Who raised their stock at the Granite City Classic?

There are a lot of nice tournaments over the Christmas holidays but there are none bigger than the Granite City Classic. What better stage for a player to show off how much they've improved. PGH scout Ally McGinnis and I spent the weekend courtside at the College of St. Benedict where we watched 14 girls games in two days. Here are Ally's evaluations on the five prospects who raised their stock the most at Granite City.    Now in her second varsity season, Beckett has settled in nicely to her much larger role for the Lions. Saturday's game against Duluth Marshall provided plenty of evidence of that. The 8th grade guard gave a complete two-way performance, boasting an impressive stat line of 22 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals. Greenway demonstrated her ability to be a multi-level scorer, hitting shots from the three-point line, as well as explosive drives to the basket and buckets in transition. Beckett also showed off her defensive skills – most notably her tremendous on-ball, perimeter defense. While she is still young, this particular Greenway is playing a crucial role for the 11-0 Lions, who have five wins against Class 4A teams.     Granite City afforded us the opportunity to watch the Anoka junior for the first time since the AAU season. Standing at 6'1 with a large frame and strong, muscular build, Ayeni's physical presence in the post is immediately noticeable. Combine that with a tremendous work ethic and a physical, non-stop style of play, and you have a formidable competitor who can dominate the paint. Deborah excels on the boards, is excellent at setting screens, and is a solid shot blocker. She is an offensive threat in the low post and can extend her shot out to the midrange, as well. Her performance Saturday against Lakeville North was something to see. Deborah battled in the post with 6'3 [player_tooltip player_id='644878' first='Sahara' last='Wilson'] all game long, holding Sahara to just 6 points in the second half. Ayeni finished with 7 points and 12 boards.     Following the graduation of current Florida Gators standout Liv McGill, the Hopkins Royals had big shoes to fill at the point guard position. Despite getting a late start to the season, Diggs has fit into the role with ease. The sophomore's game is fiery, fast-paced, and explosive. She's a tremendous athlete who consistently gets the job done on both ends of the floor. Jaliyah can score at every level, defend the quickest and most athletic players, and provide energy plays all game long. In Saturday's contest, Jaliyah contributed 16 points in a narrow win over Maple Grove. The 5'5 guard cemented her role this weekend and will be key on an injury depleted Royals roster. Despite that, Hopkins remains a strong contender for another 4A state championship.     Much has been expected from Kate for a long time: At Granite City, the 5'11 power forward delivered in a big way. Her performance in Friday's game against Lakeville North was exceptionally strong. Hennessy was given a tough defensive assignment in guarding Panther posts [player_tooltip player_id='644878' first='Sahara' last='Wilson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='396430' first='Aduke' last='Ojullu']. Hennessy used her non-stop motor, physical strength, and rebounding prowess to help give the Cardinals the edge in the 66-52 win. On the other end of the floor, Kate led all scorers with 16 points. Her shot selection was tremendous, leading to an efficient performance. The Top 50 junior has improved a lot over the past couple of years, and she's a crucial component for the Cardinals in their quest to return to the State Tournament for the third year in a row.     The weekend featured two nail-biter games for Wayzata against White Bear Lake and Prior Lake. Mallory played a key role for the Trojans in both. The 5'10 guard/forward is extremely fundamentally sound and excelled on the defensive end in both games. McBeth spent a good portion of Friday's game defending White Bear Lake senior [player_tooltip player_id='453750' first='Addison' last='Post'], using her length and lateral movement to help contain the dynamic point guard. Mallory's non-stop motor was crucial in providing energy plays for the Trojans, helping Wayzata secure a dramatic comeback win over the Bears. As the only freshman on the Wayzata roster, McBeth has already earned herself a rotation spot and on Saturday was a starter. This comes as no surprise, given that Mallory is a Top 25 freshman who has already made a name for herself as a scholarship-level college prospect.

There are a lot of nice tournaments over the Christmas holidays but there are none bigger than the Granite City Classic. What better stage for a player to show off how much they've improved. PGH scout Ally McGinnis and I spent the weekend courtside at the College of St. Benedict where we watched 14 girls games in two days. Here are Ally's evaluations on the five prospects who raised their stock the most at Granite City.