The Osseo defense locked down Johnny Woodard with just 1 FG over the last 24 minutes of play. Duluth East overall hit just 7-of-19 2nd half shots, and the Orioles rallied from an 11 point deficit to win 62-51.
The East offense was clicking over the 1st 12 minutes of the 1st half, and the Greyhounds led 27-16. But Osseo scored the last 7 points of the 1st half and had a 19-5 edge to open the 2nd. Duluth outshot Osseo 37 percent to 32 percent in the 1st half, but in the 2nd Osseo shot over 50 percent while Duluth was at 35 percent. Otherwise the stats were pretty even.
Osseo got 18 points from DJ Hebert and 11 each from Ian Theisen and Bridge Tusler. East also had balanced scoring from Taylor Stafford with 17 and Shaq Coleman and Woodard with 12 each. Theisen had 9 boards and Will Johnson of Osseo 4 assists.
Osseo will face Hopkins in tomorrow night's first AAAA semi-final. One can't help but think that the opportunity to upset the Royals was today, and it may not come again.
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58-47 at 1:00.
53-47 at 2:13. Duluth just 6-of-15 this half, while Osseo has gotten off 10 more shots (25 total). Duluth has been to the FT line 13 times this half but made only 7.
Clock now a factor 49-42 at 5:10. I just had Taylor Stafford in my lap by the way,and I mean in my lap. His sweat is on my notebook here at courtside.
Halfway through the 2nd half the mo is all Osseo. Getting open jump shots and making 7-of-14 FG, to Duluth's 2-of-8, and East has 4 2nd half turnovers, Osseo just 1. Woodard has not scored in the 2nd, thanks mostly to DJ Hebert's D.
Osseo's run now at 24-5, scoring inside and out. Meanwhile, the East offense is really struggling--mainly, to get Woodard involved. He is now 2-for-9.
Duluth not getting good looks at the hoop right now. Woodard is not getting the touches where he wants them, and Stafford has been unable to penetrate.
Osseo on a 17-3 run, takes the lead at 31-30 (for the 1st time since 4-2), the extends it to 33-30. DJ Hebert and Will Johnson get the go-ahead scores.
The crowds at this second game look like they're about half as numerous as for the 1st game. Hats off to Hopkins and Woodbury for turning out for their team.
I'm sure both coaches are asking their teams to do better on the defensive boards in the second half. and who can get hot from the field? Neither team is shooting well so far.
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Up 27-16 at the 4 minute mark, Duluth East didn't score again in the 1st half, and Osseo scratched back to within 27-21. Both teams are playing good D. East is giving up a lot of size in the pain to Ian Theisen, and Theisen has 7 points and 5 boards. Duluth has limited his touches but he's been efficient with the one's he's gotten. Osseo has denied Johnny Woodard the ball on his spots, though has 6 points. The difference is that Theisen has been heating up, while Woodard's offense came early.
Unsung hero for Duluth is guard Taylor Stafford, with 9 points. This guy is quick with a capital QUICK.
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Duluth timeout at 3:36. East shooting 37.5 percent, Osseo 27.5. There have been 37 rebounds already--20 offensive and 17 defensive. Duluth started out well on the defensive board but neither team is hitting the defensive board right now.
25-14 Duluth. What would these guys look like with a 7-footer underneath?
19-10 Duluth East as Taylor Stafford now has 9 points. Woodard has been a force on defense with 3 boards and 2 blocks.
Theisen taking a blow, Woodard still in there. Depth will be a factor in this game before it's done.
East still up 11-8. right now Taylor Stafford is carrying them on the offensive end, just as he did when Woodard was out with an injury. He's got 7 of East's 11 points.
East up 7-4 at the 13:00 mark. Osseo going inside as Ian Theisen has a big height advantage and a 2-pointer so far. East has 6-4 guard Johnny Woodard guarding the 6-9 Theisen.
The Duluth East Greyhounds have taken the floor for warm-ups and there are clearly no 7-footers among them.
Early indications are that 7-foot center Akola Manyang of Duluth East will NOT be in the lineup today vs. Osseo in the AAAA quarter-finals. But we will watch and see when the Greyhounds take the floor in about an hour-and-a-half to see if there has been a change in his status. If you haven't heard, he was accused of smoking cigarettes, a charge he has denied. A hearing has taken place but there has been no final decision as of yet and, apparently, as these things go, you're guilty (ineligible) until proven innocent.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Hopkins Royals 82 Woodbury Royals 75 (Overtime)
Tailing 65-61 with 1:30 left, Hopkins shut Woodbury out the rest of regulation, finally tying it up and sending the game into OT. Woodbury had an offensive foul and 2 missed front ends of 1 + 1 FT opportunities inside of 1:30.
