10 players to watch in the Section 1AA, 1A girls basketball playoffs
Feb. 20—Gadient is the point guard on one of the top teams in Class AA, the Wildcats ranked fourth in the state. The junior does it all, averaging 19 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. She also surpassed 1,000 career points this season. Gadient is smooth, quick and at 5-feet-10, has length.
Miller has been great all season for the Wildcats. The 5-foot-10 senior is a do-it-all player, averaging 15 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 3 steals per game. She is a heck of a shooter, too, at 52% from the field. Miller comes from a line of excellent basketball-playing sisters. She's also a 1,000-point scorer.
Bretton is as well-rounded a player as there is in Section 1AA. She checks every box, averaging 15 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists per game, as well as being a terrific ball handler, passer and defender. Bretton is a primary leader on a team that has lost just four times all season. She'll play basketball next season at Winona State University.
Sauer has been the biggest individual surprise from Section 1AA this season. Mostly a rebounder a year ago, the sophomore is averaging 17.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2 steals and shooting an incredible 45% on 3-pointers. The sharpshooter has hit 61 of them.
Privet is the best shooter on a Caledonia that is full of them. The senior guard averages 15 points per game and is a dazzler from 3-point distance, knocking them down at a 42% rate. She'll play Division II basketball next year at Upper Iowa University.
At point guard, Watson is the driver of this excellent Hayfield bus. Quick, strong, tenacious and skilled, Watson can beat teams in a bunch of ways. The junior averages 19.4 points, 3.2 assists, 2.8 steals and 4.9 rebounds per game. Watson has also become a much better shooter from deep.
Beaver, another standout Hayfield junior, averages nearly a double-double at 17.2 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. The 5-foot-11 forward has got the rest of the game covered as well, with 2.4 steals, 1.8 assists and 1.4 blocks per game. And she sizzles at the free-throw line, connecting on 81% of her tries.
Queensland is one of the top up-and-coming players in southeastern Minnesota. Just a sophomore, the 5-foot-10 forward averages 14.3 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists per game. She has helped lead a balanced team that is a serious contender to advance to state.
The 5-foot-11 senior is arguably her Southeast Conference's most forceful player. Strong and an excellent finisher, Ruen is a handful down low, averaging 18 points on 52% shooting and 13 rebounds.
Ruberg, a senior guard, has been one of the Three Rivers Conference's top players for three straight years. The 1,000-point scorer averages 14.7 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2 assists and 2.8 steals per game.
