Top 10 Performers Boys 2021 State Tournament

 We lied. Here are the top 15 performers, and we're going to try to get 5 guys at the traditional positions--a center, 2 forwards and 2 guards.

Top 5

Center--Chet Holmgren, Minnehaha, 7-1, senior, Overall Tournament MVP

You'd have to say that Holmgren is the guy who catches your eye. If Minnehaha had been in a couple of close games, he could easily have scored another 20 points or so. And, yet, as it is, he led the top 3 classes in scoring with 64 points. But of course Minnehaha was not in a couple of close games because nobody could even think about scoring against the RedHawks with Holmgren patrolling the paint. Apparently they didn't bother to chart blocked shots because the Hub shows him with 2 or 3 blocks. 2 or 3 per half is more like it. He had to have blocked a dozen, maybe 15 shots and intimidated another 30 or 40. 

You wonder if his body is going to hold up against the rigors of major college ball. His dad had to abandon basketball at the U of M when his knees gave out. We hope all goes well. But, at this level, very few players have ever dominated games as totally as Chet Holmgren.

Forward--Camden Heide, Wayzsta, 6-6, junior

Heide is rated as the #3 junior in the state. He does a little bit of everything, combining strength and mobility.

Forward--Hercy Miller, Minnehaha, 6-3, senior

Love the motor. A relentless attacker on both sides of the ball with the strength and quickness and skills do do a lot of damage.

Point Guard--Tre Holloman, Cretin, 6-3, junior

Holloman is rated as the #1 junior. Honestly, he's got a ways to go in terms of the motor and the willingness to just attack, attack, attack, like less athletic players like Wayzata's guards. And his decisions with the ball have room to grow, but of course he didn't have the supporting cast that Wayzata guards have to share the ball with. Bottom line, the raw athleticism is obvious.

Shooting Guard--Austin Klug, Caledonia, 6-5, senior

Klug was the big surprise player of the tournament, overshadowed beforehand by the man who wasn't there, or wasn't playing. Eli King was Caledonia's best player and he was hurt. Austin who? Well, it is hard to believe King is better than Klug. He's as quick as any 6-footer and as strong as the 6-8 guys. Well, it turns out that he's a cousin to the Kings and is regarded as a baseball prospect. I would take my chances with Austin Klug in D1 basketball if he were inclined to give it a go.

2nd Team

Center--Francis Nwaokorie, Champlin Park, 6-7, senior

The best player among the first round losers, a shame we didn't get to see him on TV. Not his fault that Champlin Park was beaten for the first time in the first round as he scored 31 points against Maple Grove.

Power Forward--Matt Thompson, Hancock, 6-7, junior

Granted, here's another guy who needs a little more motor to play above Class A. But the body, the athleticism, the mobility, the footwork and shooting and other skills are all in place, and he's a junior. Sky's the limit.

Small Forward--Ethan Slaathaug, Hayfield, 6-3, senior

Gotta love the way he attacks the basket, though it's true that at the next level--or even in Class AA--he would have difficulty getting to the rim dribbling the ball as far away from his body as he often does. Still, he's got a big motor and he's just gung-ho to attack, and that is what won his team a state title.

Combo Guard--Ryan Dufault, Waseca, 6-0, senior

After Holmgren and along with Slaathaug, Dufault did more to win a championship for his team than anybody. In the semis, he scored 13 with 7 assists. Against Caledonia, his teammates were having trouble scoring, so he went ahead and scored 23, out-maneuvering 3 Caledonia defenders to make the game-winning shot.

Combo Guard--Eddie Beeninga, Wayzata, 6-1, senior

Another relentless, attacking player who makes life miserable for his opponents on both sides of the ball. Nicely skilled.

3rd Team

Center--Chance Fazio, Fergus Falls, 7-0, senior

Fazio was another eye-opener, a guy I knew almost nothing about. He may be an inch shorter than Holmgren, give or take, but he's probably got 100 pounds on him. As you'd expect, he was a late bloomer, especially because he played hockey through 9th grade. He's got surprising mobility and quickness in short bursts, good hands, OK footwork and a ton up upside. 

