Grace Grocholski Commits to Gophers!













"The Lasers defeated Brookfield East, 47-40, in the state title game, becoming the first D1 team to repeat as state champions since Appleton North (2017, 2018) achieved the feat.

Senior Grace Grocholski, 5-10 wing/forward, scored game-high 24 points and added five rebounds and two steals for the Lasers."





"Grocholski is a strong and versatile wing who is a matchup nightmare with her three-level scoring. She is also a standout on defense with the ability to guard perimeter and post players.

She was named first-team WBCA All-State three times in her career. Grace earned honorable mention recognition as a freshman."
 
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I wonder if this means Rachel will be staying on the staff! In the role created for her under Whalen. I think it’s great for the players to have her around.
She was at the press conference last week and I was assuming she was helping with practices with the rest of the coaches not officially on board yet.
 



I wonder if this means Rachel will be staying on the staff! In the role created for her under Whalen. I think it’s great for the players to have her around.
I think she is staying around, she isn't considered a coach she is part of the extended staff and she is listed on the website with the rest of the staff but the coaches are not listed. The staff are generally retained i.e. Melissa Maines, Jan, Alisha, athletic trainers and performance staff.

It is certainly possible they could be let go or forced out later but I doubt that will happen and hope it will not happen. Would love to see one of the previous coaches (i.e. Shimmy) retained too but doubt it will happen.
 



Grocholski is a WHO'S NXT All-American Nominee. I don't know much about this except it includes about 115 nominees this year as something of an expanded McDonald's All-Americans list.


Other local names as nominees are Tessa Johnson, Kennedy Sanders, Taylor Woodson, Sunaja Agara and Liv McGill.
 

...as was Caroline Strande.


Yes, and also was Kamorea “KK” Arnold this year who is headed to UConn and described as Paige Bueckers's replacement.

Strande has performed better at Butler this season than at Minnesota. She left Minnesota for a reason. Several players are doing better since leaving Minnesota including Smith (Virginia), Sconiers (Deleware), and Sissoko (USC).
 

Grocholski is the #2 prospect in Wisconsin per PrepGirlsHoops, second only to Baige Bueckers's eventual heir.

Grocholski also plays a position of high value to the Gophers: wing/forward with 3-level shooting and ability to defend both guards and post players.

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Yes, and also was Kamorea “KK” Arnold this year who is headed to UConn and described as Paige Bueckers's replacement.

Strande has performed better at Butler this season than at Minnesota. She left Minnesota for a reason. Several players are doing better since leaving Minnesota including Smith (Virginia), Sconiers (Deleware), and Sissoko (USC).
Sconiers and Strande would have been impact players on Minnesota if Whalen would have played them. Strande is the fifth highest scorer in WI high school history and she shot 43% 3PT this season at Butler. Sconiers led Delaware this season in scoring at 12.6 PPG.
 

Sconiers and Strande would have been impact players on Minnesota if Whalen would have played them. Strande is the fifth highest scorer in WI high school history and she shot 43% 3PT this season at Butler. Sconiers led Delaware this season in scoring at 12.6 PPG.
Sconiers was always dealing with an injury here.. and maybe playing at a lower D1 is why she played better..

Strande always looks a couple steps behind and to me she looked like a mid major player so her fit at Butler is better.. and it's not like she killed it this year in the Big East..
 
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Sconiers was always dealing with an injury here.. and maybe playing at a lower D1 is why she played better..

Strande always looks a couple steps behind and to me she looked like a mid major player so her fit at Butler is better.. and it's not like she killed it this year in the Horizon League..
Butler plays in the Big East.
 



The Gopher release:

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – University of Minnesota women's basketball head coach Dawn Plitzuweit has announced the signing of Grace 'GG' Grocholski for the 2023-24 season.

"Grace is an incredible young lady and a person who competes in everything she does," Plitzuweit said. "First and foremost, she is an outstanding fit for the University of Minnesota academically with a GPA over a 4.0. Secondly, she competes on the court and has experienced a tremendous amount of success winning back-to-back state championships in Wisconsin at Kettle Moraine High School and also by winning a National Championship with her AAU Team of the Wisconsin Lakers. On the basketball court, Grace is tough, she can defend multiple positions, and she rebounds at a very high level. Offensively, she is very versatile and demonstrates that with her ability to shoot it, score at the rim, and with her tremendous ability to create for others with her passing ability. We are thrilled to have Grace as well as the Groholskis joining our Gopher family."

Grace "GG" Grocholski | North Prairie, Wisconsin | Kettle Moraine High School

Grocholski has joined the Maroon and Gold out of North Prairie, Wis., and played for Kettle Moraine High School and coach Todd Hansen. She played for the Wisconsin Lakers, a travel team coached by Mike and Joe Elles, and was rated as a four-star prospect by ESPN and was a member of the ESPN Top 100 for the class of 2023.

In her latest prep campaign Grocholski claimed and her high school team claimed a second straight Wisconsin State Championship with the 5-10 guard averaging 24.7 points, 9.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 3.0 steals per game. She ended her career with 2,294 career points, the 13th-most in Wisconsin state history along with 984 rebounds, 344 assists and 231 steals. Kettle Moraine went 91-18 over her four seasons with the Lasers and she was named to the Division I WBCA All-State team three of her four seasons while also being named to an honorable mention list during her freshman season.

She was selected as a McDonald's All-American team candidate and was a 2023 Wisconsin Ms. Basketball finalist. Grocholski most recently played the Who's Next All-American game at the Women's Final Four in Dallas, Texas. The future Gopher was also named the Waukesha Freeman Player of the Year for the third straight year in March, becoming the first player to win it three years in a row.

As a junior, Grocholski averaged 21.7 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.3 steals per game and helped Kettle Moraine win the WIAA Girls Basketball State Championship in 2022. Following the state title game, she was named the WIAA Girls Basketball State Tournament MVP. Grocholski capped the 2021-22 season by being named the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel's Female Athlete of the Year and was also the MVP of the Select 40 Tournament that summer.

A two-time member of the Associated Press (AP) and Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) All-State Division 1 First Team, Grocholski has won the Classic Eight Conference Player of the Year award in each of the last three seasons.

A three-time first team all-area selection by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Grocholski left Kettle Moraine as the program's all-time leading scorer. She was a two-sport athlete, playing volleyball and was a three-time First Team All-State selection, according to the Women's Volleyball Coaches Association (WVCA), for the Lasers. Additionally, Grocholski was named to the All-Classic Eight Conference First Team every year of high school.

Grace is the daughter of Gary and Tara Grocholski and will join the Golden Gophers this summer.
 

I wonder if Lindsey was recruiting her......if so, it's clear that the coach plays the biggest reason why a recruit picks a school (at least in this case). She originally committed to ASU....coach leaves...she picks WVU....coach leaves and she follows the coach to Minnesota.

Looks like her finalists were Butler, Providence, Wisconsin (and of course the other 2 schools that she had committed to).
 

I wonder if Lindsey was recruiting her......if so, it's clear that the coach plays the biggest reason why a recruit picks a school (at least in this case). She originally committed to ASU....coach leaves...she picks WVU....coach leaves and she follows the coach to Minnesota.

Looks like her finalists were Butler, Providence, Wisconsin (and of course the other 2 schools that she had committed to).
Appears she might be a better prospect than her list may indicate. Wisconsin folks seem high on her. What are the question marks?
 







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