NBA Draft Goes South

What's Plan B?

For a lot of people, the NBA draft went south right outta the gate, when the Cleveland Cavaliers picked Tony Bennett with the 1st overall pick. Not that Tony Bennett. This one will be bringing his heart from Las Vegas to Cleveland, where Cavs fans hope he'll want to leave it after the 3 years of his rookie contract are done. We'll see how that goes.

But, there's hardly a draft observer who didn't say the Cavs would go big--meaning either Maryland's Alex Len, 7-1, or 7-footer Nerlens Noel of Kentucky. And almost nobody didn't say the Noel and Kansas shooting guard Ben McLemore were the 2 top players in the pool in terms of long-term upside potential.

Well, there was 1 who said the Cavs would not go big, but I said they'd pick Georgetown forward Otto Porter, who ended up going to Washington at #3. But, no, the Cavs grabbed Bennett, and the next 6 teams in line suddenly were all going, "Holy sh*t! What's Plan B? I forget!" And based on what happened next, they weren't that hot on the 2 allegedly best players in the pool and were hoping like crazy that Cleveland and Orlando would get 'em off the table so they wouldn't end up getting stuck with 'em.

But Orlando at #2 went with Indiana guard Victor Oladipo, who went from about #100 to #2 since the start of the college season. Washington took Porter. And with Len and Noel still available, Charlotte had little choice but to go big. But they grabbed another Hoosier, Cody Zeller, who, unlike Len and Noel, has the mobility to play the big forward spot.

So, after 5 picks, the 2 best players in the pool (McLemore and Noel) and the 2 guys who figured to be #1 (Len and Noel) were all 3 still cooling their heels in the green room. But they fell no further and the reluctant recipients of the big 3 were Phoenix (Len at #5), New Orleams (Noel at #6) and Sacramento (McLemore at #7). But then, adding insult to injury, N'Awlins immediately moved Noel to Philadelphia for a dish of jelly beans.

Flip's Picks

But the fact is that all of this had absolutely nothing to do with the Minnesota Timberwolves. For the Wolves and Flip Saunders the draft was humming along, exactly according to plan. It went out of order, to be sure, but by the 7th pick the top 7 were gone and the pool contained exactly the players Flip thought it would.

But that is when the draft went south for Flip Saunders and the Minnesota Timberwolves, when the Detroit Pistons grabbed the guy that everybody knew Flip coveted--6-5 shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope of Georgia. Given what transpired later in the evening, you know that Flip called the Pistons on the phone and offered them a couple of draft picks for the rights to KCP. The Pistons presumably said no.

Now it was Flip's turn to go to Plan B. He picked a guy he didn't want, Trey Burke, but who he figured would have the best trade value, then found a trade partner (Utah) who had a pair of 1st round picks remaining (#14 and #21). So far, so good, I guess.

But the fact is he coulda picked the guy I had at #8, C.J. McCollum, 6-3, shooting guard, from Lehigh. Time will tell whether McCollum might have been a better fit. If he proves to be the 2nd coming of Stephon Curry, you'll know that Flip screwed the pooch. OK, C.J. is just 6-3 and Flip wanted some size. But Flip also wanted a shooting guard and McCollum is a shooting guard, whereas the Wolves' ultimate pick at #14 is not.

I mean, 2-for-1 looks good on paper, sure. But by the time the teams got down to #14 there wasn't a shooting guard in sight. Utah picked Shabazz Muhammad, 6-6, from UCLA, who is listed as a guard on the draft tallies but has really never played guard in his life. He's a small forward. Sergey Karasev, a 6-8 Russian picked at #19 by Cleveland, is listed as a guard, but he hasn't proven that he can play the 2. He's a small forward. And Tony Snell, 6-7 from New Mexico, is listed as a guard but has really been a small forward all his life.

If the idea was to find a shooting guard, #14 wasn't a very auspicious spot to do it, and that was easily foreseeable by the time the draft had wound its way to #9.

Shabazz Muhammad

OK, but now you've got the 14th pick and you gotta make lemonade. So, in Shabazz Muhammad the Wolves have ended up with a guy who is not (yet) a shooting guard and who has fallen from #1 in his class to #14 while Victor Oladipo went almost exactly in the opposite direction. Why? What happened? Well, he's a scorer, they say. And he better be, because he does not do anything else on the court. He does not pass the ball (less than 1 assist per game). He dogs it on defense--he had just 2.5 defensive rebounds per game, less than 1 steal and just 4 blocked shots all year. And, actually, he's not that great of a scorer, he needed a lot of shots to score 18 ppg in his 1st and only season at UCLA. He shot 44 percent from the field, and 38 percent on the 3. Over the last 3 games of the season, as UCLA's season unraveled (losing its final game to massively disappointing Minnesota), he shot 15-of-42 (36 percent) and 0-for-9 for 3 points. With 1.6 turnovers per game, his A/T ratio was 0.5.

And now it turns out that he (and his dad) had lied about his age for his entire life, just so he would look better in the basketball evaluations. 19, they said, but now we know he's 20. Which means there's less upside, less development, less improvement that's likely to occur.

If Flip hadn't rescued the guy, who knows how far he might have fallen.

