MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.— The Division I coaches may “all be snug in their beds” but the entire club circuit, other college recruiters and the media / evaluators are still in the gym every weekend. For the ninth consecutive year Minneapolis has once again been one of the key stops on the “non-certified” calendar hosting the Minnesota North Tartan Summer Jam. As with last year, over 220 teams made their way north to compete in 15 divisions of play over the three days of Father’s Day weekend.
Follow the link below to see who went home with bragging rights from the 2016 Summer Jam.
While there is a distinct Midwest flavor to the Summer Jam, the line-up featured players from 10 different states. The action took place in three separate venues housing 20 floors for competition. Over the course of the event in excess of 50 college coaches from the various levels other than D-I were roaming the sidelines and taking in the action. The top evaluators were out in force from start to finish and there was plenty of talent to put under the magnifying glass.
Abuk Akoi – 2017 – Post – Dakota Blue Devils
Though more of a project type athlete, Abuk Akoi of the Dakota Blue Devils has some of those physical tools that coaches are always talking about “not being able to teach”. Long and athletic, the 2017 post is a presence on the interior and in the high post. She’s fluid in her movement and can get up and down the floor with the guards. Her lean build is deceiving as there is plenty of strength and Akoi already knows how to use it to a degree. There are skills in place and she’s had some coaching along the way. However, the best description to her game at this time might be that there are still rough edges. There’s work to be done but plenty of promise as well.
Grace Berg – 2018 – Wing / Forward – All Iowa Attack
Berg has lots of versatility in her game that will cause defenders plenty of headaches. Playing with unending effort, she’s a threat from the perimeter but has the size and strength to mix things up inside to a degree. On the catch she can knock it down with range, but off the dribble she’s just as effective and has a reliable floater to call upon. From the elbows she’s a solid passer and chalked up her own fair share of assists with strong reads. Berg gets out and runs the floor and makes herself a factor in numbers situations. Even more attractive is her willingness to play physical when called for.
Paige Bueckers – 2020 – Guard – North Tartan
Bueckers is another already established young prospect who needs little introduction. The lengthy combo guard has a natural and instinctual aspect to her game that is far advanced for her limited age. With the ball in her hands you’re going to get an attack that is bound to create shots, passes…and fouls. Despite her slight build she’s handling contact and getting to the line time and again. Even better is that she’s finishing and a lot of those trips are for old fashioned three point plays. At the same time, off the drive she sees options for teammates and can thread some needles in delivering some effective interior passing. Throw in the fact that the three pointer is a strong element in her arsenal and you’ve got your basic match up nightmare. Obviously the strength will have to come as she matures and the weakside defense could use some attention but there’s plenty in place to keep any coach at any level happy.
Christianna Carr – 2018 – Guard – 43 Hoops
We’ve watched Christianna Carr for a couple of years now. The 2018 grad has shown growth and maturity and is ready to be more challenged on the floor to advance her game. She has a solid build plus good athleticism and is at her best with the ball in her hands. Carr can create well with some sound ball skills including a sharp crossover and an efficient change of speed. The consistency on her perimeter shooting is going to be essential to keep defenders closing out and allowing her to utilize her penetration. At the same time she’ll have to become much more active without the ball in her hands to keep defenders occupied as well as to wear them down over the course of a game.
Caitlin Clark – 2020 – Combo – All Iowa Attack
One of the more impressive efforts over the weekend was that of 2020 guard Caitlin Clark. Young, skilled and playing with confidence, she’s brings to mind thoughts of a younger Sabrina Ionescu. She has a tremendous understanding of the game and applies it with an assertive approach to her play. Off the dribble she’s seeing the floor and is quick to give it up off the drive as options for teammates develop. She keeps defenders guessing mixing both speed and direction in transition or the halfcourt. Clark can handle contact in traffic and plays both ends of the floor with an edge to her attitude. Major promise.
Azzi Fudd – 2021 – Guard – Fairfax Stars
Not too many players have an established reputation thus far in the 2021 class but Azzi Fudd of the Fairfax Stars continues to make her mark as one of the elite in the class. A dynamic guard who exudes maturity beyond her years, she can create her own looks time and again. Fudd exploits a strong hesitation move with a change of speed that has defenders coming out of their stances to recover. The combo pushes it at every opportunity and is effective in traffic both all the way to the rim as well as off the pull up. She’s reading defenders on the catch and makes good choices with the ball for the most part. On ball defensively she can be quick and aggressive but does relax at times on the weakside of the floor.