Power Forward--Andrew Morgan, Waseca, 6-9, senior

Had an OK tournament though he didn't show a lot of motor against Caledonia. Still he tied Dufault for the lead in AA scoring at 59 and had 19 boards and 5 blocks in the 2 TV games. 

Forward--Cade Haskins, DeLaSalle, 6-6, senior

Despite his 6-6 size, he's a perimeter guy and, in fact, one of the best long-range shooters around.

Point Guard--Jon Haakenson, Maple Grove, 6-1, junior

Had the game of his life in the big upset of Champlin Park with 20 points, 9 boards, 7 assists and 3 steals. It's just a damn shame one of these 6-0, 6-1 guards doesn't have another 3 or 4 inches of size.

Combo Guard--Lamar Grayson, Richfield, 6-1, senior

Quick, athletic, great scoring skills, not as good with his "1" skills.

2021 Boys All-State Tournament Teams--Class AAAA and AAA

 In the absence of official MSHSL all-tournament teams, here are mine. My choices for the other 6 tournaments, boys and girls, can be found elsewhere on this blog.

Class AAAA

AAAA Tournament MVP--Camden Heide, Wayzata, 6-6, junior, forward. This was a tough choice. For Wayzata, you could make a pretty good case for 3 or even 4 players as MVP. Heide didn't lead Wayzata in scoring in any of the 3 games, but he is the only Wayzata player to score in double figures all three times. He also led Wayzata in rebounding in the 2 TV games and had 6 steals. He's a solid 6-6 athlete with good mobility, but he's a better basketball player than athlete with just impeccable skills in every aspect of the game.

Tre Holloman, Cretin, 6-3, junior, point guard. Either Holloman or Heide is gonna be Mr. Basketball next year. Holloman is a vastly better athlete, wiry, quicker than quick, a great ball handler and a good scorer. He tied Wayzata's Eddie Beeninga for the scoring lead in AAAA at 51 points. His decision making with the ball could get better, he had 11 assists and 9 turnovers in the 2 TV games. 

Eddie Beeninga, Wayzata, 6-1, senior, point guard. Tied Holloman for scoring lead in AAAA, and when he scored just 9 points in the semi-final vs. Shakopee, he added 6 assists. Typical Wayzata kid--fearless, plays fast, plays hard.

Jack Plum, Cretin, 6-4, senior, power forward. The surprise player in AAAA. I had no idea how good and how tough Plum is. Scored 23 points with 31 rebounds and 4 steals. Opposing big men had to earn everything they got in the paint against Cretin and Plum.

Francis Nwaokorie, Champlin Park, 6-7, senior, post. Led Champlin to an unbeaten regular season but they lost to Maple Grove in OT to miss out on the TV portion of the tournament. Not his fault, however, as his 31 points were the most by any player in AAAA. 

2nd Team

Jon Haakenson, Maple Grove, 6-1, junior, point guard. Outplayed Champlin's Mr. Basketball finalist guard Joshua Strong with 20 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals.

Drew Berkeland, Wayzata, 5-11, junior, shooting guard. Led Wayzata with a total of 36 points in both TV games after scoring just 3 in the 1st round. 

Carter Bjerke, Wayzata, 6-9, junior, power forward. Another excellent all-around player. Of course he's big and strong, but also a nice shooter and scorer from the perimeter.

Kody Williams, Wayzata, 6-1, senior, combo guard. Only 2 teams have ever placed all 5 starters on the all-tournament team--Rochester in 1917 and Mpls. Marshall-U in 1976. The 1917 all-tournament team was definitely an "official" team named by the tournament organizers. There is some disagreement about who picked the 1976 team. The MSHSL abandoned picking all-tournament teams for awhile after going to 2 classes. There is no question whatsoever that Wayzata's 5-pack is unofficial. They're my picks, and who the hell am I, Nobody, that's who. But, hey, Kody was the low scorer among Wayzata's 5 starters yet even he scored in double figures twice and had 7 assists in the final. 

Mick Wherley, Shakopee, 6-6, senior, power forward. Led the Sabres with 26 points in 2 games and added 10 boards against Wayzata's behemoths.

