Girls basketball state tournament boasts Minnesota’s high-level talent

The girls basketball state tournament kicked off with one of the nation’s top seniors, Hopkins’ Liv McGill, playing on the Williams Arena court. Another top 20 national recruit, Olivia Olson of Benilde-St. Margaret’s, was playing next door at Maturi Pavilion at the same time.

Maple Grove’s Jordan Ode, a top 50 junior nationally, played the next game at the Barn.

After that, Minnetonka’s Aaliyah Crump, the No. 6-ranked junior in the country, was in action on the raised floor at Williams Arena.

Then came Providence Academy’s Maddyn Greenway, one of the highest-rated sophomores in the nation.

The tournament also included Mountain Iron-Buhl senior Jordan Zubich, a top 75 national talent, along with a host of other Division I signees and recruits.

One state, one tournament, one incredible display of talent.

“It shows that Minnesota has hoopers,” McGill said.

Not just hoopers, but an unusually high number of elite hoopers. Girls basketball in Minnesota has long been a popular destination for college recruiters, but we are witnessing a pipeline of players signing with blue-blood college programs and being recognized on a national level.

It’s hard to define a starting point for this burst of star power, but let’s trace it back to Paige Bueckers at Hopkins. She brought a spotlight to Minnesota basketball with her advanced skill, flashy game and magnetic personality. Blue-chip talent has followed her lead.

“There have been a lot of great players over the years,” says Grant McGinnis, scout/writer for Prep Girls Hoops, “but not this many at one time.”

This won’t be just a blip either. Nationally ranked players can be found at just about every grade level. Duluth Marshall eighth-grader Chloe Johnson already holds eight Division I scholarship offers and will be one of the most recruited players in Minnesota history by the time she graduates.

“What we’re doing here as far as basketball is as good as it gets on the national level,” Hopkins coach Tara Starks said.

McGinnis has followed the girls game closely since 2012 and cites several reasons for the overall growth and steady stream of players signed by high-major programs.

More kids are playing year-round through AAU than ever before, and the explosion of trainers offering specialized work and development has made players far more athletic and skilled than previous generations. The talent level at the state tournament across all classes this past week is vastly superior to what I saw upon arriving in Minnesota nearly 25 years ago.

“But if you said what is the one thing [that has fueled the rise],” McGinnis said, “it’s Lindsay Whalen. If you look at when she came to the Lynx and they started winning in 2011, how old were those kids that became basketball fans at that time? If they were 7 or 8, they have fed this whole wave.”

The Lynx won four WNBA championships during Whalen’s tenure as point guard. McGinnis refers to Minnesota girls who fell in love with basketball during that time as “Lindsay Whalen babies” because many grew up to be star players and become part of the “wave” that he now sees.

“These kids truly love the game,” said Starks, the Hopkins coach.

Minnetonka’s Hall of Fame coach Brian Cosgriff, who won seven state titles at Hopkins, looked into the crowd at the tournament and saw a bunch of college recruiters. More than a dozen Division I schools from across the country sent coaches, and that list swelled with smaller regional schools included.

Saturday’s championship games were a showcase of Minnesota’s basketball power. All eight teams in the title games featured at least one future college player, and most of them had multiple players who will play at the next level. The competition was fierce and terrific. And tense.

The Class 2A final wasn’t decided until the final 15 seconds. Greenway raced the length of the court for a layup, and then Providence Academy got a defensive stop to complete a spirited comeback for an 81-78 win over the Albany Huskies and their superb post player Alyssa Sand.

There was euphoria and heartbreak on the court but also this too: basketball being played at a high level.

“It’s crazy how much talent Minnesota produces,” said Minnetonka guard Tori McKinney, a Gophers signee. “It’s so cool.”

Indeed, it is.