Breakdown Fall League: Who we liked at Minnetonka

Sunday marked the first day of the big Breakdown Sports four-week fall league with dozens games across the Twin Cities region. Tony Ragulen was at Hopkins to report on the much-anticipated return of [player_tooltip player_id='296523' first='Kendall' last='McGee'] at Benilde-St. Margaret's. Ally and I were at Minnetonka where we watched Minnetonka, Wayzata, Cretin-Derham Hall, Eastview, Robbinsdale Cooper and Northfield. Here's a look at some of the prospects we liked on Sunday.   Minnetonka vs Wayzata seldom disappoints   The Lake Conference rivalry between Wayzata and Minnetonka has produced plenty of great contests in multiple sports over the years. First up Sunday morning we had a preview of what the latest iteration of might look like for girls basketball. Both teams received an influx of new faces over the summer, most notably Providence Academy transfer [player_tooltip player_id='565312' first='Ari' last='Peterson'] and Rochester's [player_tooltip player_id='630244' first='Jazmin' last='Daing'] for Minnetonka along with Southwest Christian transfer [player_tooltip player_id='600748' first='Kaja' last='Nash'] and freshman [player_tooltip player_id='948888' first='Mallory' last='McBeth'] for Wayzata. While not all of the new faces were present, a couple made a big impression.   This season is likely going to be a big adjustment for Daing (pictured above), a top 10 sophomore in the Prep Girls Hoops Class of 2027. She transferred to the mighty Lake Conference from John Marshall and the decidedly easier competition of the Big 9. Last year, the 6'1+ guard averaged 18.3 points per game as a freshman. It will certainly take some time to get used to the higher level of competition and the demands of Tonka coach Brian Cosgriff. Once she adapts, however, Jazmin should be a major asset for the Skippers who can use her tremendous length, athleticism, and offensive production.   One player who showed out Sunday was McBeth, the Wayzata 9th grader who was recently selected for the Prep Girls Hoops Freshman 50. Ranked #24 in the Class of 2028, Mallory illustrated her effectiveness at both ends of the floor. The 5'10 guard is a prospect we've known about for quite some time with a distinguished AAU career on her resume. It was only a matter of time before she made her way to the Wayzata varsity roster. McBeth has athleticism, strength, toughness, and a hard-working, fundamental style of play. The highlight of Sunday's game was Mallory's monster baseline block in the first half. If she plays the way she did on Sunday, McBeth will be hard to keep off the floor.   Cretin-Derham Hall youngsters step up   While we weren't quite sure what to expect from Cretin-Derham Hall at Fall League, we knew in advance that coach Tara Seifert was going to have at least two more talented youngsters at her disposal this season. 8th grader [player_tooltip player_id='939003' first='Isabella' last='Deleeuw'] certainly caught our attention over the summer, wowing with her defense, playmaking ability and basketball IQ. On Sunday, the 5'6 point guard appeared to be settling in nicely. We were hoping to get another look at talented newcomer [player_tooltip player_id='992420' first='Madeleine' last='Hamiel'], a transfer from Winnipeg who is expected to be one of the top prospects in the Class of 2029. Madeleine was on duty with the junior varsity over at Hopkins, however, so we'll wait patiently to see what she can do with the older girls.   There were several veterans who stood out for the Raiders, as well, including post player [player_tooltip player_id='1048328' first='Joey' last='Hover'] who caught our attention immediately due to her notable size and length. Standing at 6-foot-1, Joey has a strong presence in the paint, and used quality footwork to score several baskets and crashed the glass to score a few more. Hover uses her length well on the defensive end and is an excellent shot blocker.   [player_tooltip player_id='778890' first='Elena' last='Kronschnabel'], a top 200 senior, brought a high level of toughness and physicality to the matchup with Robbinsdale Cooper, using her big frame and motor to impact the game. Junior forward [player_tooltip player_id='1048330' first='Gabby' last='Hoban'] has an extraordinarily long build plus she's quick and quite explosive. That served her well on defense as she anticipated well and used her quick hands to cherry pick the pass, leading to an easy bucket in transition. 