The Midwest Kickoff: 10 newcomers to know
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My expectations for opening night at an AAU tournament are always a little bit low. Those Friday night sessions tend to be a little underwhelming because everyone has already had a long day at work/school and they’ve pushed hard to…
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Continue ReadingMy expectations for opening night at an AAU tournament are always a little bit low. Those Friday night sessions tend to be a little underwhelming because everyone has already had a long day at work/school and they’ve pushed hard to make it to the gym on time with little regard for game preparation. Let’s just say the focus isn’t quite what you’d like it to be. Well this past Friday night at the Midwest Kickoff Classic was different, and the three games we watched far exceeded our expectations. This was particularly true when we caught up with Romo Smith Romo Smith 5'10" | PF Mankato West | 2026 State MN of Minnesota Rise Heidersheidt, who leads our look at newcomers that stood out at the first stop for Prep Girls Hoops Circuit in Minnesota this season.
Romo Smith Romo Smith 5'10" | PF Mankato West | 2026 State MN – 2026 forward, MN Rise 2026 Heiderscheidt
We hadn’t seen Romo (top photo) play since last summer but we’d been hearing about how much she had improved. In fact, the big power forward was usually first off the bench this winter for a strong Mankato West varsity squad that features such top talent as Teresa Kiewiet Teresa Kiewiet 5'10" | SF Mankato West | 2023 State MN , Lani Schoper Lani Schoper 5'9" | CG Mankato West | 2022 State MN and 2026 standout Tucker Downs Tucker Downs 5'11" | CG Mankato West | 2026 State MN . Based on her performance this weekend, it’s not hard to see how Romo worked her way into the equation for the Scarlets. She is a phenomenal rebounder, a big body who plays with aggression and pace and power. This is a player who simply will not give up in her quest to grab another rebound. Romo’s motor is huge and so is her potential. She’s not super smooth, and she won’t dazzle you with her ball skills quite yet, but players who are willing to do whatever it takes to own the glass will always be in high demand. Smith will no doubt make a case that she belongs in the Freshmen 50 this fall.
Dalia Thornton-Fay – 2026 guard, Minnesota Stars Nilsen
Speaking of rebounders… Thornton-Fay hails from Roseville where punishing defense and relentless rebounding have long been the norm. Dalia is about 5’7 with a strong build and long arms. She is very athletic, with light feet, long strides and terrific ability to elevate above most opponents. Combined with a big motor and a willingness to take on all comers in heavy traffic, this makes Dalia a rebounding machine. We didn’t see her shoot the ball a whole lot – some elbow jumpers and a couple of threes – but she didn’t really have to and ended up leading the 2026 Red Division in scoring with 44 points. Thornton-Fay is quick enough to dust most defenders and get to the rim with great frequency. She draws lots of fouls, which will prove really valuable once her free throw shooting is more consistent. This a tough competitor with a great attitude and the willingness to do whatever it takes to win. The sky is the limit.
Kadence Pierce – 2026 guard, Minnesota Stars Nilsen
Ogilvie is a little off the beaten path when it comes to basketball recruiting. Located east of Milaca, west of Mora, north of Cambridge and a 90-minute drive from Bloomington’s Thomas Jefferson High School, Kadence showed up from Ogilvie this weekend as a late addition to Matt Nilsen’s Minnesota Stars 2026 squad. Let’s just say Matt is really glad she came and so are we. At perhaps 5’9 or 5’10, Kadence has a ton of length. She’s athletic, with a really explosive first step. She is a bit of a slasher who’s got the ability to play fast from end to end and then finish in close with great body control. She is a capable outside shooter, too, with a history of success from three-point range. Pierce has already proven herself in varsity ball at the Class A level, consistently putting up points and pulling down rebounds at a very high level, including a 21-point, 13-rebound performance against Pine City. Now she’ll be able to prove herself against stronger players in AAU. This weekend was certainly a great start.
Brylee Miller Brylee Miller 5'10" | SF Fairmont | 2026 State MN – 2026 forward, MN Rise 2026 Wright
We first watched Brylee last fall at the Minnesota Rise Invitational in Nicollet. We came away from that first viewing suitably impressed. We saw her again twice this weekend at the Midwest Kickoff and we are pleased to report that she is even better than before. Pushing 5’10 or so, Miller is long and super-athletic. She plays the game in a very natural way, with that ease of movement and free-flowing body control that most great players possess. She also plays entirely without fear, attacking the basket on offense with no regard to whatever might impede her path on the way to paydirt, and grabbing defensive rebounds away from opponents of all dimensions. Miller’s ball-handling has improved. So has her ability to knock down shots. She’s not quite a polished gem just yet but the projections for this 8th grader are up, up, up. There’s no doubt that Miller is a strong candidate for the 2026 Freshmen 50 this fall.
Pressley Watkins – 2027 wing, 43 Hoops 7th Elite
The Class of 2027 is looking really, really good. If you read last week about our All-State selections for freshmen and younger, then you know that Mya Wilson Mya Wilson 6'1" | CG Hill-Murray | 2027 State MN of Mahtomedi and Ava Cupito Ava Cupito 5'10" | CG Hopkins | 2027 State MN of Minnehaha Academy are the real deal. What you may not know is that their AAU teammate from Orono belongs in that conversation, too. Pressley certainly demonstrated that this weekend on behalf of Demondi Johnson’s 43 Hoops squad, likely the most-talented group of 7th graders you’ll see this year on the spring/summer circuit. We watched Pressley score 11 field goals and 26 points Saturday in a win over FBC Real, a performance in which she showed she has the makings of a truly elite Division 1 athlete. Watkins is about 5’10, with impossibly long arms, super-long legs and the type of skill and agility of which dreams are made. A little bit Taylor Koenen, a little bit Olivia Olson Olivia Olson 6'1" | CG Benilde-SM | 2024 State MN , a whole lot of God-given ability, Pressley is a player to watch in 2027.
Here are five more fresh faces we liked at the Midwest Kickoff:
Maria Radabaugh – 2026 guard, Fury 2026 Blue. The lean and lengthy guard from Totino-Grace (photo above) is no stranger to high-level basketball and it shows. She’s got handles, she’s quick, she’s clever and she can shoot lights out from all over the floor. Maria scored 32 points over the weekend and was a big reason why this Fury squad knocked off three great opponents to win a division title.
Betsy Joyce – 2026 guard/forward, MN Rise 2026 Heiderscheidt. Betsy played varsity this past season at Redwood Valley and made an impact. It’s not clear yet exactly where Joyce fits on a roster position-wise, but with superior athleticism, a big frame and a ton of natural ability that is perfectly OK. What is clear is this: she’s going to be really good.
Riley Wilson – 2026 guard, MN Rise Heiderschiedt. The shifty point guard from New Ulm is a gifted athlete with light feet, quick hands and the ability to get around the court in a hurry. We loved Riley’s ball-handling and how she controlled the tempo. Wilson made some mistakes but only because she was being super-aggressive on offense, and that’s a nice problem to fix.
Riley Ang – 2026 guard, Crossfire 2026 Schmidtke. The Crossfire 8th graders have had success the past two weekends thanks to an aggressive approach to the game that starts with pressure defense. It is Ang, a crafty guard from Rosemount, who sets the tone and pace for the team. She scored 29 points this weekend.
Sophia Perry – 2026 guard, Crossfire 2026 Schmidtke. Like most quality prospects from Lakeville North, Perry plays the game with skill and smarts and isn’t afraid to mix it up a little on the floor. She’s got decent length and plenty of moxie, a trait that fits well on a team that doesn’t back down when the game is on the line.