Class AAA

AAA Tournament MVP--Chet Holmgren, Minnehaha, 7-1, senior, center. The biggest non-surprise of these all-star teams. Led AAA with 64 points and had 29 rebounds in the 2 TV games. Apparently nobody bothered to chart blocked shots because the Hub shows him with like 2 or 3. 2 or 3 per half more like it. Nobody could score in the lane with Chet down there. Even more than his scoring and rebounding, this was the one thing that totally demoralized his opponents.

Hercy Miller, Minnehaha, 6-3, senior, wing. Also unstoppable, at least among AAA competition. Scored at will inside and out for a total of 49 points.

Lamar Grayson, Richfield, 6-1, senior, combo guard. Great athlete with nice scoring skills. Scored 51 points in 2 games.

Cade Haskins, DeLaSalle, 6-6, senior, forward. One of the great 3-point shooters in the state, scored 32 against Hibbing in the 1st round but could manage just 13 against Minnehaha's athletes. 

Colton Roderick, Alexandria, 6-4, senior, wing. Big, strong, athletic, does a little bit of everything for the Cardinals. Forget whatever happened against Minnehaha. 33 points in his first 2 games, 7 assists in the semis.

2nd Team

Jake Braaten, Byron, 6-1, senior, combo guard. Byron was a revelation, beating Big 9 champion Austin the the section final, then losing to Minnehaha by just 12. Braaten scored 29 against Minnehaha. How does that happen?

Mercy Miller, Minnehaha, 6-3, freshman, shooting guard. The little brother scored in double digits 3 times. 

Mitchell January, Richfield, 6-0, junior, shooting guard. 32 points in 2 games.

Erik Hedstrom, Alexandria, 6-5, senior, power forward. Again, forget the Minnehaha game. Not a fair test for ordinary mortals. But, in fact, he led Alex with 10 points and 7 boards against the RedHawks.

Ayden McDonald, Hibbing, 6-4, junior, shooting guard. Scored 26 points in the 1st round vs. DeLaSalle.

2021 Boys All-State Tournament Teams Class A and AA

 Among many other things, the MSHSL is not picking an all-tournament team this year, and I'm told it may not reinstate the all-tournament teams...ever. We'll see. But for this year, you'll have to take my word for it. Oh, yeah, there'll be some other all-tournament teams out there but here is where you'll get the gospel truth.

Class AA

AA Tournament MVP--Ryan Dufault, Waseca, 6-0, senior, point guard. 6 feet? Seriously? He's listed at 6 feet. I was gonna say 5-9? Oh, well, your choice. But it turned out to be Ryan Dufault vs. Austin Klug for all the marbles. Klug outscored Dufault 25-23 in the final but you might have seen Dufault maneuver past not one, not two, but three Caledonia defenders for that final left baseline 12-footer with 3-4 seconds left. Over 3 games he scored 59 points to tie teammate Andrew Morgan for the AA scoring leader. But as good as Morgan and Kyreese Willingham are, and Waseca needed all 3, it became increasingly obvious as the tournament moved along that Dufault was the straw that stirred the drink. And in the end, he stirred up a state title.

Austin Klug, Caledonia, 6-5, senior, combo guard. So let me get this straight. Eli King was Caledonia's best player but he tore an ACL in January and didn't return. If King was half as good as Austin Klug, then if King was playing, there is no way in God's green earth that Caledonia doesn't win the AA title. But it wasn't meant to be. Klug averaged 15 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists during the regular season but, like his opposite number, Ryan Dufault, against elite competition, Klug stepped up and took charge of this team, averaging 19 ppg in 3 tournament games, and 8 boards and 3 assists in the 2 TV games. If he makes the game-winner, he's the MVP. They were that close.

Andrew Morgan, Waseca, 6-9, senior, power forward. Caledonia did a great job of neutralizing Morgan who scored 9 points with 8 boards and 2 blocks in the final. But for 3 games, he tied teammate Ryan Dufault for top scorer in AA (59 points), he scored 50 in his first 2 games, and was among the top rebounders and shot blockers. 

