Breakdown Coaches Classic Standouts

Few surprises are better than walking into a gym on a Thursday morning and finding out you're about to watch a rematch of last season's Class 4A state title game. That's exactly what I got last week at the Breakdown Coaches Classic when Hopkins and Maple Grove were matched up in a late addition to the schedule and tipped things off.   Hopkins pulled away after a tight first half behind rising star [player_tooltip player_id='558627' first='Erma' last='Walker'], one of the most physically imposing and impressive high school forwards I've ever seen. But it was hard not to come away impressed with Maple Grove, a team in transition with new faces stepping into key roles (more on them later).   The day closed with another Class 4A state tournament-type matchup as East Ridge and Rosemount went back and forth for 36 minutes in a game loaded with future Division I talent. You could not ask for better bookend games to wrap up July.   Plenty of players stood out, but here are the ones who made the biggest impressions, starting with one who won't even walk into a high school classroom for two more years.    If you don't know her name yet, you will soon. The 5-foot-9 guard from the class of 2031 (pictured above) is only headed into 7th grade, but her game is well beyond her years. She handles pressure with ease and makes good decisions everywhere on the floor. After a few tournaments with [program_tooltip program_id='712687' first='Minnesota' last='Fury']'s 2026 UAA team this summer, she's set for a breakout season with the Red Knights. At one point she spun through traffic for an and-one finish that left us wondering what it would look like if she were playing other 7th graders. Honestly, it would not be fair.     This was my first look at the 6-foot-1 forward in the 2029 class, and I'm told she's made huge strides over the past year. I left thinking she's only scratching the surface of how good she can be. Arrey has soft touch around the rim, finds open space and plays through contact. Her athleticism lets her finish, rebound and defend over the top of people. If she keeps developing, she'll be one of the most fun forwards to follow in the coming years.     Maple Grove had big shoes to fill after last year's state runner-up finish and numerous graduations, and Anderson, a 6-foot combo guard, looks ready to step in. She impacts both ends, plays off two feet in the paint, handles pressure and finishes through contact. The Augustana commit averaged 6.3 points as a junior but has major breakout potential this winter.     Coming from another program with big shoes to fill this winter, Wilson is a jack-of-all-trades who can score at all three levels. She seems to get more dynamic every time we see her. The Lightning have plenty of points to replace from last year's state tournament team, and Wilson's ability to hit shots and finish at the rim makes her a strong candidate to help fill that void.     Delano will be a fun team to watch this winter, and Wegman is a big reason why. The 5-foot-11 forward impacts both ends, can stretch the floor and works well in the paint. She hit just nine threes last season while averaging 14 points, but both numbers should rise in her senior year based on what we saw Thursday.

Few surprises are better than walking into a gym on a Thursday morning and finding out you're about to watch a rematch of last season's Class 4A state title game. That's exactly what I got last week at the Breakdown Coaches Classic when Hopkins and Maple Grove were matched up in a late addition to the schedule and tipped things off.