New prospects to know from the Mill City Invitational

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Venturing out to Chanhassen High School for the Mill City Invitational this past weekend gave us the opportunity to watch a variety of teams from around the region, many for the first time this summer. There certainly was no shortage of talent in the gym! Here are four young prospects who impressed when we watched on Saturday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='852805' first='Anna' last='Buri'] — 2028 Guard, Cretin-Derham Hall</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The [program_tooltip program_id='714566' first='Minnesota' last='Stars'] guard (pictured above) stood out over the weekend, leading the way for the 2028 Hobbs squad. Against Soouthern MN Fury, Buri's calm, confident demeanor caught our attention in no time. Ditto for her quickness and overwhelming tenacity. All game long Anna was relentless on the offensive end, draining shots from beyond the arc at a high rate of efficiency. When the shot wasn't there, the Cretin-Derham Hall freshman could easily put the ball on the ground and get to the rim using her skilled footwork and crafty ball handling. I is Buri's ability to read the defense and react accordingly that impressed us most, though. It is a highly sought after skill for guards, and part of why Buri is so effective on offense. She finished the weekend with 41 points across four games.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Lydia Anderson — 2027 Guard, Foley </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Playing up a year on the [program_tooltip program_id='767539' first='Minnesota' last='Comets'] 2026 Elite team, Anderson first caught our attention on Saturday afternoon when she experienced a major collision with the bench while trying to save a loose ball. Thankfully the sophomore from Foley avoided injury, but it was her choice to get right back in the game that impressed us – that takes some serious toughness. While Lydia may not be the most physically imposing player on the floor, she competes with an overwhelming level of effort. She has quick feet, a bounce in her step, and seems to relish in a defensive challenge. On the offensive end, Anderson likes to shoot from deep, and has a high-arcing shot with a lightning quick release. After what we saw at Mill City, we will undoubtedly be keeping our eyes on the Comets guard.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Abygail Griebenow — 2028 Forward, Dover-Eyota</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Standing at 6'2 with a wingspan that dominates the paint, the [program_tooltip program_id='774605' first='Southern' last='MN Fury'] post made a strong impression on us over the weekend. In addition to her height and length, Griebenow is mobile, highly coordinated, and seems to have a strong understanding of how to use her physicality to her advantage. With the team missing a player or two on Saturday evening, Abygail stepped up in a big way, leading all scorers with 19 points. Her post footwork and variety of finishes are impressive for her age, and she has a consistent touch around the rim. On the defensive end, the Dover-Eyota freshman has a remarkable ability to defend the post without fouling. That's something that takes many players their entire careers to master, and shows a high degree of body awareness and IQ.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Sydney Pierskalla — 2028 Guard, Legacy Christian Academy</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Formerly a member of the Spring Lake Park varsity squad, Legacy Christian's Pierskalla showed some serious potential at the Mill City Invitational. The [program_tooltip program_id='718403' first='Minnesota' last='Freeze'] guard made a big impact on both ends of the floor Saturday evening. On offense Sydney was red-hot from three, knocking down four shots from beyond the arc with a confident, high-arcing release. On other occasions she used her strength and long stride to get to the rim. On the other side of the ball, the 5'10 guard is relentless, using her length and quickness to force turnovers. In addition, Pierskalla single handedly stopped transition scoring opportunities for the other team on numerous occasions, proving herself to be crucial in securing the 45-44 win for the Freeze. Over the winter she averaged 7.9 points, 4.9 boards, 2.7 assists, and 2.9 steals as a freshman for Legacy Christian.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->