Then in OT, Hopkins hit 9 FT to pull away from the game (but non-winning) Royals.
Woodbury out-shot Hopkins 44-38 percent, out-rebounded 'em 47-33 and committed only 12 turnovers. Woodbury led 13-7 in 2nd chance points, and led 20-19 in points off turnovers! (You read that right, Woodbury scored more points off turnovers!) The perfect recipe for the big upset.
Oh, but wait. Woodbury made 9-of-18 FT. Not a recipe for a big upset. Woodbury didn't close the deal.
S. Chambers finished with 25 points including 22-of-24 FT. That is closing the deal. Renard Suggs of Woodbury and Demetrius Martin of Hopkins each scored 21; Renard had a game-high 5 assists. Rickey Suggs had 10 points and a game-high 12 boards.
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Hopkins knows how to close a deal. Its Hopkins 19 Woodbury 4 since the 1:30 mark of regulation.
After 1:19 of regulation Woodbury has made 1-of-4 FT, Hopkins 7-of-8. Tough to win that way.
73-65 Hopkins with Chambers going to the line yet again. He's 6-of-6 in OT. Now 7-of-7. Now 8-of-8.
Martin for 2, S. Chambers 2 FT, and both Suggs have fouled out in the 1st 1:07 of OT!
OT!
65-all, Woodbury has the ball and a timeout at 1.5 seconds. Wright hit a 3 and S. Chambers a 1 to tie it, meanwhile Woodbury missed the front end of 2 1 + 1s. Ouch. Chambers missed a J from the FT line, Woodbury got the rebound and the timout.
Suddenly Woodbury 65-61. Rickey Suggs a drive for 2, then a defensive board and long outlet to Renard for a break-away dunk. But then at 1:28, Woodbury with the ball back, Renard gets the charge call. Hopkins timeout, still 65-61.
S. Chambers had bucket waved off, forced to shoot 1 + 1, makes them both. 61-all at 2:38.
Again, no stoppages, just end to end action! Woodbury 61 Hopkins 59 at 2:54. Woodbury still on a 14-4 run, Hopkins missing some open looks.
Renard and Rickey Suggs with 14 and 10, McKeen with 12 for Woodbury. Martin with 17, S. Chambers 10 for Hopkins. Woodbury up 44-42 percent FG shooting. Woodbury up 31-23 on rebounds. Turnovers 9 for Hopkins 8 for Woodbury!
Four quick scores for Woodbury. Down 54-44, suddenly it's 54-54! 8:55 to play.
Both teams have a nice following here for a Wednesday morning. The Hopkins crowd is estimated at 5X the crowd for their girls last week.
Woodbury on a 10-2 run. Rickey Suggs hitting a 2, a 2 on a coast-to-coast rush after a defensive board, then an assist and a steal + assist. Finally Renard Suggs a step-back 2 from 15 feet. 47-44 Hopkins takes a timeout.
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Trailing 22-15 at the 8 minute mark, Hopkins was forced to take a timeout, but quickly regrouped. Demetrius Martin scored on steal and 2, then a 3, and a minute later a 2 to put Hopkins ahead for the 1st time since 10-9 at 28-27. The latter hoop came off a defensive rebound by Kamali Chambers who took the ball coast-to-coast, or almost, before laying it off the Martin.
Woodbury had kept Hopkins from running up until that point but more fast break points and points off turnovers ensued and suddenly Hopkins was up by 10. Woodbury scored a pair of FT after a S. Chambers foul under his offensive hoop at 0:01.1. Oops. 42-34 at the half.
Hopkins is now shooting 48 percent to Woodbury's 42, and 5-of-11 3s to Woodbury's 2-of-11. Woodbury leads on the boards 20-15 and each team has 7 turnovers. Woodbury is doing everything it needs to do to win except put the ball in the basket. It missed maybe 5 lay-ups in the 1st half and a couple other shots went down down down down and back up again.
Mostly Woodbury is protecting the ball, but even off the defensive board Hopkins has found ways to run and that was the difference late in the half
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And now Rickey Suggs, his 3rd at 1:37.
