Mill City Invitational: A tall tale of potential greatness

When I put together my Mill City Invitational viewing schedule, watching a team of 13-year-olds from North Dakota wasn't on the agenda. But strolling into the main gym at Chanhassen High School on Friday afternoon, I was stopped cold by something that always captures my attention: a 6'3 seventh grader towering over everyone else on the floor. Expecting her to be somewhat uncoordinated – common for players of that age and size – I was pleasantly surprised to see her execute a drop step and finish with a soft kiss off the glass. I only caught the final few minutes of that game, but it was obvious that we were on to something. That something is Lily Edinger of Bismarck.   A Rare Combination of Height and Skill   Looking to confirm that first impression, we headed straight for the back gym on Saturday morning, oversized coffee in hand, ready for an 8 a.m. tip. We were not disappointed.   As you can see from the banner photo above, Edinger is long and lean. Her wingspan stretches from the banks of the Missouri River in Bismarck to the shores of the Mississippi in these parts. She occupies serious space in the paint, is already a gifted shot blocker and deflector. When Edinger walls up, opponents struggle to get off a clean look. She'll still swat at shots occasionally – fouls that young players commit with regularity – but her understanding of defense is advanced for her age, and she communicates well with teammates.   Then there's that drop step – again, not something you often see from a 7th grader. Edinger can execute it in either direction and finish off glass, which is nearly impossible to defend. Though she lacks strength right now – totally normal for the age – her technique allows Lily to slip past defenders and score. She also uses a smooth spin move to cash in with the baby jumper, and she demonstrated a nice step-through. Her shot mechanics are excellent.   In terms of fundamentals, Edinger boxes out consistently, seals effectively, and has sound footwork. She catches the ball cleanly with outstretched arms and can run the floor with the ball in her hands. In short: this isn't your average middle school big.   During the morning game, Edinger took a hard fall against [program_tooltip program_id='715704' first='Team' last='FSA'] and left the court in tears after getting the wind knocked out of her. I wondered if we'd see her again. Just minutes later, she was back on the floor – clearly focused and fired up – leading a nice run that brought her team even. They went on to win 50-41. You can't teach that kind of resilience.   The power of pedigree   If you're a regular reader, you know we place a lot of value on genetics. When a player's parents played college basketball, it raises expectations. When mom is 6'3 and dad is 6'8, we pay close attention. But when mom is a Division I Hall-of-Famer? Now we're all ears.   That's the case here. Lily's mother, Angie Edinger (née Welle), is one of the greatest players in Iowa State University history – school records, retired jersey, all of it. A Fargo Shanley grad, Angie left ISU with records for most career points, field goals, rebounds, and blocked shots. She started 130 of 132 games in Ames, posted 54 double-doubles, and averaged one in each of her final two seasons. Named an All-American by nine different publications and a finalist for the prestigious Naismith Award, she was also selected in the 2002 WNBA Draft by the Cleveland Rockers.   More than two decades later, many of Angie's records still stand. Before college, she helped lead arguably the best [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'] team in history to a national AAU championship. Among her teammates were the famed Miller twins from Rochester, who went on to be stars in the WNBA; Stanford recruit Carolyn Moos; Penn State's Maren Walseth; Kelly Siemon, who played at Notre Dame; and former Gopher Jamie Broback, who now coaches for the [program_tooltip program_id='712665' first='Metro' last='Stars']. Yes, Mrs. Edinger could play a little.   What comes next?   How will that pedigree translate for Lily? It's too early to say, but her potential is off the charts. With her size, mobility, instincts, and developing skill set – not to mention the family background – it's easy to envision a future for her at the highest levels of the game. Of course, it's a long road from promising middle schooler to college athlete, but Edinger is well ahead of the curve.   She'll begin high school basketball this fall and is certain to turn heads. At Mill City, she finished with 44 points in four games and what felt like an equal number of rebounds as ND Buckets went 2-2. She left the Twin Cities having made a very strong impression, giving us the sense that this is only the beginning.

When I put together my Mill City Invitational viewing schedule, watching a team of 13-year-olds from North Dakota wasn't on the agenda. But strolling into the main gym at Chanhassen High School on Friday afternoon, I was stopped cold by something that always captures my attention: a 6'3 seventh grader towering over everyone else on the floor. Expecting her to be somewhat uncoordinated – common for players of that age and size – I was pleasantly surprised to see her execute a drop step and finish with a soft kiss off the glass. I only caught the final few minutes of that game, but it was obvious that we were on to something. That something is Lily Edinger of Bismarck.