Former metro stars shine
Last week Jade Hill (Minneapolis South), Tamia Ugass (Roseville), and Alayna Contreras (Hopkins), three former metro area girls basketball standouts, were set to compete at the NCAA Division I level.
Hill, a senior guard for the University of St. Thomas (UST), was leading the Tommies against the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) Kangaroos featuring Ugass, a senior center, and Contreras, a junior backcourt rival.
This columnist was looking forward to this contest, having covered them — in one way or another — during their prep careers. However, a scheduling conflict caused the columnist to miss UMKC’s 76-69 Summit League victory in a game in which all three had outstanding performances with significant contributions.
Hill scored 15 points for UST, while Ugass and Contreras led UMKC with 26 and 18 points, respectively. Not only did each have an outstanding game, but they all have had interesting journeys to playing at the collegiate level.
Hill, who will leave UST as one of the school’s most decorated players, dominated the high school scene during her time at South. She was a two-time Minneapolis City Conference Player of the Year, scored a career-high 52 points in a game, and finished with over 2,700 points for her career.
As a senior at Roseville High School, Ugass averaged 18.3 points per game, including a career-high 38, while named the second-ranked center in the state. She originally signed with Louisiana State University, but a coaching change led her to transfer to UMKC.
Contreras, a junior guard, finished with 18 points for UMKC. She played a supporting role during her varsity career at Hopkins High School that included a Class 4A state championship (2019). Her patience and perseverance has contributed to her emergence as one the country’s top guards.
The brilliant careers of Hill and Ugass will conclude at the end of the season, while Contreras will return for her final campaign next year.
Three of the metro area’s finest represented. This columnist is sorry he missed it.
Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald welcomes reader comments to mcdeezy05@gmail.com.