Hopkins in the midst of a nice run 34-28 at 2:00. And Renard Suggs just picked up his 3rd foul.
Too much action to stop and describe. Suffice it to say it is 28-28 at 4:07.
Robt Claypool scores off the offensive board and McKeen on a pretty feed from Claypool. 22-15 Woodbury. Hopkins timeout approaching 8:00. Woodbury doing a great job on the boards--no Hopkins 2nd chances.
Suggs hit another 3 and has out-scored Siyani Chambers 10-0. Woodbury up 16-12 at 11:08.
Benj. Rexroth's put-back and Connor McKeen's steal and 2 had Woodbury up 9-7 until a Demetrius Martin 3 put Hopkins back up 10-9 at 13:58.
Woodbury has indeed avoided early jitters. Renard Suggs hit a 3 and a 2 for a 5-4 lead at 15:14.
It will be a battle Royal--guaranteed!--between the Hopkins Royals and the Woodbury Royals in the 1st AAAA quarter-final today (Thursday, March 21) at the Target Center.
I will be blogging all day from the Target Center, so please stop by early and often. 4 AAAA games followed by 2 AA games. Whew!
The Royals (Hopkins edition) are looking to become the 1st boys team ever to win 4 straight state titles AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL. Rated #1, seeded #1, despite the loss of Zach Stahl for the tournament. All the scuttlebutt is concerning Akolda Manyang's absence from the Duluth East lineup, but Stahl is just as important to his team.
Still, there'll be no early-game jitters on the part of these Royals. As to the Royals (Woodbury edition) one cannot be as certain. The BIG key to this ball game is Woodbury avoids the jitters, protects the ball, avoids giving up any easy baskets and avoids falling behind in the early going.
Then in OT, Hopkins hit 9 FT to pull away from the game (but non-winning) Royals.
Woodbury out-shot Hopkins 44-38 percent, out-rebounded 'em 47-33 and committed only 12 turnovers. Woodbury led 13-7 in 2nd chance points, and led 20-19 in points off turnovers! (You read that right, Woodbury scored more points off turnovers!) The perfect recipe for the big upset.
Oh, but wait. Woodbury made 9-of-18 FT. Not a recipe for a big upset. Woodbury didn't close the deal.
S. Chambers finished with 25 points including 22-of-24 FT. That is closing the deal. Renard Suggs of Woodbury and Demetrius Martin of Hopkins each scored 21; Renard had a game-high 5 assists. Rickey Suggs had 10 points and a game-high 12 boards.
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Hopkins knows how to close a deal. Its Hopkins 19 Woodbury 4 since the 1:30 mark of regulation.
After 1:19 of regulation Woodbury has made 1-of-4 FT, Hopkins 7-of-8. Tough to win that way.
73-65 Hopkins with Chambers going to the line yet again. He's 6-of-6 in OT. Now 7-of-7. Now 8-of-8.
Martin for 2, S. Chambers 2 FT, and both Suggs have fouled out in the 1st 1:07 of OT!
OT!
65-all, Woodbury has the ball and a timeout at 1.5 seconds. Wright hit a 3 and S. Chambers a 1 to tie it, meanwhile Woodbury missed the front end of 2 1 + 1s. Ouch. Chambers missed a J from the FT line, Woodbury got the rebound and the timout.
Suddenly Woodbury 65-61. Rickey Suggs a drive for 2, then a defensive board and long outlet to Renard for a break-away dunk. But then at 1:28, Woodbury with the ball back, Renard gets the charge call. Hopkins timeout, still 65-61.
S. Chambers had bucket waved off, forced to shoot 1 + 1, makes them both. 61-all at 2:38.
Again, no stoppages, just end to end action! Woodbury 61 Hopkins 59 at 2:54. Woodbury still on a 14-4 run, Hopkins missing some open looks.
Renard and Rickey Suggs with 14 and 10, McKeen with 12 for Woodbury. Martin with 17, S. Chambers 10 for Hopkins. Woodbury up 44-42 percent FG shooting. Woodbury up 31-23 on rebounds. Turnovers 9 for Hopkins 8 for Woodbury!
Four quick scores for Woodbury. Down 54-44, suddenly it's 54-54! 8:55 to play.
Both teams have a nice following here for a Wednesday morning. The Hopkins crowd is estimated at 5X the crowd for their girls last week.
