Prep Girls Hoops Minnesota: All-State Selections

By Marc Hugunin
Posted On: 03/27/18 10:22 AM

First Team
Center—Yokie Lee, Byron, 6-6, senior, 27 ppg (Kansas State)

Lee concluded her high school career with, unfortunately, an injury-filled season. What you need to know is that Byron was 17-1 when Yokie was healthy and she scored a career high 54 points in one late-season game. Byron also blitzed a tough Section 1AA with her back in the lineup to get to the state tournament. People always seem to question big players but, seriously, Yokie Lee is the real deal.

Forward—Megan Walstad, Eastview, 6-3, senior, 16 ppg, 9 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl, 3 blk (Milwaukee)

Walstad may have cinched the Ms. Basketball award with her performance at the state tournament. Eastview is the only team around that stays cool against Hopkins pressure and Walstad is a big, big part of that, not just with her overall demeanor on the court but her ability to help handle the ball against an elite pressure defense. Not to even mention her ability to guard Paige Bueckers and other 1s and 2s, and 4s and 5s, and whomever. She did it all for her team, and her team won. What else is there?

Forward—Carmen Backes, Chisago Lakes, 6-2, senior, 23 ppg, 13 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl (Wisconsin)

Backes missed the better part of 2 years with injuries and didn’t appear to be at full strength again until January. But when she was in attack mode, she was the most dynamic scoring threat this side of Bueckers and Haiby, and with her vertical ability, she grabbed almost any rebound she wanted.

Guard—Paige Bueckers, Hopkins, 5-10, sophomore, 23 ppg, 6 reb, 8 ast, 4 stl

There’s not much to say about Paige Bueckers that hasn’t already been said. Even by her standards, her 1st half scoring outburst against Eastview was totally amazing.

Guard—Sam Haiby, Moorhead, 5-10, senior, 25 ppg, 7 reb, 5 ast (Nebraska)

She appeared to have wrapped up Ms. Basketball when she scored 40+ points 4 times in December, but then she got hurt and I think she scored 40 only once more after that. When healthy, she is one of the 2 most athletic seniors in the state and an easy choice for our 1st team, injury or not.

Second Team
Center—Monika Czinano, Watertown-Mayer, 6-2, senior, 24 ppg, 18 reb (Iowa)

Czinano dominated in the lane game in and game out. She even outplayed Yokie Lee in an early season matchup.

Forward—Kallie Theisen, Wayzata, 6-1, junior, 14 ppg

Theisen goes into her senior season next year as one of the favorites for Ms. Basketball. I’m sure she’d trade that for a win over Hopkins in Section 6AAAA. But either way, she is a strong, dynamic player down low.

Forward—Emma Grothaus, Mahtomedi, 6-3, senior, 23 ppg (Lehigh)

Grothaus was one of the most consistent players around, seeming to always get her 20 to 25 points and a bunch of rebounds…and, of course, usually, a Mahtomedi win. The Zephyrs finished the regular season as our #1, and finished the post-season at 25-3. How can you have 11 semi-finalists for the 2018 Ms. Basketball and Emma Grothaus is not among them?

Guard—Heaven Hamling, Grand Rapids, 5-8, senior. 22 ppg, 4 reb, 4 ast, 5 stl (Stephen F. Austin)

The state’s best all-around ball protector and passer at the point guard spot. Super skilled and unflappable.

Guard—Kacie Borowicz, Roseau, 5-8, junior, 27 ppg, 7 reb, 5 ast, 4 stl

Her 40 points against Maranatha was totally amazing. She can make more different scoring moves than anybody in Minnesota today.

Third Team
Center—Mary Burke, Mountain Iron-Buhl, 5-11, senior, 26 ppg, 10 reb, 4 ast, 6 stl (UM-Crookston)

Rough, tough, fundamentally solid—can play anywhere from the 2 to the 5. With her versatility, she can be a great player at the next level.

Forward—Frannie Hottinger, Cretin, 6-0, junior, 19 ppg

Dynamic, high energy player, very mobile, very active, has a great motor and, oh, yes, a great shooting touch in the lane.

Guard—McKenna Hofschild, Prior Lake, 5-3, junior, 27 ppg

Sure, she’s 5-3, and everybody wonders, how far can she go at 5-3? But she absolutely made believers out of us this year, especially with 115 points and 3 wins in section play. She’s always been a winner, no question, but to take an extremely young Prior Lake team all the way to the state tournament was a new level of achievement for her.

