HOPKINS, Minn. — The only thing that could make a national award more exciting for a high school basketball player is having Karl-Anthony Towns present it.
The Minnesota Timberwolves star handed the Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year award to Hopkins senior Paige Bueckers on Monday.
The 5-foot-11-inch guard is widely considered the best high school girls basketball player in the country. She was also named to the McDonald's All-American team last month, and was the first high school girl to ever grace the cover of Slam Magazine.
Bueckers was surprised by Towns on Monday, but this isn't the first time she’s had support from the Timberwolves players. KAT showed up at one of her games last week along with teammates D'Angelo Russell, James Johnson and Josh Okogie.
Bueckers has committed to play at the University of Connecticut. The state girls basketball tournament starts Wednesday, March 11, and she and the Royals are currently undefeated.