And, again, he's not a guard, as far as we know. That's what they call him, but that's a wish, not a fact.

Gorgui Dieng

So with the 2nd pick at #21 Flip went big. And luckily there was some big talent on the board around #21, unlike scoring guards at #14. Immediately after Flip picked Dieng, the Nets took Mason Plumlee. Between the 2, I woulda preferred Plumlee.

Plumlee 6-10, 235, 23 years 17 ppg 10 rebounds 1.5 blocks
Dieng 6-11, 245, 23 years 10 ppg 9 rebounds 2.5 blocks

Another way to go, however, was this: Once you find yourself at #14 with no shooting guards available, and if you want a 2 and a big, just go ahead and go big at #14. Immediately after the Shabazz pick at #14, Milwaukee picked 6-9 Giannis Antetokuonmpo from Greece and Boston picked 7-footer Lucas Noguiera from Brazil. Of the 2, Noguiera is both the better prospect and the bigger of the 2 at 7-feet even. He's also bigger than either Plumlee or Dieng, and younger at 20 years, and he's got a massive 7-foot-5 wingspan.

Take Noguiera at #14 and at #21, well, you still don't have a real shooting guard available. So pick somebody you can trade, just like we did at #9!

Summary

So, personally, I think Flip blew it. I'm not a Shabazz fan and while I've got nothin' against Dieng, I like Plumlee better.

So the better play was 1) just take C.J. McCollum at #9 and be done with it.

Or 2) Go big at #14 with Noguiera and do some more trading at #21.

Or 3) take Karasev at #14 and Plumlee at #21.

As it is, I think it's fair to say that neither Shabazz nor Dieng is going to be much of a factor in 2014. We'll find out this weekend whether Nikola Pekovic is going to explore the free agent route or not, and just how much more rebuilding Flip is going to have to do. Trust me, there is more roster management to come. Has to be since the draft didn't plug any of the Wolves' obvious holes. But the Flip Saunders era hasn't started well. Maybe it's our fault (the media, the fans) for ever thinking that this draft would actually matter. But that still doesn't mean Flip didn't make the least of it.

Newly Edited re. Tory Jacob and Additional Offers

The MN Gophers have received a verbal commitment from Tory Jacob of Irvine, TX, McArthur, a 5-10 guard who scored 20 ppg with 8 rebounds while her team went 24-9 in 2012-2013.

She describes herself in the Dallas Morning News as a player who likes to pass the ball and attack the rim. She was said at 1 time to be looking at Southern Illinois, Memphis, Cincinnati, Michigan State, North Texas, Texas State, Mississippi or New Mexico.

The class of 2014 now includes Carlie Wagner and Grace Coughlin, Minnesota guards; Ohio posts Josie Buckingham and Terra Stapleton; and Texas guard Tory Jacobs. The incoming class this fall includes Joanna Hedstrom, also a MN guard; and forward/wing Stabresa McDaniel, also from TX.

The Gophers have reportedly (published report) offered Nia Hollie, a 2016 guard from Hopkins. There are unpublished reports that 2014s Cayla McMorris and Tonoia Wade have Gopher offers but have not yet made a decision.

There is also an unconfirmed report that Kenisha Bell has verballed Marquette.

Lynx outlast Shock 88-79

The Minnesota Lynx played just well enough to defeat the rapidly improving Tulsa Shock 88-79 Sunday night at Target Center. The Shock led early 20-12, stayed close through 38-38 and 40-42 late in the 1st half, but the Lynx scored the last 7 points of the half--Monica Wright hit a j from Lindsay Whalen, Whalen a driving layup from Wright, and Maya Moore a dagger 3 after a steal and assist by Wright--to create some separation.

Minnesota slowly pulled away in the 2nd half, taking their 1st double digit lead when Seimone Augustus hit the 1st 2 points of the half, her 15th and 16th points of the game to that point. The 1st 12 point lead came on a pair of Augustus throws at 2:43, the 1st 14 point lead on another Moore 3, this time from Whalen and this time with just 4 seconds remaining in the 3rd. The largest lead was at 82-67 at 4:27 of the 4th on a Wright steal and breakaway layup.

It was a well-rounded team effort. Seimone and Maya each scored 22 points, Whalen had 19 with 9 assists, Rebekah Brunson 11 with 11 boards. The main images of the game are Whalen running the show, scoring, dishing, basically taking Skylar Diggins to school, and Augustus and Moore hitting the j. The latter 2 shot 16-of-25 between them and the average FG, it seemed, came from about 18 feet. Both were deadly from long range. Seimone, in particular, doesn't need more than a tiny little bit of space to get off that beautiful j of hers, and she could hardly miss last night.

In the end the Lynx shot 53 percent, Tulsa 42. End of story.

Well, that and the other image on the night was a whole series of wide open looks from the perimeter for Tulsa. The Lynx remain a well-oiled machine on the offensive end. The defense was not good, certainly not in the 1st half. The Lynx are now 6-2 and in 1st place in the West (2nd overall). But in their 2 losses they've given up an average of 86 points and 48 percent shooting. Last night it was 79 and 42, and did I mention they did not look good on defense?

