South Dakotans brought the heat to the Meltdown

Not that long ago, the North Tartan Meltdown served as a de facto AAU national championship. Every July, the Twin Cities became home to some of the biggest names in girls basketball as luminaries like Paige Bueckers, Caitlin Clark and Azzi Fudd took center stage. Those days are gone.

Changes to the NCAA live period calendar, combined with the ever-expanding demands of the shoe circuits, meant many of Minnesota's premier clubs were elsewhere this weekend. That left the door open for others to shine at the Meltdown and AAU squads from South Dakota seized the moment. By the time the championship T-shirts were handed out Sunday afternoon, clubs from Sanford, Hoop City and Heiser had completed a clean sweep of the tournament's four premier divisions. Here's a snapshot of the winners.

Sanford White dominates 17U

The girls of Sanford's 17U White quad left little doubt about who was the best team in the oldest division. They rolled to a 5-0 record, capped by a convincing 61-47 championship victory over Wisconsin Impact. In fact, every game was won comfortably. Their closest contest came in pool play, a 12-point victory over Stars Lodermeier, a talented Minnesota club featuring seven players ranked among the state's Top 100 incoming seniors.

Coached by Lillie Brown, one of this Sanford group's greatest strengths is it balance. North Dakota standout Suri Gourd Suri Gourd 5'9" | CG/PG Four Winds-Minnewaukan | 2028 State ND finished among the division's leading scorers with 75 points, but she wasn't carrying the load alone. The always reliable Eden Wolfgram Eden Wolfgram 5'6" | CG Yankton | 2027 State SD of Yankton continued her outstanding summer, pouring in 39 points at the event. MaKinli Reitsma MaKinli Reitsma 5'10" | SG/CG Sioux Falls Christian | 2027 State SD of Sioux Falls Christian added 35 points, Berkley Ziebart Berkley Ziebart 5'6" | SG Parkston | 2027 State SD of Parkston scored 32, Mackenzie Skonhovd Mackenzie Skonhovd 5'9" | SF/SG West Central | 2027 State SD of West Central chipped in 31, and Liberty Trygstad Liberty Trygstad 5'6" | PG/CG Sioux Valley | 2027 State SD of Sioux Valley quietly delivered her usual steady production, scoring between eight and 12 points every game.

One player who continues to catch our eye is Emory Lems Emory Lems 6'0" | PF Sioux Falls Christian | 2027 State SD of Sioux Falls Christian. Long, active and constantly in motion, Lems has a knack for making winning plays that don't always show up in the box score. She's a key part of a group that clearly enjoys playing together. The ball moves. Everyone contributes. Results follow.

Hoop City 16U continues to climb

Watching this 16U team evolve over the past couple of months has been fun to see. From our first visit to a spring practice until now, the chemistry has grown noticeably. Coached by Josh Phillips, the team finished the weekend undefeated, capturing the Gold Division championship with a 47-30 victory over Minnesota Rise Levendowski. Hoop City 's toughest test came earlier in the tournament when they escaped Sanford 16U White by three points before finishing the job on Sunday.

Top-ranked South Dakota prospect Morgan Sheppard Morgan Sheppard 6'2" | SF Flandreau | 2028 State SD of Flandreau remains the centerpiece, but what separates this team is how many different players are capable of impacting the game in one way or another. Rorie Thoreson Rorie Thoreson 5'7" | SG Dell Rapids | 2028 State SD of Dell Rapids is the locomotive that pulls this train every weekend. She led the division in scoring with 73 points while consistently making big plays. Inside, junior Taya Johnson of Luverne, Minnesota, provided a physical presence that few opponents could match, finishing with 47 points. Her availability from week to week changes the personality of the team and its approach to the proceedings.

The guard play has been so important. Emma Lingren Emma Lingren 5'7" | CG Tea Area | 2028 State SD of Tea scored 37 points over the weekend, while Jayla DeCou Jayla DeCou 5'6" | SG Lennox | 2028 State SD of Lennox added 24. West Central teammates Jordyn Phillips Jordyn Phillips 5'8" | SG/SF West Central | 2028 State SD and Kaylie Schultz Kaylie Schultz 5'8" | SG/SF West Central | 2028 State SD contributed 19 and 18 points, respectively, highlighting the depth and balance that has become Hoop City 's calling card.