Woodbury on a 10-2 run. Rickey Suggs hitting a 2, a 2 on a coast-to-coast rush after a defensive board, then an assist and a steal + assist. Finally Renard Suggs a step-back 2 from 15 feet. 47-44 Hopkins takes a timeout.
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Trailing 22-15 at the 8 minute mark, Hopkins was forced to take a timeout, but quickly regrouped. Demetrius Martin scored on steal and 2, then a 3, and a minute later a 2 to put Hopkins ahead for the 1st time since 10-9 at 28-27. The latter hoop came off a defensive rebound by Kamali Chambers who took the ball coast-to-coast, or almost, before laying it off the Martin.
Woodbury had kept Hopkins from running up until that point but more fast break points and points off turnovers ensued and suddenly Hopkins was up by 10. Woodbury scored a pair of FT after a S. Chambers foul under his offensive hoop at 0:01.1. Oops. 42-34 at the half.
Hopkins is now shooting 48 percent to Woodbury's 42, and 5-of-11 3s to Woodbury's 2-of-11. Woodbury leads on the boards 20-15 and each team has 7 turnovers. Woodbury is doing everything it needs to do to win except put the ball in the basket. It missed maybe 5 lay-ups in the 1st half and a couple other shots went down down down down and back up again.
Mostly Woodbury is protecting the ball, but even off the defensive board Hopkins has found ways to run and that was the difference late in the half
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And now Rickey Suggs, his 3rd at 1:37.
Hopkins in the midst of a nice run 34-28 at 2:00. And Renard Suggs just picked up his 3rd foul.
Too much action to stop and describe. Suffice it to say it is 28-28 at 4:07.
Robt Claypool scores off the offensive board and McKeen on a pretty feed from Claypool. 22-15 Woodbury. Hopkins timeout approaching 8:00. Woodbury doing a great job on the boards--no Hopkins 2nd chances.
Suggs hit another 3 and has out-scored Siyani Chambers 10-0. Woodbury up 16-12 at 11:08.
Benj. Rexroth's put-back and Connor McKeen's steal and 2 had Woodbury up 9-7 until a Demetrius Martin 3 put Hopkins back up 10-9 at 13:58.
Woodbury has indeed avoided early jitters. Renard Suggs hit a 3 and a 2 for a 5-4 lead at 15:14.
It will be a battle Royal--guaranteed!--between the Hopkins Royals and the Woodbury Royals in the 1st AAAA quarter-final today (Thursday, March 21) at the Target Center.
I will be blogging all day from the Target Center, so please stop by early and often. 4 AAAA games followed by 2 AA games. Whew!
The Royals (Hopkins edition) are looking to become the 1st boys team ever to win 4 straight state titles AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL. Rated #1, seeded #1, despite the loss of Zach Stahl for the tournament. All the scuttlebutt is concerning Akolda Manyang's absence from the Duluth East lineup, but Stahl is just as important to his team.
Still, there'll be no early-game jitters on the part of these Royals. As to the Royals (Woodbury edition) one cannot be as certain. The BIG key to this ball game is Woodbury avoids the jitters, protects the ball, avoids giving up any easy baskets and avoids falling behind in the early going.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Best of the High School Boys: Mr. Basketball Finalists and All-Metro
The Mr. Basketball finalists finally have been named, and basically it is the all-metro team without Tyus Jones, who is too young to be Mr. Basketball.
Mr. Basketball Finalists
Siyani Chambers, Hopkins
Joey King, Eastview
Johnny Woodard, Duluth East
Sanjay Lumpkin and Isaiah Zierden, Benilde-St. Margaret's
All-Metro
Chambers, King, Lumpkin, Zierden and Tyus Jones
2nd Team: Quinton Hooker, Sean Scott, Marcus Tyus, Rashad Vaughn, Graham Woodward
3rd Team: Dwight Anderson, Nate Kratch, Marcus Marshall, C.J. Neumann, Darrion Strong, Feid Travis, Kebu Johnson
My Take
If Benilde has 2 of the best 5 players in the state, how come they're not in the state tourney? I would have Sean Scott and Marcus Marshall among the finalists and on the 1st all-metro team, by hook or by crook. Don't make me tell you who I would dump.
