College update part 2: Top underclassmen & transfers

There were plenty of people who doubted Tori McKinney's ability to compete in the steaming cauldron of Big 10 basketball – c'mon, you know who you are – but discussion of this topic has diminished significantly in recent weeks. After McKinney's performance Saturday in the University of Minnesota's Big 10 home opener, let's hope the doubters have been silenced for good. After all, McKinney delivered a virtuoso performance against Penn State, scoring 25 points to lead the Gophers to a 90-54 trouncing of the Nittany Lions. McKinney played 33 minutes, went 7-for-12 from the field and 8-for-8 at the free throw line. But she's not the only player in the Prep Girls Hoops Class of 2024 that has made it clear she was ready for the challenge of D1 basketball.   On Friday, we looked at this year's Minnesota college seniors – the high school classes of 2020 and 2021 – and how they've done so far this season. Today, in part 2 of our update, we'll begin with a look at the top freshmen followed by the leading sophomores and juniors. We've also got data on how players who transferred to a different school over the summer are doing.   There's no magic formula here in terms of how we selected our mid-season honorees, although there is data. PGH scout Ally McGinnis went through the statistics of every team in Division 1 basketball through Dec. 22 (all 351 of them) and compiled stats on all the Minnesotans she could find. We'll ask forgiveness in advance if we've missed someone.   TOP FRESHMEN   Olivia Olson – The Benilde-St. Margaret's graduate was the #1-ranked prospect in the Class of 2024 from start to finish. Now, as a freshman at the University of Michigan, she is making it clear that her status was well deserved. Olson is averaging 15.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game while shooting 47.9% from the field. Liv has been a starter in every contest.   Liv McGill – Liv and Liv are very different kinds of players, but their impact on every game is quite similar. Ranked #2 among 2024 Minnesota graduates, the Hopkins point guard is killing it at the University of Florida. McGill has started every game for the Gators and is averaging 16.2 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists while shooting 45.1% from the field. She also has 20 steals.   Tori McKinney – The 4th ranked prospect in the Class of 2024 was known as one of the state's top defenders but folks who hadn't watched closely questioned her offense. As a senior Tori averaged 15 ppg and led her team to a state championship. After Mara Braun got hurt this fall, Tori stepped into the Gophers starting lineup and has not looked back. She's averaging 10.4 points, 3 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game while shooting over 50% from the field and 41% from three.   Marisa Frost – The crafty point guard was ranked 11th in the senior class out of Centennial. She's coming off the bench for North Dakota State but is playing starter minutes (25). She's averaging 9.6 points and 2.2 assists while shooting 51.5% from the field. Her 27-point performance against Montana was the best-ever by an NDSU freshman and her exceptional playmaking abilities have translated well to D1.   Somah Kamara – When we first ranked the Class of 2024 prospects way back in the fall of 2020, Somah earned the #7 rating. Her speed, skill and athleticism made her special. Unfortunately, Kamara suffered a series of injuries, most notably a troublesome shoulder that never seemed to heal. She finished her high school career strong and earned a late opportunity at Tennessee State. The Robbinsdale Cooper graduate leads the Tigers in scoring at 15.3 ppg while shooting 44% from the field.   STANDOUT SOPHOMORES   Tessa Johnson – South Carolina, St. Michael- Albertville (8.2 pts, 1.4 reb, 1.2 ast, 48.4% FG, 46.4% 3PT)   Nunu Agara – Stanford, Hopkins (17.3 pts, 7.3 reb, 2.2 ast, 51.6% FG, 40.0% 3PT)   Abby Krzewinski – North Dakota State, Wayzata (9.3 pts, 2.8 reb, 0.8 ast, 40.4% FG, 40.5% 3PT)   Avery Koenen – North Dakota State, Montevideo (10.3 pts, 6.9 reb, 1.9 ast, 45.3% FG)   Shannon Fornshell – Drake, Wayzata (4.7 pts, 1.9 reb, 0.6 ast, 47.8% FG)   See below for more on other 2023s Taylor Woodson (Minnesota), Molly Lenz (NDSU) and Shania Van Nett (IU-Indy).   