The championship game may have belonged to Hoop City , but Sanford White enjoyed an outstanding tournament of its own. Henlee Loof Henlee Loof 5'9" | CG Sioux Falls Roosevelt | 2028 State SD (60 points), Iowa product Taya Christie (54), Londyn Hajek Londyn Hajek 5'6" | PG Mitchell | 2028 State SD (53) and Nora Kieffer Nora Kieffer 5'7" | PG Rapid City Christian | 2028 State SD (53) all finished among the division's top 10 scorers.

Heiser 15U survives a thriller

The weekend's closest championship game came in the 15U Gold Division, where Heiser edged Wisconsin Impact 40-38. We've been impressed with this group over the past several weeks, and this weekend's performance simply reinforced that opinion. Everything begins with point guard Jenny Bevers Jenny Bevers 5'8" | PG/SG Clark/Willow Lake | 2029 SD of Clark, who has firmly established herself as the team's floor leader and one of the more intriguing prospects in South Dakota's Class of 2029.  Confident, poised and consistently making the right reads, Bevers keeps everyone organized while still looking for her own offense.

Inside, Piper Langager Piper Langager 6'0" | PF Sisseton | 2029 SD of Sisseton continues to be a tough matchup. The powerful post dominated throughout the weekend, leading the division with 86 points while Bevers finished third with 76. The duo combined for 31 in the championship game. Remarkably, the group took home the hardware despite being without 6-foot forward Shelby Begeman Shelby Begeman 5'10" | SG Clark/Willow Lake | 2029 SD of Clark, who has a boatload of ability and a high ceiling.

Sanford Black cruises in 14U

No team was more dominant at the Meltdown than Sanford 14U Black. The Gold Division champions won every game by an average margin of nearly 35 points, finishing the weekend with a win in the finals over the top 2030s from Hoop City . The biggest reason was CeCe Morgan CeCe Morgan 6'1" | SF/PF Mitchell | 2030 SD of Mitchell.

Perhaps the number one prospect in South Dakota's Class of 2029 – we're working on those rankings at the moment – Morgan put together one of the finest individual tournaments of the weekend. She led the division with 97 points, and was remarkably consistent from start to finish with scoring games of 22, 13, 19, 22 and 22 points. With size and length and athleticism and touch, Cece does so much to help her team win. Ditto for point guard Nia Talley Nia Talley 5'9" | PG Mitchell | 2030 SD , herself a candidate for Division 1 basketball. Talley sets the table for this team game after game, melding pace, athleticism, and intelligence in a combination that produces results. In addition to everything else, Nia had a 40-point weekend. It was a big tournament for Libertee Junck of Hinton, IA, as well, as she finished third overall in the division with 84 points.

Runner-up Hoop City also featured plenty of offensive firepower. Avery Schmuck Avery Schmuck 5'9" | PG Sioux Valley | 2030 SD of Sioux Valley scored 62 points while Tenley LeBrun Tenley LeBrun 5'7" | SG Flandreau | 2030 SD of Flandreau added 61, both among the division's top scorers.

The next generation to watch

Although Sanford 13U didn't depart with a championship trophy, they did leave a strong impression. This was my second extended look at the group, and several names quickly made their way into my notes. Everything begins with point guard Jayd Dettler Jayd Dettler 5'5" | CG Sioux Falls Jefferson | 2031 SD , who finished with 59 points over five games. We first watched Dettler at the Who's Next Showcase and liked what we saw. She was even better this weekend. Strongly built, highly skilled and an outstanding ball handler, she controls the game with confidence beyond her years. At the showcase she appeared undersized among an elite group of all ages. Surrounded by players her own age, she looked every bit the part of a future standout.

Ella Peterson added 49 points while impressing with her length, defensive activity and nonstop competitiveness. We also liked the versatility of Journi Kirschenman, another long wing who appears physically ahead of many players in her class. Miley Stark rounded out an impressive young core with her ability to run the floor and her advanced skill set. Even without standout 2031 Keegan Carlow Keegan Carlow 6'1" | C/PF Mahpíya-Red Cloud | 2031 SD in the lineup this weekend, the Sanford 2031s demonstrated that they will be a team to watch going forward.