2011 Girls High School Season Is Dead; Long Live the Girls AAU Summer Season

The AAU girls summer season kicks-off this coming Saturday and Sunday at the Jefferson Athletic Center (JAC). Saturday night there are a series of 8 games on 2 courts matching All Iowa Attack (AIA) vs. 8 of Minnesota's elite teams. The best of the Saturday night games would appear to be All Iowa Attack 11th Mauro vs. Metro Stars Black at 7:15 on JAC2.

Then on Sunday, play is in a series of 4-team pools. The toughest pools are A and J, but there's play from age 17 down to age 12.

Pool A

All Iowa Attack 11th (grade) Mauro (coach)

Minnesota Fury Gold (16&u)

North Tartan Nike Elite (17&u)

Southern MinneMagic 16

Games at 9 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

Pool J

Fury Elite

North Tartan 16&u

Metro Stars Black

All Iowa Attack 11th Morton

Games at 11:20 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Tartan, as you can see, appears to have swapped its top 2 teams, with its Elites playing against Fury and MinneMagic 16s; and its 16s against Fury and Metro Stars elites. Of course, both of the All Iowa Attacks in Pools A and J are older teams, and I have no idea which is the "A" and which is the "B" group.

So this weekend will not even establish a preliminary pecking order among Minnesota's top girls AAU teams, but 4 of the perennially powerful elite teams--Metro Stars, Minnesota Fury, Minnesota Stars, and North Tartan--will be participating.

Rosters are now published, so we can establish a pecking order of our very own, I suppose. And the best summer girls AAU teams in Minnesota will be, 1st among the oldest girls; then among the younger age groups.

1. North Tartan Nike Elite (17&u) Coach Gerard Coury

C and F-Gracia Hutson, Hopkins; Marian Monke, Fergus Falls; Khadidja Schumpert, Benilde; Kali Peschel, Sauk Centre; Whitney Tinjum, Chisago Lakes

G- Marissa Janning, Watertown-Mayer; Tessa Cichy, Hill-Murray; Rebekah Dahlman, Braham; Mikayla Bailey, Osseo; Joanna Hedstrom, Minnetonka

Questions--How many balls are they going to use? How are they going to allocate minutes among such a group? Who can possible beat 'em? Well, stuff has a way of happening in the summer, and they will lose a few. Besides, they don't even have the best frontcourt. The backcourt, on the other hand, is ridiculous.

2. Metro Stars Black Coach Coach Steve Reiter

Coach Andy Borowicz, under whom Black has had considerable success the past 2-3 years, leaving Black under coach Steve Reiter from Blaine.

C and F- Jackie Johnson, Eden Prairie; AnneMarie Healy and Tayler Finley, Providence; Amy Eschrich, Prior Lake

G- Katybeth Biewen, Edina, Alexis Foley, White Bear Lake; Brittney Scherber, Jefferson

Backcourt is high in quality, low in quantity. In the front, Jackie Johnson can neutralize entire front courts without a sweat.

3. Minnesota Stars Taylor (Coach Willie Taylor)

C and F- McKenzie Hoelmen, Lakeville North; Kayla Timmerman, Wayzata; Josie Dillon, Benilde; Jade Martin, Kennedy

G- Taylor Stewart, Lakeville North; Allina Starr, DeLaSalle; Jen Hill, St. Paul Central; JesscaHart, Eagan; Heather Bowe, Eau Claire Regis

4. Minnesota Fury Elite Coach Andy Cerisier

C- Lauren Deadrick, Waconia; Whitney Weisz, Little Falls; Natalie Larson, Cambridge; Anna Rynda, New Prague

G- Megan Van Hulzen, Park Center; Amie Tunheim, Orono

I guess you could say there's a big 3 and a little 2.

5. Minnesota Stars DeWitt (Coach Dave DeWitt)

C and F- Olivia Antilla, Benilde; Mariah Groosfelt, Wayzata; Amber Mehr, Eastview

G- Janay Morton and Phyllis Webb, Osseo; Whitney Olson, Cambridge

Meanwhile, Among the 15&Us

1. Metro Stars 15&u Coach Mike Amos

C and F- Erin O'Toole, Hopkins; Tiffany Flaata, Prior Lake; Mikaala Shackleford, Hopkins

G- Nia Coffey and Taylor Anderson, Hopkins; Leah Szabla and Natalie Ratliff, Providence; MC McGrory, Edina

2. North Tartan 15&u Coach John Herbrechtsmeyer

C and F- Savanna Trapp, Esko; Tyseanna Johnson, DeLaSalle; Tyra Johnson, Eastview; Clarissa Ober, Glencoe; Talayiah Rich, Cooper

G- Tesha Buck, Red Wing; Grace Coughlin, Benilde

3. Minnesota Stars Smith (Coach Mark Smith)

C and F- Danni Renner, White Bear Lake; Sade Chatman, St. Paul Central; Simon Kolander, Lakeville Nort

G- Hannah Zerr, Shakopee; Jaqlyn Poss, Roseville; Paige Waytashek, Centennial; Betsy McDonald, St. Paul Central; Larissa Lurken, Park

4. Minnesota Suns Fassett (Coach James Fassett)

C and F- Mikayla Diers, New Life

G- Jessica January, Richfield; Alexis Long and Abby Torgerson, Maranatha

Other Nice Collections of Talent

1. North Tartan 14& u

C and F- Tonoia Wade, Kennedy; Rayna Sherow, St. Paul Central; Carly McMorris, Park Center; Claire Lundberg, Anoka

2. Minnesota Stars 14&u Coach Willie Taylor

C and F- Jordyn Alt, Mounds View; Bailey Norby, Forest Lake

G- Sydney Lamberty, Park; Madison Dean, Jordan; Grace Sawatzke, Monticello

3. North Tartan 13&u Coach Jake Kuppe

C and F- Sam Trammel, Hopkins; T. T. Starks, Hopkins; Monica Burich, Roseville

G- Hannah Schuab, Park Center; Kanani Asuncion, Rochester Century

4. Minnesota Fury Sophomore Blue Coach Tim Peper

C and F-Jenna Goldsmith, St. Anthony; Stephanie Dressen, Waconia

G- Deanna Busse, Prior Lake; Natalie Van Whye, St. Michael-Albertville, Courtney Hayford, Waseca

5. North Tartan 10 &U

G- Olivia Coughlin, Kelsey Peschel

Summer Pre-Season All-Stars

1st-- Jackie Johnson, Kayla Timmerman, Kali Peschel, Rebekah Dahlman, Katybeth Biewen

2nd--Gracia Hutson, Tyseanna Johnson, Whitney Tinjum, Phyllis Webb, Marissa Janning

3rd--Sam Trammel, Carly McMorris, Jade Martin, Alexis Foley, Tessa Cichy

Breakout (sophomores to be and younger)--Trammel, McMorris, T. T. Starks, Jessica January, Kenisha Bell. 2nd Team--Jordyn Alt, Jenna Goldsmith, Clair Lundberg, Kanani Asuncion, Grace Coughlin. 3rd--Bailey Norby, Alexis Alexander, Maddi Lee, Micaela Noga, Tia Elbert