Well, the 2019-2020 basketball season is now 1/3 over. The "pre-season" is over. Up next, the grind, the "regular season." And, after that, what we all live for, the "post-season."
Among the boys, the surprises to date are very few and far between in Class AAAA, and then they become more and more numerous as you climb the ladder to AAA, AA and A.
Class AAAA
At this point, I've changed just one of my section favorites--that would be from Wayzata to Hopkins in Section 6AAAA, and that's a weak change. In other words, the Trojans got off to a terrible start due mostly to injuries. So, I'll bite. I'll move the Royals back up into the favorite's spot. But, if Wayzata gets healthy, as they are now showing signs of doing, I might regret the change. Elsewhere, the favorites continue to be Lakeville South, Eden Prairie, Eastview, Cretin, Park Center, Cambridge and Maple Grove.
Even more than the change at the top of Section 6, the surprises are Eastview (7-1, my #3), Lakeville South (now 8-0, #4) and Rochester Mayo (6-1, #10). The big droppers are Wayzata (from #4 to #17), Prior Lake (#3 to #11) and Champlin Park (from #10 to outside the top 20). Also making the latest top 10 are Shakopee and Chaska.
Still, Eden Prairie and Park Center remain at #1 and #2, just in reverse order, and remain our picks to play for the state title. Eastview and Lakeville South are now my other semi-finalists, replacing Prior Lake and Wayzata. And, I see Park Center edging Eden Prairie 68-67 in the state final. You can see these same 2 teams play one another on Saturday, January 18, at Anoka-Ramsey Community College in Coon Rapids at 4:15 p.m.
Dawson Garcia is now hurt, which explains Prior Lake dropping, and so he now shares the lead for AAAA PoY with Dain Dainja, Park Center, and Ben Carlson, East Ridge.
Class AAA
Here, Minnehaha and DeLaSalle remain at #1 and #2. I've changed 3 of my section faves. In Section 2AAA, Marshall (8-0, up from #5 statewide to #3) inches ahead of Mankato East (7-1, down from #3 to #6). In 3AAA, St. Croix Lutheran displaces Holy Angels. In 7AAA, Princeton displaces Hibbing.
St. Cloud Apollo is the big surprise though they were the pre-season Section 8AAA fave, but they were #10 at the time--now unbeaten and #4. The other surprises are Princeton and Marshall. The droppers are Waconia, Holy Angels and Hibbing.
The other section faves after 'Haha, De, Marshall, St. Croix Lutheran, Princeton and Apollo continue to be Austin and Delano. Also in my top 10 is Torino-Grace.
PoY in AAA continues to be Jalen Suggs, of course, and I see Suggs' team beating Marshall 67-65 in the state final after Marshall upsets De in the semis.
Class AA
Class AA is a hot mess with new favorites in 5 sections. In 1AA, Caledonia (8-0) now takes a small lead over Lake City (8-1). In 3AA, unbeaten Tracy-Milroy-Balaton displaces Jackson County Central. In 4AA, St. Croix Prep moves ahead of Cristo Rey Jesuit. In 6AA, Annandale displaces Melrose, and in 7AA, Virginia takes over for Esko.
The big gainers are Annandale, but also Minnesota Valley Lutheran and Blake, all having moved from unranked to the top 10. The big droppers are Cristo Rey, Jordan and Maranatha, who drop from the top 10 and out of the top 15.
The other section faves remain Waseca, Mpls. North and Perham. I foresee Perham 66 Caledonia 65 in the state final.
Class A
There are also new favorites in half of the Class A sections--Blooming Prairie moving ahead of Rushford-Peterson in 1A, Southwest MN Christian ahead of Minneota in 3A, Legacy Christian ahead of Mayer Lutheran in 4A, and Nevis ahead of Cromwell in 5A.
The big movers are Waterville-Elysian-Morristown from #13 to #3, but still #2 in Section 2A behind BOLD; Southwest MN Christian from #14 to #2; and Nevis from unranked to #4. The big droppers are Mayer Lutheran, Minneota and Rushford-Pete.
The other section faves remain Henning, North Woods and Ada. I see Southwest Christian and Nevis replacing Ada and Mayer Lutheran in the state semi-finals, and Southwest Christian beating Henning 65-57 in the final.
Summary
So, overall, the most improved teams from pre-season expectations are:
1. St. Cloud Apollo was #10AAA pre-season. Still, 8-0 was not expected, including wins over Princeton, Cambridge and Maranatha.
2. Eastview was #8AAAA but the win over East Ridge was not expected. Now 7-1 with a loss only to #1 Eden Prairie, they've moved up to #3 ahead of folks like Cretin, Hopkins, Park Center and Prior Lake.
3. Waterville-EM has lost only to defending state champ Henning, and that in 3 OT, so they've moved from #13 to #3 in Class A. They still trail #1A BOLD in their section.
4. Lakeville South. Everything we said about Eastview applies here, and they've moved from #15AAAA to #4.
5. Annandale didn't even make the pre-season top 5 in Section 5AA. Now they're the fave (and #7AA overall) at 6-0 with a win over Maranatha.
6. Southwest MN Christian (6-0).
7. Princeton (7-2).
8. Rochester Mayo (6-1).
9. Marshall (9-0).
10. Minnesota Valley Lutheran (9-0).
Sunday, December 29, 2019
Saturday, December 28, 2019
Rogers, Andover and Roseville girls win at Roseville
Rogers opened the Roseville Girls Holiday Tournament with a 78-57 win over Mpls. South. In fact, it was 78-44 at the 5 minute mark, when South's starters closed it out with a 13-0 run over Rogers' deep bench to make it respectable. Rogers had 5 players in double figures, shot 47% from the field with 16 assists, according to my unofficial numbers. They must have averaged 8 to 10 passes per shot, while South had all kinds of 1-2-3 touch possessions, just a whole lot of 1-on-1.
Sophomore forward Ellie Buzzelle was, well, not quite her usual self, scoring only 19 points, but 14 of them as Rogers built a 42-29 lead in the 1st half. It was senior guards Alaina Brenning and Ali Karels who did a lot of the work for Rogers, with 25 points between them on (again, unofficially) 11-of-14 shooting, 5 assists and 2 turnovers. Inside it was freshman Clara Glad and Katelyn Maciej combining for 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting to go with 16 rebounds. Junior Mackenzie Matthies had a really nice game off the bench with 7 points on 3-of-5 shooting, 3 boards and a team-high 5 assists.
Bottom line: Rogers moved the ball, got those 16 assists, and then 15 offensive boards didn't hurt.
Jade Hill scored 21 for South.
Andover followed with an exciting 63-61 win over Woodbury. Andover led 30-25 at the half, and 45-36 and 49-40 in the 2nd before Woodbury came back to make a game of it. The Royals tied it at 53 at 4:06 on a Carley West bucket. They took their first and only lead of the 2nd half at 55-53, then 57-53 on a pair of cutbacks by Megan Hurley and Mary Grant. But, Andover finished on a 10-4 run, taking a 61-59 lead on a Sydney White 3 and getting the win on an Alyssa Gerth layup with 3 seconds remaining.
In fact, Gerth was in-bounding the ball from the baseline under her own basket. The Woodbury defender turned her back on the passer to face the court. Gerth bounced it off the defender's back, got both feet in bounds, grabbed the ball again, and laid it in. I've seen that a few times, but I don't think I've ever seen it for the game-winner.
White scored 30 for Andover on 3s, dribble drives, you name. She is a complete offensive player, strong, works hard to get open. Gerth is a smart, solid point guard, and scored 16. For Woodbury, it was mostly inside, where West scored 22 points and Mary Grant came off the bench to score 19. In the final 10 minutes, Woodbury had 4 offensive boards good for 9 2nd chance points. On the other hand, the officials had a tough night. They never called West's hook move in the lane, they didn't notice Andover's shooters getting hammered twice inside of 30 seconds. Emily Diemer got bodied so hard she had to come out of the game. No call. And, then Taylor Einck fouled out on a ticky-tack foul on the rebound as the official under the basket made a no-call but the official at half-court ran in to interrupt the proceedings. But Woodbury missed 2 possible game-winning FT to set up Gerth's game-winner.
Finally, Roseville defeated Hastings 53-47 in a surprisingly close game. It was 25-16 at the half as the Roseville didn't start to exploit their size inside until the half was half done. After that, Roseville's Jayda Johnston (18 points), Tamia Ugass (16) and Josie Haug (7) combined for 41 points. But 5 guards scored just 12 points for the Raiders. Meanwhile, Mallory Brake kept Hastings in it with 29 points. She scored 9 of Hastings' first 12 points and the Raiders from Hastings led the Raiders from Roseville 12-8. They shut the Creighton-bound Brake for the next 10 minutes but then she hit a 3 to get Hastings within 18-16. They didn't score the rest of the 1st half, however.
Brake scored 17 in the 2nd half to keep Hastings close. Her fellow 6-footer Lily Nuytten (pronounced Newton) added 11, but their teammates could only muster 7 points among them.
I did not see Centennial break away from a 26-26 halftime tie to defeat Cooper 61-49 as Jodi Anderson and Jenna Guyer combined for 34 points.
