Holiday Hoops: Newcomers who got noticed, part 1

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The week between Christmas and New Year's is a hoop lovers paradise in Minnesota. Other than the weather, which is truly frightful some years, it is a veritable feast of girls basketball options with more than 30 tournaments played from one end of the state to the other. Unfortunately we can't be everywhere at once. On Tuesday we watched the Perham and St. Michael-Albertville tournaments online, on Wednesday we saw three games live at Eastview in the new District 196 event, and then spent Thursday and Friday at Breakdown's Granite City Classic in St. Cloud – more than 20 games in all. We saw a lot of fresh faces throughout the week. Today we offer you five relative newcomers who got noticed during holiday hoops season. Tomorrow we'll have a half dozen more. Enjoy.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Emily Muetzel &amp; Sophia Peer – 2025 guards, Mahtomedi</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For college coaches and scouts like us, coach Erica Zizzo's Zephyrs have a lot to offer. There's veteran guards like [player_tooltip player_id='220833' first='Sonya' last='Potthoff'] (commited to North Iowa Area CC) and [player_tooltip player_id='304927' first='Ella' last='Kletti'], of course. Forward [player_tooltip player_id='296747' first='Anna' last='Greene'] is a Top 30 sophomore. And then there is 2027 guard [player_tooltip player_id='377583' first='Mya' last='Wilson'], one of the state's most exciting young prospects. Last week at Granite City, however, we got a good look at two members of the Zephyrs up-and-coming supporting cast and were duly impressed.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Emily and Sophia, who are also summer teammates on Jeremy Post's Minnesota Stars squad, are both solid collegiate prospects. Standing 6 feet tall, Peer has the size and length to immediately be a difference-maker. She's also super fast. That's a deadly combination that enables her to defend at a high level. Sophia is a great rim protector and shot disrupter. At the other end of the floor she can attack the basket off of screens and her shooting is coming along. This is a player with a ton of potential.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Muetzel is not flashy, and she's not going to light up the scoresheet. Her impact on pretty much every game, however, is undeniable. This summer we watched Emily's efforts change the outcome of numerous Stars contests by making simple, winning plays. Standing 5'10 with a sizeable frame, Emily almost always out-rebounds her opponent, makes a ton of hustle plays, has a high basketball IQ, and is as gritty and hard-nosed as they come. And if you are suddenly in need of a point guard, &nbsp;Muetzel can step right in and calmly execute the offense. Did we mention she made the All-Tournament team at the soccer state championships?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Maya Meisinger – 2025 forward, Eagan</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 5'10 forward has been on our watch list for awhile so it was great to get another in-person look at Maya when the Wildcats went up against Centennial at Eastview High School. Meisinger came off the bench just 5 minutes into the game and immediately showed her willingness to get down in the trenches and be physical. The sophomore has nice length and is a more-than-capable shooter, but it was her defensive prowess that really impressed us. Maya is gritty, not afraid to take or make contact, and she showed a willingness and desire to rebound hard regardless of the size or pedigree of her opponent. Clearly Meisinger does a lot of the dirty work that doesn't show up in a box score but wins basketball games, an attribute that will carry her to the next level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Macy Redetzke – 2024 wing, Eagan</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 5'8 junior also came off the bench for Eagan and made a similar impact on the proceedings as Meisinger. She, too, is a gritty performer who plays the game with zero fear. She's strong, physical and athletic. Macy is a disruptive defender who uses her long arms, quick feet, and ability to move well laterally to make life difficult for opposing ball-handlers and their teammates. Macy is a solid shooter, as well, but it is her versatility that seems most appealing. She has definitely raised her game this year for coach Jesse Madsen's team, providing much-needed depth and offering her coach a variety of ways to plug her into a game. We love how aggressive and physical the Wildcats have become over the past few seasons under Jesse's leadership and Redetzke's play is another example of how that&nbsp;old-school approach is paying off.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Chloe Netzinger – 2025 guard, Rogers</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Last week wasn't the first time Chloe got herself noticed. After a solid summer with the Metro Stars, the 5'7 guard made a splash last fall at the Featured 40 combine, earning accolades from <em>Jr All-Star</em> for her versatility, rebounding ability and footwork. At Breakdown's Fall League we wrote that she was “a long, athletic guard who showed very clearly that she has the potential to be a future standout.” Well it looks like that future is now. After earning MVP status last winter on the Rogers' JV, Netzinger is now a key piece on varsity and is making a positive impact all over the floor. She is a relentless worker with a ton of passion for the game, a tremendous competitor and a great teammate. Her length, athleticism and tenacity have made Netzinger a quality defender who takes pride in her ability to pressure the basketball. Offensively, Chloe attacks the basket well and can step outside and consistently knock down three-point shots. Add it all up and it's not hard to see that Netzinger is a player on the rise in the Class of 2025.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->