5'7 guard [player_tooltip player_id='1164957' first='Sage' last='Gilbert'] was a key piece for CDH last year, averaging 7.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. On Sunday we liked Gilbert's confident, fundamental style of play. She hustled hard, impacted the game in a variety of ways, and made few mistakes.   Minneapolis Southwest is poised for more success   Longtime Minneapolis Southwest coach Dan Froehlich always seems to put a competitive product on the floor, thanks in no small part to the Lakers grassroots feeder system he was instrumental in starting nearly 15 years ago. As a result, the majority of players in the high school program are from the immediate area, even though the Minneapolis school district keeps shrinking Southwest's enrollment base for who knows what reason. That's a topic for another day.   On Sunday, we checked out Froelich's Lakers and came away impressed. Although Southwest graduated three all-conference performers, the Lakers are led by a strong pair of veterans in [player_tooltip player_id='778893' first='Alice' last='Ewert'] and [player_tooltip player_id='937675' first='Lehla' last='Gaulden']. Ewert is long and athletic with a nice build and quality handles. She's intelligent and has good touch around the basket which resulted in 11 points and 5 rebounds per game last winter. Gaulden offers a big, physical presence down low. She's got solid moves in the paint, is an outstanding rebounder, and plays with a big motor. She averaged nearly 10 points and over 12 rebounds per game in 2023-24.   A pair of 2027 guards should be big difference makers this season, as well. [player_tooltip player_id='1255487' first='Elise' last='McMillen'] is about 5'10, is athletic, and plays excellent defense on the perimeter. She has good offensive skills, as well. Joszette Andresen is a 5'5 guard with speed and quickness, nice handles and is a good shooter from beyond the arc. She can be a pesky perimeter defender, too. 5'11 forward Julie Leistikow is also going to be a factor. The sophomore has great footwork for a young player and loves to work the paint.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-thumbnail"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/09/32-Callie-Lynch-1.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1" alt="" class="wp-image-996382" /></figure>   Prospect to watch: [player_tooltip player_id='991212' first='Callie' last='Lynch'], Northfield   The Northfield freshman is definitely a prospect to watch and we liked what we saw on Sunday against Southwest. The 5'3 guard is undersized, but extraordinarily skilled. On the defensive end, Callie possesses outstanding lateral movement, quick feet, and an advanced understanding of defensive angles that allows her to guard players much larger than herself. On offense, Lynch sees the floor well and is able to make reads for both herself and her teammates. She is an excellent passer and never hesitates to attack the basket when a driving lane opens up. Her knack for finishing at the rim when being guarded by larger defenders is remarkable. Lynch's overall game features a high level of tenacity and hustle, and she consistently puts it all out on the floor.   One other Raider we have to mention is 2027 talent Alaia Douah, who is primarily a soccer player but clearly has some assets that could serve her well in the game of basketball. She is very long, with a good-sized frame, and excellent athleticism that is immediately noticeable. Her versatility was impressive. Alaia was particularly good in the paint where she was able to post up, score off the glass, grab her share of boards, and draw fouls. If she decides to take basketball a little more seriously, there's no telling just how good Douah might become.   PGH scout Ally McGinnis provided content for this article.

Sunday marked the first day of the big Breakdown Sports four-week fall league with dozens games across the Twin Cities region. Tony Ragulen was at Hopkins to report on the much-anticipated return of Kendall McGee Kendall McGee 5'10" | CG Benilde-St. Margaret's School | 2025 State MN at Benilde-St. Margaret's. Ally and I were at Minnetonka where we watched Minnetonka, Wayzata, Cretin-Derham Hall, Eastview, Robbinsdale Cooper and Northfield. Here's a look at some of the prospects we liked on Sunday.