Guard—Morgan Hill, Mpls. South, 5-10, senior, 26 ppg, 7 reb, 3 ast, 3 stl (Tennessee-Chatanooga)

One of Minnesota’s most consistent and reliable scoring threats. Sure, she might be a little bit predictable. She’s going to go to the rim. But knowing what she’s going to do and stopping her are 2 completely different propositions. Everybody knew the former, but nobody did the latter this year. She will be good at the next level.

Guard—Sara Scalia, Stillwater, 5-8, junior, 26 ppg, 5 reb, 3 ast, 4 stl

Always a great shooter, Scalia has become a great all-around player in the past year—thanks, they say, to her North Tartan coach last summer, Melissa Guebert.

Fourth Team
Center—Kristi Fett, Lyle/Austin Pacelli, 6-5, senior, 27 ppg (Mankato State)

Fett has continued to improve her shooting touch to become absolutely dominant down low.

Forward—Jaclyn Jarnot, Maranatha, 6-1, senior, 18 ppg, 12 reb, 3 ast, 4 stl (North Dakota)

Maybe you saw the news. She’s no longer headed out east to Monmouth. She’ll play at the next level at North Dakota with her sister Alaina, who is transferring from Monmouth to UND as well.

Guard—Joey Batt, New Ulm, 5-7, junior, 26 pts, 4 ast, 5 stl (Mankato State)

Has emerged as one of Minnesota’s elite point guards. Her basketball IQ and her intangibles set her apart.

Guard—Lauren Jensen, Lakeville North, 5-9, sophomore, 17 ppg

Great scorer with a great, intuitive feel for the game. Sky’s the limit.

Guard—Rachel Hakes, Woodbury, 5-11, senior, 20 ppg (Fairfield)

The grand-daughter of legendary Mankato coach Gordy Hakes, Rachel combines a great skill set with good size, strength and mobility. She will do very well at the next level.

Fifth Team
Center—Destinee Oberg, Holy Angels, 6-2, junior, 16 ppg, 13 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl (Arkansas)

Alexandria coach Wendy Kohler was super-impressed after Oberg and Holy Angels defeated her team at the state tournament. Oberg has quickness and skills that are totally unique in someone with her size.

Forward—Krystal Carlson, Hastings, 5-11, senior, 20 ppg, 12 reb, 3 ast, 5 stl (Sioux Falls)

A Swiss Army knife of a player, Carlson has a 1,001 skills on the basketball court.

Forward—Dlayla Chakolis, Hopkins, 5-8, junior, 15 ppg

The state’s best offensive rebounder, period. “All she does is win,” coach Brian Cosgriff says.

Guard—Mimi Schrader, Wayzata, 5-9, junior, 8 ppg, 5 reb, 2 ast, 3 stl (Navy)

Mimi can and does score for Wayzata, but primarily she is one of the best at protecting and distributing the ball.

Guard—Maddie Loder, Orono, 6-0, senior, 25 ppg. 8 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl (George Washington)

Incredible package of 6-foot size, speed and terrific skills.

Sixth Team
Center—Sara Stapleton, Centennial, 6-4, junior, 11 ppg, 7 reb, 3 blk (Wisconsin)

Her game overall remains a work in progress, which is not that unusual for the biggest girls. But with her size and strength, the sky is the limit for the junior post.

Forward—Tori Nelson, Henry Sibley, 6-1, junior, 18 ppg (South Dakota State)

One of the smoothest 6-1 players you’ll ever see, Nelson does a little bit of everything for the Sibley Warriors.

Guard—Natalie Steichen, Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton, 5-7, senior, 22 ppg, 6 reb, 5 ast, 4 stl (Moorhead State)

One of Minnesota’s quickest point guards, she can shoot the long bomb and she can dish it as well. The best endorsement is that coach Karla Nelson of Moorhead State, now Minnesota’s most successful D2 program, wants her.

Guard—Kenzie Kramer, St. Michael-Albertville, 15 ppg, 4 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl

One of Minnesota’s most exciting players with a combination of great quickness, terrific skills, a high basketball IQ and great creativity.

Guard—Madi Heiderscheidt, Sleepy Eye, 5-8, senior, 21 ppg

The miracle girl who took unseeded Sleepy Eye to the Class A state title game. She’ll play college ball at the D3 level.