2nd year big forward Glory Johnson, in particular, took Janelle McCarville outside and scored 24 points on 9-of-15 FG, mostly from long range (long 2s). Rarely was a defender anywhere nearby. Candace Wiggins got some open looks against her former team, hitting 5-of-8 for 14 points.

But Whalen and company did a nice job of neutralizing Diggins. Whalen, you may recall, scored 19. Diggins scored 9 on 2-of-8 shooting. Her quickness didn't buy her much, while Lindsay used her strength to beat up Diggins in the paint on both ends of the court.

Season Recap

So the Lynx are 6-2 and in 1st place in the West. In the West they've beaten Phoenix and Brittney Greiner twice, and San Antone once. On the other hand, they lost big at L.A. 87-59 Friday night and they're 2-2 on the road. They're outscoring the opposition 83-77 compared to 86-76 a year ago. And last year they out-shot their opponents 47 percent to 41. This year it's just 44-41 to this point.

Maya Moore would seem to be stepping it up. She has raised her scoring by about 2.5 ppg. She's taking about 1 extra shot per game, though her shooting percentage has dropped from .465 to .455. The fact is the extra offense is all Maya getting to the FT line. The good news is the extra offense from Maya hasn't affected Seimone, who is scoring pretty much the same as last year on fewer shots. In fact she has raised her shooting percentage from 49 to 52 percent. The 2 of them together are making 13-of-28 shots per game so far this year versus 13-of-27 a year ago.

Meanwhile Lindsay has actually upped her average from 11.5 to 13, though her shooting percentage is down from .505 to 44 percent. Brunson is average 4-of-9 shots per game, the same as last year. Monica Wright is hitting 3-of-8 versus 3-of-7 a year ago, but Janelle McCarville is hitting 2-of-4 shots per game whereas Taj Franklin-McWilliams made 4-of-7 a year ago.

But wait. The bench (not counting 6th player Monica Wright) is also less productive at 11 ppg on 33 percent shooting versus 17 and 42 percent a year ago. Amber Harris has increased her production marginally, while Devereaux Peters' has fallen a bunch. Rookies Sugar Rogers, Lindsay Moore and Rachel Jarry are making 1 FG per game among them, whereas Wiggins, Jessica Adair and Erin Thorn averaged 4 FG per game a year ago.

So longer term it seems that the Lynx, more than anything, need their experienced bench (Wright, Harris, Peters) to step up. Overall, while it was the D that looked a little shaky last, overall, It's the offense that needs to com together. Everybody but Seimone could be shooting a little better. The difference between a 47 and a 44 percent shooting percentage is probably the difference between 1st and 3rd in the West.

Girls Player Ratings 2018s

EDITED May 20, 2013
EDITED June 15, 2013

Class of 2018

Now in 7th grade, playing 12 & Under club  ball this summer. At the AAU championships, I saw 2 2018 games, 3 teams, all of them semi-finalists. I saw the champions from North Tartan 12U twice.

1. Carmen Backes, Chisago Lakes, 5-11, forward. North Tartan 13U. Played 14 minutes in the state tournament against champion DeLaSalle and scored 5 points with a rebound, an assist and 2 turnovers. Playing up and is a prime contributor on North Tartan's 13U AAU champions.

2. Christina Carr. Playing for her dad at 43 Hoops 12U this summer. Plays the post now but looks more like a forward longer term. Puts the ball on the floor and gets to the rim. Likely to end up at Eden Prairie, where her dad is also the coach.

3. Maesyn Thiesen, Becker, 5-5, guard, North Tartan 12U, the brains/the coach on the floor for the 12U state champs. Super court sense, protects the ball, makes the offense go, can score.

4. Kayla Mershon, Minnetonka, 6-1, wing, North Tartan 12U. A super basketball body, 6-1 already but mobile as you could want. Needs to get better at putting the ball in the hole while in motion and taking contact.

5. Sam Haiby, Moorhead, 5-6, guard, North Tartan 12U. Gotta ask, of course, if all the best kids play for Tartan, then why did they just win the final 2 rounds by 6 and 9 points? Fair question. Maybe it's just the "Tartan system" that makes the kids look good? Or is it the kids making Tartan look good? Whatever, the fact is they looked so well organized, so mature, with stuff like floor spacing. And along with Thiesen, it was Haiby and Erika Hicks, the 3 point guards, who really excelled in those things that make Tartan Tartan.

6. Katey Brattland. International School during HS season, 43 Hoops 12U now. I know some of the 43 Hoops/Eden Prairie parents are hoping she ends up at Eden Prairie, but I'm also hearing that, no, she'll be staying at International.

7. Kali Grimm, Norwood-Young America, forward. MN Fury 2018 Blue. A long, athletic scorer, What more do you want?

8. Sydney Stapleton, Centennial, 5-8, guard, North Tartan 12U. Not as big as Mershon, who is assumed to have more upside. But right now, today, Stapleton is more likely than Mershon to put the ball in the hole.

