The basketball courts at Williams Arena and Maturi Pavilion sit less than a 60-second walk apart. Two venues, two courts, easy access for hoops fans wanting to consume as much of the girls basketball state tournament as possible this week.

Unless the objective is to watch all the elite point guards in action. That’s a problem.

There are too many for one person to observe without missing somebody.

Spend a few days at the showcase event and it’s clear that Minnesota is a province of point guards. College coaches in need of a floor leader would be wise to buy a ticket and take notes.

The headliner is Providence Academy’s Maddyn Greenway, the state’s all-time leading scorer, 2026 Strib Varsity All-Minnesota Player of the Year, McDonald’s All-America, Kentucky signee and nation’s 13th-ranked senior according to ESPN.

Also participating …

Duluth Marshall’s Chloe Johnson, the No. 3-rated recruit in the Class of 2028 national rankings and the most physically dominant player in the state.

And Hill-Murray’s Ashlee Wilson, one of the top eighth-graders in the country.

And Hopkins junior Jaliyah Diggs, a Division I recruit.

And Stewartville senior Audrey Shindelar, a South Dakota State signee.

And Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s junior Morgan Mathiowetz, a North Dakota State commit.

And Monticello senior Samantha Voll, a St. Thomas signee.

And ... well, a complete list would take up all these paragraphs.

“There are so many great point guards,” Greenway said. “We push each other throughout the year. It’s super fun.”

They possess different strengths, skillsets and styles of play. They compete against each other during the high school season and AAU summer circuit. Rivals on the court, they also share mutual respect.

Said Rochester Mayo sophomore Amelia Mills: “I admire all of them, Maddyn especially. I aspire to be like her.”

Said Mathiowetz: “Maddyn Greenway is so dominant and she’s just a competitor. She wants to go out and win every single night and she makes it happen. Teams do everything they can to stop her, and nobody really can.”

Said Greenway: “Chloe impresses me a lot, just the way she handles herself, especially at the national level.”

The volume of elite point guards in one tournament makes me wonder if this is partly the Paige Effect. Players who are teenagers now were beginners in basketball when Paige Bueckers brought a national spotlight to Hopkins.

Young girls watched Bueckers play the position with flair and creativity. Her clips went viral on Instagram and TikTok. Kids across the metro area begged parents to take them to watch Bueckers play in person. They’d gather outside the locker room, waiting for an autograph and photo.

“She was one of the most selfless players there’s been,” Mathiowetz said. “Obviously the success she had at UConn was really cool to see nationwide. Looking at that and knowing her dream was just like mine when she was younger, and it can happen to anyone.”

I spent two full days at the tournament watching point guards specifically and sat in wonderment at their skill level, shot-making ability and confidence under pressure.

Greenway plays at a different speed than everyone else, and she has earned her reputation as a relentless competitor. Simply put, she’s an all-time great in Minnesota history.

Johnson stands 6 feet and can deadlift 300 pounds. She overpowers defenders with strength and skill. Just a sophomore, she will finish her career as an all-time great, too.

Mathiowetz scored 18 points in the first seven minutes in the Class 1A quarterfinals. Mayer Lutheran tried everything to stop her — face-guarding, double teams — but she still finished with 41 points.

Hill-Murray’s Wilson had a tough shooting performance in the Class 3A quarterfinals against Cretin-Derham Hall, but the eighth-grader’s response was the main takeaway. She kept shooting. She didn’t pout or retreat into a shell. Her skill for someone that age is something.

“She’s the toughest kid,” Hill-Murray coach Betty Trull said.

She has company in that category with Rochester Mayo’s Mills, who tripped early in the quarterfinals, landed on her face and suffered a gash over her right eye. Returning with a bandage over her eye, Mills scored 26 points in the game and 29 in a semifinal loss to Rosemount.

Like Greenway, she plays at warp speed.

“It’s not just the speed but it’s the control that she plays under too,” Mayo coach Andy Bromeling said. “It’s so smooth. It is completely beautiful to watch.”

That’s a perfect description for all these point guards competing in one place. They’re all different, and all terrific.