Mill City Invitational: A sneak peak at quality 2029s

We try to cover a wide variety of teams during the AAU season, from the incoming freshmen – this year that's the Class of 2028 – to the soon-to-be seniors (2025s) who'll be heading for college basketball next year. Generally, though, we don't pay a lot of attention to the 7th graders unless they are already varsity high school participants. By July, however, we like to have a sneak peak or two at the players we'll be scouting next spring. Last weekend at the Mill City Invitational, the 2029s occupied several hours of our viewing agenda. Here are some standout incoming 8th graders we liked.   [player_tooltip player_id='939000' first='Kiera' last='Willis'] – 2029 guard, [program_tooltip program_id='715704' first='Team' last='FSA']   Independent teams are always an intriguing proposition that pique our curiosity. Most turn out to be a collection of enthusiastic kids coached by one of the dads, certainly worthy of a look but not a common source of top-shelf talent. Within a few minutes of watching [program_tooltip program_id='715704' first='Team' last='FSA'], however, it became clear that this collection of young prospects is going to be different. Led by coach Tommy Chatman – that surname will ring a bell for fans of boys basketball in the Twin Cities – the squad is led by Willis, a gifted point guard with a strong dose of the ‘It' factor.   Willis is a fine ball handler who plays with swagger. She is highly skilled, showing off some serious chops one-on-one with the ability to attack and finish at the basket with either hand. From a sweet baseline floater to a super-smooth three-point stroke, combined with a solid frame, the 5'8 guard has the tools to be great. A long-bomb pass up court to a streaking teammate was particularly impressive for a 7th grader. Bound for the varsity roster at Benilde-St. Margaret's, Willis finished 2nd-best among 2029 green division scorers with 39 points as [program_tooltip program_id='715704' first='Team' last='FSA'] rolled over its opponents by a combined score of 193-94 in four games.   Kiera isn't the only talented prospect on the FSA roster. Pictured above (left) with Willis, [player_tooltip player_id='907398' first='Tayja' last='Chatman'] is a 5'7 guard from Brooklyn Park whose advanced skillset is worthy of the Chatman family name. She's got size, speed and strength, and can put the ball in the basket at an impressive clip. Chatman is a little more subtle than Willis, but no less effective. Then there are the 2030 twins from St. Francis – 5'11 [player_tooltip player_id='939005' first='Haley' last='Schoenrock'] and 6'0 [player_tooltip player_id='939006' first='Sophie' last='Schoenrock'] – who made it obvious quite quickly that they will be prominent in the conversation among this fall's incoming 7th graders. They have length, mobility and skill along with a solid understanding of how basketball is supposed to be played.   This was our first look at [program_tooltip program_id='715704' first='Team' last='FSA']. It's obvious it won't be the last. We'll be watching Mallory Grande, Ava Metzger, Mia McFadden and Julie Niemczyk plenty down the road. Here are four more of the talented 2029s who caught our eye at Mill City.   Tate Huppert — 2029 guard, [program_tooltip program_id='712687' first='Minnesota' last='Fury'] Yellow   Hailing from Ellsworth, Wisconsin, the Fury guard gave an impressive performance last weekend at the Mill City Invitational. What first jumped out to us about Tate's game is just how aggressive she is on the defensive end. When she's on the ball, Huppert's light quick feet and outstanding  lateral movement make it difficult for players to get by. She's also incredibly vocal and understands how to play the help side. On the other end of the floor, Huppert showed off her ball handling prowess and explosiveness off the dribble. The 7th grader, who stands about 5'7, can easily blow by the defense to get to the basket. She can also knock down threes. Overall, Tate's game is filled with hustle plays and a never-quit attitude. She's going to be a good one.   [player_tooltip player_id='939001' first='Gabby' last='McCarney'] — 2029 guard, [program_tooltip program_id='712697' first='MN' last='Crossfire'] Corley   We had a very brief glimpse of the 5'5 guard from Crossfire Corley a few weeks ago at the Battle on the Hardwood in Rosemount. On Sunday afternoon at Chanhassen, our memory of that sneak peak was triggered immediately as McCarney jumped out right away as a player to watch. It's easy to see that she is a stellar athlete. Gabby is tall for her age, significantly long, very quick and super explosive. McCarney is incredibly skilled and fundamentally sound, as well. Whether it's handling the ball, scoring at multiple levels, threading the needle to her teammates or playing high octane defense, she can do it all. The way Gabby carries herself on the court is impressive, too. She plays with a ton of confidence and is not afraid to play physical on either end of the floor. As one of the best new prospects we've found this summer, it's pretty clear that the 7th grader from Lakeville South is going to be a stud.   [player_tooltip player_id='939003' first='Isabella' last='Deleeuw'] — 2029 guard, [program_tooltip program_id='714566' first='Minnesota' last='Stars'] Hinze   There was a time where St. Paul basketball topped the charts in Minnesota as Central High School put together an impressive run in the late 2000s and there was talent galore. Remember 2007 Miss Basketball Angel Robinson? Just one of many standouts. Save for the likes of Andrayah Adams, Ronnie Porter and the Van Nett sisters out of Como Park, many of the most talented players have fanned out to the suburbs. Needless to say we were happy to watch Isabella at Mill City. She doesn't play like most 7th graders. Deleeuw is calm and collected, and measured in her shot selection. She plays with a strong basketball IQ, and nicely balances a high degree of confidence, while having no ego. The 5'6 Deleeuw is quick enough to guard the ball for 94 feet, handles the rock well under pressure, can score at multiple levels, and makes some terrific passes to her teammates. For a younger point guard, this St. Paul prospect is the total package.   [player_tooltip player_id='939004' first='Alysen' last='Purcell'] – 2029 forward, [program_tooltip program_id='712687' first='Minnesota' last='Fury'] Blue   Our first sighting of the 5'10 forward brought about an immediate case of déjà vu. Surely we've seen this show before, haven't we? Yep, Alysen is a spitting image of her older sister Hannah Purcell, who was a force in AAU and went on to play at DePaul and Eastern Illinois. The younger sibling may be a little more mobile, but with a big frame, advanced skill set, and the same competitive fire, the resemblance is uncanny. Alysen can dominate a game with her physical presence and guard-like skills. Purcell can run over opponents or deftly slip past them one-on-one to display her nice touch at the rim. She also has a silky-smooth stroke, showing no hesitation to let it fly from distance. Purcell forms a potent one-two punch up front for the Fury alongside highly touted 6-foot post [player_tooltip player_id='939014' first='Addison' last='Campion'] of Belle Plaine. I have a feeling we're going to be writing plenty about both of them going forward.

We try to cover a wide variety of teams during the AAU season, from the incoming freshmen – this year that's the Class of 2028 – to the soon-to-be seniors (2025s) who'll be heading for college basketball next year. Generally, though, we don't pay a lot of attention to the 7th graders unless they are already varsity high school participants. By July, however, we like to have a sneak peak or two at the players we'll be scouting next spring. Last weekend at the Mill City Invitational, the 2029s occupied several hours of our viewing agenda. Here are some standout incoming 8th graders we liked.