9. Marie Olson, 6-1, center-forward. North Tartan 12U. Pretty much of a ringer for Mershon.

10. Alexis Mathews, Centennial. North Metro Aftershock DuBois. #1 scorer in AAU Qualifier.

11. Erica Hicks, 5-2, guard. North Tartan 12U. See my comments for #3 Maesyn Thiesen and #5 Sam Haiby.

12. Audrey Gadison, Benilde-St. Margaret's, 5-5, guard. Playing up with Midtown Monarchs 13U. Another gym rat who plays like a veteran.

13. Zoe Hardwick, post. A big girl, works hard. 43 Hoops, where the parents think she'll end up at Eden Prairie.

14. Madison Kerzman, Becker, 6-1, center-forward. North Tartan 12U.

15. Elizabeth Edinger, Woodbury, forward. MN Fury 2018 Blue.

16. Amanda Pollard, Champlin Park, guard. MN Fury 2018 Blue. Strong, athletic.

17. Gabby Mocchi, Legacy Christian, forward. Not as long as Grimm but of similar maturity and skill.

18. Sidney Zieske, Waconia, 5-5, Metro Stars 12U.

19. Annika Rose, Maple Grove, 5-6, guard. North Tartan 12U.

20. Kari Macura, Lakeville North, guard. 43 Hoops.

21. Sophia Findell. MN Heat Soukop.

22. Megan Walstad, forward. 43 Hoops.

23. Jordan Ferrand, White Bear Lake. MN Fury 2018 Blue. Another nice long body.

24. Bailey Becker. North Tartan.

25 (tie), Heather Elfering, forward, and Anna Peters, guard, both Forest Lake. And both play for Fury 2018 Gold.

27. Lynnea Helman, Rogers. MN Fury 2018 Blue.
28. Mariah Alipate, Bloomington Jefferson, center-forward. 43 Hoops.

29. Lauryn Moline, Maple Grove, 5-9, guard. North Tartan 12U.
30. Megan Walker, Rogers, 5-7, guard. North Tartan 12U.

31. Jaclyn Jarnot, Maranatha, 5-6, guard, MN Stars 7th Blascziek.

32. Paige Favilla. MN Stars 7th Gardner.

33. McKenna Monahan, Glencoe-Silver Lake. MN Fury 2018 Blue.

34. Kelsey Peschel, Sauk Center, 5-6, guard, North Tartan 12U

35. Annika Holt, Northfield, 5-11. NT 12U SIlver.
36. Whitney Dold. North Tartan West.

37. Ellie Wolkow, Lakeville South, guard. MN Fury 2018 Blue.
38. Kira Mosley. 43 Hoops.

39. Courtney Carlson, Eastview, 5-9. Metro Stars 12U.
40. Taylor Brown, Lakeville North, 5-9, Metro Stars 12U

41. Linnea Bollum, 43 Hoops
42. Stephanie Braund, Braham, 5-7, forward

43. Imani Sa'eed-El, Bloomington Kennedy

44. Alyssa Wagner, 43 Hoops
45. Sydney Blandin, Farmington, 5-5, Metro Stars 12U
46. Taylor Rawstern, Lakeville North, 5-3, Metro Stars 12U
47. Maria Strom, Minnetonka, MN Fury 2018 Blue
48, Andrea Abrams, Eastview, MN Fury 2018 Blue
49, Taylor Zaugg, Champlin Park, 5-2, Metro Stars 12U
50. Lauren Blacsziek, MN Stars Blacsziek

Watch List in alpha order

Kari Benson, Becker 7th grade club
Peyton Bernstrom, Becker 7th grade club
Lauren Boike, Eagan, 5-7, NT 12U Silver
Mary Burke, Mountain Iron-Buhl, 5-7, post
Rachel Garvey, Waconia, 5-2, Metro Stars 12U
Rachel Hakes, Woodbury, 5-2, Metro Stars 12U
Heaven Hamling. MN Stars Blascziek.
Ellie Henry, Eden Prairie 7th grade club
Sydney Jones, Eden Prairie 7th grade club
Madeline Loder, Orono, 5-7, Metro Stars 12U
Hailey Moore, St. Agnes, 5-9, Metro Stars 12U
Terra Rhoades, Minnehaha, 5-4, guard. MN Stars Blascziek.
Emma Schultz, Eden Valley-Watkins, 5-6. NT 12U Silver
Renae Tripp, Becker 7th grade club

Girls Player Rankings--2014s

EDITED January 10, 2013
EDITED January 20, 2013
EDITED March 28, 2013
EDITED May 24, 2013
UPDATED June 7, 2013

Well, the "mighty 2013s" are just about recruited so the focus now shifts to the 2014s. The Gopher have tapped Carlie Wagner (#1) and Grace Coughlin (#12). They had also tapped Kenisha Bell (#3 ) but she de-committed in the fall of 2012. Maybe the Gophers are in fact tapped out on the 2014s but there's lots of intriguing talents still on the market. Cayla McMorris would seem to be the #1 remaining prize but somebody will be very fortunate also to get Norby, Lamberty, Grim and others. (Lamberty later announced for Creighton and the Big East.)

There should be a dozen or more 2014s who will verbal a college from now through next fall. The 1st spring verbal is Maddie Dean of Jordan (#19 below) who is going to Drake.