Chance Fazio, Fergus Falls, 6-0, senior, post. Fazio was a revelation. I had never seen him before. For a 7-foot 18 year old not named Chet Holmgren, he's got good mobility and especially good quickness around the ball, and good hands. He scored 36 points in 2 games, and had 15 boards, 4 assists, 2 steals and 4 blocks against Waseca and Andrew Morgan.

Kyreese Willingham, Waseca, 6-5, senior, wing. Like brother Malik, Kyreese is wonderfully athletic, which enabled him to score 35 points in 3 games with 9 rebounds, 8 assists and 7 steals in the 2 TV games. But, honestly, he's not much of a shooter, like brother Malik. Malik did everything else really well and went to Stanford to play college ball. Well, he ended up back at Mankato State where Kyreese will join him. I don't mean to be critical, really, I mean, he's the #4 player in the AA tournament. But it's kinda the truth.

2nd Team

Davon Townley, Minneapolis Central, 6-6, senior, center. Going to Penn State to play football but he's also a pretty good basketball player. Just a great strong, mobile athlete. He overpowered a damn good ballplayer in Sam Privet of Caledonia sometimes for 19 points and 10 boards.

Jackson Loge, Morris, 6-8, junior, post. I was surprised that Waseca beat Morris as badly as they did but Loge proved to be a player, scoring 25 points with 8 boards, 3 assists and 5 blocks.

Sam Privet, Caledonia, 6-8, senior, post. Lost the battle but won the war against Townley. Played Morgan to a draw. Scored 35 points in 3 games with 11 boards and 4 assists in the 2 TV games. Among Morgan, Fazio, Townley, Loge and Privet, the AA tournament had some really nice size out there.

Jackson Koepke, Caledonia, 6-3, junior, shooting guard. Missed the last second 3 from long distance that might have beaten Waseca. I mean, it wasn't a fair fight, he was 35 feet out. But Caledonia drew it up for Koepke, so the guy must be pretty good. He scored 40 points in 3 games.

Addison Metcalf, St. Croix Prep, 6-2, senior, shooting guard. I was surprised Caledonia beat St. Croix Prep as badly as they did, but Metcalf came to play, scoring 20 against what we found out was a hell of an opponent.

Class A

A Tournament MVP--Matt Thompson, Hancock, 6-7, junior, center. This is the toughest choice from any of the 8 tournaments, boys and girls. Thompson or Ethan Slaathaug, Slaathaug or Thompson. Slaathaug's team won and Slaathaug outscored Thompson 71-67. Slaathaug had 12 rebounds, 10 assists and 7 steals in 3 games, while Thompson had 31 boards in just the 2 TV games. In the final Thompson had 18-12-4-3, Slaathaug 20-3-3-4. Not much to pick. But also watching the 2 play 2 full games on TV and going head to head, I like Thompson's game just a little bit better.

Ethan Slaathaug, Hayfield, 6-3, senior, wing. Slaathaug was always on the attack, always full of energy and no question he made the state champions go. Thompson was more the stealthy assassin. Tough choice. But there's also no question that Slaathaug's got more help from his teammates than Thompson did.

Easton Fritcher, Hayfield, 6-0, junior, power forward. When I say Slaathaug's teammates had a little more chutzpah, I am especially thinking of Fritcher. Just 6-0, he pulled down 29 rebounds in the 1st round, just 3 short of an almost 60 year old record. He followed that up with 22 more in the 2 TV games. Just for good measure he also scored 30 points.

Kobey Dallager, Badger-Greenbush-Middle River, 6-1, junior, forward. Dallager sparked BGMR's 1st round upset of Deer River with 25 points and 8 boards, then added 14 against a very tough Hayfield opponent in the semis.

Isaac Matti, Hayfield, 6-2, sophomore, shooting guard. Matti was very solid for a youngster though he managed just 7 points in the final. He scored 40 in the 1st 2 rounds.

2nd Team

Trent Steffensmeier, Sleepy Eye St. Mary's, 6-0, junior, combo guard. Scored 47 points in 2 games.