The Top Individuals
Center--1) Jenna Guyer, Centennial, 2) Mary Grant, Woodbury, off the bench
Power Forward--1) Jayda Johnston, Roseville, 2) Carley West, Woodbury
Small Forward--1) Mallory Brake, Hastings, the overall MVP for the day, and 2) Jodi Anderson, Centennial
Point Guard--1) Alyssa Gerth, Andover, 2) Ali Karels, Rogers
Shooting Guard--1) Sydney White, Andover, 2) Ellie Buzzelle, Rogers
The Semis
There should be a pair of competitive semi-final games today as Andover faces Rogers and Centennial takes on the hosts from Roseville. Rogers had by far the most balanced and distributed scoring and, well, their 3-4-5 players and their bench was deeper and better than any of the other 8 teams here, but Andover is going to be a bigger challenge for them than South was able to muster. Sydney White vs. Ellie Buzzelle will be a scoring contest to see. Buzzelle is maybe a tad better from long range but White is stronger going to the rim.
Centennial will also provide Roseville with a tougher challenge than Hastings did, and Roseville only beat Hastings by 6. Can Roseville's big 3 score 41 against Guyer and company inside, or can Roseville's guards get it going a little better. One or the other will probably have to happen for the Raiders to win.
Sophomore forward Ellie Buzzelle was, well, not quite her usual self, scoring only 19 points, but 14 of them as Rogers built a 42-29 lead in the 1st half. It was senior guards Alaina Brenning and Ali Karels who did a lot of the work for Rogers, with 25 points between them on (again, unofficially) 11-of-14 shooting, 5 assists and 2 turnovers. Inside it was freshman Clara Glad and Katelyn Maciej combining for 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting to go with 16 rebounds. Junior Mackenzie Matthies had a really nice game off the bench with 7 points on 3-of-5 shooting, 3 boards and a team-high 5 assists.
Bottom line: Rogers moved the ball, got those 16 assists, and then 15 offensive boards didn't hurt.
Jade Hill scored 21 for South.
Andover followed with an exciting 63-61 win over Woodbury. Andover led 30-25 at the half, and 45-36 and 49-40 in the 2nd before Woodbury came back to make a game of it. The Royals tied it at 53 at 4:06 on a Carley West bucket. They took their first and only lead of the 2nd half at 55-53, then 57-53 on a pair of cutbacks by Megan Hurley and Mary Grant. But, Andover finished on a 10-4 run, taking a 61-59 lead on a Sydney White 3 and getting the win on an Alyssa Gerth layup with 3 seconds remaining.
In fact, Gerth was in-bounding the ball from the baseline under her own basket. The Woodbury defender turned her back on the passer to face the court. Gerth bounced it off the defender's back, got both feet in bounds, grabbed the ball again, and laid it in. I've seen that a few times, but I don't think I've ever seen it for the game-winner.
White scored 30 for Andover on 3s, dribble drives, you name. She is a complete offensive player, strong, works hard to get open. Gerth is a smart, solid point guard, and scored 16. For Woodbury, it was mostly inside, where West scored 22 points and Mary Grant came off the bench to score 19. In the final 10 minutes, Woodbury had 4 offensive boards good for 9 2nd chance points. On the other hand, the officials had a tough night. They never called West's hook move in the lane, they didn't notice Andover's shooters getting hammered twice inside of 30 seconds. Emily Diemer got bodied so hard she had to come out of the game. No call. And, then Taylor Einck fouled out on a ticky-tack foul on the rebound as the official under the basket made a no-call but the official at half-court ran in to interrupt the proceedings. But Woodbury missed 2 possible game-winning FT to set up Gerth's game-winner.
Finally, Roseville defeated Hastings 53-47 in a surprisingly close game. It was 25-16 at the half as the Roseville didn't start to exploit their size inside until the half was half done. After that, Roseville's Jayda Johnston (18 points), Tamia Ugass (16) and Josie Haug (7) combined for 41 points. But 5 guards scored just 12 points for the Raiders. Meanwhile, Mallory Brake kept Hastings in it with 29 points. She scored 9 of Hastings' first 12 points and the Raiders from Hastings led the Raiders from Roseville 12-8. They shut the Creighton-bound Brake for the next 10 minutes but then she hit a 3 to get Hastings within 18-16. They didn't score the rest of the 1st half, however.
Brake scored 17 in the 2nd half to keep Hastings close. Her fellow 6-footer Lily Nuytten (pronounced Newton) added 11, but their teammates could only muster 7 points among them.
I did not see Centennial break away from a 26-26 halftime tie to defeat Cooper 61-49 as Jodi Anderson and Jenna Guyer combined for 34 points.
The Top Individuals
Center--1) Jenna Guyer, Centennial, 2) Mary Grant, Woodbury, off the bench
Power Forward--1) Jayda Johnston, Roseville, 2) Carley West, Woodbury
Small Forward--1) Mallory Brake, Hastings, the overall MVP for the day, and 2) Jodi Anderson, Centennial
Point Guard--1) Alyssa Gerth, Andover, 2) Ali Karels, Rogers
Shooting Guard--1) Sydney White, Andover, 2) Ellie Buzzelle, Rogers
The Semis
There should be a pair of competitive semi-final games today as Andover faces Rogers and Centennial takes on the hosts from Roseville. Rogers had by far the most balanced and distributed scoring and, well, their 3-4-5 players and their bench was deeper and better than any of the other 8 teams here, but Andover is going to be a bigger challenge for them than South was able to muster. Sydney White vs. Ellie Buzzelle will be a scoring contest to see. Buzzelle is maybe a tad better from long range but White is stronger going to the rim.
Centennial will also provide Roseville with a tougher challenge than Hastings did, and Roseville only beat Hastings by 6. Can Roseville's big 3 score 41 against Guyer and company inside, or can Roseville's guards get it going a little better. One or the other will probably have to happen for the Raiders to win.
Friday, December 27, 2019
Eastview boys 66 East Ridge 63
People are talking about Ben Carlson (6-8, of East Ridge, ranked #5 in Minnesota's senior class) and Stephen Crowl (6-11, of Eastview, ranked #6), future teammates at that school that has Bucky Badger as its mascot. But, there's probably going to be some talk about Crowl's high school teammate Ryan Thissen here pretty quick. The 6-5 wing is rated just #41 among Minnesota's seniors and it appears he's uncommitted. But, he was the difference Friday night as #8 ranked Eastview (now 6-1) stormed back from a 5-point half-time deficit to win at #4 East Ridge (now 4-3) 66-63.
But, first, Carlson outplayed and outscored Crowl 24-13. Carlson is much improved over last year. He overpowered Eastview's attempts at double and triple teams, scoring mostly from inside. Crowl, has 3 inches on Carlson but probably gives up a few pounds, and the Raptors' double and triple teams bothered Crowl all night. Carlson has always been more highly rated, though recently you'll hear people say Crowl has more upside with his size and his ability to step outside and hit the 3, though he did that only once tonight. And, the fact is that at the next level, nobody's going to be able to throw their whole defense at Crowl, so he'll have more room to operate and could be better at the next level. Meanwhile, you wonder if Carlson will be able to overpower people at the next level. But, hey, he was better tonight and maybe he's the one with more upside. I'm sure Bucky will be happy either way.
But, returning to Thissen. He's a solid 6-6, plenty mobile to play the 2 and a solid shooter. He got the ball out of bounds at his own FT line with 3.8 seconds left tonight and the score tied at 63. He brought the ball up the right sideline. With time running out, he let it go about 30 feet from his own baseline but on the right sideline, so it was probably a 35-footer. It banked off the glass and through the hoop as the buzzer sounded. They were his 19th, 20th and 21st points.
East Ridge led by as many as 9 in the 1st half, then by 5 at the half, and by 39-31 and 48-42. Thissen tied it up at 51 with a post-up, then scored on a dribble drive to make it 53-51. A Thissen FT tied it up at 54, and a Thissen 2 made it 60-56 Eastview. A Thissen FT made it 63-61 Eastview, and then came the game-winner. So that's 11 points and a pair of boards in the final 7 minutes. The only quibble was 2-of-5 FT down the stretch.
The third star for Eastview was senior point guard Caden Scales, who is athletic with great handles. He scored on a terrific put-back to get the Lightning within 51-49 at about 8 minutes.
For East Ridge, you had sophomore 6-5 point guard Kendall Blue, who scored 15; and 6-6 senior wing Brody Kriesel, who was everywhere, guarding Crowl, pounding the boards and adding 9 points.
It was a game that, frankly, East Ridge should have won. They had it won. Up 48-42 at 9 minutes, they were outscored 24-15 on their homeport. The 2nd chance points in the 2nd half were Eastview 9 East Ridge 0, and that is basically the story. Carlson outplayed Crowl, but bench scoring was 17-0 Eastview. It's tough to win when you're outscored 26-0 off the bench and off the glass.
But, first, Carlson outplayed and outscored Crowl 24-13. Carlson is much improved over last year. He overpowered Eastview's attempts at double and triple teams, scoring mostly from inside. Crowl, has 3 inches on Carlson but probably gives up a few pounds, and the Raptors' double and triple teams bothered Crowl all night. Carlson has always been more highly rated, though recently you'll hear people say Crowl has more upside with his size and his ability to step outside and hit the 3, though he did that only once tonight. And, the fact is that at the next level, nobody's going to be able to throw their whole defense at Crowl, so he'll have more room to operate and could be better at the next level. Meanwhile, you wonder if Carlson will be able to overpower people at the next level. But, hey, he was better tonight and maybe he's the one with more upside. I'm sure Bucky will be happy either way.