1. Carlie Wagner, NRHEG, 5-10, combo guard. Nobody has ever made such a dramatic introduction of herself to Minnesota girls high school basketball fans. Wagner set state tournament records with 48 points in a state tournament game and 112 in a tournament in 2012, then scored 48 and 50 in 2013. Gets to the rim at will, and finishes, and drains 3s, too. Verballed the Gophers this winter. Playing for MN Stars 11th Borowicz this summer.

2. Cayla McMorris, Park Center, 6-1, post/power forward. Strong, aggressive, scores inside and out. Pounds the boards. Playing for North Tartan 17U Elite. Going to Wisconsin.

3. Kenisha Bell, Bloomington Kennedy, 5-9, point guard. Somewhat more geared toward shooting and scoring than to distributing but does both with aplomb. Super quick. Missed part of 2013 with a hand injury. De-committed the University of Minnesota in the fall of 2012, going to Marquette. North Tartan 17U Elite.

4. Ta'Kendra (Tia) Elbert, Tartan, 5-7, combo guard. Gets to the rim with ease, finishes strong. Top scorer in the state (among the girls) at 36 ppg. North Tartan 17U Elite. Moves up from #8. Also going to Marquette.


5. Chase Coley, Mpls. Washburn, 6-3, forward. Still developing her feel for the game, but you heard right that she averages 11 blocks a game. She blocked 16 in 2 state tournament games. North Tartan 17U Elite, looks physically stronger this summer than I remember her in March. Has verballed Iowa.

6. Taylor Thunstedt, New London-Spicer, 5-8, combo guard. Had a remarkable winter with several 40 and 50 point games. Metro Stars Black. Going to North Dakota State.

7. Ellie Thompson, Chaska, 6-2, post. Not a late bloomer really, but rated below Fernstrom, Alt and Norby initially, but has come on strong. South Dakota State recruit. MN Fury 2014 Elite.

8. Sydney Lamberty, Park, 5-10, combo guard. Her length sets her apart from some of the other guards. MN Stars 11th Borowicz. Just announced on May 29--she's going to Creighton to compete for playing time at guard with Marissa Janning and MC McGrory. Go Bluejays.

9. Bryanna Fernstom, Chisago Lakes, 6-5, post. You can't teach 6-5. Knows how to use her body. Nice soft hands and soft shooting touch. MN Stars 11th Borowicz. Going to Iowa State.

10. Bailey Norby, Forest Lake, 6-2, post. A scrapper, plays hard, finds a way to put the ball in the basket. MN Stars 11th Borowicz. Going to Creighton, who is rapidly displacing South Dakota State as the top recruiter of Minnesota girls.

11. Grace Coughlin, Benilde-St. Margaret's, 5-7, point guard. Quick, protects the ball, more of a ball distributor and less of a scorer than the other guards at the top of this list. Minnesota Gopher recruit. MN Stars 11th Borowicz.

12. Kylie Brown, Simley, 6-3, forward. I've seen her rated as high as #3 in this class, and in this class that is impressive, but she's maybe a bit tentative.... MN Fury 2014 Elite. Going to Creighton.

13. Hannah Grim, Rosemount, 5-9, combo guard. Small but hard-nosed, scores from anywhere on the court. MN Fury 2014 Elite. Another Marquette guard.

14. Madison Dean, Jordan, 5-9, combo guard. MN Stars 11th Borowicz. Think Sari Noga. Verballed Drake (D1 Missouri Valley Conference, one of the top mid-major conferences).

15. Grace Sawatzke, Monticello, 5-9, guard. Aggressive, understands the game. North Dakota.

16. Michaela Rasmussen, Holy Family, 6-1, forward. Fluid, athletic, finishes. Metro Stars Black. Toledo.

17. Tonoia Wade, Bloomington Kennedy, 6-2, forward. North Tartan 17U Elite. St. John's (NY).

18. Clare Lundberg, Anoka, 6-1, small forward. Fluid, athletic, a scorer. MN Fury 2014 Elite.

19 (tie). Bailey Strand, 5-10, combo guard and Brianna Rassmussen, 6-0, combo guard, both Fergus Falls. Can anybody in Minnesota have a more dynamic duo than Fergus with Strand and Rasmussen? Well, 8th grade guards Chelsea Mason and Mya Buffetta of Mountain Iron-Buhl outplayed them over the 2012-2013 holidays. Still, terrific clutch players, not as quick as some, but get the job done. Both are with Metro Stars Black, it will be fascinating to see how they stack up to Taylor Thunstedt. Both are going to the state of North Dakota: Strand to UND to play basketball, Rasmussen to NDSU to play volleyball.

21. Alexis Alexander, Champlin Park, 5-8, point guard. A step slow? Verballed South Dakota State. North Tartan 17U Elite, and has looked better than expected playing next to Bell and Elbert.

22. Katie Quandt, Lakeville South, 6-2, post/power forward. MN Fury 2014 Elite. Verballed Boston College.

23. Brooke Yaggie, Thief River Falls, combo guard. Big time scorer for her high school team, and a crack distributor for her summer team.