Case Mulder, Central Minnesota Christian, 6-0, junior, combo guard. Sleepy Eye beat CMC in the 1st round as both Steffensmeier and Mulder, both 6-0 juniors, scored 30 points apiece. Mulder added 5 assists.

Ethan Pack, Hayfield, 5-11, sophomore, shooting guard. By the way, just how the hell did Hayfield lose 4 games. Well, they have 2 sophomores starting. I suppose they improved. Like future running mate Matti, Pack was solid if unspectacular, making plays and avoiding mistakes. Just a good solid ballplayer who scored 43 points in 3 games with 10 assists.

Preston Rohloff, Hancock, 6-2, senior, point guard. Take more and more charge of the Hancock offense as the opposition got tougher. Had 6 and then 8 assists in the 2 TV games.

Kaleb Wait, Sleepy Eye St. Mary's, 5-11, sophomore, shooting guard. Tough kid, scored 35 points in 2 games, was Sleepy Eye's best player in its semi-final loss to Hancock.

2021 Girls State Tournament Top 10 Performers

Yes, it was a weird tournament, what with COVID, the new seeding process and etc. etc. etc. But, hey, this is really weird. The tournament's leading scorer(s) are Madison Mathiowetz and Gianna Kneepkens, each of whom scored 67 points, Kneepkens in just one game, Mathiowetz in 2. Of all the players who played in 3 games, Maddyn Greenway scored 66 points, Kennedy Sanders 62, Paige Meyer and Jordyn Hilgemann 61. There are no words to describe how totally unlikely and inconceivable this is.

1st Team

Overall Tournament MVP--Gianna Kneepkens, Duluth Marshall, 5-11, senior, wing. OK, I know what you're thinkin.' She plays in Class AA. She didn't get out of the 1st round. But, hey, didja hear that she scored 67 points, a state record overall and for the state tournament. Carlie Wagner scored in the 50s a couple times and was a superstar. Of course, Carlie played her 1st round games here in the Twin Cities, and Gianna didn't get to do that. Wagner of course went on to score 20 ppg for the Minnesota Gophers. Kneepkens isn't going to do that either. She's going to score 20 ppg for Utah of the Pac 12. Sorry, I just can't get past that number--67. With that, by the way, Kneepkens also clinched the Miss Basketball award, as far as I'm concerned.

Julia Bengtson, Becker, 5-10, senior, point guard. Here again, you're probably thinking you want somebody from Class AAAA. But among all the outstanding point guards we saw in the state tournament--and on TV, most of them--Bengtson, to me, stood out. I mean, you can't go wrong with Paige Meyer or Kennedy Sanders or the oh-so-unconventional Helen Staley. But I want Bengtson on my team. Nobody makes the right decision with the ball as frequently as Bengtson. Nobody pushes the pace as hard without getting a little bit reckless. With the game on the line, I want to ball in Julia Bengtson's hands.

Paige Meyer, Albany, 5-6, senior, point guard. Like I said, you can't go too far wrong with Paige Meyer either. She outscored Bengtson in the tournament 61-48 and outrebounded her and had more assists. But that was against weaker competition and Bengtson had a half-dozen teammates to share the ball with. Meyer didn't have that kind of support. She had to do it herself and so she did. Bengtson really had to involve her teammates more because they had the skill and they deserved their shots, and Bengtson did that. Different situation. On the whole, I just think Bengtson makes a higher percentage of right choices. But, hey, Meyer is the #3 player in the whole tournament.

Helen Staley, Rosemount, 6-0, senior, athlete. OK, if it's Class AAAA you want, then Helen Staley is your all-star. She dominated Chaska. She outplayed Kennedy Sanders offensively and she stifled Mallory Heyer on the D. She's not a big scorer but in a pinch--17 points vs. Chaska. And, in the 2 TV games, 9 boards and 5 assists per game. Somebody described Chaska's Kaylee Van Eps as a Swiss Army knife and, well, sure. But what in the world does that make Helen Staley?

Mallory Heyer, Chaska, 5-11, junior, power forward. OK, Helen Staley outplayed her in the final. Heyer did the same to metro player of the year Maya Nnaji in the semi, outscoring Nnaji 24-9 and outrebounding her 13-6. Without that performance, Hopkins gets to 80 straight wins and a state title.

