How did Minnesota high school graduates fare at the D1 level in 2020? Looking at a measurement of points per game we can see who is productive, and the characteristics that these players perhaps share. Also we will examine what graduating class is making the biggest impact.

The 2019s

25 players wound up at D1 schools, 21 saw action. The 2019 class averaged 3.933 ppg with the top five players checking in at 9.02 ppg. The 2019s did not lead in any of those categories when compared with the recent classes.

The top five scorers were:

Name	HS	College	PPG
Lariah Washington	St. Cloud Apollo	Eastern Illinois	11.3
Sara Scalia	Stillwater	Minnesota	10.8
Tori Nelson	Henry Sibley	South Dakota State	9.7
Kacie Borowicz	Roseau	North Dakota	7.2
Olivia Lane	Pequot Lakes	North Dakota	6.1

Lariah Washington was first team Ohio Valley, on the all newcomer team, and was freshman of the year. The Big 10 media named Sara Scalia to the honorable mention list as well as the freshman team. Tori Nelson was named to the Summit League All Newcomer team in addition to being named freshman of the year.

The 2018s:

29 players were supposed to play D1 ball. Only 21 made it to year two. They averaged 4.89 ppg with a 12.16 ppg for the top five. This is the best mark for any second year class in the last two years.

Name	HS	College	PPG
Monika Czinano	Watertown-Mayer	Iowa	16.0
Ayoka Lee	Byron	Kansas State	15.7
Emma Grothaus	Mahtomedi	Lehigh	10.2
Sam Haiby	Moorhead	Nebraska	10.0
Jaclyn Jarnot	Maranatha	North Dakota	8.9

Monika Czinano was named to the Big 10 second team by the coaches, first team by the media. Ayoka Lee was named freshman of the year in the Big 12 after redshirting her true freshman season. She was named to the all freshman team in addition to being first team All Big 12. Ironically they faced each other at the Breakdown event at Minnetonka in 2017 with Czinano winning the personal battle with 20 points, 14 rebounds to 13, 10 for Lee. WM beat Byron 49-41.

The 2017s

The 2017s sent 26 off to D1 of which 22 are still playing. Their collective ppg was 6.114 this past year with 11.86 ppg for the top five.

Name	HS	College	PPG
Kristin Scott	Kasson-Mantorville	Iowa State	14.2
Gabi Haack	Elk River	Bradley	13.3
Temi Carda	Lakeville North	Creighton	12.9
Rachel Ranke	Eastview	Kansas State	10.1
Maddie Monahan	Glencoe-Silver Lake	Drake	8.8

Kristin Scott was honorable mention Big 12. Gabi Haack was first team All Missouri Valley. Temi Carda was honorable mention Big East.

The 2016s

The 2016s had the most players that were D1 signees with 30 of which 23 still were active in the fourth year. Their ppg was 8.087 with 15.56 for the top five.

Name	HS	College	PPG
Madison Nelson	Dover-Eyota	Denver	19.7
Hanna Crymble	Champlin Park	Vermont	16.6
Taylor Koenen	Shakopee	North Carolina	14.7
Laura Bagwell-Katalinich	Holy Angels	Cornell	13.4
Ashley Bates	Hopkins	Hampton	13.4

Madison Nelson and Hannah Sjerven (Rogers) of South Dakota both were named first team All Summit. Sjerven also earned the Defensive Player of the year. Sjerven had double digit scoring. Madison McKeever (Ada-Borup) of South Dakota was honorable mention in the Summit. Another double digit scorer, Abi Scheid (Elk River) of Northwestern, was named to the Big 10 First team as selected by the coaches. Crymble was Defensive Player of the Year in the America East Conference along with being a first team all conference selection, all defensive team and all academic. Taylor Koenen was named to the honorable mention list in the ACC by the Blue Ribbon panel and also by the coaches. Laura Bagwell-Katalinich was honorable mention all Ivy. Ashley Bates was second team Big South All Conference in addition to being named Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight year.

THINGS OF NOTE

The 2016s have had the most players at the freshman, sophomore, and junior levels (27-25-24) of any of the classes. That class also has the best ppg marks in the second and third years (6.01, 7.235).

The 2017s had the best ppg and top five scores in the first year category with 4.229 and 9.426.

The 2018s had the best ppg for the top five in the second year at 12.16.

Crymble alone is the only player from the 2016 class to reach double digit scoring in all four years. As for as the leading scorer in her class her mark was 1-1-4-2 (first year to fourth year). Gabi Haack and Rachel Ranke could potentially reach that level next year. Those two are the only ones from the 2017 class that have made the top five scoring category. Sam Haiby and Emma Grothaus are the only two from the 2018 class still in the running with top five scores.

INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERISTICS

There were 17 players that averaged double digits on the year with the breakdown going 7-4-4-2. (fourth year to first year). The average height for these players is slightly over 6-0 at 6-0.2. The window goes from Ayoka Lee at 6-6 down to Temi Carda at 5-7. Eight are above 6-2. The players above 6-2 averaged 13.89, those 6-1 and under 12.77. It drops to 12.18 for players 5-11 or less.

Nine players did their work in “power 6” conferences. The Big East is considered a power 6 in basketball. The power 6 average was 12.88, the mid-major average was 13.76.

Two of the players are with their second D1 school.

Eleven of the 17 made the state tournament at some point in their high school career.  There is some separation at this level with state players at 14.02 ppg, non-state at 11.97. Six of those players made the championship game in HS. Those six averages 13.45.

The class a player lives in matters. That breakdown was 10 AAAA, 4 AAA, 3 AA, 0 A. However, the ppg had AA at the top with 17.13. This could be tied to the height average at 6-2.7. The AAAA group came in at 12.55, and AAA trailed slightly at 12.28.

In the last four grad classes the conferences that have the best impacts are the Northwest Suburban and South Suburban with three each.

As far as club pedigree the top for the last four grad classes is North Tartan with nine. The Fury is next with four. No other club has more than one.

IMPLICATIONS

The 6-2 number jumps out as being a good indicator for post high school impact. Achieving some postseason high school success also bodes well. Bigger classes face better competition day in and day out. This sharpens skills for post high school—- bigger games, bigger stages. The available pool of these players is extremely small.