Next generation: New names you need to know

Our focus at Prep Girls Hoops this spring and summer is primarily on the classes of 2027 to 2030, players who'll be integral in high school basketball this coming season with the potential to make it to the next level. When it's convenient, we watch younger players, too. At the Live at the Lakes AAU tournament May 15-17 in the Twin Cities, we stumbled on four younger prospects whose names you definitely need to know.

Keegan Carlow Keegan Carlow 6'1" | C/PF Mahpíya-Red Cloud | 2031 SD – 2031 guard, Sanford Sports Academy

Let's make this assessment simple: I spotted Keegan while walking past a 13U contest I had no intention of watching and the 7th grader caught my attention immediately. The more I watched, the more intrigued I became. Without a doubt, Carlow is one of the most exciting young players I've seen so far in 2026. The upside is obvious.

The 6'1 guard from Maȟpíya Lúta at Pine Ridge already has the kind of size, length, and athletic build that immediately projects well into the future. Playing her first weekend with Sanford 13U Black, she looked completely comfortable. Pictured above, Keegan was dominant when we watched, pouring in 17 points in a one-point win over Wisconsin Lakers that enabled the Sanford team to finish 3-1.

What stood out most was how effortlessly Keegan moves. She gets up and down the floor in a hurry, elevates naturally for rebounds, and has another gear athletically that most kids simply don't possess. She glides through traffic smoothly, finishes with touch, and consistently seems to be in the right spot at the right time. The instincts are obvious. So is the confidence. Add in some early varsity experience on a loaded high school team and she's well ahead of the curve. Keegan also has a role model in her cousin Ashlan Carlow-Blount, a D1 talent who is bound for the University of South Dakota this fall.

Bottom line: Sunday's Carlow spotting feels like the beginning of something special.

Gracyn Woodley Gracyn Woodley 6'4" | C/PF Luverne | 2029 MN – 2029 forward, Sanford Sports Academy

Equally surprising was our first look at Woodley,  one of the more fascinating long-term prospects I saw at Live at the Lakes. Players built like Gracyn are just so rare and will be highly sought-after regardless of where they sit currently on the skill development spectrum. The 6'4 post from Luverne may very well be the biggest player in Minnesota's 2029 class.

Considering she was playing two years up for a Sanford 17U White roster that coach Lillie Brown had cobbled together for the weekend, I thought she handled herself quite well. Woodley is incredibly strong already, rebounds effectively, communicates well on defense, and clearly has a good understanding of the game. Gracyn uses her size exactly the way you'd hope a young post player would – carving out space, controlling the paint, and making life difficult around the basket. There's still a long developmental runway ahead, but the raw tools and upside potential are impossible to ignore.

Allison Ditlevson – 2031 forward, Team Warwick

When players have a distinctive look, it makes them so much easier to pick out on the floor. When they've also got serious game, it's a double whammy for the senses of the visually challenged scouts trying to assess the situation. Ditlevson was impossible to miss all weekend, partly because of her bright orange headband and mostly because of how often she was making things happen.

The young forward from Brandon helped lead her Warwick 13U group to an undefeated weekend and looked every bit like one of the premier long-term prospects in the gym. She's tall, long, athletic, and already moves with a level of fluidity that's unusual for a player her age. What really stood out was Allison's body control. She slipped through defenders creatively and finished softly around the basket. Unlike most youngsters who grow early, Ditlevson was not stuck camping out near the rim. She showed legitimate guard skills form start to finish. Her jump shot is smooth with a quick release, and she carries herself with impressive calmness and focus for her age. In today's basketball, this is exactly what a forward is supposed to look like if they are going to play at a high level in college.

Maeve Thorpe – 2031 forward, Team Warwick

Ditlevson wasn't the only player on Warwick's 13U squad that caught our eye. Thorpe was also very noticeable. She kept drawing my attention because of how naturally she moves for a young player with length. The forward from Sioux Falls scored 46 points over four games, including 17 against West Central United , and she did it with a smoothness that's hard to teach. Maeve is tall, lanky, and currently growing into her frame, yet the body control already stands out. Once she elevates from the floor, Maeve has the rare ability to adjust and finish in the air – something you just don't see often at this age level. She runs well, moves effortlessly, and already understands how to score.

Time will tell, of course, but Carlow, Ditlevson and Thorpe have to be among South Dakota's premier 2031 prospects.