The Southern Minnesota pipeline, part 2

The list of talented prospects coming out of Southern Minnesota's small school programs is long and impressive, with college commits like [player_tooltip player_id='550001' first='Rylie' last='Cother'] (Jackson County Central), [player_tooltip player_id='339175' first='Brooklyn' last='Lewis'] (New Ulm), [player_tooltip player_id='339179' first='Brylee' last='Miller'] (Fairmont) and [player_tooltip player_id='515673' first='Brielle' last='Janssen'] (MACCRAY) among those leading the way. Earlier in the week we introduced you to a few more youngsters with potential in our article, <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/2025/01/the-southern-minnesota-pipeline-keeps-on-delivering/">The Southern Minnesota pipeline keeps on delivering</a>. Today we bring you part 2 of our attempt to introduce players who may not be on your radar just yet. Here are a half dozen names to know.   [player_tooltip player_id='1145711' first='Reagan' last='Essig'] – 2027 guard, Triton   Reagan just looks like an athlete and oozes confidence every time out. She's not super tall but she is wide, with broad shoulders and a really solid base. We love her competitiveness. She brings guaranteed energy and effort to the proceedings consistently. Essig is fairly bouncy and can get around the court at top speed. Her overall aggressiveness and strong understanding of the game make Reagan an excellent defender, as well. On the offensive end, Essig gets to the rim frequently where she can finish in different ways with either hand. She is a quality point guard who keeps her eyes up and makes smart plays, plus she can shoot the three at a high level.   [player_tooltip player_id='1263074' first='Rainey' last='Dobbs'] – 2026 forward, Triton   Standing about 5'10 give or take an inch, Dobbs has really nice length. She's not a superstar athlete by any means, but she can definitely get to where she needs to be when she needs to be there. We love the simplicity of Rainey's game. She's not flashy; she's fundamental.  She can score at all three levels and excels from long distance with a quick release and a nice high arc. Defensively, Dobbs anticipates really well and uses her length to get a hand on the ball frequently. When we watched her against St. Croix Lutheran, Rainey executed a couple of nice steal-and-score plays in the open court, making it look easy in the process.   [player_tooltip player_id='1145714' first='Katie' last='Olson'] – 2026 guard, Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton   Katie has been tearing it up for JWP this season, leading her team in scoring at 16.6 points per game and making crucial contributions all over the court. The 5'6 Olson is a great athlete who can do it all. She shoots the ball very well, attacks with quickness and athleticism, and is a quality distributor with good basketball sense. Katie has a certain toughness to her that gives you confidence in how she plays. The junior did not play AAU last summer due to family circumstances but she plans to return to the [program_tooltip program_id='712699' first='Minnesota' last='Rise'] in 2025. This is a real leader who will do whatever it takes to win, and that's exactly what the Bulldogs have been doing.   [player_tooltip player_id='1145715' first='Neveah' last='Weimert'] – 2026 guard, Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton   Neveah is the other half of JWP's potent leading pair. Both earned all-conference status last year. Both are successful multi-sport athletes, too. Weimert is listed at 5'6 but looks taller, probably because of her narrow frame and thin build. This Bulldog displays excellent quickness, nice court vision, and a team-first mentality. Like Olson she commits a ton of steals and is an effective defender. Offensively if there's one thing Neveah is known for it is her shooting: this kid can definitely fire the rock. When she gets rolling, the three-pointers come in waves. Neveah is averaging 13.5 points per game. She is also an excellent facilitator.   [player_tooltip player_id='1174706' first='Camryn' last='VanMaldeghem'] & [player_tooltip player_id='1174708' first='Quinn' last='VanMaldeghem'] – 2026 guards, NRHEG   The twins have been a mainstay for the Panthers over the past couple of seasons and both have made excellent progress over time. Their games are built on athleticism, strength, speed and aggressiveness. These two are excellent multi-sport athletes and competitors who defend with passion and bring great energy and attitude every time out. Both are about 5'10 with solid builds. Camryn is the scorer of the two, utilizing her speed to slip past defenders and finish at the rim. She loves to attack and gets opponents on their heels in a hurry. Quinn is the rebounder and a lock-down defender who usually guards the best the other team has to offer. She uses her anticipation and quickness to force turnovers and create steals. It's not clear at the moment whether they plan to return to AAU this year or if they intend to play in college. Let's hope the answer to both questions is a resounding, ‘yes!' because they are a ton of fun to watch.   Top photo: [player_tooltip player_id='1145714' first='Katie' last='Olson'] & [player_tooltip player_id='1145715' first='Neveah' last='Weimert']

The list of talented prospects coming out of Southern Minnesota's small school programs is long and impressive, with college commits like Rylie Cother Rylie Cother 5'9" | CG Jackson Cty Central | 2025 State MN (Jackson County Central), Brooklyn Lewis Brooklyn Lewis 5'7" | PG New Ulm | 2026 State MN (New Ulm), Brylee Miller Brylee Miller 6'0" | SF Fairmont | 2026 State MN (Fairmont) and Brielle Janssen Brielle Janssen 6'1" | SF MACCRAY | 2026 State MN (MACCRAY) among those leading the way. Earlier in the week we introduced you to a few more youngsters with potential in our article, The Southern Minnesota pipeline keeps on delivering. Today we bring you part 2 of our attempt to introduce players who may not be on your radar just yet. Here are a half dozen names to know.