24. Darby Youngstrom, North Woods, 5-10, combo guard.

25. Claire Ziegler, Mankato East, 5-11, forward. MN Stars 11th Nelson. Going to Mankato State.

26. Anna Monke, Fergus Falls, 6-0, forward. Tough. North Tartan 17U Elite. UMD.

27. Anne Hamilton, Minnetonka, 6-0, forward. MN Fury 2014 Elite. Verballed Valparaiso.

28. Kayla Miller, Detroit Lakes, 5-9, guard. MN Fury 2014 Elite.

29. Molly O'Toole, Hopkins, 5-10, power forward. North Tartan 16U. 6 inches shorter than her sister so a very different player. Relies a lot more on skill and finesse.

30. Ayo Porte, Osseo, 5-10, strong forward. And I mean strong.

31. Mikayla Miller, Goodhue, 5-7, point guard. 21ppg.

32. Jordyn Alt, Cretin-Derham Hall, 6-2, post. Was regarded as the best 2014 post at one time. Reminds me of Laura Melquist of Rochester Lourdes a couple years ago. MN Stars 11th Borowicz. We'll see how she and Norby and Fernstrom all shake out. Has verballed Denver.

33. Chelsey Guetter, Wabasso, 6-0, post-forward. Verballed Augustana.

34. Kate McKay, Henry Sibley, 6-1, center-power forward. Scoring 16.5 ppg with 14 rebounds on an otherwise terrible team.

35. Rayna Sherow, St. Paul Central, 6-2, power forward. Great upside, could rank higher. MN Suns 16U Arbogast.

36. Shelby Kaster, Win-E-Mac, forward.

37. McKenna Happke, Providence, 6-1, post/power forward. North Dakota State. Metro Stars Black.

38. Andi Gayner, Dassel-Cokato, 5-10, center-forward. Mayville State.

39. Daijzah Morris, 5-8, wing, Centennial. Verballed Army. MN Stars 11th Borowicz.

40. Nicole Fokken, 6-2, post, Pine Island.

41. Kenzie Beekman, Marshall, 5-11. forward. Going to Southwest State for volleyball.

42. Georgi Donchetz, forward, Burnsville. MN Fury 2014 Elite. Moved up based on summer play. Verballed Valparaiso.

43. Amazih Eickhoff, Albany, 5-8, combo guard. North Tartan 16U.

44. Kyrah Fredenburg, Anoka, 5-11, forward. MN Suns 16U Arbogast. Verballed D2 Concordia St. Paul.

45. Emily Wimmer, St. Croix Lutheran, 6-2, forward. North Tartan 16U.

46. Lindsay Dorr, Rogers, 6-2, power forward. Fury Gold. Going to Toledo.

47. Destinee Morris, Centennial, 5-9, wing. Verballed Army. MN Stars 11th Borowicz.

48. Amanda Christianson, Alexandria, 5-10, forward. St. Cloud State.

49. Bryn Woodside, Albert Lea, 5-3, guard. MN Stars Hersch.

50. Micaela Noga, Parkers Prairie, 5-7, combo guard. NorthTartan 17U Elite. going to Minnesota-Crookston.

51. Anna Pfefferle, Northfield, forward. Long, lots of upside.
52. Abby Hawkinson, McGregor, 5-5, guard. 22 ppg.
53. Kendall Babb, Chaska, 6-2, post. North Tartan Elites. Marist.
54. Erin Autio, St. Michael-Albertville, 6-2, forward.
55. Naja Woods, Mpls. Southwest, scorer. MN Stars 11th Woods.
56. Maddie Wolkow, Lakeville South, 5-6, guard. MN Fury 2014 Elite.
57. Mia Anderson, Duluth East, forward. 13ppg scorer in the school season, having a good summer as well.

58. Shelby Gracik, Elk River, guard. MN Stars 11th Hewitt.

59. Kayla Nickles, Braham, 5-8, forward-guard. Gets things done. North Tartan 16U.
60. Kate Banovetz, Holy Angels, 6-1, post. Active. MN Fury 2014 Gold.

61. Jill Conrad, Centennial, 5-11, post. Lit up Hopkins and Erin O'Toole.
62. Maddy Kempf, Burnsville, 5-8, guard. North Tartan 16U.
63. Maddy Lee, Maranatha, 5-9, shooting guard. Smooth. MN Stars 11th Borowicz. Mankato State.
64. MaKenna Panning, Chaska, 5-6, guard. Fury Gold. Going to Winona State.

65. Vanessa Lane, Pequot Lakes, forward.
66. Jamie Swanson, East Ridge. MN Stars 11th Nelson.
67. Monica Vega, 5-3, Ada-Borup, guard. Part of the world's smallest backcourt.
68. Allie Knuti, Mountain Iron-Buhl, 6-2, post-power forward. Bemidji State.
69. Tori Mekash, Badger-Greenbush-Middle River, guard.
70. Siri Sviggum, Kenyon-Wanamingo, 6-1, forward.

71. Brooke Berger, Mound, 5-7, point guard. MN Fury 2014 Gold.
72. Sam Forslund, Chisago Lakes, 5-8, guard. 36ers Keys.
73. Alyssa Lentner, Monticello, 5-9, forward. MN Fury 2014 Gold.
74. Kellie Tonn, Moorhead, guard. MN Fury 2014 Gold.
75. Audra Clark Kenyon-Wanamingo, guard.
76. Destinee Villebrun, North Woods.
77. Molly Hennen, Minneota, 5-10, point guard.
78. Laurie Bohler, Cooper, 5-6, guard. New to the list, understands the game.
79. Haydn Becker, Andover, guard. Metro Stars Black.
80. Shaina Stevenson, Ada-Borup, 5-1, guard.

