Ally’s Top 2030s at the PGH Minnesota Shootout

With the AAU season now officially underway, we spent our Saturday in the gym at Shakopee High School, taking in the action of the Prep Girls Hoops Minnesota Shootout. With nearly 35 teams across six age groups in attendance, there was no shortage of talent to watch.   With the PGH Class of 2030 initial rankings set to be published this fall, I spent much of the morning watching the 14U division, hoping to find prospects with the potential to make the Freshmen 50. Here are four promising young players who stood out from the crowd.    It wasn't long before Abosi (pictured above) stood out on Saturday. Standing at 5'9 with a lengthy and muscular frame, she immediately caught our eye. The Diamond Elite wing has a high degree of natural athleticism; she gracefully runs the floor, explodes off the dribble, and elevates over her defenders with ease. We saw Leyah make plenty of great reads, finding gaps in the defense to allow her to get downhill to the rim, finishing through contact with a soft touch. When she caught the ball on the perimeter, she took smart shots, knocking them down with a smooth, textbook release. Abosi earned regular varsity minutes with Minneapolis Southwest this winter, making her one of the youngest players in the Lakers rotation.     The power forward from Diamond Elite's 14U squad showed plenty of promise over the weekend, consistently doing all the little things for her team. Standing somewhere around 5'10, Barnholdt is light on her feet, highly mobile, and has plenty of strength for her age. At the Shootout, Lila was a valuable asset on the defensive end. She was aggressive on the boards, and played high-energy, physical defense without wracking up personal fouls. On the other end of the floor, Barnholdt consistently sprinted down the court in transition, was constantly moving  off the ball, and displayed a soft touch finish at the rim. While she's not the flashiest or highest scoring player on the floor, Lila was incredibly effective for Diamond Elite.     Sparks impacted the game in a variety of ways at the PGH Minnesota Shootout. The long, wiry Diamond Elite guard generated deflections and forced turnovers on the defensive end, found wide open looks on the perimeter, and crashed the offensive boards to generate second chance points. Bouncy, quick and light on her feet, Corrina's speed and continuous work ethic made her stand out on Saturday. Only an 8th grader, Sparks had an impressive season with Minneapolis Roosevelt this winter. She was the team's second-leading scorer at 9.2 points per game, and shot a whopping 49.3% from beyond the arc. There's no doubt that the Teddies guard has the potential to play at the next level.     The lightning fast, dynamic [program_tooltip program_id='713291' first='Minnesota' last='Nice'] guard generated plenty of impact on Saturday, turning aggressive defense into points in transition. Roeker, a 5'5 8th grader from New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva (NRHEG), impressed at the PGH Minnesota Shootout with her tenacious, scrappy defense and ability to force turnovers on the perimeter. On offense, Hadley made explosive drives to the basket, using crafty ballhandling to get downhill, and finishing consistently through contact at the rim. The Panthers guard made a handful of varsity appearances this winter. Once she develops a stronger left hand and becomes more confident in her outside shot, Roeker could be a big addition for the State Tournament qualifiers in her freshman campaign.

With the AAU season now officially underway, we spent our Saturday in the gym at Shakopee High School, taking in the action of the Prep Girls Hoops Minnesota Shootout. With nearly 35 teams across six age groups in attendance, there was no shortage of talent to watch.