Mr. Basketball Finalists
Siyani Chambers, Hopkins
Joey King, Eastview
Johnny Woodard, Duluth East
Sanjay Lumpkin and Isaiah Zierden, Benilde-St. Margaret's
All-Metro
Chambers, King, Lumpkin, Zierden and Tyus Jones
2nd Team: Quinton Hooker, Sean Scott, Marcus Tyus, Rashad Vaughn, Graham Woodward
3rd Team: Dwight Anderson, Nate Kratch, Marcus Marshall, C.J. Neumann, Darrion Strong, Feid Travis, Kebu Johnson
My Take
If Benilde has 2 of the best 5 players in the state, how come they're not in the state tourney? I would have Sean Scott and Marcus Marshall among the finalists and on the 1st all-metro team, by hook or by crook. Don't make me tell you who I would dump.
March Awards Candidates
Player of the Month: Carlie Wagner
The leader as of Tuesday March 20 is Carlie Wagner, NRHEG girls. Rarely ever has there been a "coming out" like this one. We had begun to hear about Carlie Wagner as the season went along. Still, nobody was prepared for what we saw. First, in Rebekah Dahlman's big game--the game in which Dahlman broke Tayler Hill's career scoring record--Wagner rained all over Dahlman's parade. She out-scored Dahlman 43-25 and, more to the point, so did her team by the ridiculous score of 75-45.
After an "off-game" against Sauk Centre (thanks to the incredible defense of Jenna Klaphake), Wagner came back with a tournament record 48 points in the third place game won by NRHEG, for a record total of 112 points in 3 games. She is a sophomore.
First Team
Wagner, G
Grant Shaeffer, Eden Prairie boys, G
Nia Coffey, Hopkins girls, F
Allina Starr, DeLaSalle girls, G
Taylor Young, St. Thomas women, G
Second Team
Anders Broman, Lakeview Christian boys, G
Siyani Chambers, Hopkins boys, G
Cayla McMorris, Park Center girls, C
Nicola Pekovic, Timberwolves, C
Rebekah Dahlman, Braham girls, G
Third Team
Renard Suggs, Woodbury boys, G
Jackie Johnson, Eden Prairie girls, C
Rodney Williams, Gopher men, F
Joey King, Eastview boys, F
Rachel Banham, Gopher women, G
Fourth Team
Micaella Riche, Gopher women, C
Richell Mehus, Spring Grove girls, G
Mitch Weg, Worthington boys, C
Sander Mohn, Eden Prairie, G
Team of the Month (as of March 20): Hopkins girls
Hopkins girls = Awesome. The greatest defensive team ever. Nia Coffey will be the player of the year among the girls.
2. St. Thomas women advanced to D3 Final Four for the 1st time since 2002.
3. DeLaSalle girls
4. Providence girls
5. Maranatha girls
6. NRHEG girls
7. Perham boys
8. Gopher men
9. Southwest MN State men
10. Gopher women
Coach of the Month (as of March 20): Rick Adelman
Sorry to all other coaches, but Rick Adelman is a genius.
2. Ruth Sinn, St. Thomas women
3. Reggie Perkins, Mpls. Washburn boys
4. Joe Buffetta, Mountain Iron-Buhl girls
5. Joey Waters, Osseo girls
6. Dave Smart, Ada girls
7. Michael Wright, Mpls. Roosevelt girls
8. Kevin Schlagel, St. Cloud State men
9. Tubby Smith, Gopher men
10. Pam Borton, Gopher women
Game of the Month (as of March 20):
NRHEG 75 Braham 45
2. St. Thomas women 82 Calvin 73 OT
3. Mpls. Washburn 90 St. Paul Johnson 89 in the TC Game
4. Eastview boys 57 Apple Valley 53
5. Mpls. Washburn 71 Benilde-St. Margaret's 66
6. Minnesota women 81 Wisconsin 49
7. Braham girls 68 Esko 58 OT
8. Penn State 78 Minnesota women 74
9. St. Peter boys 49 Waterville-EM 48
10. Providence girls 46 Sauk Centre 40
10.
The leader as of Tuesday March 20 is Carlie Wagner, NRHEG girls. Rarely ever has there been a "coming out" like this one. We had begun to hear about Carlie Wagner as the season went along. Still, nobody was prepared for what we saw. First, in Rebekah Dahlman's big game--the game in which Dahlman broke Tayler Hill's career scoring record--Wagner rained all over Dahlman's parade. She out-scored Dahlman 43-25 and, more to the point, so did her team by the ridiculous score of 75-45.
