Recruiting

[gopher572]

I think she was at Hopkins? I noticed she is going to Minnetonka. And I think she was on Metro Stars and her profile now lists North Tartan.

 

[thatjanelpick]

Egad, an eighth grader? (Looks like Marisa Mosley/Badgers have offered her, too.)

 

[whalenfan]

Egad, an eighth grader? (Looks like Marisa Mosley/Badgers have offered her, too.)

This is pretty typical for wbb recruiting. Kids start getting recruited so early.

 

[tripledouble]

Better early than late.

 

[whalenfan]

I think she was at Hopkins? I noticed she is going to Minnetonka. And I think she was on Metro Stars and her profile now lists North Tartan.

You're right she switched aau teams before the nike toc last week. Her and Lanelle Wright have both transferred from Hopkins to Tonka.

 

[LakevilleBro]

You're right she switched aau teams before the nike toc last week. Her and Lanelle Wright have both transferred from Hopkins to Tonka

That is very interesting. Do you know why?

 

[LakevilleBro]

I think she was at Hopkins? I noticed she is going to Minnetonka. And I think she was on Metro Stars and her profile now lists North Tartan.

North Tartan is a far better program than Metro Stars. Not even close.

 

[MNGirlsHoops]

the fact these two top young players are leaving Hopkins tells me not all is well in Hopkins world. I think having all those hopkins kids on the same aau team is going to bite them, especially when a few of them want to play for North tartan. The way Hopkins finished the state tournament last year couldnt of sat well for the Hopkins faithful.

 

[bball_craz_31]

I posted the 2023 Offers under the 2023 Recruiting thread. Here is the known 2024 and 2025 known local and out of state offers. There doesn't appear to be many offers in this class so there might be some unknown offers at this time. Here are the publicly confirmed and known offers.

2024:

Offered/In-State:

Olivia Olson-Benilde-St. Margaret’s-6’0 G ESPN Ranked #9 (out of Terrific 25)

Alivia “Liv” McGill, 5’7 G, Hopkins HS *Not 100% Confirmed ESPN Ranked #15 (out of Terrific 25)

Out of State Offers:

Chloe Spreen, 5’9 G, Bedford North Lawrence (IN) ESPN Ranked #21 (out of Terrific 25)

Allie Ziebell, 6’0 W, Neenah HS (WI)

Katie Vasecka, 6’1 G, Tea HS (SD)

Kayl Petersen, 6’0 F, Waupun Area HS (WI)

2025:

Offered/In-State

Aaliyah Crump, 6’0 Wing/Forward, Minnetonka HS

Out of State Offers:

ZaKiyah Johnson, 5’11 F/W, Sacred Heart Academy (KY)

 

[bball_craz_31]

Per twitter/instagram, recruits/commits that were on campus last night for the football game were

-Amaya Battle (2022 Commit)
-Liv McGill (2024 Guard from Hopkins)
-Maddyn Greenway (2026 Guard from Providence)

 

[BballMama]

When girls switch teams in the middle of summer, it is often because their team is done playing tournaments and they have caught the eye of North Tartan or the Fury, who tend to play through to the final bell of summer. NT is known to pull up / bring in girls to fill out some spots as they head into the championships.

 

[bball_craz_31]

Per twitter/instagram, recruits/commits that were on campus last night for the football game were

-Amaya Battle (2022 Commit)
-Liv McGill (2024 Guard from Hopkins)
-Maddyn Greenway (2026 Guard from Providence)

UPDATED:

Others that were there

Aaliyah Crump- 2025
Tori Oehrlein- 2026
Cail Jahnke- 2026
Lanelle Wright-2026

 

[gopher572]

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

Round Two in Tampa: Blue Star 30's are Back! - Bluestar Media

TAMPA, FL – The 6th annual Blue Star 30 Camp made a return to the Sunshine State last week, as an elite group of young ladies from the 2025, 2026, and 2026 classes was assembled at the beautiful Wiregrass Sports Complex to carry on the tradition of the 30 Sisterhood. The legend of that tradition […]

www.bluestarmedia.org

A little more info:

We’ve already mentioned a couple of play-making point guards, but there was plenty more to go around. The conversation of who’s next has to start with 2026 Midwest magician Jenica Raine Lewis. The 5’9 Iowan has handles and footwork that are as good as they come, and the pull up jump shot was nearly automatic in a drill setting. She was one of the top performers in the gym, regardless of class.

 

[bball_craz_31]

ESPN Hoopgurlz updated their rankings for 2022, 2023 and 2024.

