This week’s column features a student athlete in her final season playing women’s basketball, another finding success in his first collegiate season, five girls basketball players making their mark, and a veteran high school coach being honored.
White playing final college season
From the moment she stepped on the basketball court for the 2018-19 season as a freshman member of DeSalle’s girls varsity team, Savannah White seemed destined to be remembered as one of the school’s best to ever do it.
Well, she did!
The 6’2” forward, now a senior at Xavier University, is completing her collegiate career in style — after stops at the University of Wisconsin as a freshman, and Indiana State University during her sophomore and junior seasons— settling in as a starter for the Musketeers averaging seven points and seven rebounds per game.
Don’t let those modest numbers fool you.
White has season highs of 24 points (against Drake University), 13 rebounds (University of Dayton), 5 assists (Drake), 4 steals (University of Evansville), and 9 blocks (Drake).
She had an outstanding prep career as a four-year player for the Islanders, leading them to the 2019 Class 3A state championship.
El-Amin doing well in first collegiate season
The collegiate career of former Minnetonka boys basketball standout Isa El-Amin is off to a great start.
Not only is the 5’11” point guard starting for the Minnesota State University Moorhead Dragons, he is also averaging 13 points per game. As a senior he averaged 24.6 points and was a contributor to the Class 4A state champions as a junior in 2024.
El-Amin recently had a season high of 28 points against the University of Minnesota-Duluth.
Outstanding girls basketball players
The following are five players to watch. Ma’Lon McCoy: St. Agnes guard averaging 16.4 points per game. Madeleine Hamiel: Cretin Derham Hall guard averaging 14.7 points. JaShaya Kyles: St. Paul Washington/Johnson guard averaging 15.2 points. Aniyrah Gorman: Minneapolis North guard averaging 22 points. Jaliyah Diggs: Hopkins guard averaging 16.2 points.
Hyser in Hall of Fame
Joe Hyser, the head coach of the Minneapolis South boys basketball team since 1996, recently became the newest inductee to the South Wall of Fame.
Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald welcomes reader comments to mcdeezy05@gmail.com.