with 23 points. Maggie's game has expanded so much as she has been working with a trainer to add more variety to her offensive repertoire. With a ton of length, excellent athleticism, and superior body control, Dyer looks every bit the D1 prospect.”   “She is such a great kid and so coachable,” Lauinger said. “She wants to win and she wants to keep improving. “She is so contagious to be around. Off the court, she has a great personality and gets along with everyone. On the court she turns on her competitiveness. Maggie works so hard at practice and pushes others to work hard, too. She became a leader on the team.”   RUNNER-UP   [player_tooltip player_id='908448' first='Sarah' last='Poepard'] – [program_tooltip program_id='712687' first='Minnesota' last='Fury'] 2028 UAA   While many have known Sarah's name for some time, the Fury wing really exploded on the scene at the high school State Tournament. In her 8th grade season at White Bear Lake, Sarah averaged 9.2 points per game with some outstanding performances in the latter half of the season. Her ceiling has only gotten higher in her first spring/summer with the Fury. There were dominant performances all season long, but the AAU State Tournament championship game was a particularly bright moment for Poepard, whose 12 crucial points pushed her team to victory.   The 6'0 freshman-to-be has numerous assets on the court: she's tremendously long and athletic, she sees the floor well, and she can knock down shots from deep all day long. Sarah's improved skill set, ability to perform in big moments, and growth in her confidence have earned her runner-up recognition for 2028 AAU Breakout Player of the Year. Sarah will take her game to Mahtomedi High School this fall.   HONORABLE MENTIONS   [player_tooltip player_id='866655' first='Maggie' last='Joyce'] – [program_tooltip program_id='712699' first='Minnesota' last='Rise'] Wright   The incoming freshman from New Ulm saw a big uptick in recruiting interest this summer, garnering attention from scholarship-level college programs from around the region. Having grown a couple inches, and become considerably stronger since last season, Maggie is looking more and more like a top-shelf prospect all the time. Yes, Joyce has a long way to go but she has grown her skills substantially, improving on defense as well as her shooting and finishing around the rim. What remains unchanged is her endless motor and tenacity on both ends of the floor. The 6-foot guard recently committed to the Fury's 2028 UAA squad for next year's AAU season. The increase in competition level will be a terrific measuring stick for this bright young prospect.   [player_tooltip player_id='914941' first='Briana' last='Foster'] – [program_tooltip program_id='714566' first='Minnesota' last='Stars'] 2028 OU & 2026 3SSB   As the months go by, the Stars OU guard just keeps getting better and better. We have seen improvements in her defense, finishing at the rim, and her aggressiveness and confidence on the floor. Coming off a solid 8th grade season at Park Center last winter, where she averaged nearly 10 points per game, Briana jumped right out of the gate in AAU. She had big performances with Stars OU, including a 19-point outburst at the Summer Kickoff Classic against Stars DeSart. College coaches have taken notice as Foster recently received her first D1 offer from UW-Milwaukee. It didn't hurt that she finished the stretch run of the AAU season playing two years up for the Stars' 3SSB Hill unit, which enabled her to show her stuff on a bigger stage.   [player_tooltip player_id='911664' first='Brianna' last='Eggers'] – [program_tooltip program_id='767539' first='Minnesota' last='Comets'] 2028 Boone   Confession: The 6'1 forward from Buffalo was a complete unknown to us just a few months ago. We quickly became intrigued after stumbling upon the lengthy 8th grader in a back gym at Bloomington Kennedy early in the AAU season. Eggers' game has improved by leaps and bounds since then, and college coaches have begun to recognize her potential. She was crucial for Comets Boone all season long, both in her defensive efforts as well as her immensely productive scoring. Bri led her division in points multiple times throughout the season, routinely putting up 50 or more over the course of a weekend with rebound numbers in the same vein. While there is still lots of work to do, Eggers is poised to become a scholarship-level prospect when it's all said and done.   PGH scout Ally McGinnis contributed to this article.

The first time we paid close attention to Maggie Dyer Maggie Dyer 5'10" | SF/SG Rochester Mayo | 2028 State MN was in the summer of 2023 when the then-7th grader was competing two years up on behalf of Air Minnesota at the Prep Girls Hoops Circuit Legacy Region Finals. We'd been told about Maggie's potential, but seeing it for ourselves just hit different. Fast forward one year and the Rochester Mayo freshman-to-be is one of the brightest young prospects in the state of Minnesota. After a summer of growth and improvement – and tangible results to show for it with North Tartan 's 14U Nike unit – we are pleased to select Maggie as our 2028 AAU Breakout Player of the Year.