Here is where known Gophers recruits/known offers landed

2022:

Mara Braun #28 (out of Top 100)

Amaya Battle #38 (out of Top 100)

Mallory Heyer #54 (out of Top 100)

2023 (Top 60)

Amiyah Reynolds, 6’0 G, Washington HS (IN) ESPN Ranked #22 (out of Super 60)

Taylor Woodson-Hopkins-5’11 Forward ESPN Ranked #27 (out of Super 60)

Nunu Agara-Hopkins-6’2 Forward ESPN Ranked #39 (out of Super 60)

Jasmine Brown, 5’9 G, Joliet Catholic HS (IL) ESPN Ranked #44 (out of Super 60)

Lisa Thompson, 5’8 G, Joliet West (IL) ESPN Ranked #45 (out of Super 60)

Sole Williams, 5’9 G, Princeton HS (OH) ESPN Ranked #52 (out of Super 60)

Eve Fiala, 6’4 C, Indiana HS (PA) ESPN Ranked #54 (out of Super 60)

Janae Kent, 6’1 W, Oak Forest HS (IL) ESPN Ranked #57 (out of Super 60)

Laila Hull, 6’1 F, Zionsville (IN) ESPN Ranked #58 (out of Super 60)

Audi Crooks, 6’3 P, Bishop Garrigan HS (IA) ESPN Ranked #59 (out of Super 60)

2024 (Top 25)

Olivia Olson-Benilde-St. Margaret’s-6’0 G ESPN Ranked #3 (out of Terrific 25)

Blanca Thomas, 6’5 P, Charlotte Catholic HS (NC) ESPN Ranked #6 (out of Terrific 25)

Alivia “Liv” McGill, 5’7 G, Hopkins HS ESPN Ranked #11 (out of Terrific 25)

Britt Prince, 5’11 G, Elkhorn North HS (NE) ESPN Ranked #10 (out of Terrific 25)

Chloe Spreen, 5’9 G, Bedford North Lawrence (IN) ESPN Ranked #21 (out of Terrific 25)

Tahj Bloom, 6’3 F, Grayslake Community (IL) ESPN Ranked #22 (out of Terrific 25)

2025 (Watchlist)

Aaliyah Crump, Minnetonka- 6’0 Wing

 

[gopher572]

One other one that has been noted before from the class of 2024 is Allie Ziebell (previously unranked, now #13):

Which women's college basketball recruits took their games to new levels?

We break down the women's college basketball prospects who rose up the recruiting rankings in the Classes of 2022, 2023 and 2024.

www.espn.com

 

[Gophers7NatTitlesBadgers0]

ESPN Hoopgurlz updated their rankings for 2022, 2023 and 2024.

Here is where known Gophers recruits/known offers landed

2022:

Mara Braun #28 (out of Top 100)

Amaya Battle #38 (out of Top 100)

Mallory Heyer #54 (out of Top 100)

2023 (Top 60)

Amiyah Reynolds, 6’0 G, Washington HS (IN) ESPN Ranked #22 (out of Super 60)

Taylor Woodson-Hopkins-5’11 Forward ESPN Ranked #27 (out of Super 60)

Nunu Agara-Hopkins-6’2 Forward ESPN Ranked #39 (out of Super 60)

Jasmine Brown, 5’9 G, Joliet Catholic HS (IL) ESPN Ranked #44 (out of Super 60)

Lisa Thompson, 5’8 G, Joliet West (IL) ESPN Ranked #45 (out of Super 60)

Sole Williams, 5’9 G, Princeton HS (OH) ESPN Ranked #52 (out of Super 60)

Eve Fiala, 6’4 C, Indiana HS (PA) ESPN Ranked #54 (out of Super 60)

Janae Kent, 6’1 W, Oak Forest HS (IL) ESPN Ranked #57 (out of Super 60)

Laila Hull, 6’1 F, Zionsville (IN) ESPN Ranked #58 (out of Super 60)

Audi Crooks, 6’3 P, Bishop Garrigan HS (IA) ESPN Ranked #59 (out of Super 60)

2024 (Top 25)

Olivia Olson-Benilde-St. Margaret’s-6’0 G ESPN Ranked #3 (out of Terrific 25)

Blanca Thomas, 6’5 P, Charlotte Catholic HS (NC) ESPN Ranked #6 (out of Terrific 25)

Alivia “Liv” McGill, 5’7 G, Hopkins HS ESPN Ranked #11 (out of Terrific 25)

Britt Prince, 5’11 G, Elkhorn North HS (NE) ESPN Ranked #10 (out of Terrific 25)

Chloe Spreen, 5’9 G, Bedford North Lawrence (IN) ESPN Ranked #21 (out of Terrific 25)

Tahj Bloom, 6’3 F, Grayslake Community (IL) ESPN Ranked #22 (out of Terrific 25)

2025 (Watchlist)

Aaliyah Crump, Minnetonka- 6’0 Wing

It's good to see at least one basketball program landing top100 recruits!

