Recruiting Update: 40 players have committed so far

There hasn’t been a single Division 1 coach set foot in a gymnasium this summer to watch potential recruits do their thing, but that hasn’t stopped the flow of college commitments. With an NCAA ban in place on in-person recruiting, coaches are watching a ton of games online, scrutinizing game videos, holding Zoom meetings with prospects and talking to other sources of information like the scouts of Prep Girls Hoops. The result for players from Minnesota’s class of 2021 has been remarkable. On Thursday, Anna Miller Anna Miller 6'2" | C Rochester Mayo | 2021 State MN of Rochester Mayo (Drake) and Johanna Langbehn Johanna Langbehn 6'2" | C Elk River | 2021 State MN of Elk River (St. Thomas) became the 23rd and 24th members of the class of 2021 to make a Division 1 commitment.

To put that in perspective, last year at this time Abby Schulte Abby Schulte 5'10" | PG Maple Grove | 2020 State MN of Maple Grove became the 10th Division 1 commit in the class of 2020 when she verballed to North Dakota State. The total number of D1 commits in 2020 was 20, although that number will rise because several D1-quality athletes took the JUCO route which will delay their progress to the top level of college basketball by a year or two. At least five more 2021s are expected to go D1 before it’s all over.

Among the top 10-ranked players in the class of 2021 only #9 Jade Hill Jade Hill 5'8" | PG Mpls. South | 2021 State MN of Minneapolis South and Minnesota Fury 2021 UAA is still available. Some 17 of the top 20 have verbaled while #11 Paige Kindseth Paige Kindseth 5'10" | CG Farmington | 2021 State MN of Farmington (Minnesota Stars Hersch) and #19 Frankie Vascellaro Frankie Vascellaro 6'0" | SF Holy Angels | 2021 State MN of Holy Angels (Fury 2021 UAA) remain available.

Among the Division 1 recruits eight are from the Minnesota Fury, eight are from North Tartan, three play for the Minnesota Stars while FBC North and the Minnesota Comets have two apiece and one is from 43 Hoops. Overall North Tartan has 12 commitments, the Fury have 10, the Stars have 6 and FBC North and 43 Hoops each have three, while the Rise and Comets have produced two apiece. One player from ND Pro in Fargo ( Michaela Dammann Michaela Dammann 6'2" | C Sauk Centre | 2021 State MN of Sauk Centre) has committed while one player ( Kendal Cox Kendal Cox 5'9" | CG St. Michael-Albertville | 2021 State MN of St. Michael-Albertville) is not playing AAU this summer. She was a long-time North Tartan athlete prior to that.

D1 high major commitments to date

Last year Minnesota produced a total of four high-major commits. So far among the 2021s there are already nine:

• Adalia McKenzie Adalia McKenzie 5'10" | CG Park Center | 2021 State #39 Nation MN – Park Center (Illinois), North Tartan 2021 EYBL
• Sophie Hart Sophie Hart 6'4" | C Farmington | 2021 State #44 Nation MN – Farmington (North Carolina State), Fury 2021 UAA
• Jenna Johnson Jenna Johnson 6'2" | PF Wayzata | 2021 State #52 Nation MN – Wayzata (Utah), North Tartan 2021 EYBL
• Katie Borowicz Katie Borowicz 5'6" | PG Roseau | 2021 State MN – Roseau (Minnesota), Stars 2021 Hersch
• Gianna Kneepkens Gianna Kneepkens 5'11" | CG Duluth Marshall | 2021 State #86 Nation MN – Duluth Marshall (Utah), Fury 2021 UAA
• Kendall Coley Kendall Coley 6'2" | SF St. Louis Park | 2021 State #94 Nation MN – St. Louis Park (Nebraska), FBC North 2021
• Tamia Ugass Tamia Ugass 6'3" | C Roseville | 2021 State MN – Roseville (Louisiana State), Stars 2021 Hersch
• Maggie Czinano Maggie Czinano 6'1" | SF Watertown-Mayer | 2021 State MN – Watertown-Mayer (Minnesota), Fury 2021 UAA
• Sacia Vanderpool Sacia Vanderpool 6'4" | C Byron | 2021 State MN – Byron (Wisconsin), FBC North 2021

