Intriguing 2030s we liked at the Midwest Kickoff

It was the final hour of the afternoon at the Midwest Kickoff Classic in the Twin Cities on Sunday and I was enjoying a friendly conversation with a mom who was waiting for her 8th grader's game. She mentioned that this was her daughter's first time playing AAU, which had been recommended by her high school coach. “He wants her to play,” mom said. “She's pretty tall.”   If there's one word that always gets my attention it's that one: Tall. When the [program_tooltip program_id='1229871' first='Southwest' last='Fury'] 2030 group stepped on the court there was one player who stood way above the others. I decided to stick around to see what 6'2 forward [player_tooltip player_id='1826474' first='Taylor' last='Lippert'] could do. Within about 10 minutes it was obvious that we had another lengthy prospect for the Freshmen 50, the first ranking of the Class of 2030 by Prep Girls Hoops. After riding the basketball talents of 2026 standout [player_tooltip player_id='515673' first='Brielle' last='Janssen'] all the way to the Minnesota Class A State Tournament, MACCRAY coach Shaun Condon may have another high-level prospect on his hands.   Here's the scoop on Taylor and some other 2030s who captured our interest at the Midwest Kickoff.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/user-uploads/Taylor-Lippert_MACCRAY-2030-crop-5400x3546-1776208152.jpeg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1826784" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">[player_tooltip player_id='1826474' first='Taylor' last='Lippert'] of MACCRAY</figcaption></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='1826474' first='Taylor' last='Lippert'] – forward, [program_tooltip program_id='1229871' first='Southwest' last='Fury'] 2030   Through the first two weekends of AAU action, one thing is becoming quite clear: Minnesota's Class of 2030 has a lot more collective height and length than any in recent memory. Six months from now you'll no doubt be familiar with [player_tooltip player_id='1418505' first='Marianna' last='Davis'], [player_tooltip player_id='1243842' first='Mara' last='Segerstrom'], [player_tooltip player_id='939005' first='Haley' last='Schoenrock'], [player_tooltip player_id='939006' first='Sophie' last='Schoenrock'], [player_tooltip player_id='1786296' first='Svea' last='Swenson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1354331' first='Zion' last='Nnaji'] – all of them standing north of 6 feet. Now you can add Lippert to the list.   The 6'2 forward comes from an impressive line of tall trees, with fathers and grandfathers and cousins and the like ranging from 6'5 to 7'0 plus. Just 14 years old, it stands to reason that Taylor has more growing to do. What will also grow is her coordination, ball skills, basketball knowledge, and level of experience. For someone who has played so little high-level basketball, Lippert's game is better than you'd expect. We saw her run the floor at pace, handle the ball with skill, pull up and take good shots and finish with soft hands around the basket. She rebounded effectively, handled physicality, and offered no signs of fear on the floor.   At this point it's all potential, of course, and there are many more tall prospects with much more experience in the class. We're not shy about making predictions, though, and I'll call this one right now: A scholarship-level talent with upside that stretches to Division 1. If she puts the work in, avoids the lure of focusing on volleyball, and gets passionate about the game of basketball, Lippert could be special.    We loved what we saw from the 5'4 guard who plays the game with terrific energy, exceptional effort and just enough swagger to keep opponents guessing. Hailing from White River, Morrison is quick and athletic, with rapid steps, legitimate speed in the open court, and the ability to handle the ball at full speed. Her positive vibes on the floor were a breath of fresh air, and her team-first mentality was equally impressive. Morrison makes intelligent plays, using her speed and smarts to make everyone around her better while maintaining a calm demeanor. It's obvious she knows how to score the basketball and defends with passion and intensity.     When the high school season opened late last fall, Emma was on the junior varsity squad at Rapid City Central. It didn't take long, however, for the 5'4 guard to earn a promotion to the top team and she made the most of her varsity opportunity. Watching how she went about her business on Saturday that comes as no surprise. Casey is quick, athletic and super-shifty. She attacked the basket with gusto, showing off some nice moves including a slick Euro-step. She is a quality shooter who can knock it down from distance. We loved her aggressive defending on the perimeter and her obvious work ethic. Casey's parents were both accomplished athletes – mom a three-sport competitor in high school and dad playing basketball at South Dakota State. Her brother Riley is a highly accomplished player, as well. That's always a great place to start.     The 5'5 guard from Sioux Falls is one of the most talented players on Sanford's 2030 White squad. Of course, as an 8th grader she has a lot of work to do to fulfill her potential but let's just say there's a lot of natural ability to work with. Johnson showed off some very nice ball-handling skills. Combined with good quickness and an aggressive streak, that enabled Taetum to get to the basket when we watched. She had no issue with contact and earned trips to the free throw line for her efforts. We liked the lefty's smooth shooting motion, as well. Johnson played at Ben Reifel Middle School this winter where she led her team in scoring, field goal percentage, assists, blocks and steals. She appears more than ready to step up to Washington High School.     It's been nearly a year since we last saw the lanky forward from Bismarck St. Mary's play live. It took only a few minutes of action in Bloomington to see that Edinger's game is growing fast. Now standing at nearly 6'4, Lily is coming off her first season of varsity basketball, a campaign in which she finished second on her team in scoring (14 points per game) while leading in rebounds (9.8), blocked shots (1.6), field goal percentage (51%) and free throw percentage (72%). Not bad for an 8th grader! She's much smoother and more polished now thanks to all that experience, and she looks very much the part of Division 1 prospect. Edinger has serious basketball pedigree. Mom was an Iowa State standout who played in the WNBA. One step at a time, of course, but Lily is on the right trajectory.     The [program_tooltip program_id='712665' first='Metro' last='Stars'] 2030 Black team was first up on the docket when we watched bright and early Saturday morning at Jefferson High School in Bloomington and there was plenty of talent on display. That included three standouts from Rogers: Fenstra, [player_tooltip player_id='1418492' first='Harper' last='Colligan'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1268778' first='Madison' last='Waldo']. Paige is another uber-lengthy prospect who showed off her athleticism, elevation, pace and skill throughout the game along with the ability to defend multiple positions. She has quality skills in ball handling, shooting, passing and more and has gained smoothness and experience in recent months. A varsity regular at Rogers this year, Paige averaged nearly 7 points per game – including a season-high performance of 25 against Woodbury at the Capitol City Classic – along with 7 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 steals. She is a scholarship-level prospect all day long.

It was the final hour of the afternoon at the Midwest Kickoff Classic in the Twin Cities on Sunday and I was enjoying a friendly conversation with a mom who was waiting for her 8^th grader's game. She mentioned that this was her daughter's first time playing AAU, which had been recommended by her high school coach. “He wants her to play,” mom said. “She's pretty tall.”