81. Kaila Burroughs, St. Cloud Tech, 6-0, forward. Going to Denver.
82. Aunikah Bastian, Mankato Loyola, 5-5, guard.
83. Katrina Reeves, Hopkuns, 5-10, forward.
84. Kelsey Kennedy, Nashwauk-Keewatin, 5-3, point guard.
85. Jasmine Bretoi, Centennial, 5-9, guard.

86. Rianna Eckert, Forest Lake, 5-10, forward. Stars Hersch.
87. Vanessa Spohn, Albany, 5-6.
88. Anita McCoy, Roseville. MN 36ers.
89. Taylor Karge, Mankato East, 6-0, center. MN Stars 11th Nelson.
90. Grayson Schroeder, 5-6, guards, Lakeville South. MN Suns 16U Arbogast.

91. Amber Bray, Anoka, 6-2, post. MN Suns 16U Arbogast.
92. Samantha Connolly, Burnsville, 5-10, forward. 2014 MN Fury Gold.
93. Brooke Brommenschenkel, Norman County West, 5-6, guard.

94. Gabby Smith, Bloomington Jefferson, forward.

95. Sarah Overbye, Mountain Iron-Buhl, 5-7, shooting guard.
96. Hannah Louiselle, Trinity, guard.
97. Jayla Mayes-Jackson, Eden Prairie, 5-8, guard. A transfer, finding her place in EP system.

98. Daron Mainville, Barnum, center. MN Stars 11th Hewitt.

99. Briana Virnig, St. Paul Highland Park, forward-post.

100. Emily Peters, Forest Lake, guard. On MN Fury 2014 Elite roster but would seem unlikely to play yet due to knee injury suffered late in the high school season. New Hampshire.

101. Becca Burns, LeRoy-Ostrander, 5-7, forward.
102. Jaiden Cofield, Cloquet, forward.
103. Erika Rozell, Lakeville North, 5-8, shooting guard.

104. Jen Michalke, LaCrescent, 5-6, guard.
105. Tabitha Anderson, Minnesota School for the Deaf, 5-8, forward.
106. Lizzy Swanson, East Central, 5-9, guard.
107. Joelle Ertl, Holdingford, 5-5, guard.
108. Annalise Savegeau, Osakis, 5-8, guard. Ertl and Savegeau are teammates on MN Comets Peterson.
109. Jade Schultz, NRHEG, guard. MN Stars 11th Nelson.
110. Courtney Scoblic, Lester Prairie-Holy Trinity.

111. Arianna Karsky, Wheaton, 5-9, post.
112. Carly Sigurdson, BOLD, 5-8, guard. MN Suns 16U Jefferson.
113. Taylor Holicky, Cleveland, center.
114. Audrey Scharmer, Winona, 5-11, wing.
115. Paige Gravenhof, Worthington, guard.

116. Nicki Ellingson, Spring Grove, 5-9, forward. Fundamentally solid.

117. Kelsey Schlenk, East Grand Forks, guard.

118. Bailee Bartunek, Lake Park-Audubon, center-power forward.

119. Lyric Williams, St. Paul Central, 5-5, guard.
120. Brooke Gould, MACCRAY, 5-5, guard.

121. Olivia Baker, Minnetonka, 6-3, post. North Tartan 16U. North Dakota State. Scored 5 ppg last year and has been hurt this summer, so you'd kinda hafta say that a D1 scholarship is a bit of a surprise.
122. Daitryanna Mixson. 36ers Keys.
123. Jordan Meyer, Anoka, 6-2, post. Metro Stars Black.
124. Angie Wenning, Chaska, 5-8, guard, Fury Gold.
125. Kendall Naatjes, Lakeville North, 5-5, guard.

126. Amber Schultz, Martin Luther, 5-9, forward.
127. Katie Waller, LaCrescent, 5-11, center-power forward.
128. Jordyn Foley, White Bear Lake, combo guard.
129. Megan Norby, Nevis, 5-11, guard.
130. Melissa Gehl, Fulda, 5-8, forward.

131. Mikayla Payne, Maranatha, 5-11, power forward.
132. Chyna Stull, Maranatha, 5-11, small forward.
133. Katie Werth, Centennial, 5-7, guard. North Tartan 16U.
134. Christine Piwnica, Southwest Christian (Chaska), guard
135. Camille Scholberg, Ortonville, 6-2, post.
136. Allison Riemersma, Bloomington Jefferson, forward.
137. Kari Skersick, Bagley, 5-11, power forward.
138. Jaelin Beachy, Staples-Motley, 5-10, forward. Metro Stars Black.