 

[gopher572]

 

[adamj95]

Kneepkens is lighting it up at Utah. Too bad she didn't choose gophers. 29 points today, 9-17 shooting.

 

[Ignatius L Hoops]

Kneepkens is lighting it up at Utah. Too bad she didn't choose gophers. 29 points today, 9-17 shooting.

Yes. She's 15-32 from three and averaging 10.6 points in 16.5 minute/game.

 

[CoachJD]

Kneepkens is lighting it up at Utah. Too bad she didn't choose gophers. 29 points today, 9-17 shooting.

She didn't choose Gophers for the same reason Mercedes Staples left gophers. Pitts and Powell did not pass her the ball. Shooters want to be passed the ball when open. Staples is shooting 48%FG and 55% 3PTS% for the Aztecs this season in 30 minutes. Try to find an assist to Staples from either guard in 19-20. Smart decision by Kneepkens. Utah shares the ball.

 

[Belzx009]

She didn't choose Gophers for the same reason Mercedes Staples left gophers. Pitts and Powell did not pass her the ball. Shooters want to be passed the ball when open. Staples is shooting 48%FG and 55% 3PTS% for the Aztecs this season in 30 minutes. Try to find an assist to Staples from either guard in 19-20. Smart decision by Kneepkens. Utah shares the ball.

This is very interesting. I am not a Powell fan, so this doesn’t sit well with me that it could have been the reason she didn’t want to go here. Not sure if you know this for sure or speculation. I watched her section finals last year, and was hoping to get a state tournament match up with her team. She definitely was on a one man team, but she was really good. Would have loved to see both her and Johnson in a Gopher uniform.

 

[CoachJD]

This is very interesting. I am not a Powell fan, so this doesn’t sit well with me that it could have been the reason she didn’t want to go here. Not sure if you know this for sure or speculation. I watched her section finals last year, and was hoping to get a state tournament match up with her team. She definitely was on a one man team, but she was really good. Would have loved to see both her and Johnson in a Gopher uniform.

Great game by Utah's Kneepkens in the loss to Oklahoma last night. 19PTS on 7-16. Both teams played at a high level and were well coached. Lynne Roberts and Jennie Baranczyk are just so much better at leading and coaching teams than what we have at Minnesota. Great coaches make the difference. Oklahoma is now 10-1 under Baranczyk in her first season.

 

[samloupete]

Coaches don’t win games, players do. Good coaches can recruit those kinds of players. And we have those kinds of players coming in. I was the one who said we should recruit Kneepkens originally. She can play. Too bad it’s not here that she is doing that.

 

[CoachJD]

You should let Ben Johnson of the 9-1 men's team know that his coaching is not winning these games. It's the players he recruited this year.

 

[Belzx009]

You should let Ben Johnson of the 9-1 men's team know that his coaching is not winning these games. It's the players he recruited this year.

Ben Johnson has a proven Dave Thorson on his staff. That is one hell of a coach who knows how to flat out win. He is a defensive mastermind. MBB are not 10-1 without him. With that said I’ve questioned Whalens staff from day 1. With her being young and inexperienced, she needed/s an assistant coach who is a proven winner at some level.

 

[gwbbfan82]

Ben Johnson has a proven Dave Thorson on his staff. That is one hell of a coach who knows how to flat out win. He is a defensive mastermind. MBB are not 10-1 without him. With that said I’ve questioned Whalens staff from day 1. With her being young and inexperienced, she needed/s an assistant coach who is a proven winner at some level.

Lindsay Whalen has Carly Thibault-Dudonis as an asst head coach who know how to win. She was an assistant on the Tournament finals teams for Mississippi State. Ben has coaching experience. Lindsay has none. She does have an excellent, top 10 recruiting class coming in next year so let's see what happens.

 

[Belzx009]

Lindsay Whalen has Carly Thibault-Dudonis as an asst head coach who know how to win. She was an assistant on the Tournament finals teams for Mississippi State. Ben has coaching experience. Lindsay has none. She does have an excellent, top 10 recruiting class coming in next year so let's see what happens.

Just because she was on those team does not indicate how large or small her rolls were. Talking to a coach who lost to Thorson in a state championship he has said that his team knew everything they were going to do before they even did it. He knew everyone of their plays.
Minnesota wbb defense is terrible. So I stand by what I said. Mbb has more help then the WBB does.

 

[Roland Brooks]

Top 10 recruiting class won’t mean DO DO if the coach can’t coach them up. They have no offensive or defensive identity it is actually embarrassing

 

[MRJ]

Top 10 recruiting class won’t mean DO DO if the coach can’t coach them up. They have no offensive or defensive identity it is actually embarrassing

Their identity at the moment is not being a good team. That's what they've been since Coyle hired Whalen. Whether she has the chops to turn it around remains the question.