2nd Team

Kennedy Sanders, Chaska, 5-8, sophomore, point guard. I thought Sanders was the best point guard in the tournament after her 21 point game vs. Hopkins. Nobody stands up to Hopkins' defensive pressure like Sanders did. But, then, she had zero assists against Rosemount's amazing D and dropped down to here. Still, like I said of Heyer, without Sanders, Chaska doesn't beat Hopkins and therefore they don't beat Rosemount.

Kaylee Van Eps, Chaska, 5-11, senior, wing. OK, here's your Swiss army knife. Scored 33 points with 12 assists in the 2 TV games. Oh, and scored the bucket that won the title for the Hawks.

Madison Mathiowetz, Sleepy Eye St. Mary's, 5-10, junior, combo guard. Yes, it was a weird tournament, what with COVID, the new seeding process and etc. etc. etc. But, hey, this is really weird. The tournament's leading scorer(s) are Mathiowetz and Kneepkens, each of whom scored 67 points, Kneepkens in just one game, Mathiowetz in 2. Of all the players who played in 3 games, Maddyn Greenway scored 66 points, Kennedy Sanders 62, Paige Meyer and Jordyn Hilgemann 61. There are no words to describe how totally unlikely and inconceivable this is.

Jordyn Hilgemann, Marshall, 6-0, senior, wing. Did I mention that she scored 61 points in 3 games and had 13 steals in 2 TV games.

Grace Counts, Providence, 6-0, sophomore, center/forward. OK, the 10th spot coulda gone to anyone of a half dozen players but we've got plenty of guards. You might want to say that Maddyn Greenway was the Lions' best player but, like I say, we've got plenty of guards. Let's not forget that a lot of games are won and lost on the inside where Counts was really terrific. 49 points, 38 boards, 13 assists and 12 blocks. I just couldn't pass on all of that.

2021 Girls All-State Tournament Teams Class AAA and AAAA

Class AAA

1st Team

Tournament MVP--Julia Bengtson, Becker, 5-10, senior, point guard. Bengtson is the most exciting player in this year's tournament regardless of class. She is perhaps the most instinctive player in the state regardless of whether they made the tournament or not. She's a Miss Basketball finalist despite being pretty much totally disrespected by Prep Girls Hoops, who have her at #21 among the senior class. Seriously? I won't say who she's better than but I will say this. 2 girls who are more highly rated than Bengtson played in final games today, and Bengtson is better than either of them. If not top 5, then top 6. And back into serious contention for Miss Basketball.

Jordyn Hilgemann, Marshall, 5-11, senior, forward. Then there's Hilgemann, or Hil-GUM-mon, as Dave Lee pronounced it on the air most of the day. #39 on Prep Girls Hoops. The #1 scorer in Marshall history, led the AAA tournament in scoring with 61 points, and, oh, yeah, 8 steals against Becker, and #39. Sure, she's going D2, but she led her team to 2nd place in Class AAA. C'mon, guys, this is embarrassing.

Emily Meier, Marshall, 5-10, senior, power forward.

And Abigail Wendorff, Marshall, 5-10, center. Marshall's "big girls" only go 5-10 but they sure do what they want in the lane. Wendorff scored 40 and Meier 39. Becker gave Hilgemann a tough time on the perimeter, and so Wendorff and Meier got it going inside for 33 points. 

Courtney Nuest, Becker, 5-9, senior, shooting guard. You could have any one of 3 or 4 Becker girls in this spot but Nuest scored 33 points and helped out on the boards.

2nd Team

Adeline Kent, Becker, 5-8, junior, shooting guard.

Megan Gamble, Becker, 5-10, senior, power forward. Again, there are 2 or 3 more Becker girls you could put here. Kent was their #2 scorer at 44, while Gamble did the dirty work in the lane, scoring just 17 points but adding 16 boards and a handful of assists and steals.

Frankie Vascellero, Holy Angels, 5-11, shooting guard. Great shooter with 19 points in each of 2 games but came up one game short of the final for the 3rd time.