Mikayla Hayes – 2017 – Post – North Tartan
A verbal commit for the University of Florida, Hayes is an evolving prospect that is just tapping into her potential. The size and athleticism are obvious and serve her well on both ends of the floor. She can run the floor with the perimeter players and has the length to mix it up with the bigs. She’s shown some solid post moves at times but seems more inclined to take what’s there rather than create her own. Her first step is quick and lengthy from the high post and gets her deep in the paint. Her drop step on the block covers a lot of ground as well. As she adds more bulk and strength she’s going to be a bigger factor in all aspects of the game.
McKenna Hofschild – 2019 – Point Guard – Minnesota Fury
Play for play, inch for inch, nobody had a better weekend than this dynamic young point guard. She’s quick, aggressive and plays with a real instinct for the game. Her ballskills are sharp and efficient. Hofschild puts them to good use getting to the rim time and again. Earlier games she struggled to get shots off in traffic but when she started delivering passes, things got easy. Her reads and decisions were sharp but the execution was something special. Her stepback doesn’t cover a lot of ground but the quick release that comes with it makes it a challenge to contest. Defensively she’s quick and anticipates both on and off the ball. So, where’s the drawback? She’s lucky to top 5-0 at this point and doesn’t appear to be in line to add any more inches to the total. In our book the positives far outweigh that lack of size.
Rae Johnson – 2017 – Guard – North Tartan
We’ve always been a fan of Rae Johnson’s game and the North Tartan guard continues to show why the folks at Iowa State are looking forward to her arrival on campus. Physically strong with the ball in her hands, she can create both looks for herself as well as improve those of her teammates. She gets to the rim with deceptive first step quickness and is efficient at using her body against contact in traffic. On the catch she’s reading the floor and can deliver the ball both on the break or within the confines of a halfcourt set. Defensively Johnson isn’t afraid to put a body on her match up and reacts quickly in helpside situations.
Taylor Kissinger – 2017 – Guard – All Iowa Attack
We’ve seen Taylor Kissinger have good days and we’ve seen her have difficult ones. Though All Iowa fell short on a cold night in the semis there appears to be some real maturity coming to her game entering her final club summer. Already recognized as an elite perimeter threat, she appears to be mixing her game up more and challenging defenders with more variety in her attack. Kissinger doesn’t settle as often and looking to get to the rim more. At the same time she’s more active without the ball and forcing opponents to defend the entire possession whether she’s an option or not. We also saw what looks to be a more focused effort on the glass which will always keep a smile on any coach’s face.
Elizabeth Martino – 2020 – Guard – Fairfax Stars
The Fairfax Stars have a lot of promising young talent in the pipeline. Another guard who we’ve written about before that demonstrated more advancements in her game is Elizabeth Martino. A 2020 grad, she’s playing with more and more confidence and has no reservations about putting her individual skills to use and developing her own opportunities. She’s got good size and athleticism to combine with and aggressive attack. Off the dribble Martino likes to utilize a quick spin move off a change of speed that keeps opponents lunging. Without the ball she’s active and exploits lazy defense with some aggressive give and go cuts.
Maggie McGraw – 2019 – Guard – All Iowa Attack
Another promising 2019 prospect, McGraw has a versatile and skilled game. She can run the point but is just as adept as a scoring guard. Off the dribble she can set up her defender and create a quick look off a spin or step back. The quick release on her shot serves her well on the pull up but also pays the bills from the perimeter. McGraw demonstrated a solid jumper but also zeroed in with some accuracy beyond the three point line as well. She reads the floor well on the catch and is an effective passer off penetration. She’s got good size on the perimeter already and puts it to good use defensively.
Chelsea Olson – 2017 – Guard – Team Wisconsin Select
Combo guard Chelsea Olson is the kind of player you want to have the ball in her hands. Her ballhandling and passing are effective and create options of her own and for her teammates. On penetration she makes good choices and can deliver the pass as rotations come her way. There’s good form on her shot and she offered up some range that necessitates defenders close out on the catch. On occasion she cut aggressively but will need to be more active without the ball to keep defenders honest as she moves on to higher levels.
Elle Ruffridge – 2017 – Point Guard – All Iowa Attack
Despite a smaller stature, Elle Ruffridge can be a defense’s worst nightmare. Nothing causes more headaches for opponents than a scoring point guard. Strong and skilled, Ruffridge has impressive ball control both putting it on the floor as well as delivering passes on the break or in the halfcourt. At the same time she’s lethal from the perimeter and has textbook form and a quick release to boot. The range is there to extend defenses and her eyes are reading the floor as she attacks off the overplayed closeout. Defensively she anticipates well on the ball and off. Poised to break the State of Iowa all-time scoring record.
