MLK Day Classic at St. Kate's: New names to know

It seems like every year the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Classic, held at St. Kate's in the state capital, turns out to be one of the coldest days of winter. That was most certainly true on Monday. Despite the wind and bone-chilling cold, I can't think of a better way to spend the day than watching a full slate of great basketball. As it always does, this year's MLK event featured teams from across the state, giving us the chance to evaluate many players and teams we don't often get to watch in person. With this comes the opportunity to put a spotlight on fresh talent from around Minnesota. Here are four new players to know.   Lauren Wackel – 2029 Wing, Rochester Lourdes   Standing at 5'9 with a long and lanky frame, Wackel immediately caught our attention on Monday morning. Shortly after the tip, the Rochester Lourdes wing got to work. Lauren is an active defender who puts her length to good use, playing in the passing lanes on defense and constantly looking for opportunities to get deflections and force turnovers. Once the ball is in her hands, the Eagles freshman plays with her head up, knowing just where to put the ball when passing in transition. While we didn't see much offensive activity from Lauren in the matchup against St. Croix Lutheran, she did demonstrate a keen understanding of how to maintain spacing in the half court. With a strong core leading the offense for Lourdes, Wackel found all the right ways to contribute.   [player_tooltip player_id='1678585' first='Amelia' last='Post'] – 2029 Guard, White Bear Lake   The White Bear Lake freshman brought tremendous poise to the point guard position at Monday's MLK Day Classic. Standing at just 5'5, Post was one of the smallest players on the floor in the matchup against Goodhue. Despite this, the Bears starter played with immense confidence, handling the ball with ease, even when being heavily pressured by the Wildcats' tenacious backcourt defense. In the half-court offense, Amelia demonstrated a high basketball IQ, knowing just where to put the ball and when. She played unselfishly, but didn't hesitate to look for her own opportunities to score. Much like her older sister, UW-Oshkosh freshman Addie Post, Amelia is a sharpshooter with a pure release; she knocked down three shots from long range on Monday and another two against Forest Lake on Tuesday.   Camrie Macal – 2026 Forward, Winona Cotter (NIACC, Volleyball)   One of the leaders on an experienced Winona Cotter team, Macal impressed us with her versatility and ability to affect all aspects of the game at the MLK Classic. The 5'10 forward is strong with a big frame, but has quite a bit of athleticism too, allowing her to defend multiple positions. In Monday's matchup against Mountain Iron-Buhl, Camrie was aggressive on the glass, unafraid to make hustle plays, and spaced the floor well in transition. The Ramblers senior was adaptable on the offensive end as well. With a confident handle on the ball, an explosive stride, and the ability to post up in the paint, Macal found multiple ways to generate offense for Cotter. The three-sport athlete is committed to play volleyball at NIACC in the fall.   Alayna Hardy – 2027 Post, Winona Cotter   We first caught a glimpse of Hardy's game at the MLK Classic last January. At the time she showed plenty of potential, largely due to her height, wingspan, and rebounding ability. A year later, the Ramblers junior has grown a couple inches, now standing at 6-foot-2, but her confidence on both ends of the floor appears to have increased, as well. In Monday's matchup against the Rangers of Mountain Iron-Buhl, Alayna was assertive in the paint. Using her positioning on the block, a strong seal on her defender, and ability to reliably catch post-entry passes, Hardy created plenty of scoring opportunities. Once she develops more strength, the Cotter center will be able to better handle physicality around the rim. That being said, Hardy has plenty of potential for the next level as is.

It seems like every year the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Classic, held at St. Kate's in the state capital, turns out to be one of the coldest days of winter. That was most certainly true on Monday. Despite the wind and bone-chilling cold, I can't think of a better way to spend the day than watching a full slate of great basketball. As it always does, this year's MLK event featured teams from across the state, giving us the chance to evaluate many players and teams we don't often get to watch in person. With this comes the opportunity to put a spotlight on fresh talent from around Minnesota. Here are four new players to know.