Kassandra Caron, Holy Angels, 6-0, junior, power forward. Scored 31 points in 2 games. 30 in the quarter-finals and one in the semis. But she added 3 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 steals in that 2nd game.

Lilli Mackley, Hill-Murray, 6-0, senior, combo guard. Becker demolished Hill-Murray but Mackley and teammates Bella Hartzell and Ella Runyon had a great season. One of them had to sneak in here and I like Mackley.

Class AAAA

1st Team

Tournament MVP--Helen Staley, Rosemount, 6-0, senior, combo guard. OK, I've never been a big admirer of Helen Staley but of course I haven't seen very much ball this year, and I also thought Rosemount had no chance whatsoever in this tournament, even after Chaska knocked off Hopkins. I was wrong, wrong, wrong. Staley dominated the final. Granted, she does not appear to have been the star of Rosemount's really big upset win over Farmington, but then she had 9 assists in the semis vs. Centennial. And now 17 pints, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and she did most of the heavy lifting in guarding Mallory Heyer and holding the Gopher recruit to 7 points. The only thing Staley didn't do was drain the 3 at the buzzer. That was just too much to ask. Other than that, she was darn near perfect.

Mallory Heyer, Chaska, 6-1, junior, power forward. Scored 50 points in 3 games with 22 rebounds in the TV games and 4 assists and 4 blocks in the final. She totally outplayed metro player of the year Maya Nnaji in the semis.

Kennedy Sanders, Chaska, 5-8, sophomore, point guard. Led AAAA with 62 points. Gotta say, Rosemount defended her like, uh, Rosemount. It's not that she scored 10 in the final. She had zero assists! Still, she scored 21 against Hopkins to make the final game win over Rosemount possible.

Taylor Woodson, Hopkins, 6-0, sophomore, forward. Was Hopkins best player in the tournament with 31 points in 2 games and 13 boards vs. Chaska. 

Kaylee Van Eps, Chaska, 5-11, senior, forward. Scored the winning basket for a total of 33 points in 3 games, plus 12 rebounds in the 2 TV games. Also a solid ball handler and a great defender. 

2nd Team

Jodi Anderson, Centennial, 5-11, senior, wing. Scored 34 points in 2 games with 17 rebounds.

Nicole O'Neil, Rosemount, 5-10, sophomore, shooting guard. I called her Rosemount's secret weapon, its top 3-point shooter. But her big sister Larisa did exactly the same thing, making 70 of them last year. Well, Nicole is not a secret anymore with 31 points in 3 games and 3-of-5 3s in the final.

Nu Nu Agara, Hopkins

Maya Nnaji, Hopkins. Agara scored 23 points in 2 games with 10 boards against Chaska. Nnaji also scored 23 and blamed herself the the loss as Mallory Heyer outplayed the metro player of the year.

Peyton Blandin, Farmington. How in the world anybody scored 26 points vs. Rosemount is beyond me. I mean, they held Jodi Anderson to 10, Mallory Heyer to 7. But Blandin did it. It's not her fault that Farmington failed to return to the title game.

 

2021 Girls All-State Tournament Teams Class A and AA

Among many other innovations, the MSHSL is not naming all-tournament teams at the 2021 basketball tournaments. I'm sure there are many of "us" bloggers who will fill that gap and I'm certainly going to be among them. The MSHSL has typically picked 10 all-stars and so I'll stay with that, but I'm going to list them as 1st and 2nd team, and I'm going to tell you who the MVP of each tournament is. So here we go.

Class A

1st Team

Tournament MVP--Madison Mathiowetz, Sleepy Eye St. Mary's, 5-10, junior, combo guard. 67 points in 2 games plus 22 rebounds and 8 assists. Obviously she can score, but nobody in the Class A tournament has the overall skills and the court presence of the Sleepy Eye junior. Her 44 points in the 1st round are the 2nd highest total for the entire tournament and her 23 in the semis is the 3rd highest in Class A. 

