Newcomers who stepped up over Thanksgiving

Many younger players take a good amount of time to work their way into a more prominent role in high school basketball as they get their feet wet at the varsity level and try to figure out how best to handle the bigger, stronger, more experienced players they're facing. Others seem to jump right in. This weekend at the Twin Cities Thanksgiving Tip Off and the Pat Patterson Invitational, we went looking for newcomers who were contributing to their teams right now. Here are 5 talented players who did exactly that over the holidays.   [player_tooltip player_id='1096418' first='Rachel' last='Warford'] – 2028 guard/forward, Visitation   The 9th grader made key contributions for Visitation last weekend at White Bear Lake. Standing at 5-foot-10, Rachel is long and lean with an athletic build. She uses that length and athleticism well, particularly on the defensive end of the floor where she can guard several different positions. On offense, Warford moves well without the ball, making well-timed, quick cuts to the basket. In Friday's game against Roseville, she showed off her knack for rebounding the ball, as well as her positive demeanor. Rachel scored 8 points against the Raiders, going 2-for-2 from beyond the three-point arc. We're told she'll play for Fury S40 in the spring.   [player_tooltip player_id='814394' first='Avianna' last='Olson'] – 2028 guard, Visitation   Another youngster from Visitation, Avianna is a 5'7 freshman guard who is now in her second season on the varsity roster. Using her strong, muscular build, Olson excels at getting downhill and drawing fouls on drives to the basket. She plays aggressively and is not afraid of physicality on either end of the floor. In Saturday's game against St. Michael-Albertville, Avianna put up 9 points and hauled down 3 boards. With such a young roster, Olson is expected to do a little bit of everything right now, but we look forward to watching her role and her game evolve as the season progresses. Visitation is 2-1 going into week three; they will face off against Minnehaha Academy on Saturday.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-medium"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/12/Kayli-Bigalke-crop-3901x2562-1733268474.jpg?w=300" alt="" class="wp-image-1096426" /></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='1094406' first='Kayli' last='Bigalke'] – 2028 guard, St. Michael-Albertville   When we sat down to watch St. Michael-Albertville take on East Ridge on Friday, we were surprised to see a fresh face in the starting lineup. Kayli made quite the impression as the 9th grader was a huge factor throughout the game, even after sustaining a cut in her mouth that caused Bigalke to leave the floor to stem the bleeding. She smiled, shook off the distraction and was quickly inserted back into the game. Bigalke is a tremendous defender who is not afraid of any challenge. Listed at 5'5, she is quick, has a high motor, and has great lateral movement. Most importantly, though, Kayli knows where to be and when to be there. We also saw a bit of her offensive game; Bigalke's shot has a smooth, quick release and she's not afraid to attack the basket.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-medium"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/12/Lariah-Wright-crop-3901x2562-1733268552.jpg?w=300" alt="" class="wp-image-1096428" /></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='1090087' first='Lariah' last='Wright'] – 2030 guard, Minnetonka   Over the past two weeks we have seen the debut of Minnetonka's youngest member of the varsity roster. The talented 7th grader is the younger sister of 2026 standout [player_tooltip player_id='252383' first='Lanelle' last='Wright'], and the two have several similarities to their games. Like Lanelle, Lariah is a highly skilled competitor with the type of court vision, IQ, and handles that make the ball look like it's on a string. In Saturday's contest against DeLaSalle, Lariah was given the task of guarding University of Richmond commit [player_tooltip player_id='296527' first='Aneisha' last='Scott'] – certainly not an easy feat. Using her quick lateral movement and understanding of defensive angles, Wright was more than up to the task. Throughout Saturday's game it was evident that Lariah was unfazed by the pace and pressure, even when guarding one of Minnesota's premier point guards. We expect the younger Wright will be one of the top prospects in Minnesota's Class of 2030.   [player_tooltip player_id='1096421' first='Maren' last='Powell'] – 2028 forward, Rosemount   With such a young roster, it wasn't much of a surprise to see another 9th grader in the starting lineup for Rosemount this past weekend. Maren is a 5'11 forward who is expected to play a key role for the Irish this winter. She has a big frame, nice length, solid footwork in the post, and a knack for rebounding. Powell can also extend her range out to the perimeter on the offensive end, where she has recently become a consistent three-point shooter. In Saturday's game against Maple Grove, Maren showed no fear against the Crimson's much older lineup. Maren will play for [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'] Elite in the spring.   PGH scout Ally McGinnis did these evaluations.

Many younger players take a good amount of time to work their way into a more prominent role in high school basketball as they get their feet wet at the varsity level and try to figure out how best to handle the bigger, stronger, more experienced players they're facing. Others seem to jump right in. This weekend at the Twin Cities Thanksgiving Tip Off and the Pat Patterson Invitational, we went looking for newcomers who were contributing to their teams right now. Here are 5 talented players who did exactly that over the holidays.