Duluth Marshall sophomore guard Chloe Johnson, one of the nation's top college prospects in the Class of 2028 and a respected voice among her peers, helped us craft an insightful list of the best local high school girls basketball players to watch next season. Of course, Johnson is cemented at the top of the list, and will be for each of the next three years until she graduates. Simply said, Johnson is worth twice the price of admission to watch and is on course to be Minnesota's all-time best player.
Here's the list of players we came up with, with Johnson contributing a quote on each rising star:
■ Candice Ndomb, Duluth Marshall junior forward – Ridiculously athletic, strong defender. Still learning to play the game, and at a higher pace. "Candice has improved at finishing at the rim since transferring to Marshall from Duluth East," said Johnson. "She has a good motor and plays summer basketball for Minnesota Starks, a mid-level AAU team. She's improving every day and has been talking to a few D2 schools."
■ Cairin Berger, Duluth Marshall senior guard – Averaged 13.3 points per game a year ago, and has some D2 offers. "Cairin is an elite shooter, who shoots for a high percentage," said Johnson. "She transferred from Esko to Marshall. She comes from a basketball family, understands the game at a high level, and has been working on fundamentals since she was a little girl. She plays summer basketball with Candice."
■ Chloe Carlson, Proctor senior forward – Good shooter and strong defender, who plays for MN Suns, a mid-level AAU program out of Minneapolis. "She has a lot of natural gifts, is entertaining several D2 offers and will be a strong fit in the NSIC," said Johnson.
■ Marta Forsline, Mesabi East senior forward – A Division I prospect who could be an instant standout player at the D2 level, in Johnson's estimation. "She is strong and can shoot, and stars for the Minnesota Suns," said Johnson.
■ Lexi Lamppa, Rock Ridge senior guard/wing – Recently committed to Crookston, in the NSIC. "Lexi's a good ballhandler and shooter," said Johnson. "She also plays good defense, is strong and works hard."
■ Lauren Hughes, Cloquet senior point guard – Super-skilled and athletic, a multi-sport Jacks athlete. "Lauren's gift is setting up her teammates," said Johnson. "She's a strong, tenacious on-ball defender who could play college basketball if she chooses to."
■ Jaylynn Sherill, Hermantown sophomore power forward – Ultra elite raw talent with an almost unlimited upside. "Athletically, she's the best prospect in the area who has the most promising upside of any of the girls we've mentioned," said Johnson. "She's 6-foot, or taller, and super athletic. I'm not sure, but she might be able to dunk. She's playing summer basketball out of Minneapolis this summer, which will help her improve her game. She's also an elite softball player, and hasn't even come close to reaching her potential in basketball."
■ Farah Thomas, Mountain Iron-Buhl freshman guard – Elite shooter, aggressive. Plays AAU for Minnesota Fury, a high-level program out of the Twin Cities. "She's a really good player and up-and-comer to watch," said Johnson.
