2022 Stock Risers – Southwest Minnesota
Mackenzie Schweim
Mackenzie
Schweim
5'10" | PG
Mankato East | 2022
State
MN
hasn’t been around forever. It just seems that way. The sophomore guard from Mankato East is a long-time varsity veteran who impressed us the very first time we saw her in 7th grade and continues to show well today. Along the way she has grown and is now a big, solid 5’10 point guard who can do it all. Mackenzie is also one of the rising Division 1 prospects in the Class of 2022 and she leads the way today in our analysis of 2022 Stock Risers from Southwest Minnesota.
Mackenzie Schweim
Mackenzie
Schweim
5'10" | PG
Mankato East | 2022
State
MN
– Mankato East, Stars 2022 Nilsen (#32)
Schweim can do it all. She is intelligent, strong, athletic and highly-skilled. She’s got good feet, quick hands and an innate feel for the game. She can also shoot it from deep. Waaaaay deep. Mackenzie’s highlight video will leave no doubt about this in your mind. What’s great though is how many different ways she can score – with power, with finesse and through sheer grit. She is also a powerful rebounder and nice distributor of the basketball. In February Schweim moved up 11 spots in the Prep Girls Hoops class of 2022 rankings to #32 and she’s still trending up. This summer will be an interesting litmus test as she moves to the top-tier Minnesota Stars 2022 Nilsen squad which is loaded with great guards, including
Desiree Ware
Desiree
Ware
5'8" | CG
Minnetonka | 2022
State
MN
,
Dorothy Stotts
Dorothy
Stotts
5'8" | CG
Edina | 2022
State
MN
,
Ella Campbell
Ella
Campbell
5'10" | CG
Edina | 2022
State
MN
,
Adeline Kent
Adeline
Kent
5'8" | CG
Becker | 2022
State
MN
and
Ally Schultz
Ally
Schultz
6'0" | CG
Lakeville South | 2022
State
MN
. Mackenzie, a 1,000-career points scorer who averaged over 15 per game this winter, will fit in rather nicely with that roster of luminaries.
Alyssa Stamer
Alyssa
Stamer
5'7" | CG
Hutchinson | 2022
State
MN
– Hutchinson, MN Rise Wright (#136)
Alyssa is sneaky good. She is only 5’6, and not particularly long, yet she accomplishes so much more on the court than her dimensions would lead you to expect. First of all, she is a terrific ball-handler who can manipulate the orb very well with either hand. She is a quality shooter with plenty of range who can knock them down all day long if she is getting open looks. She can also get to the rim with long strides and nice vision. Perhaps Alyssa’s best asset is just how much she wants it. Stamer is a gamer, who plays hard, executes one hustle play after another, is a disruptive and aggressive defender and a student of the game. Stamer started all but one contest for Hutchinson this season, averaging 8.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.3 steals per game. Stamer’s current ranking would slot her in as a Division 3 prospect, but don’t be surprised if she blows that expectation out of the water before she is through.
Megan Wegner
Megan
Wegner
5'7" | SG
Marshall | 2022
State
MN
– Marshall, MN Rise Wright (#140)
They say patience is a virtue. Sometimes you have no choice but to sit tight and wait your turn. That’s where Megan found herself this season at Marshall, playing on a veteran-laden squad that went undefeated for most of the campaign. The 5’7 guard played just 8 minutes per game, a quantity that makes it difficult to get noticed. Here’s the thing: Wegner averaged 3.4 points in those 8 minutes, hinting that there is a lot more to come. Offensive production doesn’t really tell her story anyway. Wegner is a gritty performer who can out-muscle bigger players for rebounds, out-hustle less-committed players for loose balls, and out-fox opponents to create opportunities. She has nice foot speed, great instincts and shoots the ball well from three with a soft release and a nice high arc. The three sport athlete (volleyball and softball) is solidly built and plays a physical game. Her ball handling is improving and she continues to invest the time in her game. In the long-term the wait will have been worth it.
Kirsten Dennis Kirsten Dennis 5'5" | PG New Ulm | 2022 State MN – New Ulm, MN Rise Wright (#144)
Kirsten started the high school season in a rather unenviable spot. She was brand new in town, having transferred from Michigan so her dad could coach boys basketball in New Ulm. A new school, new neighborhood and a new team can be challenging. More importantly, she had to fill the point guard spot vacated by the great Joey Batt Joey Batt 5'5" | PG New Ulm | 2019 State MN (MSU-Mankato), one of the most dynamic guards we have seen in recent years. Well guess what? The 5’5 Dennis did a fine job fitting in, taking over and showing us that she is a player to pay attention to in the class of 2022. There is a little bit of playground in Kirsten’s game, and I mean that in the most complimentary way. She plays the game with a some flash, making dramatic plays, slipping through narrow gaps to get to the hole, finishing with little finger rolls and clever spins. She flies around the court with a skip in her step. Kirsten is fast, has some explosiveness, and can score in bunches. We’re excited to watch Dennis’ game develop, but we like what we have seen so far.
Leah Lenz Leah Lenz 5'9" | SF Belle Plaine | 2022 State MN – Belle Plaine, MN Rise Wright (#149)
I suppose I could have titled this set of evaluations as the Minnesota Rise special edition since Leah is the fourth player in this group of five who will suit up this summer for Rise 2022 Wright when summer ball eventually materializes. She is quite different from the others, though, with a big frame, plenty of strength, and some nice length. At 5’9 she is not the biggest post player but that doesn’t appear to impede Leah’s effectiveness. She is a disruptive defender with a very nice sense of timing on rebounds and blocks, a physical competitor who knows how to use her body to get good position. Leah is a quality passer, particularly in the high-low game, and can also shoot the three with consistency. Leah was the 6th player this year on a strong Belle Plaine squad. With a big motor and a tenacious demeanor this 2022 stock riser is only going to get better. We will be watching.