McKenna Warnock – 2019 – Guard – Wisconsin Flight Elite
Another strong performance came from this physical guard on an impressive team. Warnock is constant activity and there are absolutely no reservations about throwing her body into a defender to create an opportunity. She has good size and solid skills but there is still a somewhat unorthodox element in her game. But you can’t argue with productivity. Her penetration led to results as did spotting up on the perimeter. Without the ball she has good instincts on her cuts and goes aggressively between A and B. Well suited for the physical nature of the next level. Keep watching.
Zoe Young – 2019 – Point Guard – North Tartan
Zoe Young continues to remind folks why she’s among the elite in the strong 2019 class. Few players her age have the capacity to create off the dribble in as many ways as Young does. Her wide crossover draws defenders up tight and quickly makes them pay if they’re foolish enough to bite. She’ll improve passing lanes with her ballhandling but can fire a quick pass off the dribble with pinpoint control before opponents can react. She mixes up her attack rising up herself and almost lulling defenders into relaxing before she explodes by them. While she can and does connect from the perimeter, her shot is still a ways from being “text book”. The forward motion makes it tough to get off contested and the two handed release impedes consistency. At the same time her pull up has a much more refined and efficient look to it.
QUICKHITTERS
Maddie Allen – 2018 – Guard – All Nebraska Attack – Physically strong…Solid…Quick…1 on 1…ORB’s
Grace Cumming – 2019 – Post – All Iowa Attack – Size and build…Active…Cuts hard…Posts up…Jump hook…Steps out…Strength??…Scratching the surface
Tee Tee Danso – 2020 – Swing – North Tartan – Athletic…Speed and quickness…Active on both ends…Versatile positions…Gets out in transition
Kamryn Finley – 2018 – Point Guard – Iowa Barnstormers – Lefty…Crossover…Jumper…Quick
Macy Kvilvang – 2017 – Forward / Post – ND Pro Elite – Size and frame…Awareness…High post passing…Mechanical but effective…Spot up…Strength?
Theresa Mbafeno – 2018 – Forward – North Tartan – True #4…Length…Wingspan…Fluid athlete…Runs the floor…Some skills…Needs to be more physical
Elizabeth Nibbelink – 2017 – Forward – Minnesota Fury – Length…Some ballhandling…High post drive…Passing…Runs the floor…Strength
Destinee Oberg – 2019 – Post – Minnesota Stars – Strong…Solid build…Quick attack…Deceiving first step…Spin moves on block…Evolving tools…Watch
Hailey Oskey – 2018 – Guard – Wisconsin Flight Elite – Attacking…Strong ballhandler…Sees the floor…Crossover…Anticipates on defense
Raena Suggs – 2018 – Point Guard – North Tartan – Small but quick point…Lefty…Wiry build…Has speed with the ball…Narrow base on shot…Defends
Malu Tshitenge – 2019 – Post – Fairfax Stars – Size and length…Athleticism…Works hard…Goes up strong…Evolving moves…Touch is coming
Lauren Ware – 2020 – Forward / Post – Dakota Drillers – Length and athleticism…Long reach….Gets up and down…Form is there…Lots of promise
Allie Wooldridge – 2018 – Wing / Forward – Iowa Barnstormers – Active…Cuts hard…Some ballhandling…High post drive…Effort
A quick commentary on behalf of recruiters, media and evaluators. While North Tartan provided the majority of the rosters for competing teams of high school age, their hands were tied by some irresponsible coaches who still remain in the dark about the recruiting process by providing little, and in some cases, no information at all. Regardless of whether or not an event is during an NCAA viewing period ALL club programs should submit a complete roster at ALL events their teams are competing in. Parents, you need to hold club administrators and coaches accountable. There is no acceptable excuse for players not being easily identified whether it’s by a standing room only crowd of recruiters or a single coach hoping to find just one player. Any explanation as to why a roster wasn’t made available can only be viewed as naiveté, laziness and a complete failure to grasp the nature of recruiting. If your daughter is part of a club who cannot make sure that their information is available anytime they’re competing you may well need to reconsider who you’ve entrusted her with. Let’s face it folks, it’s not hard to keep an up to date numerical roster with accurately spelled names and graduation dates. We don’t need more than that. Home town and high school are nice but not absolutely necessary. Height and position are optional, too since most exaggerate height and position is something determined by coaches anyway. But a simple, accurate roster shouldn’t be the never ending issue that it seems to be every club season. Note to Mom and Dad…They’re wasting your money when they don’t provide it…and you never know who might be watching. Pass the word!