After an "off-game" against Sauk Centre (thanks to the incredible defense of Jenna Klaphake), Wagner came back with a tournament record 48 points in the third place game won by NRHEG, for a record total of 112 points in 3 games. She is a sophomore.
First Team
Wagner, G
Grant Shaeffer, Eden Prairie boys, G
Nia Coffey, Hopkins girls, F
Allina Starr, DeLaSalle girls, G
Taylor Young, St. Thomas women, G
Second Team
Anders Broman, Lakeview Christian boys, G
Siyani Chambers, Hopkins boys, G
Cayla McMorris, Park Center girls, C
Nicola Pekovic, Timberwolves, C
Rebekah Dahlman, Braham girls, G
Third Team
Renard Suggs, Woodbury boys, G
Jackie Johnson, Eden Prairie girls, C
Rodney Williams, Gopher men, F
Joey King, Eastview boys, F
Rachel Banham, Gopher women, G
Fourth Team
Micaella Riche, Gopher women, C
Richell Mehus, Spring Grove girls, G
Mitch Weg, Worthington boys, C
Sander Mohn, Eden Prairie, G
Team of the Month (as of March 20): Hopkins girls
Hopkins girls = Awesome. The greatest defensive team ever. Nia Coffey will be the player of the year among the girls.
2. St. Thomas women advanced to D3 Final Four for the 1st time since 2002.
3. DeLaSalle girls
4. Providence girls
5. Maranatha girls
6. NRHEG girls
7. Perham boys
8. Gopher men
9. Southwest MN State men
10. Gopher women
Coach of the Month (as of March 20): Rick Adelman
Sorry to all other coaches, but Rick Adelman is a genius.
2. Ruth Sinn, St. Thomas women
3. Reggie Perkins, Mpls. Washburn boys
4. Joe Buffetta, Mountain Iron-Buhl girls
5. Joey Waters, Osseo girls
6. Dave Smart, Ada girls
7. Michael Wright, Mpls. Roosevelt girls
8. Kevin Schlagel, St. Cloud State men
9. Tubby Smith, Gopher men
10. Pam Borton, Gopher women
Game of the Month (as of March 20):
NRHEG 75 Braham 45
2. St. Thomas women 82 Calvin 73 OT
3. Mpls. Washburn 90 St. Paul Johnson 89 in the TC Game
4. Eastview boys 57 Apple Valley 53
5. Mpls. Washburn 71 Benilde-St. Margaret's 66
6. Minnesota women 81 Wisconsin 49
7. Braham girls 68 Esko 58 OT
8. Penn State 78 Minnesota women 74
9. St. Peter boys 49 Waterville-EM 48
10. Providence girls 46 Sauk Centre 40
10.
The Big Game 3-19-12: Gopher Men Surprise
The Minnesota Gopher men knocked off the Miami Hurricanes down in Miami last night 78-60 to advance in the NIT. The Gophers proved that it is hard to lose when you shoot 58 percent and your opponent shoots 33. Oh, and you shoot 46 percent on 3s (6-of-13) to their 16, and you make 84 percent of your FT and they make 64. And when you out-rebound the other side 37-19.
It was, in short, an old-fashioned butt-kicking. Rodney Williams led the butt-kickers with 21 points, 5 boards and 3 assists. Joe Coleman and Andre Hollins each scored 14 with 12 boards and 7 assists between them, and Julian Welch added 13 points.
Minnesota led 35-23 at the half and never looked back.
Player of the Day
Rodney Williams
Coach of the Day
Tubby Smith
It was, in short, an old-fashioned butt-kicking. Rodney Williams led the butt-kickers with 21 points, 5 boards and 3 assists. Joe Coleman and Andre Hollins each scored 14 with 12 boards and 7 assists between them, and Julian Welch added 13 points.
Minnesota led 35-23 at the half and never looked back.
Player of the Day
Rodney Williams
Coach of the Day
Tubby Smith
Monday, March 19, 2012
The Third Season: Boys HS Pairings, Schedule Set
Class AAAA Target Center Wednesday March 21
10 a.m. #1 seed Hopkins (28-1) vs. Woodbury (24-5). Zach Stahl is out for Hopkins due to an undisclosed rule infraction. Hopkins was already #1 seed by the hair on its chinny-chin-chin. Now I'd describe Class AAAA as wide open. I wonder if there have ever been 4 schools in a field with a total record of 111-3. Still, no surprises here as Hopkins seeks a record (boys or girls) 9th state title and coach Kenny Novak, Jr., seeks a boys record 7th title. A title would also be Hopkins' 4th in a row, tying the record of Southwest MN Christian and Mpls. Henry. Woodbury won it all once in 1983 and last appeared here in 2007. Hopkins 78 Woodbury 60.