Abby Hennen, Minneota, 5-9, senior, combo guard. She was the best player on the best team, who did a little bit of everything. Not just the 52 points in 3 games, but 12 assists in the 2 TV games, even 4 blocked shots. Whatever the Vikings needed. 

Natalee Rolbiecki, Minneota, 5-10, junior, post. Rolbiecki is just a great athlete--all-state in volleyball, too. Very mobile for her size.  She started in the post. I mean, Minneota didn't have anybody else that played inside, but she plays like a stretch-4. She scored 49 points in 3 games with 12 boards and 5 steals in the 2 TV games.

Allison Knight, Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa, 6-0, senior, center. More of a true back-to-the basket post than Rolbiecki and more of a shot blocker. She scored 37 points in 3 games with 20 rebounds and 8 blocks in the 2 TV games. 

Abby Rost, Minneota, 5-8, senior, combo guard. Rost scored 9 points in the 1st round, then 11 with 7 boards in the semi. But while her stats were just a little better in the final--12 points, 9 boards--she was much more active and more integral to the Vikings game as Hennen struggled through parts of the game. She was also the 2nd ball-handler that Minneota sometimes desperately needed.

2nd Team

Abby Berge, BBE, 5-10, sophomore, combo guard. Scored 27 in the 1st round, then just 10 on TV, but added 20 rebounds in those 2 games.

Morgan Chmielewski, Mayer Lutheran, 5-10, senior, wing. Did a little bit of everything in the 1st round loss to Sleepy Eye St. Mary's with 12 points, 6 boards, t5assists and 3 steals.

Lexi Bright, West Central, 5-7, junior, shooting guard. Scored her season's average, 22 points, in the 1st round loss to BBE.

Jordan Zubich, Mountain Iron-Buhl, 5-11, junior, shooting guard. Scored just 19 points but was MIB's best player in their 1-point loss to the eventual champions from Minneota. 

Josie Knutson, Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa, 5-3, senior, point guard. Scored in double figures in all 3 games, and provided some much needed glue.

Class AA

1st Team

Tournament MVP--Gianna Kneepkens, Duluth Marshall, 5-11, senior, wing. Set an all-time state record, tournament or not, with 67 points vs. Providence in the 1st round. What a terrible shame not to see such a performance if only on TV. And, it was no fluke. She led the state with 43 ppg and is Utah-bound.

Paige Meyer, Albany, senior, point guard. In any ordinary year, Meyer would be the MVP. She was the best player and the leader of the best team, scoring 61 points in 3 games plus 20 boards, 16 assists and 8 steals in the 2 TV games. Reckless at times. South Dakota State will deal with that.

Grace Counts, Providence, 6-0, sophomore, center. The bigger and younger of the Counts girls. Maybe the better, at least for these last 3 games. Scored 49 points, with 38 rebounds, 13 assists and 12 blocks. In an ordinary year, and if Providence had won the final, she could be the MVP.

Maddyn Greenway, Providence, 5-7, 7th grade, point guard. Might be the biggest impact 7th grader I have ever seen. Don't know what her upside is because I don't know how big she'll get, but her dad is a retired Vikings linebacker, so she might get bigger. I'm thinking Rachel Banham for upside. For the moment, she scored 66 points with 16 assists. Her floor game and decision making and sharing the ball needs work but, hey, she's in 7th grade.

Maria Counts, Providence, 5-11, junior, power forward. Scored 38 points with 29 boards and 10 assists, and blocked 7 shots in the final alone. 

2nd Team

Abbie Christen, Albany, 5-7, senior, shooting guard. Scored 26 points for the champions.

Miah Monahan, Glencoe-Silver Lake, 5-9, senior, point guard. Scored 40 points in 2 games with 10 boards, 7 assists and 3 steals in the semis.

Mackenzie Rich, New London-Spicer, 5-7, senior, point guard. Scored 42 points in 2 games, and added 5 assists in the semi-final loss to Providence. 

Erin Knisely, New London-Spicer, 6-2, senior, center. Had a nice game vs. Providence with 15 points and 17 boards. 

Emma Hanson, New London-Spicer, 5-8, senior, small forward. Scored 26 in the 1st round, just 5 in the semis.