But, returning to Thissen. He's a solid 6-6, plenty mobile to play the 2 and a solid shooter. He got the ball out of bounds at his own FT line with 3.8 seconds left tonight and the score tied at 63. He brought the ball up the right sideline. With time running out, he let it go about 30 feet from his own baseline but on the right sideline, so it was probably a 35-footer. It banked off the glass and through the hoop as the buzzer sounded. They were his 19th, 20th and 21st points.
East Ridge led by as many as 9 in the 1st half, then by 5 at the half, and by 39-31 and 48-42. Thissen tied it up at 51 with a post-up, then scored on a dribble drive to make it 53-51. A Thissen FT tied it up at 54, and a Thissen 2 made it 60-56 Eastview. A Thissen FT made it 63-61 Eastview, and then came the game-winner. So that's 11 points and a pair of boards in the final 7 minutes. The only quibble was 2-of-5 FT down the stretch.
The third star for Eastview was senior point guard Caden Scales, who is athletic with great handles. He scored on a terrific put-back to get the Lightning within 51-49 at about 8 minutes.
For East Ridge, you had sophomore 6-5 point guard Kendall Blue, who scored 15; and 6-6 senior wing Brody Kriesel, who was everywhere, guarding Crowl, pounding the boards and adding 9 points.
It was a game that, frankly, East Ridge should have won. They had it won. Up 48-42 at 9 minutes, they were outscored 24-15 on their homeport. The 2nd chance points in the 2nd half were Eastview 9 East Ridge 0, and that is basically the story. Carlson outplayed Crowl, but bench scoring was 17-0 Eastview. It's tough to win when you're outscored 26-0 off the bench and off the glass.
4 Holiday Games at Hill-Murray
It was a slow day. Wednesday Christmas is not conducive to holiday basketball, so 4 girls games at the Hill-Murray tournament were the only games in town.
Waconia and Sibley opened it up and the Wildcats were too much for the Warriors 59-36. Waconia, as you know, is quick and athletic and runs the floor. Usually they shoot and make a ton of 3s but today they went inside against Sibley and sophomores Ava Stier and Audrey Swanson flourished with that with 18 and 8 points apiece. Waconia led 14-11 at one point, then went on 38-9 run to lead, including 16-2 to open the 2nd half for a 52-20 lead. Sibley also turned it over a ton and Waconia is plenty athletic to convert those 2-on-1s and 3-on-2s.
Lindsey Becher didn't start for Mounds View, but came in at 16:30, her team trailing Tartan 4-0. She promptly scored a pair of buckets (and 14 in the 1st half) to tie it up at 4. Sophomore wing Maddie Hanson added 14 points of her own in the 1st half including 4 3-points, and Mounds View led 38-22. If there was any doubt it was erased as the Mustangs scored the first 8 points of the 2nd half, all by Becher and Hanson. They finished with 22 and 25 points apiece. Senior guard Katia Cummings led Tartan with 14.
The feature game, I thought, was Wayzata 74 St. Croix Lutheran 44. OK, wasn't close. But it was a well-played game even on the part of the losing Crusaders. Post Annika Stewart and power forward Jenna Johnson gave the Trojans a huge size advantage inside and they capitalized. Johnson had 18 points in the 1st half, 10 of them on 5-of-6 shooting off 6 offensive boards. Wayzata led 39-18 at the half.
Despite the 30-point loss, St. Croix Lutheran looked good. They played like basketball players. They also had some difficulty protecting the ball, but they move the ball and they move without the ball. But here again, Wayzata's size and length enable them to get a hand in the face as they say and, in the 1st half at least, St. Croix shot just 6-of-26. Point guard Kenna Moon, a junior, and shooting guard Laura Hauge, just an 8th grader, have really nice 3-point strokes, and Hauge has as much range as anybody. She made a pair of 3s from the volleyball service line. They finished with 12 and 10 points respectively. Junior Luci Hauge battled inside, too, though she was not going to get the best of it, giving away a good 4 inches to Johnson and Stewart, I would guess.
Finally, Forest Lake surprised host Hill-Murray. I don't think the Pioneers have lost in the 1st round of this tournament in a decade. It was 22-all at the half, but the Rangers pulled away with 43 2nd half points and a 65-55 final. Forest Lake's big 3 was Logan Anderson, Olivia Pekron and Greta Krieger with 24, 15 and 11 points (50 among them). Hill-Murray's big 3 scored 51--Bella Hartzell 20, Ella Runyon 15 and Lilli Mackley 14. But Forest Lake got another 15 points from its role players, Hill-Murray just 4. Ouch.
Thursday's All-Stars
Center--Lindsey Becher, Mounds View, 6-2, senior, 22 points. I remember seeing her as a freshman in this same tournament and wondering if she was going to make it. She had a lot of skills and upside, and was already a great shot-blocker. Well, she's gotten stronger and smarter, and she could have gone D1 but chose to play at Concordia-St. Paul, where she will do well.
Power Forward--Jenna Johnson, Wayzata, 6-2, junior, 23 points. Rated #2 in her class, and the only option to that would be #1. Relentless inside, great footwork.
Wing--Logan Anderson, Forest Lake, 5-10, junior, 24 points. Things weren't going her way in the 1st half but she kept after it. Forest Lake post Olivia Pekron is maybe 5-11 and she steps outside to shoot the 3. Anderson scores mostly in the lane.
Point Guard--Kenna Moon, St. Croix Lutheran, 5-7, junior, 12 points. The Crusaders are not big or long but they can shoot it. Moon is the primary ball-handler and she has a great stroke on the 3, mostly from the left corner.
Shooting Guard--Katia Cummings, Tartan, 5-9, senior, 14 points. Used to have Chèvre and Mason and Moeschter as teammates. Now, well, Tartan is not going to win a lot of games, but Cummings is the same player who scores every which way but loose.
Sophomores and Younger
Center--Ava Steir, Waconia, 5-10, sophomore, 18 points. OK, not really a post, but she was unstoppable inside.
Forward--Abby Krzewinski, Wayzata, 5-10, freshman, 4 points. The next Wayzata phenom. She scored just those 4 points but in the 1st half she had 4--count 'em--4 steals and assists on Wayzata fast break buckets.
Point Guard--Mara Braun, Wayzata, 6-0, sophomore, 9 points. Wayzata didn't need her to score. She moved the ball and got it to Johnson and Stewart who did the rest. Also one of the top 2 or 3 players in her class.
Shooting Guard--Ella Runyon, Hill-Murray, 5-7, sophomore, 15 points. Can shoot it but she's even better going to the rim.
Shooting Guard--Luci Hauge, St. Croix Lutheran, 5-6, 8th, 10 points. Had difficulty getting off her shot. Wayzata does as good a job as anybody of getting out and defending the 3-point line. Her 3 makes were all from 25 feet or more. Great instincts.
3rd Team
Center--Olivia Pekron, Forest Lake, 5-11, junior, 15 points. Really active, high energy.
Power Forward--Laura Hauge, St. Croix Lutheran, 5-9, junior, 8 points. Battled.
Wing--Maddie Hanson, Mounds View, 5-7, sophomore, 25 points. Shoots the 3.
Guard--SeSe Burks, Sibley, 5-9, senior, 12 points.
Guard--Bella Hartzell, Hill-Murray, 5-10, junior, 20 points.
Waconia and Sibley opened it up and the Wildcats were too much for the Warriors 59-36. Waconia, as you know, is quick and athletic and runs the floor. Usually they shoot and make a ton of 3s but today they went inside against Sibley and sophomores Ava Stier and Audrey Swanson flourished with that with 18 and 8 points apiece. Waconia led 14-11 at one point, then went on 38-9 run to lead, including 16-2 to open the 2nd half for a 52-20 lead. Sibley also turned it over a ton and Waconia is plenty athletic to convert those 2-on-1s and 3-on-2s.
Lindsey Becher didn't start for Mounds View, but came in at 16:30, her team trailing Tartan 4-0. She promptly scored a pair of buckets (and 14 in the 1st half) to tie it up at 4. Sophomore wing Maddie Hanson added 14 points of her own in the 1st half including 4 3-points, and Mounds View led 38-22. If there was any doubt it was erased as the Mustangs scored the first 8 points of the 2nd half, all by Becher and Hanson. They finished with 22 and 25 points apiece. Senior guard Katia Cummings led Tartan with 14.
The feature game, I thought, was Wayzata 74 St. Croix Lutheran 44. OK, wasn't close. But it was a well-played game even on the part of the losing Crusaders. Post Annika Stewart and power forward Jenna Johnson gave the Trojans a huge size advantage inside and they capitalized. Johnson had 18 points in the 1st half, 10 of them on 5-of-6 shooting off 6 offensive boards. Wayzata led 39-18 at the half.
Despite the 30-point loss, St. Croix Lutheran looked good. They played like basketball players. They also had some difficulty protecting the ball, but they move the ball and they move without the ball. But here again, Wayzata's size and length enable them to get a hand in the face as they say and, in the 1st half at least, St. Croix shot just 6-of-26. Point guard Kenna Moon, a junior, and shooting guard Laura Hauge, just an 8th grader, have really nice 3-point strokes, and Hauge has as much range as anybody. She made a pair of 3s from the volleyball service line. They finished with 12 and 10 points respectively. Junior Luci Hauge battled inside, too, though she was not going to get the best of it, giving away a good 4 inches to Johnson and Stewart, I would guess.