12 noon #4 seed Osseo (27-2) vs. Duluth East (20-8). Ian Theisen vs. Akolda Manyang is not going to happen as Manyang is out. Johnny Woodard was out for 10 games early this year as well for the Greyhounds and 8 of East's 10 losses came at that time. So this is a better match-up than it looks to be, and the top prospect for a 1st round surprise. Osseo won the 2001 state title and returns from the 2009 and 2010 tournaments. East has never won one but finished 2nd in 1966, 1982, 2001 and 2006 and also last appeared here a year ago. Osseo 69 Duluth East 66.
2 p.m. #2 Lakeville North (28-1) vs. Moorhead (18-9). North gave Eastview its only loss and has won 18 in a row. Tyler Flack leads the way. Moorhead was just a #5 seed and is the only tourney entrant who was seeded lower than #2. Moorhead was the 1st repeat state champ in 1928 and 1929, then lost in the 1967 and 1968 finals. North is the only AAAA entrant that has not played in a state final. North is making its first appearance since 2006, Moorhead since 2002. Lakeville North 67 Moorhead 52.
4 p.m. #3 Eastview (28-1) vs. Eden Prairie (22-7). Eastview was rated #1 most of the way and now has won 9 in a row since the loss to Lakeville North. Joey King leads the way. EP was 13-2 before closing out the regular season at just 6-5. Eastview lost to Hopkins in the 2006 final and last appeared in the tournament 2 years ago. Eden Prairie lost in last year's final, also to Hopkins. Eastview 65 Eden Prairie 58.
Class AAA Williams Arena Wednesday March 21
10 a.m. #1 Minneapolis Washburn (27-2) vs. Rocori (18-11). Oddly enough, the #1 seed overall is 1 of 2 entrants who were not #1 in their section, but the Millers ride in with 16 straight wins. They are also the 2nd highest scoring team in the field at 79 points per game. Has wins over Eden Prairie, Austin, St. Paul Johnson and Benilde-St. Margaret's. Washburn won state titles in 1955 and 2009, Rocori won a title in 1988 and last appeared here in 2007. Coach Bob Brink, the #2 winningest coach in state boys history, has announced his retirement at the end of this season. Mpls. Washburn 73 Rocori 54.
12 noon #4 Austin (25-3) vs. St. Paul Johnson (20-8). Austin returns to the tournament field for the 28th time, but the 1st since 1982. It won state titles in 1935, 1946 and 1958. Johnson returns for the 4th straight year and the 6th out of 9. It won the Class AAA title in 2010. Johnson's Marcus Marshall may be the top individual in the AAA field. He scored 36 in Johnson's section final victory over St. Thomas 82-62. Johnson is the 2nd highest scoring team in the field (81 ppg) after Hopkins. Austin is the stingiest defender in the AAA field at 47 ppg. Johnson 69 Austin 59.
2 p.m. #2 DeLaSalle (23-6) vs. Detroit Lakes (22-7). DeLaSalle started 12-5 but finished 11-0. Sophomore Reid Travis is regarded as one of the best young players in the state. DeLaSalle has won state titles in 1985, 1988, 1998, 1999 and 2006 with 3 additional runners-up. They last appeared in the tournament 2 years ago. Detroit Lakes has made but 1 tourney appearance and that way back in 1918. DeLaSalle 63 Detroit Lakes 51.
4 p.m. #3 Grand Rapids (24-5) vs. Mankato East (25-4). This should be the best ball game among the 4 AAA quarter-finals. The 2 teams met at Grand Rapids on January 28 with Rapids winning 81-63. Now on a neutral court, it should be closer. Still Rapids is led by a classic inside-out 1-2 punch of guard Austin Pohlen and freshman post, 6-9 Alex Illikainen. Grand Rapids was runner-up to Johnson in 2010 and returns to its 4th straight tournament and 8th in 16 years. Mankato East returns for the 1st time since 2005. Mankato East 63 Grand Rapids 62.