TOP JUNIORS   Lilly Meister – Indiana, Rochester John Marshall (11.4 pts, 5.9 reb, 0.5 ast, 54.7% FG)   Amaya Battle – Minnesota, Hopkins (7.8 pts, 4.5 reb, 4.3 ast, 35.4% FG, 39.5% 3PT)   Mallory Heyer – Minnesota, Chaska (8.1 pts, 6.9 reb, 0.6 ast, 41.6% FG)   Callin Hake – Nebraska, Chanhassen (7.6 pts, 3.4 reb, 3.2 ast, 39.0% FG)   Ronnie Porter – Wisconsin, Como Park (11.3 pts, 3.8 reb, 4.9 ast, 43.0% FG)   Kiani Lockett –  Creighton, Minnetonka (7.7 pts, 3.4 reb, 2.3 ast, 50.0% FG, 43.5% 3PT)   Amber Scalia – St. Thomas, Stillwater (12.7 pts, 3.6 reb, 2.8 ast, 41.2% FG)   Lily Fandre – Lehigh, Eagan (11.8 pts, 4.2 reb, 1.3 ast, 50.0% FG, 42.1% 3PT)   Tiny Lewis – Eastern Illinois, Minnehaha Academy (7.9 pts, 2.1 reb, 1.7 ast, 36.8% FG, 45.2% 3PT)   Alayna Contreras – Kansas City, Hopkins (13.5 pts, 2.3 reb, 1.6 ast, 34.5% FG)   Madison Mathiowetz – South Dakota State, Sleepy Eye St. Mary's (6.5 pts, 3.2 reb, 1.2 ast, 37.2% FG)   Mikayla Aumer – North Dakota, Cambridge-Isanti (9.3 pts, 1.6 reb, 1.5 ast, 33.7% FG)   We also need to mention Mara Braun of Minnesota. The Wayzata graduate started out like a house on fire through five games, averaging 13.6 points and 4 assists per game before an ankle injury ended her season. Braun has been Minnesota's premier player since she joined the team in the fall of 2022.   TOP TRANSFERS   Like it or not, the NCAA transfer portal has become a fact of life for college coaches and athletes. It offers opportunities for a fresh start, and several Minnesota graduates have taken advantage over the past couple of years. Here are some of this year's most successful transfers.   Annika Stewart – The 2020 graduate from Wayzata spent the past four years at the University of Nebraska where she was a consistent contributor for the Cornhuskers. Anni returned home to the University of Minnesota for her bonus year and has been a big success. Stewart comes off the bench and is averaging 17 minutes, 11.9 points and 2.8 rebounds per game while shooting 60% from the field.   Shania Van Nett – When we first ranked the Class of 2023, Shania was a top 10 prospect with the skills and moxie to match. That was before the Como Park graduate's career was derailed by two torn ACLs. In a testament to the power of resilience, Van Nett fought her way back to play junior college ball in North Dakota. This fall Shania moved to IU-Indy where she has taken the D1 Horizon League program by storm. Van Nett leads the Jags in scoring at 12.2 ppg while shooting 46% from three.   Nneka Obiazor – The 2020 graduate of Eden Prairie started out her college career at Youngstown State and went on to a successful run at Nevada-Las Vegas before transferring again for her COVID bonus year. Now at Grand Canyon University, Nneka is averaging 9.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game while shooting 48.5% from the field. She was a Top 10 prospect throughout her high school career.   Molly Lenz – The crafty point guard from Eden Prairie was a Top 10 prospect in the Class of 2023, which provided the opportunity to join Illinois State one year ago. She decided to make a move closer to home over the summer and her first season at North Dakota State has been stellar. Molly has started every game for the Bison and is averaging 9 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game in Fargo.   Taylor Woodson – The 2023 graduate of Hopkins was a Top 3 prospect in her class, a player with speed, power and athleticism. Woodson spent her freshman year at Michigan before coming home to the University of Minnesota where she made an immediate impact. Taylor averaged 17 minutes per game in 12 contests before her season was ended prematurely due to a torn ACL. She averaged 8.1 points and 4.4 rebounds while shooting 45% from the field.   Here are two more successful transfers we should mention:   Nyamer Diew – Ny played at Marshall and Worthington before finishing her high school career in Iowa. After a successful run at Iowa State, Diew moved to Colorado as a graduate transfer this year. She has been a regular starter for the Buffaloes, playing 23 minutes per game and averaging 7 points and 3.5 rebounds.   Macy Smith – The Spring Lake Park graduate, who also played at Maranatha Christian during, was a Top 30 prospect in the Class of 2021. She started college at Cal State Northridge before transferring to Utah State. This year the athletic guard moved to Oakland University in Detroit where she is the team's second-leading scorer at 11.1 points per game.   PGH scout Ally McGinnis gathered all of the player stats used in this story.

There were plenty of people who doubted Tori McKinney's ability to compete in the steaming cauldron of Big 10 basketball – c'mon, you know who you are – but discussion of this topic has diminished significantly in recent weeks. After McKinney's performance Saturday in the University of Minnesota's Big 10 home opener, let's hope the doubters have been silenced for good. After all, McKinney delivered a virtuoso performance against Penn State, scoring 25 points to lead the Gophers to a 90-54 trouncing of the Nittany Lions. McKinney played 33 minutes, went 7-for-12 from the field and 8-for-8 at the free throw line. But she's not the only player in the Prep Girls Hoops Class of 2024 that has made it clear she was ready for the challenge of D1 basketball.