Of course, it's a little late for a 2021 season preview. Heck, the season is way past half over. Well, I blinked and I missed it--the start of the season. It kind of got underway with a bit of a whimper. The Gophers had virtually no non-conference games, the MIAC and NSC started six weeks late, the high schools ditto and no big season-opening extravaganzas. In addition to that--and more to the point, really--my wife has cancer. Some of you know that I resigned from North Star Girls Hoops (now Prep Girls Hoops) for that reason. She's had 3-and-a-half really good years since her diagnosis, but she has not been well the past 5-6 months. But I am not complaining. We have had 46 great years together and besides that, they have now said that the cancer that flared up the past 5-6 months is gone, though there was some nerve damage that makes it very difficult for her to walk, at least at the moment. Between that and COVID, I am not allowed to go to any games. But I am tracking what's happening....
Some of you know that one of the features of Minnesota Hoops is a Player of the Year, Team of the Year, Coach of the Year and Game of the Year for every season back to 1900, and 2021 will be no exception. I have no forecast at this point as to what the Game of the Year will be, but today I am going to kick off my belated coverage of 2021 with my PoY, ToY and CoY candidates.
Player of the Year
The top player of the past 2 seasons, Paige Bueckers, is gone as far as strictly Minnesota Hoops is concerned, though it is true that once in 120 years, I picked a PoY who did not play for a Minnesota team. That was Kevin McHale back in 1986. It could happen, but I'm not going to forecast doing so. I'm going to focus on Minnesota-based players, starting at the top of the food chain--that is, professional ball--and then doing the colleges and then the high schools.
Minnesota Timberwolves--I've seen enough of the Wolves to know that the PoY is not going to be a Timberwolf, but I will put Anthony Edwards on the list. He's not the Wolves best player, yet, but Karl-Anthony Towns, who is, has missed too many games. Edwards is the new face and provides some hope for the future so he makes the list.
Minnesota Lynx--Crystal Dangerfield and Napheesa Collier are the new wave. I don't honestly think they're PoY candidates just yet, but who knows. That could change if the Lynx got to the WNBA finals, for example.
Minnesota Gopher men--Marcus Carr is the obvious choice though his performance on the road is a big negatory.
Minnesota Gopher women--Wow. I don't see any candidates here. Too many turnovers, poor shooting percentages, getting outplayed inside, very spotty defense. There seems to be some talent but it stubbornly refuses to gel.
MIAC and Northern Sun--Right now, I like Brooke Olson of UMD and Anders Nelson of St. Thomas. New candidates could emerge from teams that get their act together, but most of them have played so few games that it's very hard to tell who that's going to be. So I'll stick with the Swedes.
High school boys--OK, now, at last we're getting somewhere. Chet Holmgren of Minnehaha Academy is rated the #1 recruit in the nation. Bueckers was the #1 recruit last year among the girls/women but this has never happened with a Minnesota boy. Will Tschetter of Stewartville is another terrific ballplayer who might be a PoY candidate in different year, but he's still top 5.
High school girls--My top picks right now are Gianna Kneepkens of Duluth Marshall and a Utah recruit who is scoring more than 40 ppg; and also Maya Nnaji, the junior post who hopes to keep the Hopkins winning streak, now at 71 games, going even in Bueckers' absence.
The current list, then, looks like this.
1. Chet Holmgren, Minnehaha, 7-1, senior, center
2. Marcus Carr, Minnesota Gophers, 6-2, junior, guard
3. Anders Nelson, St. Thomas, 6-0, junior, guard
4. Will Tschetter, Stewartville, 6-8, senior, forward
5. Gianna Kneepkens, Duluth Marshall, 5-11, senior, wing
Team of the Year
1. Hopkins girls--they appear destined to break Fosston's record of 78 straight wins from way back in 2002 and are favored to win their 2nd straight state title (2019, 2021, no champion in 2020).
2. Minnesota Lynx--I have expectations, assuming there's a season.
3. Minnesota-Duluth women--I said when UMD hired Mandy Pearson to look out, and I was right.
4. Minnehaha boys
5. Becker girls--unless DeLaSalle gets it together, nobody is going to challenge Becker.
Coach of the Year
1. You should be able to guess that the favorite is Mandy Pearson, UMD women, currently atop the NSC at 10-0.
2. Cheryl Reeve, Minnesota Lynx, and always the best coach around.
3. Mike Dreier, New London-Spicer girls, #2 in all-time wins, now poised and favored to win a 3rd Class AA state title.
4. Karla Nelson, MN State-Moorhead women
5. John Herbrechtsmeyer, Bethel women
These are the early leaders. Stay tuned as there is sure to be a lot of jockeying as the season (hopefully) progresses.