Finally, Forest Lake surprised host Hill-Murray. I don't think the Pioneers have lost in the 1st round of this tournament in a decade. It was 22-all at the half, but the Rangers pulled away with 43 2nd half points and a 65-55 final. Forest Lake's big 3 was Logan Anderson, Olivia Pekron and Greta Krieger with 24, 15 and 11 points (50 among them). Hill-Murray's big 3 scored 51--Bella Hartzell 20, Ella Runyon 15 and Lilli Mackley 14. But Forest Lake got another 15 points from its role players, Hill-Murray just 4. Ouch.
Thursday's All-Stars
Center--Lindsey Becher, Mounds View, 6-2, senior, 22 points. I remember seeing her as a freshman in this same tournament and wondering if she was going to make it. She had a lot of skills and upside, and was already a great shot-blocker. Well, she's gotten stronger and smarter, and she could have gone D1 but chose to play at Concordia-St. Paul, where she will do well.
Power Forward--Jenna Johnson, Wayzata, 6-2, junior, 23 points. Rated #2 in her class, and the only option to that would be #1. Relentless inside, great footwork.
Wing--Logan Anderson, Forest Lake, 5-10, junior, 24 points. Things weren't going her way in the 1st half but she kept after it. Forest Lake post Olivia Pekron is maybe 5-11 and she steps outside to shoot the 3. Anderson scores mostly in the lane.
Point Guard--Kenna Moon, St. Croix Lutheran, 5-7, junior, 12 points. The Crusaders are not big or long but they can shoot it. Moon is the primary ball-handler and she has a great stroke on the 3, mostly from the left corner.
Shooting Guard--Katia Cummings, Tartan, 5-9, senior, 14 points. Used to have Chèvre and Mason and Moeschter as teammates. Now, well, Tartan is not going to win a lot of games, but Cummings is the same player who scores every which way but loose.
Sophomores and Younger
Center--Ava Steir, Waconia, 5-10, sophomore, 18 points. OK, not really a post, but she was unstoppable inside.
Forward--Abby Krzewinski, Wayzata, 5-10, freshman, 4 points. The next Wayzata phenom. She scored just those 4 points but in the 1st half she had 4--count 'em--4 steals and assists on Wayzata fast break buckets.
Point Guard--Mara Braun, Wayzata, 6-0, sophomore, 9 points. Wayzata didn't need her to score. She moved the ball and got it to Johnson and Stewart who did the rest. Also one of the top 2 or 3 players in her class.
Shooting Guard--Ella Runyon, Hill-Murray, 5-7, sophomore, 15 points. Can shoot it but she's even better going to the rim.
Shooting Guard--Luci Hauge, St. Croix Lutheran, 5-6, 8th, 10 points. Had difficulty getting off her shot. Wayzata does as good a job as anybody of getting out and defending the 3-point line. Her 3 makes were all from 25 feet or more. Great instincts.
3rd Team
Center--Olivia Pekron, Forest Lake, 5-11, junior, 15 points. Really active, high energy.
Power Forward--Laura Hauge, St. Croix Lutheran, 5-9, junior, 8 points. Battled.
Wing--Maddie Hanson, Mounds View, 5-7, sophomore, 25 points. Shoots the 3.
Guard--SeSe Burks, Sibley, 5-9, senior, 12 points.
Guard--Bella Hartzell, Hill-Murray, 5-10, junior, 20 points.
Monday, December 16, 2019
Section 4AA and 5AA Boys Coming Into Focus, Maybe, as Rockford Hammers Concordia 84-50
With Minnehaha moving up to Class AAA, the conventional wisdom was that the quality teams in the metro regions of Class AA were reduced from 2 (Minnehaha and Mpls. North) to one (that, of course, would be North).
Well, in Section 4AA, favored Cristo Rey Jesuit may still be the favorite despite a loss to AAA Holy Angels, though a 78-63 blowout by Blake at Holy Angels kinda shakes up the perspective there a little bit. But, Blake is in 5AA. But the really big eye-opener was 4AA St. Croix Prep's 70-58 shellacking of Mpls. North, though it must be noted that Willie Wilson did not play in that game. Wilson has since scored 42 points as North clobbered a pair of Minneapolis City Conference opponents.
Still, in 4AA, St. Croix Prep joins Cristo Rey among the faves. I'm still in wait-and-see mode with Humboldt, despite its 5-0 record, and ditto Concordia after its 84-50 shellacking at the hands of Rockford tonight.
In 5AA, Mpls. North remains the favorite, despite QRF having the Polars at #17, Holy Family #7 and Rockford #11. QRF doesn't much care who did or didn't play in any particular game. Blake #22, Watertown-Mayer #32, Maranatha #38 and Litchfield #42 all have just one loss. But, Rockford seemed to say tonight that they're now the #1 threat to the Polars with their easy win over Concordia. They've also beaten Providence 56-42, while Holy Family lost to Maranatha 50-44, and Maranatha also beat Providence by the score of 56-42. So, there's a bunch of teams capable of claiming the #2 spot in the section, but Rockford's claim is as good as any.
And, that's not just the numbers talking. That's the Rockets talking or, rather, playing ball tonight at Concordia. So let's talk about the game.
* * * *
Rockford Rockets 84 Concordia Beacons 50
Concordia sure looked athletic enough, but once the clock started running, Rockford proved itself to be a more experienced team and just more of a team in every sense of the word. They're not the most athletic, at least not physically. They're not going to win a lot of track & field meets. But they play together, they play hard, they play smart and, oh, yeah, did I mention, they're huge. As in 7-feet and 6-6, and 6-6 off the bench.
Up front, early on, it was 6-6 senior Carter Kulavik who did the damage--7 points with 3 offensive boards. In the 2nd half, 7-0 senior Calvin Sisk got it going with 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including a dunk, and 3 rebounds.
But, if you're seeing "7-feet" and you're thinking, oh, Rockford overpowers people inside, well, they hold their own and more. But, the truth is that the Rockets win with their guards and they win with defense. They are a well-coached, well-drilled, smart, experienced team that minimizes its mistakes. They play mostly zone, and tonight it was a 1-2-2. It may not be the answer every night, but for the Beacons, yeah, Rockford's zone was the pretty much game, set and match. Concordia senior guard Essay Hagos came into the game scoring 30 ppg. He likes to get out running and attack the rim. Rockford just said, hey, no way. They slowed Hagos to a walk, forced him into the half court, and then forced him to shoot the 3. Eventually he made 3 3s, but 2 of them came after things had been decided. Rockford said, hey, beat me with the 3, and Concordia couldn't do that. Hagos finished with 23, but it was a quiet 23. And 6-of-19 3s was hardly the worst of it. With Rockford's size in the lane, in fact, the Beacons only made 7-of-35 2s. Ouch. So, that's a great defense. I mean, Concordia only lost to 5-0, Class AAAA Mounds View 70-59.
But, if you're adding up Rockford's inside scoring (Kulavik 7 + Sisk 11) and subtracting that from 84, you're beginning to understand the Rockford Rockets. Guards Ryan Boysen, Luke Pepin and Todd Traen scored 43 points between them. Pepin, who is 6-3, scored 13 in the 1st half on 5-of-9 shooting, including 1-of-3 3s, but also 4-of-6 2s mostly inside of 10 feet. In the 2nd half Rockford unleashed its 3 point game as 5-10 Boysen and 6-0 Traen made 5-of-9 and the bench made 3-of-4. The bottom line for the Rockets is this. Their 3 starting guards--Boysen, Traen and Luke Pepin--are a very well-oiled machine. At least, they were tonight. They move the ball very effectively, and when one of them gets open, they find each other. Every now and again they got a little bit stagnant when they stopped moving without the ball. But, oh, yeah, they're 7-0, 6-6, 6-6 up front.
The game's big moment came at 15:28 of the 2nd half. Rockford was in control 35-20 at the half. Hagos hit a 3, then after Sisk's big dunk, Gary Legvold hit a pair of throws to get the Beacons within 37-25 as a result of Traen's 3rd foul. Surely, Traen would have to come out. But, no, Rockford coach Michael Tauber showed his faith in his senior guard and Traen stayed in. He promptly got a steal and a 3. 40-25. (He did't get #4 for another 7-8 minutes and, oh, yeah, he stayed in then, too.) Then Boysen hit a pair of 3s from the left corner in transition after a pair of defensive rebounds. Luke Pepin assisted on both of Boysen's 3s. On the 2nd one he got the blocked shot that led to the rebound that led to the assist that led to the 3-pointer. 46-25. A minute-thirty after Concordia seemed to be building a little bit of momentum, it was game over.
The game's big moment came at 15:28 of the 2nd half. Rockford was in control 35-20 at the half. Hagos hit a 3, then after Sisk's big dunk, Gary Legvold hit a pair of throws to get the Beacons within 37-25 as a result of Traen's 3rd foul. Surely, Traen would have to come out. But, no, Rockford coach Michael Tauber showed his faith in his senior guard and Traen stayed in. He promptly got a steal and a 3. 40-25. (He did't get #4 for another 7-8 minutes and, oh, yeah, he stayed in then, too.) Then Boysen hit a pair of 3s from the left corner in transition after a pair of defensive rebounds. Luke Pepin assisted on both of Boysen's 3s. On the 2nd one he got the blocked shot that led to the rebound that led to the assist that led to the 3-pointer. 46-25. A minute-thirty after Concordia seemed to be building a little bit of momentum, it was game over.