D1 mid-major commitments

• Kaylee Van Eps Kaylee Van Eps 5'11" | SF Chaska | 2021 State MN – Chaska (Lehigh), Fury 2021 UAA
• Cassidy Carson Cassidy Carson 6'0" | CG Eastview | 2021 State MN – Eastview (South Dakota), North Tartan 2021 EYBL
• Ellie Dague Ellie Dague 5'10" | CG Henning | 2021 State MN – Henning (North Dakota State), North Tartan 2021 EYBL
• Paige Meyer Paige Meyer 5'6" | PG Albany | 2021 State MN – Albany (South Dakota State), Comets 2021 Elite
• Jordyn Lamker Jordyn Lamker 6'0" | SF Maple Grove | 2021 State MN – Maple Grove (St. Thomas), Stars 2021 Hersch
• Anna Miller Anna Miller 6'2" | C Rochester Mayo | 2021 State MN – Rochester Mayo (Drake), North Tartan 2021 EYBL
• Alexis Pratt Alexis Pratt 5'5" | PG Stillwater | 2021 State MN – Stillwater (Omaha), Fury 2021 UAA
• Jodi Anderson Jodi Anderson 5'11" | CG Centennial | 2021 State MN – Centennial (North Dakota), North Tartan 2021 EYBL
• Julia Bengtson Julia Bengtson 5'10" | PG Becker | 2021 State MN – Becker (Eastern Illinois), Comets 2021 Elie
• Jenna Guyer Jenna Guyer 6'2" | C Centennial | 2021 State MN – Centennial (Green Bay), North Tartan 2021 EYBL
• Miah Monahan Miah Monahan 5'8" | CG Glencoe-Silver Lake | 2021 State MN – Glencoe-Silver Lake (Eastern Illinois), Fury 2021 UAA
• Addy Salzer Addy Salzer 5'10" | CG Waconia | 2021 State MN – Waconia (Iona), 43 Hoops Johnson
• Helen Staley Helen Staley 6'0" | PF Rosemount | 2021 State MN – Rosemount (Oakland), Fury 2021 UAA
• Emily Kulstad Emily Kulstad 6'1" | PF Prior Lake | 2021 State MN – Prior Lake (Southern Utah), Fury 2021 UAA
• Johanna Langbehn Johanna Langbehn 6'2" | C Elk River | 2021 State MN – Elk River (St. Thomas), North Tartan 2021 Elite

Division 2 verbals to date

Also this week Briana Stoltzman Briana Stoltzman 5'8" | CG Mankato West | 2021 State MN of Mankato West became the latest D2 commit when she verballed to Southwest Minnesota State. These are the 16 Division 2 recruits so far:

• Raegan Alexander Raegan Alexander 5'11" | PF St. Louis Park | 2021 State MN – St. Louis Park (MSU-Moorhead), Stars 2021 Hersch
• Kendal Cox Kendal Cox 5'9" | CG St. Michael-Albertville | 2021 State MN – St. Michael-Albertville (Winona State)
• Sophie Wood Sophie Wood 6'1" | PF Chisago Lakes | 2021 State MN – Chisago Lakes (MSU-Mankato), North Tartan 2021 Elite
• Jordyn Hilgemann Jordyn Hilgemann 5'10" | SF Marshall | 2021 State MN – Marshall (Northern State), Rise 2021 Wolfe
• Ella Hronski Ella Hronski 5'11" | SG Mahtomedi | 2021 State MN – Mahtomedi (UM-Duluth), Fury 2021 Yellow
• Mia Huberty Mia Huberty 5'9" | CG Big Lake | 2021 State MN – Big Lake (Upper Iowa), Stars 2021 Hersch
• Ellie Hasz Ellie Hasz 6'0" | SF Pine City | 2021 State MN –  Pine City (Mary), North Tartan 2021 Elite
• Peyton Blandin Peyton Blandin 5'8" | SG Farmington | 2021 State MN – Farmington (Southwest Minnesota State), North Tartan 2021 Elite
• Lizzie Berkvam Lizzie Berkvam 5'10" | PG Lakeville North | 2021 State MN – Lakeville North (MSU-Moorhead), North Tartan 2021 Elite
• Brigid Boyle Brigid Boyle 6'0" | SF St. Agnes | 2021 State MN – St. Agnes (Wayne State), Stars 2021 DeSart
• Matlyn Jensen Matlyn Jensen 6'2" | PF Rogers | 2021 State MN – Rogers (Colorado Christian), FBC North 2021
• Michaela Dammann Michaela Dammann 6'2" | C Sauk Centre | 2021 State MN – Sauk Centre (Mary), ND Pro
• Haley Paulson Haley Paulson 5'9" | CG Orono | 2021 State MN – Orono (Upper Iowa), 43 Hoops Johnson
• Macy Holtz Macy Holtz 5'7" | PG P-E-M | 2021 State MN – Plainview-Elgin-Millville (MSU-Moorhead), Southern Minnesota Fury 2021
• Kelsey Willems Kelsey Willems 5'8" | CG Chaska | 2021 State MN – Chaska (Augustana), 43 Hoops Johnson
• Briana Stoltzman Briana Stoltzman 5'8" | CG Mankato West | 2021 State MN – Mankato West (Southwest Minnesota State), Rise 2021 Wolfe

Finally we should also note that this week marked the first commitment from Minnesota’s class of 2022. That would be combo guard Desiree Ware Desiree Ware 5'8" | CG Minnetonka | 2022 State MN of Minnetonka, the #10 rated prospect in the class, who announced her verbal commitment to the University of Alabama-Birmingham.