Five Former Prep Stars Now Leading the Next Generation
Sports columnist Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald rounds up five former Twin Cities prep standouts now making their mark off the court. Nia Hollie, the 2016 Minnesota Miss Basketball, is DeLaSalle's new girls basketball coach. Ronnie Porter walked on at Wisconsin and became a four-year starter. Ashley Ellis-Milan now leads Community Engagement at Big Brothers Big Sisters Twin Cities after coaching East Ridge to its first state tournament. Darren Edwards and James Henderson swapped sides of the bench too, taking over Roseville and East Ridge girls basketball respectively.
This week’s column features five former prep stars who are representing.
Nia Hollie
The former Hopkins High School girls basketball standout, who went on to play collegiately for the Michigan State Spartans, is the new girls basketball coach at DeLaSalle High School after leading Two Rivers High School for three consecutive seasons of improvement.
While at Hopkins, Hollie was named Minnesota Miss Basketball in 2016.
She got her start in coaching as an assistant at Cretin Derham Hall High School.
Ronnie Porter
When Porter, a point guard for St. Paul Como Park High School, was being interviewed during her senior year, she let it be known that a plan after her prep career was in the works.
She not only surprised everyone by walking on to the University of Wisconsin Badgers women’s basketball program, but also became a four-year starter at point guard and earned a scholarship in the process.
Ashley Ellis-Milan
The former St. Paul Central High School and University of Minnesota girls basketball standout is the new director of Community Engagement and Recruitment for Big Brothers Big Sisters Twin Cities.
Ellis-Milan transitioned from a decorated high school and college player to one of the state’s top girls basketball coaches, leading East Ridge High School to a spot in its first-ever Class 4A state tournament in 2026.
Darren Edwards
Edwards, at one time one of the top high school running backs in the state as a student athlete at St. Paul Arlington High School, is the head coach of the Roseville High School girls basketball team after leading the South St. Paul High School boys’ basketball program the past five seasons.
Former prep standouts Andrayah Adams (St. Paul Como Park) and Alex Moore (St. Paul Johnson) are assistant coaches for the Raiders.
James Henderson
Former Roseville High School boys basketball star James Henderson is the new head girls basketball coach at East Ridge High School.
Henderson and the Raptors will be coming off a season in which the school made its first Class 4A state tournament appearance in 2026.
He has extensive experience as a head coach, including stops at Roseville High School, Apple Valley Senior High School and Concordia Academy.
Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald welcomes reader responses at mcdeezy05@gmail.com.