Concordia has Hagos, who is an athletic, playmaking guard. They have 6-4 senior forward Gary Legvold, who is tough and active inside. And, they have freshman guard A.J. Greene, who is not afraid to shoot it. They score 50 ppg among them, though tonight the total was just 41. And, against Rockford's D, Hagos and Greene shot 6-of-36 between them. And, they not only couldn't defend 7-0 and 6-6 inside, they couldn't defend Rockford's 3-point shooting either.
Now, in fairness to Concordia and in fairness to the truth, the Beacons were missing 6-5 senior forward Aaron Terhaar, who scored 21 against Mounds View but has not played since. As to the nature of his injury and prospects for his return, I have no idea. But I have a pretty good idea that they're a different team with another big, strong kid in the lane. So their long-term prospects are going to be very much determined by Terhaar's return.
Now, in fairness to Concordia and in fairness to the truth, the Beacons were missing 6-5 senior forward Aaron Terhaar, who scored 21 against Mounds View but has not played since. As to the nature of his injury and prospects for his return, I have no idea. But I have a pretty good idea that they're a different team with another big, strong kid in the lane. So their long-term prospects are going to be very much determined by Terhaar's return.
So, what we saw tonight was a very probably a Section 5AA final 4 team vs. a Section 4AA final 4 team. What this means is that this season, 5AA looks a heck of a lot tougher than 4AA. Right now I'll say that Rockford would be a very solid contender to win a Section 4AA title if they were in Section 4AA. Instead, Mpls. North will remain a steep hill for the Rockets to climb in 5AA, but after tonight I wouldn't say it can't happen.
Sunday, December 8, 2019
Tip-Off All-Stars
Tip-Off All-Stars
Center--Dawson Garcia, Prior Lake, 6-11. senior. Didn't have his best game but still finished at 26-6-3.
Power Forward--Ben Carlson, East Ridge, 6-8, senior. 40 points tonight from everywhere.
Point Guard--Drake Dobbs, Eden Prairie, 6-1, senior. Had the best all-around game among the point guards. Really controlled things and scored inside and out.
Combo Guard--Nathan Heise, Lake City, 6-4, senior. 39 points, 14 boards.
Shooting Guard--Jalen Suggs, Minnehaha, 6-5, senior. Not his best game overall but 30 points, great athlete.
Second Team
Center--Dain Dainja, Park Center, 6-9, senior. Outplayed by Ben Carlson but still a very powerful player who is playing more in control and making better decisions.
Power Forward--Cam Steele, Minnetonka, 6-8, senior. 38 points.
Point Guard--Tre Holloman, Cretin, 6-3, sophomore. Great talent, great handles.
Combo Guard--Reid Patterson, Lakeville South, 6-2, sophomore. 28 points.
Shooting Guard--Curtis Jones, Cretin, 6-3, senior. A quiet 19 points.
Third Team
Center--Davon Townley, Mpls. North, 6-7, junior.
Power Forward--J'Vonne Hadley, Cretin, 6-7, senior. 16-4-3.
Point Guard--Amir Whitlock, DeLaSalle, senior. De doesn't win without him and his 16-5.
Combo Guard--Jax Madsen, Mankato East, senior. 23 points.
Shooting Guard--Noah King, Caledonia, 6-2, senior. 21-7-5.
Fourth Team
Center--Chet Holmgren, Minnehaha, 7-0, junior.
Power Forward--Steve Crowl, Eastview, 6-11, senior.
Point Guard--Willie Wilson, Mpls. North, 6-3, sophomore.
Combo Guard--Kerwin Walton, Hopkins, 6-5, senior.
Shooting Guard--Drew Sagedahl, BOLD, 6-0, junior. 30 points.
Sophomores and Younger (after Holleman, Patterson and Wilson)
Center--Carter Bjerke, Wayzata, 6-8, sophomore. Likes to shoot the 3.
Power Forward--C.J. O'Hare, Totino Grace, 6-4, freshman.
Wing--Prince Aligbe, Minnehaha, 6-6, sophomore.
Point Guard--Kendall Blue, East Ridge, 6-5, sophomore.
Shooting Guard--Justin Wohlers, Lake City, 6-5, sophomore. Plays a lot like Nathan Heise.
Sophomores and Younger 2nd Team
Center--Elvis Nnaji, Hopkins, 6-7, sophomore.
Forward--Andrew Mast, Lakeville South, 6-5, sophomore.
Point Guard--Taison Chatman, Totino-Grace, 6-3, freshman.
Combo Guard--Eli King, Caledonia, 6-3, sophomore.
Shooting Guard--Donovan Smith, Minnehaha, 5-10, sophomore.
Center--Dawson Garcia, Prior Lake, 6-11. senior. Didn't have his best game but still finished at 26-6-3.
Power Forward--Ben Carlson, East Ridge, 6-8, senior. 40 points tonight from everywhere.
Point Guard--Drake Dobbs, Eden Prairie, 6-1, senior. Had the best all-around game among the point guards. Really controlled things and scored inside and out.
Combo Guard--Nathan Heise, Lake City, 6-4, senior. 39 points, 14 boards.
Shooting Guard--Jalen Suggs, Minnehaha, 6-5, senior. Not his best game overall but 30 points, great athlete.
Second Team
Center--Dain Dainja, Park Center, 6-9, senior. Outplayed by Ben Carlson but still a very powerful player who is playing more in control and making better decisions.
Power Forward--Cam Steele, Minnetonka, 6-8, senior. 38 points.
Point Guard--Tre Holloman, Cretin, 6-3, sophomore. Great talent, great handles.
Combo Guard--Reid Patterson, Lakeville South, 6-2, sophomore. 28 points.
Shooting Guard--Curtis Jones, Cretin, 6-3, senior. A quiet 19 points.
Third Team
Center--Davon Townley, Mpls. North, 6-7, junior.
Power Forward--J'Vonne Hadley, Cretin, 6-7, senior. 16-4-3.
Point Guard--Amir Whitlock, DeLaSalle, senior. De doesn't win without him and his 16-5.
Combo Guard--Jax Madsen, Mankato East, senior. 23 points.
Shooting Guard--Noah King, Caledonia, 6-2, senior. 21-7-5.
Fourth Team
Center--Chet Holmgren, Minnehaha, 7-0, junior.
Power Forward--Steve Crowl, Eastview, 6-11, senior.
Point Guard--Willie Wilson, Mpls. North, 6-3, sophomore.
Combo Guard--Kerwin Walton, Hopkins, 6-5, senior.
Shooting Guard--Drew Sagedahl, BOLD, 6-0, junior. 30 points.
Sophomores and Younger (after Holleman, Patterson and Wilson)
Center--Carter Bjerke, Wayzata, 6-8, sophomore. Likes to shoot the 3.
Power Forward--C.J. O'Hare, Totino Grace, 6-4, freshman.
Wing--Prince Aligbe, Minnehaha, 6-6, sophomore.
Point Guard--Kendall Blue, East Ridge, 6-5, sophomore.
Shooting Guard--Justin Wohlers, Lake City, 6-5, sophomore. Plays a lot like Nathan Heise.
Sophomores and Younger 2nd Team
Center--Elvis Nnaji, Hopkins, 6-7, sophomore.
Forward--Andrew Mast, Lakeville South, 6-5, sophomore.
Point Guard--Taison Chatman, Totino-Grace, 6-3, freshman.
Combo Guard--Eli King, Caledonia, 6-3, sophomore.
Shooting Guard--Donovan Smith, Minnehaha, 5-10, sophomore.
16 games at the Boys Breakdown Tip-Off from best to worst
Basically it was a night for surprises. The bigger the game, the bigger the surprise.
1. Eden Prairie 79 Prior Lake 58
I've already written up the Eden Prairie win over Prior Lake. The Eagles came in #1, the Lakers #4, so it wasn't an upset per se. But 21 points? That's a big surprise. But, what makes it the best game of the day was Eden Prairie's execution. There was nothin' fancy, just plain vanilla basketball--making plays, making passes, solid D, nobody was trying to do stuff they can't do.
Austin Andrews got to the rim at will in the 1st half and finished with 22 points and 10 boards. Drake Dobbs was solid and fundamental with 17 points, 4 boards and 4 assists with just 1 turnover. Dawson Garcia struggled for the Lakers. Like I said, EP played some nice D. And, yet, Garcia finished with 26 points, 6 boards and 3 blocks. His 1st shot of the day was a step back 3. Swish. The dude is 6-11. I don't know that this was the best-played game of the day, but Eden Prairie played the best-played, best-executed half-of-a-game (one team) of the day.
2. East Ridge 62 Park Center 57
OK, didn't expect this. East Ridge was in attack mode on both sides of the ball, and made Park Center work really hard for everything it got. And, then again, it didn't hurt that Ben Carlson busted loose for 40 points. He's been up and down, and maybe a little more down than up, when I've seen him. Not today. He shot the 3, he challenged Dain Dainja at the rim and scored. He did it all and played with a confidence that lifted his teammates as well. It was the top individual performance of the day and that's saying something, because there were a bunch of other really great performances.
