Predicting the future at the Southern MN Hoops Fest

Nostradamus we are not. Unlike the infamous 16th Century French astrologer, however, the time frame on our prognostications plays out over the course of a few basketball seasons, not hundreds of years. This weekend at the Breakdown Southern Minnesota Hoops Fest, we dusted off our crystal ball to look into the future during a five-game viewing at Rochester John Marshall and Kasson-Mantorville. Here are a few new names we predict you'll be hearing again in the years ahead.   [player_tooltip player_id='1132957' first='Sadie' last='Romens']  – 2029 guard/forward, Stewartville   Romens is making a big impact for the Tigers in her first varsity season. Pictured above left, she was first off the bench in Saturday's matchup against White Bear Lake, and made an immediate impact in the contest. Standing at 5-foot-10 with ample length and athleticism, Romens does not look like an 8th grader – she doesn't play like one, either. Sadie is calm under pressure, operates with a high basketball IQ, and is not rattled by a fast-paced or particularly physical game. Simultaneously, she plays with a seemingly endless amount of energy, consistently hustling after the ball and giving full effort on every possession. In addition to all of this, Sadie has a high level of skill. She can handle the ball, shoot, and play down low or on the perimeter on offense. There's little doubt that she'll be a scholarship-level prospect.   [player_tooltip player_id='1132959' first='Leah' last='Hebl'] – 2028 guard, Stewartville   Pictured above right, Hebl is another Stewartville youngster who made a strong impression on Saturday. The 5'5 guard came into the game early and immediately displayed her quickness on both ends of the floor. On defense. Hebl has tremendous lateral movement and quick hands. She defends with lots of energy and pressure, making her a pest for the other team's perimeter players. On the offensive end, Leah is not only quick with the ball, but able to change her pace at will. That obviously makes her difficult to guard. Leah likes to attack the rim and is explosive with the basketball in her hands. With South Dakota State commit [player_tooltip player_id='458305' first='Audrey' last='Shindelar'] at the head of the snake for Stewartville, it may be some time before Hebl acquires a major role at the point guard position. For now it looks like she'll be ready when the time comes.   [player_tooltip player_id='764186' first='Cate' last='Currie'] – 2027 forward, Rochester Century   The sophomore forward caught our attention in Saturday's first matchup of the day between Woodbury and Rochester Century. Cate has grown substantially since we last saw her play, now standing somewhere in the 6'0 to 6'2 range we'd estimate. In addition to her height, the Panthers forward possesses serious length, a valuable asset on both ends of the floor. On defense she is a strong rebounder as well as shot blocker making the paint a tricky place for smaller opponents to score. She is not afraid to play physical, using her strength and size to battle with the other teams' post players. On offense, Currie can play either down low in the post or outside on the perimeter where she is comfortable handling the ball. With more skill development, Currie can be a formidable prospect for the college level where coaches are always looking for players with size.   Alexa Guetzlaff – 2027 guard, Red Wing   We wrote about established junior [player_tooltip player_id='717664' first='Izzy' last='Guetzlaff'] in our veterans piece from the Hoops Fest on Tuesday, but she was not the only Guetzlaff from Red Wing to make an impression on us in the Wingers encounter with Kasson-Mantorville. Younger sister Alexa, a sophomore, is a long and athletic guard who is in her second varsity season. She's a bouncy defender who excels at using her length to block shots and disrupt the passing lanes. Alexa's athleticism and verticality help make her a solid rebounder, as well. On offense she's explosive when attacking the basket, using her long strides to easily blow by opponents on her way to the rim. Now 11 games into the season, Alexa is currently averaging 4 points per game for a strong Red Wing group that is 10-1 so far.   [player_tooltip player_id='1132983' first='Finley' last='Kamps'] – 2028 guard, Red Wing   Kamps is another Winger who made a quality impression on us versus the Komets. She was the first player to sub in after the tip, wowing us with her quickness and high-revving motor right away. Finley plays her game with a lot of energy and fire, while exuding a quiet confidence that most players don't get until much later. It wasn't long before she started knocking down shots, helping cushion the Wingers early lead. The lanky guard, who is perhaps 5'7 or so, has a textbook, left-handed shot that is proficient from beyond the arc. She finished the contest with three shots from deep. The game became quite close down the stretch, and it was Kamps' reliability at the point guard position and her high-pressure defense that was crucial for Red Wing, who eventually won 52-50 with a shot at the final buzzer.   Here's one more name to know…   Ava Kirchoff – 2030 guard, Woodbury   While we only caught a brief glimpse of the 7th grader at the end of Woodbury's win over Rochester Century, it became immediately clear that Kirchoff is going to be a player. She's extremely quick, explosive off the bounce, and is already a highly skilled ball handler. She jumped right out at us as someone to evaluate again sooner rather than later. Despite only seeing a minute or two of action, we won't be surprised if Ava's is a name you hear often in the coming years.   PGH scout Ally McGinnis wrote these player evaluations.

Nostradamus we are not. Unlike the infamous 16^th Century French astrologer, however, the time frame on our prognostications plays out over the course of a few basketball seasons, not hundreds of years. This weekend at the Breakdown Southern Minnesota Hoops Fest, we dusted off our crystal ball to look into the future during a five-game viewing at Rochester John Marshall and Kasson-Mantorville. Here are a few new names we predict you'll be hearing again in the years ahead.