139. Olivia Wilder, Chanhassan, 5-7, guard. Fluid, graceful.
140. Mackenzie Dahl, Minnetonka. Going to Sioux Falls (D2).

141. Ashley Bray, Anoka, 6-2, post. MN Suns 16U Arbogast.

142. Lexi Hill, Duluth Denfeld, 5-11.

143. Rachel Sorenson, Windom, 5-7, shooting guard.
144. Abby Miller, Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted, 5-3, guard.
145. Jordan Weeding, Rockford, 5-10.
146. Brianna Hoffman, Lakeview, 5-11, center.

147. Mackenzie Uter, Howard Lake-Waverly-Winste, 5-6, shooting guard.
148. Jordan Lloyd, East Grand Forks Sacred Heart, 5-10, forward.
149. Bridget Bednar, Pierz, 5-10.
150. Abby Loken, Houston, center.

151. Jenny Skoog, Menagha, 5-9, small forward-shooting guard.
152. Jada Jones, St. Paul Central, 5-6, guard. Mn Suns 16U Arbogast.

153. Jessica Meidl, Lakeville North, 5-8, guard.

154. Katie White, Pequot Lakes, guard.
155. Rachel DeGardner, White Bear Lake, forward.

156. Heather Buerman, Rocori.
157. Caitlynn Simmer, Rothsay, 5-9.
158. Katie Yoder, Andover, guard.
159. Justine Larson, Cambridge-Isanti, forward.
160. Olivia Fixsen, Mounds View, 5-9, gaurd.

161. Savanna Sullivan, Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley, 5-7, guard.
162. Ann Rysavy, Lyle-Austin Pacelli.
163. Karlee Pfaff, New Ulm Cathedral, 5-9, shooting guard.
164. Alex Funaro, Zimmerman, 5-5, guard.
165. Dakota Ellinghuysen, Peace, 5-9, forward.
166. Mariya Sampson, Champlin Park, post.
167. Jamie Schnell, Edina, 5-10, forward.
168. Elizabeth Scharber, Princeton, 5-11.
169. Lauren Mantueffel, Mayer Lutheran.
170. Ashley Hoene, Montevideo, 5-9, forward

171. Alexandra Peterson, St. Paul Como Park, 6-1, post.
172. Katie Buria, Chisholm, 5-5, guard.
173. Sarah Waldfogel, Blake, forward.
174. Libby Swanhorst, 5-11, forward, Lakeville South. MN Suns 16U Arbogast.
175. Alice Carlson, Cromwell, 5-5, guard.
176. Mikayla Wing, Staples-Motley, 5-5, guard.
177. Stacy Remer, East Grand Forks Sacred Heart, 5-10, forward.
178. Alissa Steueve, Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley, 5-9, center.
179. Megan Kokett, Brandon-Evansville, forward.
180. Kiear Hunter, Mpls. North, forward.

181. Kate Thiese, Martin Coounty West, combo guard.
182. Maya DeLao, Simley, 5-8, guard.
183. Isieoma Odor, Bloomington Kennedy, 6-1, forward.
184. Meg Clark, Kenyon-Wanamingo, guard,
185. Taylor Dagon, Apple Valley, 6-0, center.
186. Hannah Bennett, Marshall, 5-8, guard.
187. Genevae Adkins, Champlin Park, guard.

188. Jas'Brail Brown, Peace, 5-4, guard.
189. Chelsea Wandersee, Watertown-Mayer, guard.
190. Madi Hahn, Andover, forward.

191. Carly Safranski, Stephen-Argyle, 5-7, guard.
192. Sami Schmidgall, Hancock, 5-8, forward.

193. Courtney Amirayan, Thief River Falls, 5-10, forward.

194. Abby Landgaard, Windom, 5-5, guard.

195. Andrea Zimpel, Isle, guard.

196. Kiana Ruf, Legacy Christian, 5-7, guard.
197. Cassidy Rahman, Moorhead, 5-5, guard.

198. Trisa Hutchinson, Detroit Lakes, forward.

199. Alexandra Washington, Mpls. Edison, 5-7, center.

200. Taylor Zupan, Prior Lake, 5-9, forward.

Watch List

Shelby Corbin, Minneota, guard.
Temi Orgnrinde, Park, 5-6, forward.

Lydia Kieft, New London-Spicer, 5-7, guard.
Kyann Nyhus, Staples-Motley, 5-4, guard.
Kaitlin Ptacek, Owatonna, forward.
Kyndal Cox, Owatonna, 5-10, forward.
Analea Erickson, Perham.
Kayla Lardy, St. Peter, 6-0, center.
Sydney Rehnelt, Albert Lea, guard.
Shanni Moorse,  Apple Valley, forward.
Karina Skov, Alden-Conger, 5-4, guard.
Brooke Reyerson, Alden-Conger, 5-9, forward.
Jennis Scislow, St. Croix Lutheran, 5-4, point guard.
Ashley Maack, Rothsay, 5-5.
Sam Martinson, Fridley, 5-11, power forward.
Cassidy Mercil, Warren-Alvarado-Oslo, 5-5, guard.
Jordyn Strombeck, St. Croix Lutheran, 5-5, guard.
Abbie Olson, Morris-Chokio-Alberta, 5-9, center.
Emily Whitesell, Annandale, forward.
Madison Foresell, Osakis, forward.
Georgie Brattland, International, guard.
Courtney Carr, Irondale, 5-9, guard.