AAU Awards: Newcomer of the Year

As we enter the month of August, we're now in our second week of unveiling the PGH AAU Awards for the 2026 season. Last week we covered our Coach of the Year, Tim Ellefson of the [program_tooltip program_id='712687' first='Minnesota' last='Fury'], plus our four breakout performers; the Fury's [player_tooltip player_id='889671' first='Nesa' last='Namjoshi'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1244229' first='Lucy' last='Hilgert'], [player_tooltip player_id='991231' first='Danika' last='Shindelar'] of the [program_tooltip program_id='712699' first='Minnesota' last='Rise'], and [player_tooltip player_id='1273699' first='Scarlett' last='Brown'] from [program_tooltip program_id='713021' first='West' last='Central United']. Now we're moving on to our next accolade, the Newcomer of the Year award.    Traditionally, this award recognizes a player who has recently started playing AAU and who is making a significant impact for the first time. Eligibility begins the summer before players enter 9th grade, which is when we formally begin scouting kids as college prospects. Recent winners have gone on to become standout performers for both their high school and AAU teams, eventually committing to D1 and D2 college programs. Last year's winner, [player_tooltip player_id='1175103' first='Morgan' last='Rysdam'] of [program_tooltip program_id='756457' first='Opportunity' last='Basketball'], will play her senior season at Braham, then head to Division 2 Jamestown in North Dakota. In 2024 it was [player_tooltip player_id='904190' first='Malin' last='Youngberg'] of [program_tooltip program_id='713021' first='West' last='Central United'] who had a breakthrough campaign. Currently the only Division 1 commit in Minnesota's class of 2028, she has two more seasons at Little Falls before heading off to South Dakota State. Much like our previous winners, this year's Newcomer of the Year is destined for big things at the college level.    Technically speaking, Bergan's AAU career began last April when she made her debut for [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'] SE. It was the first game of high level basketball that the then 13 year old (pictured above) had ever played. When coach Russ Speer gave us the heads up ahead of time, we weren't quite sure what to expect, but we were beyond impressed. Despite her lack of true playing experience, Rinlee played with a sense of pace and timing, plus a natural feel for the game that you just can't teach. We immediately added the young guard to our list of possible candidates for the upcoming Freshman 50. But given that it was still so early, we patiently waited to see how things would develop. Now with a year of varsity basketball under her belt, the 2026 AAU season was Rinlee's true coming-out party.   In all honesty, Bergan should have been included in our Class of 2029 rankings when the Freshman 50 was released in the fall, but given that hardly anyone had seen her play yet, we elected to wait until after her first season at the high school level. Needless to say, the Lewiston-Altura freshman blew our expectations completely out of the water. Averaging over 20 points per game for the Cardinals, Bergan led the team to a 19 win season, plus an appearance in the section semifinals. After dominating the floor all winter, we added the 5'11 guard to the rankings at #40 in March. What we would soon come to find out, though, was that we had yet again missed the mark.     Fast forward to early April when the PGH Minnesota Shootout gave us our first in person look at Bergan since last summer. It was immediately evident how much her game had grown. Now standing at 5'11, the [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'] guard had gotten taller, significantly stronger, much more coordinated, and had developed a great deal of confidence. On top of that, Rinlee's ball handling, shooting, court awareness and spacing had all drastically improved. We knew right then and there that we were witnessing something special.    It doesn't take more than a few minutes to see Rinlee's soft touch around the rim, effortless elevation in the midrange, and an innate understanding of where to put the ball and when. Ditto for her hard-nosed defense and ability to use her length and size to her advantage on both ends of the floor. Leading the way for [program_tooltip program_id='712722' first='North' last='Tartan'] SE's 15U squad, the precocious 9th grader scored at least 40 points in every event her team played in this summer, including a 61 point weekend at the Mill City and an 82 point showing at the Meltdown. After watching her play all summer, it's clear that Rinlee is quickly becoming one of the biggest breakout stars in the state, regardless of grade level.    We aren't the only ones witnessing that evolution either. Coaches from around the region have taken notice, and are beginning to line the sidelines to take a look. While Bergan has, to our knowledge, not received any official offers yet, we can say with a great deal of certainty that they're not far off. In order to reflect that fact, the rising Class A star now sits at #24 in Minnesota's class of 2029, squarely in Division 1 territory.    RUNNER-UP:    A newcomer for the Fury this summer, Oyesanmi added some much needed depth to the frontcourt for coach Tim Ellefson's guard-heavy 2029 S40 squad. Despite being only 5'8, the Fury forward held her own in the paint all season. Remarkably strong for a player her size, Ella has a ridiculously high-revving motor, allowing her to continuously win rebounding battles against much larger opponents all summer. On top of that, the Tartan standout was a significant contributor to the team's well-rounded offense. Week after week, Ella found scoring opportunities around the rim or in the midrange, forcing defenses to sag off the perimeter and guard the post, further opening up the three-point line for the team's outside shooters. In acknowledgement of her efforts this season, Oyesanmi joined the class of 2029 rankings in July.    HONORABLE MENTIONS    Completely unknown to our scouts when we started the AAU season back in April, Udeani made a splash during the first tournament of the year. The 5'9 guard impressed with crafty, smooth style of play and her ability to affect the game in a variety of ways. This summer, Mariah showcased her ability to score at multiple levels with efficiency, crafty ball handling and facilitation, and strong rebounding and shot blocking prowess. On more than one occasion, the Eden Prairie freshman led her team in scoring, routinely finishing games in double figures. After what we saw this summer, we'll be keeping an eye on Udeani's growth in the years to come.     Spending her summer with the Sioux Falls based Sanford Sports Academy, Woodley first captured our attention back in May at Live at the Lakes. Standing at 6'4, the incoming sophomore for Luverne jumped out immediately. Physically, Gracyn has all the tools needed for a college post player. She runs the floor well, maintains her space on the low block, has steady hands, and possesses a significant amount of strength. And while her overall skill level is still developing, the future is bright for the southwest Minnesota prospect. Now having put herself on the map, we look forward to seeing what Woodley accomplishes with the Cardinals in her sophomore campaign.

As we enter the month of August, we're now in our second week of unveiling the PGH AAU Awards for the 2026 season. Last week we covered our Coach of the Year, Tim Ellefson of the Minnesota Fury , plus our four breakout performers; the Fury's Nesa Namjoshi Nesa Namjoshi 5'7" | PG/CG Eden Prairie | 2027 State MN and Lucy Hilgert Lucy Hilgert 5'10" | CG/SF Chanhassen | 2029 State MN , Danika Shindelar Danika Shindelar 5'11" | CG Stewartville | 2028 State MN of the Minnesota Rise , and Scarlett Brown Scarlett Brown 6'1" | SG Alexandria Area Highschool | 2030 MN from West Central United . Now we're moving on to our next accolade, the Newcomer of the Year award.