3. DeLaSalle 67 Mankato East 63
Mankato East didn't pull off the upset like East Ridge and Cretin, but almost. They led most of the way and they were right there. They ran off to a 21-10 lead early, but the Islanders got back within 32-29 at halftime. DeLaSalle went ahead 37-35 in the 2nd, but East came back to lead 46-42 at about 9 minutes. DeLaSalle went on a 19-5 run to lead 61-51 as Amir Whitlock scored 9 points in a little over 3 minutes. Still East came back to within 65-63 at 0:47, but De was able to hold on. Whitlock finished with 16 points and 5 boards, and Cade Haskins 14-5 and 3 assists. For Mankato, Jax Madsen scored 23 and Jordan Merseth 17 and 6.
4. Cretin 75 Minnehaha 66
I'm sure a lot of people would call this the game of the day. I'm almost tempted to rank it lower than this. It wasn't a really well played game. It surely wasn't well-officiated. It lacked flow. There was maybe more talent on the floor here than for any other game, though Eden Prairie and Prior Lake would give 'em a run. There were more spectacularly athletic plays, and more bonehead plays. Too much stylin,' too much fancy-pants and not enough fundamental basketball, not enough teamwork. And, some of the kids were workin' the referees like it was the NBA. Don't need that.
Jalen Suggs was the MVP for most observers with 30 points. But the hosts picked Curtis Jones as their MVP with 19 points for Cretin. Then there's Tre Holloman who as solid with 17 points, 8 assists and a good defensive effort. J'Vonne Hadley is still getting comfortable with his new teammates, but he was solid with 16 points, 4 blocked shots and 3 assists.
5. Shakopee 85 Hopkins 82
All of the best athletes played for Hopkins. Most of the best basketball players played for Shakopee. I mean, they don't look like much until the clock starts, and then they play hard and fast and they seem to know where they should be and what they should do, and then they do it. In fact, the 2 least athletic looking Sabres are the small senior guards Will Cordes and Caleb Druvenga. All they did was score 44 points between them, while holding the uber-athletic Hopkins guard Kerwin Walton, 3-4 inches taller than either of them, to 23 points himself. After Eden Prairie, they executed their game plan as well as anybody today.
6. Lake City 65 Minneapolis North 54
This never really felt like an 11 point game. In fact, you could have a heck-of-a-game of 2 on 2 with Nathan Heise and Reid Gerstner for Lake City, and Davon Townley and Willie Willson for North. Townley is a 6-7 sophomore, a stud who, oh, yeah, by the way, shoots the 3. Wilson was a pest on defense, and runs the show on offense. But the big news here was Heise with 39 points and 14 boards. He's a 6-4 point guard, strong, fundamentally solid, headed to Northern Iowa where I think he could have an immediate impact. After Ben Carlson, the player of the day.
7. St. Cloud Apollo 99 Cambridge-Isanti 82
Cambridge led by maybe 20? Then Apollo went on a 43-4 run.
8. Eastview 98 Wayzata 82
Jaylen James and Steven Crowl combined for 52 points for Eastview. Wayazata was missing a couple of starters including 6-6 sophomore forward Cam Heide. They've also got 6-8 sophomore forward Carter Bjerke so the future remains bright in Wayzata despite the loss. For Eastview the future is now.
9. Lakeville South 70 Buffalo 58
Buffalo had 3 blue chippers coming back. One took early graduation, one was hurt, and Matthew Willert shot the lights out. But Reid Patterson, Lakeville South junior guard was even better with 28 points. Riley Mahlman is rounding into basketball mode after a tough start the other night (0 points, 5 fouls).
10. Lakeville North 50 Totino-Grace 56
One of the few grinders on the day. North led most of the way but never got more than about 8 points of separation.
11. Caledonia 81 Maranatha 64
Maranatha led at the half 34-29 as Cal shot 12-of-41 (29 percent). Eli and Noah King combined for 46 points for Caledonia, who is going to be without Sam Privet for at least a month.
12. Minnetonka 89 Mahtomedi 73
The Zephyrs of course lost J'Vonne Hadley to transfer this year, so Minnetonka had too much firepower. Cam Steele scored 38.
13. Champlin Park 63 Waseca 41
It was nip and tuck right up to 31-30, but Champlin went on a 17-0 run and Francis Nwaokorie went 17-11-3 and much outplayed Waseca's Andrew Morgan (8-10).
14. BOLD 78 Minneota 53
I don't know anybody who saw this coming. Drew Sagedahl scored 30 while Gavin Vosika was 21-8-5. Logan Sussner was 27-11 for Minneota.
15. Spring Lake Park 66 North St. Paul 51
16. Perham 64 Mound 43
1. Eden Prairie 79 Prior Lake 58
I've already written up the Eden Prairie win over Prior Lake. The Eagles came in #1, the Lakers #4, so it wasn't an upset per se. But 21 points? That's a big surprise. But, what makes it the best game of the day was Eden Prairie's execution. There was nothin' fancy, just plain vanilla basketball--making plays, making passes, solid D, nobody was trying to do stuff they can't do.
Austin Andrews got to the rim at will in the 1st half and finished with 22 points and 10 boards. Drake Dobbs was solid and fundamental with 17 points, 4 boards and 4 assists with just 1 turnover. Dawson Garcia struggled for the Lakers. Like I said, EP played some nice D. And, yet, Garcia finished with 26 points, 6 boards and 3 blocks. His 1st shot of the day was a step back 3. Swish. The dude is 6-11. I don't know that this was the best-played game of the day, but Eden Prairie played the best-played, best-executed half-of-a-game (one team) of the day.
2. East Ridge 62 Park Center 57
OK, didn't expect this. East Ridge was in attack mode on both sides of the ball, and made Park Center work really hard for everything it got. And, then again, it didn't hurt that Ben Carlson busted loose for 40 points. He's been up and down, and maybe a little more down than up, when I've seen him. Not today. He shot the 3, he challenged Dain Dainja at the rim and scored. He did it all and played with a confidence that lifted his teammates as well. It was the top individual performance of the day and that's saying something, because there were a bunch of other really great performances.
3. DeLaSalle 67 Mankato East 63
Mankato East didn't pull off the upset like East Ridge and Cretin, but almost. They led most of the way and they were right there. They ran off to a 21-10 lead early, but the Islanders got back within 32-29 at halftime. DeLaSalle went ahead 37-35 in the 2nd, but East came back to lead 46-42 at about 9 minutes. DeLaSalle went on a 19-5 run to lead 61-51 as Amir Whitlock scored 9 points in a little over 3 minutes. Still East came back to within 65-63 at 0:47, but De was able to hold on. Whitlock finished with 16 points and 5 boards, and Cade Haskins 14-5 and 3 assists. For Mankato, Jax Madsen scored 23 and Jordan Merseth 17 and 6.
4. Cretin 75 Minnehaha 66
I'm sure a lot of people would call this the game of the day. I'm almost tempted to rank it lower than this. It wasn't a really well played game. It surely wasn't well-officiated. It lacked flow. There was maybe more talent on the floor here than for any other game, though Eden Prairie and Prior Lake would give 'em a run. There were more spectacularly athletic plays, and more bonehead plays. Too much stylin,' too much fancy-pants and not enough fundamental basketball, not enough teamwork. And, some of the kids were workin' the referees like it was the NBA. Don't need that.
Jalen Suggs was the MVP for most observers with 30 points. But the hosts picked Curtis Jones as their MVP with 19 points for Cretin. Then there's Tre Holloman who as solid with 17 points, 8 assists and a good defensive effort. J'Vonne Hadley is still getting comfortable with his new teammates, but he was solid with 16 points, 4 blocked shots and 3 assists.
5. Shakopee 85 Hopkins 82
All of the best athletes played for Hopkins. Most of the best basketball players played for Shakopee. I mean, they don't look like much until the clock starts, and then they play hard and fast and they seem to know where they should be and what they should do, and then they do it. In fact, the 2 least athletic looking Sabres are the small senior guards Will Cordes and Caleb Druvenga. All they did was score 44 points between them, while holding the uber-athletic Hopkins guard Kerwin Walton, 3-4 inches taller than either of them, to 23 points himself. After Eden Prairie, they executed their game plan as well as anybody today.
6. Lake City 65 Minneapolis North 54
This never really felt like an 11 point game. In fact, you could have a heck-of-a-game of 2 on 2 with Nathan Heise and Reid Gerstner for Lake City, and Davon Townley and Willie Willson for North. Townley is a 6-7 sophomore, a stud who, oh, yeah, by the way, shoots the 3. Wilson was a pest on defense, and runs the show on offense. But the big news here was Heise with 39 points and 14 boards. He's a 6-4 point guard, strong, fundamentally solid, headed to Northern Iowa where I think he could have an immediate impact. After Ben Carlson, the player of the day.
7. St. Cloud Apollo 99 Cambridge-Isanti 82
Cambridge led by maybe 20? Then Apollo went on a 43-4 run.
8. Eastview 98 Wayzata 82
Jaylen James and Steven Crowl combined for 52 points for Eastview. Wayazata was missing a couple of starters including 6-6 sophomore forward Cam Heide. They've also got 6-8 sophomore forward Carter Bjerke so the future remains bright in Wayzata despite the loss. For Eastview the future is now.
9. Lakeville South 70 Buffalo 58
Buffalo had 3 blue chippers coming back. One took early graduation, one was hurt, and Matthew Willert shot the lights out. But Reid Patterson, Lakeville South junior guard was even better with 28 points. Riley Mahlman is rounding into basketball mode after a tough start the other night (0 points, 5 fouls).
