2027 rankings update: Top 10 stock risers

It has been a year now since Prep Girls Hoops first ranked Minnesota's Class of 2027. In looking at the numbers for this update – the fourth time we've rated the class – one thing is obvious: Not a whole lot has changed near the top of the list. Among the top 20 players who made the Freshmen 50 last October, 18 of them are still there. One addition – #8 [player_tooltip player_id='764943' first='Mariah' last='Sexton'] of St. Michael-Albertville – is a transfer from Wisconsin. The other is [player_tooltip player_id='667778' first='Laila' last='Moses'] of DeLaSalle, who started out at #25 last fall and is now #19.   Elsewhere on the list, however, there is plenty to talk about including our top 10 stock risers since the last update in June. In addition, 11 newcomers have been added to the rankings, bringing the total to 100 players. We'll introduce you to those prospects on Thursday.   HOW THE RANKINGS WORK   For those of you who are new to how the Prep Girls Hoops ranking process works, let us issue a friendly reminder. We rank prospects based on their potential as college basketball players. The rankings are NOT about current performance in high school. This is an important distinction, one that explains why some high school standouts are farther down the list than players who have yet to grace a varsity roster.   We take a lot of grief for this approach and we don't always get it right. Time will tell with the Class of 2027, of course, but based on a distinct set of criteria that has worked well over time we believe our process does a pretty good job of identifying next-level prospects. To learn more about the process, please visit the <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/how-we-rank/">How We Rank</a> section under the rankings tab.   THE TOP 10   The top nine prospects in the Class of 2027 have not changed. They are:   #1 [player_tooltip player_id='377583' first='Mya' last='Wilson'] of Hill-Murray   #2 [player_tooltip player_id='498661' first='Pressley' last='Watkins'] of Benilde-St. Margaret's   #3 [player_tooltip player_id='578467' first='Amisha' last='Ramlall'] of Rosemount   #4 [player_tooltip player_id='529357' first='Emma' last='Millerbernd'] of Providence Academy   #5 [player_tooltip player_id='377584' first='Ava' last='Cupito'] of Hopkins   #6 [player_tooltip player_id='558627' first='Erma' last='Walker'] of Hopkins   #7 [player_tooltip player_id='630244' first='Jazmin' last='Daing'] of Rochester John Marshall   #8 [player_tooltip player_id='764943' first='Mariah' last='Sexton'] of St. Michael-Albertville   #9 [player_tooltip player_id='659118' first='Alivia' last='Bell'] who transferred from Winona to Hopkins   The one change is at #10 where [player_tooltip player_id='665719' first='Addison' last='Bjorklund'] of Brainerd moves up one position. She had a good summer and an outstanding performance at the Prep Girls Hoops Sophomore ID Camp last month where she was selected to the All-Showcase team. The only other change in the top 25 was [player_tooltip player_id='764229' first='Toni' last='Fisher'] of Prior Lake, who moved up one more position to #22, a rise of 17 places from where she started one year ago.   Here at the 10 biggest stock risers in the Class of 2027.    +16 – The lengthy guard rises 16 places from #54 to #38. Ava's improvement this year is palpable. Her summer performance with [program_tooltip program_id='712687' first='Minnesota' last='Fury'] S40 earned Litecky honorable mention status as AAU Breakout Player of the Year. The evolution of her game was particularly evident at the Sophomore ID Camp where Tony Ragulen described her as “a silky-smooth wing who has a good handle and shoots it very well… The sky is the limit.”     +15 – The big post from Southern Minnesota was one of our more interesting discoveries of 2024, thanks to a tip from club director Pierre Ellis of [program_tooltip program_id='713291' first='Minnesota' last='Nice']. Pierre knows a little something about post players having had Kansas State's Ayoka Lee. Olson is big, strong and mobile and plays with a motor. She also has soft hands and the ability to finish in traffic. After entering the rankings in June, Olson rises 15 positions to #46.     +10 – Coming off a great summer with the [program_tooltip program_id='712665' first='Metro' last='Stars'], Gigi showed up at the Sophomore ID Camp on a mission. To say she improved her status as a college prospect that day would be an understatement. Matching up against top talent, Coleman more than held her own. She has become a very good distributor but can also get downhill fast. Gigi, who has transferred to Minnehaha Academy, moves up 10 places to #55.     +8 – Like many of her teammates, the big guard has often been overshadowed by the talent ahead of her on the Rangers roster. Now that Jordan Zubich is wearing North Carolina blue, and Hali Savela is clad in Jamestown orange, it's time for Warwas to get some shine. Sami is unlikely to play a starring role like those two but her valuable contributions usually fall into the “do whatever it takes to win” category. She's a gamer with a high IQ and the drive to be great. Sami moves up eight to #72.     +7 – One thing became obvious this summer as Anna traversed her way through AAU, first with [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'] Elite and then at All Iowa Attack: She is the next big thing at MIB. The bouncy guard plays with pace and aggression. She has a motor that runs all day, a feel for the game, and the type of passion that can't be measured. Anna also has quick feet, quick hands and a terrific skillset. She's now a top 30 prospect, up 19 places this year.     +7 – One of the state's most-improved prospects, Mari was named Prep Girls Hoops AAU Breakout Player of the Year. We don't need to say anything else, do we? Mari has a giant motor to go with superior athleticism, a combo that tends to deliver results. As Lang's skillset has grown, so has her mental toughness, leadership skills and ability to take over a game. Mari entered the rankings in June at #43 and now moves up to #36.     +5 – Is there anything the big guard isn't good at? One of the most well-rounded, most-versatile prospects in the class, Stork shows up ready to work and usually produces in a big way. Kayla's fundamentals are excellent. Her athleticism is impressive. Her skillset is well-honed. And her basketball IQ is up there. Stork, who was named one of the 10 best prospects in Southeastern Minnesota, oves up five to #26.     +5 – Brooke recently tweeted a photo of herself in the uniform of the South Dakota Coyotes. Such interest from a quality Division 1 program tells you everything you need to know about how her year is going. The physical guard is one of the toughest competitors in the state. She is relentless on both sides of the ball, and her offensive game has blossomed this year as she continues to build her resume. Brooke moves north five places to #37.     +5 – The Energizer Bunny is such an enduring symbol in advertising that the pink rabbit has its own Wikipedia page. If Prose keeps playing like the battery spokesrabbit she might need q whole website! Grace just keeps going and going and going, playing with an endless supply of energy, a commitment to defend, and a level of focus that's rare. Her gusto is infectious and propelled her up five to #42.     +5 – Like her Mahtomedi teammate, Blaisdell is an impactful guard whose role is about to grow substantially following the graduation of Ella Kletti (Florida Southern). At Sunday's Fall League games, we were reminded of just how much Berkley can do. She's quick and bouncy and has superior skills that help her score at all three levels. Blaisdell is so shifty and is constantly putting opponents on their heels. This could be Berkley's breakout season. She's up five positions to #57.

It has been a year now since Prep Girls Hoops first ranked Minnesota's Class of 2027. In looking at the numbers for this update – the fourth time we've rated the class – one thing is obvious: Not a whole lot has changed near the top of the list. Among the top 20 players who made the Freshmen 50 last October, 18 of them are still there. One addition – #8 Mariah Sexton Mariah Sexton 6'3" | PF Maple Grove | 2027 State MN of St. Michael-Albertville – is a transfer from Wisconsin. The other is Laila Moses Laila Moses 5'11" | SF DeLaSalle | 2027 State MN of DeLaSalle, who started out at #25 last fall and is now #19.