10. Lakeville North 50 Totino-Grace 56
One of the few grinders on the day. North led most of the way but never got more than about 8 points of separation.
11. Caledonia 81 Maranatha 64
Maranatha led at the half 34-29 as Cal shot 12-of-41 (29 percent). Eli and Noah King combined for 46 points for Caledonia, who is going to be without Sam Privet for at least a month.
12. Minnetonka 89 Mahtomedi 73
The Zephyrs of course lost J'Vonne Hadley to transfer this year, so Minnetonka had too much firepower. Cam Steele scored 38.
13. Champlin Park 63 Waseca 41
It was nip and tuck right up to 31-30, but Champlin went on a 17-0 run and Francis Nwaokorie went 17-11-3 and much outplayed Waseca's Andrew Morgan (8-10).
14. BOLD 78 Minneota 53
I don't know anybody who saw this coming. Drew Sagedahl scored 30 while Gavin Vosika was 21-8-5. Logan Sussner was 27-11 for Minneota.
15. Spring Lake Park 66 North St. Paul 51
16. Perham 64 Mound 43
Saturday, December 7, 2019
Eden Prairie boys take it to Prior Lake 79-58
The feature game at the Breakdown Boys Tip-Off at Hopkins on Saturday had #1 Eden Prairie facing off with #4 Prior Lake and recent Marquette recruit Garcia Dawson. Garcia scored 26 points on 11-of-21 shooting, but the Eagles made him work and always had an answer on their offensive end.
Prior Lake led 22-18 around the 10 minute mark, but Eden Prairie took charge with a 22-6 run over the following 8 minutes, making 4-of-5 3s. 6-5 senior Austin Andrews scored 11 points in the run, 6-7 senior Connor Christianson 6 on a pair of 3s, and point guard Drake Dobbs scored 4 and added a pair of assists. Meanwhile, Prior Lake made 4-of-12 shots down the stretch. Garcia finished with 14 1st half points but just 2 in the final 9 minutes. EP led 40-28 at the half.
In the 2nd half, EP continued clicking on the offensive end, especially John Henry with 11 points. Meanwhile, the Eagles continued to make things tough for Garcia. He scored 12 on 5-of-10 shooting in the half, but he was in and out of the lineup with fouls, at least two of them on the offensive end when the elbows came up. He finished with 26 points but just 4 boards. Lakers point guard Tyree Ihenacho finished with 16 points on 6-of-13 shooting, with 7 boards and 4 turnovers.
The game MVP was Andrews with 21 points on 9-of-13 shooting. In the first half, he drove to the rim at will. He added 9 rebounds. Meanwhile, Dobbs scored 17 on 8-of-16 shooing with 5 assists and just one turnover. Christenson finished with 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting and John Henry also with 14 points plus 5 boards.
Prior Lake led 22-18 around the 10 minute mark, but Eden Prairie took charge with a 22-6 run over the following 8 minutes, making 4-of-5 3s. 6-5 senior Austin Andrews scored 11 points in the run, 6-7 senior Connor Christianson 6 on a pair of 3s, and point guard Drake Dobbs scored 4 and added a pair of assists. Meanwhile, Prior Lake made 4-of-12 shots down the stretch. Garcia finished with 14 1st half points but just 2 in the final 9 minutes. EP led 40-28 at the half.
In the 2nd half, EP continued clicking on the offensive end, especially John Henry with 11 points. Meanwhile, the Eagles continued to make things tough for Garcia. He scored 12 on 5-of-10 shooting in the half, but he was in and out of the lineup with fouls, at least two of them on the offensive end when the elbows came up. He finished with 26 points but just 4 boards. Lakers point guard Tyree Ihenacho finished with 16 points on 6-of-13 shooting, with 7 boards and 4 turnovers.
The game MVP was Andrews with 21 points on 9-of-13 shooting. In the first half, he drove to the rim at will. He added 9 rebounds. Meanwhile, Dobbs scored 17 on 8-of-16 shooing with 5 assists and just one turnover. Christenson finished with 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting and John Henry also with 14 points plus 5 boards.
Sunday, December 1, 2019
2019-2020 Season Preview: Player, Team and Coach of the Year Candidates
Well, it's hardly pre-season anymore, but better late than never to finish up with my 2019-2020 season preview. The final installment is a look ahead at our post-season awards. As you may know, we have picked player, team and coach of the year awards going back to 1900, and we're not going to stop now. So, here we go.
Player of the Year Candidates
Paige Bueckers, Hopkins girls, is our 2019 Player of the Year. Not only did she lead the Hopkins girls to an undefeated state championship, but she also led the U.S. national team (in her age group) to a gold medal for the 3rd time. She would be the obvious favorite.
Booker Coplin, Augsburg men, was the one other player I considered seriously for last year's PoY. He was the national NCAA D3 Player of the Year and, like Bueckers, he should be even better.
Daniel Oturu, Minnesota Gopher men, has been the big bright spot for a team that otherwise has struggled. Oturu is big and strong and plays really hard. So far, he has done everything and more than people might have expected for him coming out of high school.
Jalen Suggs, Minnehaha boys, is the obvious favorite for Mr. Basketball and has made the RedHawks, who by enrollment are just a AA team (they have moved up to AAA) Minnesota's best team.
Karl Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves
Anthony Wiggins, Minnesota Timberwolves. The Timberwolves are a pleasant surprise so far this year. Much of the credit goes to Towns, who is simply doing what he has done the past couple of years previously, which is score 25-26-27 ppg with a dozen rebounds and 3-4 assists. But, what has really transformed the Wolves is the transformation in Andrew Wiggins. Widely derided for a relatively ineffective mid-range game, Wiggins is now going to the rim with abandon, and most NBA teams have a hard time stopping him from doing it.
Team of the Year
Hopkins girls. Another 32-0 season seems not only possible but likely. So far they are beating teams by 40-50-60 points, and they are not playing bad teams. If they do that, their 64 consecutive wins will have them within a few more wins of an all-time girls state record.
Mankato State men. The favorites in the Northern Sun.
Minnesota Gopher women. The Gopher men are not going to make this list, so it is up to Lindsay Whalen's women to carry the maroon and gold this winter. The best thing about the Gophers so far has been the play of freshmen guards Jasmine Powell and Sara Scalia in support of 2 solid seniors and 2 solid junior starters.
Minnesota Timberwolves. If they stay above .500 and get into the playoffs, well, that would be a bigger surprise than the Gopher football team starting 9-0.
Park Center boys. I already said that Jalen Suggs might make Minnehaha the best boys team, but it's also true that Park Center might be the best boys team. It is pretty rare that the AAAA champion is not regarded as the best team.
St. Thomas women. Coach Ruth Sinn's Tommies are again the favorite to win the MIAC championship. As always, the big question is how far they can go in the NCAA tournament.
Coach of the Year
Scott Bergman, Sauk Centre girls. Has led his team to 7 of the past 9 state tournaments, the 2018 state title and the #1 pre-season ranking in Class AA this year. (Of course, they then lost their opener to Minnehaha 79-76 in 3 OT.)
Player of the Year Candidates
Paige Bueckers, Hopkins girls, is our 2019 Player of the Year. Not only did she lead the Hopkins girls to an undefeated state championship, but she also led the U.S. national team (in her age group) to a gold medal for the 3rd time. She would be the obvious favorite.
Booker Coplin, Augsburg men, was the one other player I considered seriously for last year's PoY. He was the national NCAA D3 Player of the Year and, like Bueckers, he should be even better.
Daniel Oturu, Minnesota Gopher men, has been the big bright spot for a team that otherwise has struggled. Oturu is big and strong and plays really hard. So far, he has done everything and more than people might have expected for him coming out of high school.
Jalen Suggs, Minnehaha boys, is the obvious favorite for Mr. Basketball and has made the RedHawks, who by enrollment are just a AA team (they have moved up to AAA) Minnesota's best team.
Karl Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves
Anthony Wiggins, Minnesota Timberwolves. The Timberwolves are a pleasant surprise so far this year. Much of the credit goes to Towns, who is simply doing what he has done the past couple of years previously, which is score 25-26-27 ppg with a dozen rebounds and 3-4 assists. But, what has really transformed the Wolves is the transformation in Andrew Wiggins. Widely derided for a relatively ineffective mid-range game, Wiggins is now going to the rim with abandon, and most NBA teams have a hard time stopping him from doing it.
Team of the Year
Hopkins girls. Another 32-0 season seems not only possible but likely. So far they are beating teams by 40-50-60 points, and they are not playing bad teams. If they do that, their 64 consecutive wins will have them within a few more wins of an all-time girls state record.
Mankato State men. The favorites in the Northern Sun.
Minnesota Gopher women. The Gopher men are not going to make this list, so it is up to Lindsay Whalen's women to carry the maroon and gold this winter. The best thing about the Gophers so far has been the play of freshmen guards Jasmine Powell and Sara Scalia in support of 2 solid seniors and 2 solid junior starters.
Minnesota Timberwolves. If they stay above .500 and get into the playoffs, well, that would be a bigger surprise than the Gopher football team starting 9-0.
Park Center boys. I already said that Jalen Suggs might make Minnehaha the best boys team, but it's also true that Park Center might be the best boys team. It is pretty rare that the AAAA champion is not regarded as the best team.
St. Thomas women. Coach Ruth Sinn's Tommies are again the favorite to win the MIAC championship. As always, the big question is how far they can go in the NCAA tournament.
Coach of the Year
Scott Bergman, Sauk Centre girls. Has led his team to 7 of the past 9 state tournaments, the 2018 state title and the #1 pre-season ranking in Class AA this year. (Of course, they then lost their opener to Minnehaha 79-76 in 3 OT.)
Matt Marganthaler, Mankato State men. Again, the favorites in the NSIC where Marganthaler has been running a highly successful program longer than most.
Mandy Pearson, UMD women. Pearson and Karla Nelson, Moorhead State, are 2 of the best among a whole lot of great coaches in the Northern Sun.
Ryan Saunders, Minnesota Timberwolves. If the Wolves finish over .500 and in the playoffs, Saunders probably wins this award.
Ruth Sinn, St. Thomas women. As always, a national championship is the goal.
Lindsey Whalen, Minnesota Gopher women. The Gophers are probably going to continue to struggle at least from time to time, but it seems that they're headed in the right direction.
If I had to pick right now, I'd say Paige Bueckers, the Hopkins girls and Ryan Saunders are the front-runners for the 2020 Minnesota Hoops Awards.
If I had to pick right now, I'd say Paige Bueckers, the Hopkins girls and Ryan Saunders are the front-runners for the 2020 Minnesota Hoops Awards.
Farmington 79 Stillwater 73 or 74
Farmington and Stillwater played a fun, entertaining game to close out the annual Hamline girls Thanksgiving tournament. It was a game of runs.
Stillwater opened fast, going ahead 10-2 as Amber Scalia played as aggressively as I've ever seen, scoring 7 of those 1st 10 Pony points.
Farmington roared back with a 19-0 run to lead 19-10 at around 9:30. The Tigers made 8-of-10 shots and Paige Kindseth scored 9 of the 19 points.
The two teams played fairly evenly over the next 3 minutes, but then Stillwater went on a 12 or 13-3 run to get within 31-28 as Scalia scored another 6 points and assisted on a Liza Karlen, well, basket. It looked to me like Karlen was at the FT line when she shot the ball, but when it went in the basket, Stillwater's score on the scoreboard went from 19 to 22.
Farmington then closed out the half on a 6-2 run to lead 37-30 (on the scoreboard) or 37-29 (according to the Farmington folks and also according to my play-by-play) at the half. Farmington did not challenge the score, however, so, officially, it was 37-30.
The second half was pretty even for the 1st 10 minutes but Farmington's small 18-15 edge, combined with their 7 point halftime lead, meant they were ahead 55-45 at the halfway point.
Stillwater then surged again, using a 14-3 run to take the lead 59-58 on a steal-and-2 by Alexis Pratt.
After that, Farmington led 64-62, Stillwater led 65-64 and 67-64 and 70-67 but Farmington tied it up on a steal-and-2 by Molly Mogenson. Stillwater went up 72-70 on Lizzie Holder's only 2 points of the day. Then Paige Kindseth hit a 3 (73-72 Farmington) and Amber Scalia a 2 for Stillwater's final lead at 74-73. From there Katelyn Mohr scored off an offensive board and assist by Sophie Hart, Mogenson and Mohr each made a pair of throws for the final.
Kindseth was pretty spectacular for Farmington with 25 points on 10-of-17 shooting, 13 rebounds and 3 assists. Hart was, too, with 21 points on 9-of-12 shooting and 21 rebounds. Point guard Molly Mogenson scored 16 on 6-of-12 shooting, with 6 rebounds and 2 steals.
For Stillwater, Pratt was her usual aggressive self, scoring 25 points, 20 in the 2nd half, on 10-of-24 shooting, with 7 steals. Scalia scored 21 on 8-of-13 shooting with 6 rebounds. Aliza Karlen scored 18 on 5-of-14 shooting with 7 boards.
Overall Farmington made 30-of-62 shots and grabbed 53 rebounds versus just 26 rebounds for the Ponies. Stillwater shot 26-of-66 but stayed in the game with 15 steals and just 6 turnovers.
* * *
I commented earlier that Hopkins led Apple Valley 70-26 at halftime of their game. It ended up 98-38. And some of you are probably aware that Wayzata clobbered Lakeville North 89-52 today. So in the very early going in Class AAAA, here's how my rankings look, which is to say, not much different than they did in the pre-season.
1. Hopkins (4-0, was #1)
2. Wayzata (4-0, was #2)
3. Farmington (3-0, was #3)
4. Park Center (3-0, was #4)
5. Stillwater (2-2, was #7, lost only to #3 and #4)
6. St. Michael-Albertville (2-2, was #5, lost only to #3 and #4)
7. Chaska (1-1, was #9, played Wayzata much closer than Lakeville North did)
8. Lakeville North (1-1, was #6)
9. Rosemount (2-1, was #10, lost only to Hopkins)
10. Maple Grove (1-1, was #8, lost to Eden Prairie, but Eden Prairie lost to Centennial)
Top Players in Our Last 3 Games at Hamline
Center--Sophie Hart, Farmington
Forward--Kendall Coley, St. Louis Park
Point Guard--Paige Bueckers, Hopkins
Guard--Alexis Pratt, Stillwater
Guard--Paige Kindseth, Farmington
2nd Team
Center--Maya Nnaji, Hopkins
Forward--Reagan Alexander, St. Louis Park
Point Guard--Molly Mogenson, Farmington
Guard--Kenzie Kramer, St. Michael
Guard--Amber Scalia, Stillwater
Stillwater opened fast, going ahead 10-2 as Amber Scalia played as aggressively as I've ever seen, scoring 7 of those 1st 10 Pony points.
Farmington roared back with a 19-0 run to lead 19-10 at around 9:30. The Tigers made 8-of-10 shots and Paige Kindseth scored 9 of the 19 points.
The two teams played fairly evenly over the next 3 minutes, but then Stillwater went on a 12 or 13-3 run to get within 31-28 as Scalia scored another 6 points and assisted on a Liza Karlen, well, basket. It looked to me like Karlen was at the FT line when she shot the ball, but when it went in the basket, Stillwater's score on the scoreboard went from 19 to 22.
Farmington then closed out the half on a 6-2 run to lead 37-30 (on the scoreboard) or 37-29 (according to the Farmington folks and also according to my play-by-play) at the half. Farmington did not challenge the score, however, so, officially, it was 37-30.
The second half was pretty even for the 1st 10 minutes but Farmington's small 18-15 edge, combined with their 7 point halftime lead, meant they were ahead 55-45 at the halfway point.
Stillwater then surged again, using a 14-3 run to take the lead 59-58 on a steal-and-2 by Alexis Pratt.
After that, Farmington led 64-62, Stillwater led 65-64 and 67-64 and 70-67 but Farmington tied it up on a steal-and-2 by Molly Mogenson. Stillwater went up 72-70 on Lizzie Holder's only 2 points of the day. Then Paige Kindseth hit a 3 (73-72 Farmington) and Amber Scalia a 2 for Stillwater's final lead at 74-73. From there Katelyn Mohr scored off an offensive board and assist by Sophie Hart, Mogenson and Mohr each made a pair of throws for the final.
Kindseth was pretty spectacular for Farmington with 25 points on 10-of-17 shooting, 13 rebounds and 3 assists. Hart was, too, with 21 points on 9-of-12 shooting and 21 rebounds. Point guard Molly Mogenson scored 16 on 6-of-12 shooting, with 6 rebounds and 2 steals.
For Stillwater, Pratt was her usual aggressive self, scoring 25 points, 20 in the 2nd half, on 10-of-24 shooting, with 7 steals. Scalia scored 21 on 8-of-13 shooting with 6 rebounds. Aliza Karlen scored 18 on 5-of-14 shooting with 7 boards.
Overall Farmington made 30-of-62 shots and grabbed 53 rebounds versus just 26 rebounds for the Ponies. Stillwater shot 26-of-66 but stayed in the game with 15 steals and just 6 turnovers.
* * *
I commented earlier that Hopkins led Apple Valley 70-26 at halftime of their game. It ended up 98-38. And some of you are probably aware that Wayzata clobbered Lakeville North 89-52 today. So in the very early going in Class AAAA, here's how my rankings look, which is to say, not much different than they did in the pre-season.
1. Hopkins (4-0, was #1)
2. Wayzata (4-0, was #2)
3. Farmington (3-0, was #3)
4. Park Center (3-0, was #4)
5. Stillwater (2-2, was #7, lost only to #3 and #4)
6. St. Michael-Albertville (2-2, was #5, lost only to #3 and #4)
7. Chaska (1-1, was #9, played Wayzata much closer than Lakeville North did)
8. Lakeville North (1-1, was #6)
9. Rosemount (2-1, was #10, lost only to Hopkins)
10. Maple Grove (1-1, was #8, lost to Eden Prairie, but Eden Prairie lost to Centennial)
Top Players in Our Last 3 Games at Hamline
Center--Sophie Hart, Farmington
Forward--Kendall Coley, St. Louis Park
Point Guard--Paige Bueckers, Hopkins
Guard--Alexis Pratt, Stillwater
Guard--Paige Kindseth, Farmington
2nd Team
Center--Maya Nnaji, Hopkins
Forward--Reagan Alexander, St. Louis Park
Point Guard--Molly Mogenson, Farmington
Guard--Kenzie Kramer, St. Michael
Guard--Amber Scalia, Stillwater
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