Class AA Target Center Wednesday March 21
6 p.m. #1 Perham (27-2) vs. Worthington (21-6). The defending state champs from Perham come in on a 13 game winning streak, and as a slight favorite (as the #1 seed) to repeat. But this is a closely bunched field in this very 1st year of seeding in Class AA. Worthington boasts 1 of the better players in the field in 6-8 Mitch Weg, while Perham counters with 6-5 Mark Schumacher. Perham does it with defense. They're the stingiest team in this field and also the lowest scoring at 59. This is Worthington's 1st tournament appearance since 1998. Perham 59 Worthington 56.
8 p.m. #4 Litchfield (24-4) vs. Watertown-Mayer (28-2). Here's a mystifying seed, Litchfield with 4 losses at #4, Watertown-Mayer with 2 losses and no seed. But Litch beat WM 63-50 at Litch on January 24, and plays in the tougher Wright County Conference (WM plays in the Minnesota Valley). But the 2 central Minny teams had many other common opponents against whom WM went 8-1 and Litch went 10-4. Litchfield won state titles in 2000, 2002 and 2003, but has not appeared here since 2003. WM has not appeared since a runner-up finish in 1999. Watertown-Mayer 60 Litchfield 56.
Class AA Williams Arena Wednesday March 21
6 p.m. #2 St. Peter (28-1) vs. Plainview-Elgin-Millville (24-6). Plainview EM returns to its 4th straight tournament and 5th in 6 years while St. Peter last appeared here in 1995. St. Peter has the best W-L record in the field and the #2 seed, and is the 2nd highest scoring team in the AA field after Braham with 77 points. St. Peter 65 Plainview EM 60.
8 p.m. #3 Braham (29-1) vs. St. Croix Lutheran (24-6). Braham, AA champion in 2004, 2005 and 2006, is back for the 6th time in 9 years, while St. Croix Lutheran makes its 1st-ever appearance. Braham is led by Tyler Vaughan, who recently went over the 3,000 point mark for his career (3,255 points). Braham 72 St. Croix Lutheran 59.
Class A Williams Arena Thursday March 22
11 a.m. #1 Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa (30-0) vs. Lakeview Christian (25-5). One of the top match-ups of the 1st round in any class, this one features the undefeated, #1 rated and #1 seeded, and last year's Class A runner-up BBE versus Lakeview Christian and high-scoring Anders Broman, already the #2 scorer all-time among MN boys with 3,811 points. Lakeview is the highest scoring team in any class with 93 points per game. BBE 84 Lakeview 80.
1 p.m. #4 Browerville (27-2) vs. Mountain Lake-Butterfield-Odin (24-5). Browerville and MLBO make their 1st tournament appearances, but Mountain Lake was a frequent participant in the single class era with 13 appearances between 1913 and 1952. The Lakers were runners-up 3 times, including in the very 1st tournament in 1913, and won the 1939 state title. Browerville 64 MLBO 57.
3 p.m. #2 Southwest MN Christian (26-1) vs. Fosston (24-4). SWC makes its 7th appearance and seeks its 5th state title. SWC was the 1st team, boys or girls, ever to win 4 straight titles in 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002. This is their 1st appearance since 2002. Fosston appeared in 7 of the 1st 9 tournaments from 1913 to 1921, winning the 1st tournament in 1913. They then made their 1st tournament appearance in 90 years last year. SWC 63 Fosston 55.
If Fosston and MLBO both exit the tournament in the 1st round, as their lack of a seeding would suggest as being, shall we say, not unlikely, it would be fun if the 2 could be matched up--how about 8 a.m. on Saturday at Concordia, before the 4 3rd place games get underway. I mean, this is the 100th year of Minnesota High School Tournament Basketball. This would be a perfect way to cap off the 100 Year celebration. Bring back the 2 participants in that 1st final in 1913, won by Fosston 29-27 over Mountain Lake.
5 p.m. #3 Rushford-Peterson (24-5) vs. Prairie Seeds (24-2). An intriguing match-up between a perennial power and an upstart charter school. RP is back for the 12th time in 24 years, and with the 1989 and 2006 titles under its belt. Prairie Seeds Academy, founded in 2004 in Brooklyn Park, MN, is making its 1st tourney appearance. Seeds is also the 2nd highest-scoring team in any class with 91 ppg, while RP is always known for its tough defense and its ball control. Seeds will want to run, RP will want to walk. RP 65 Prairie Seeds 63.
Semi-Finals All At Target Center
Class AAA Noon Thursday
Washburn 77 Johnson 74. Washburn won the TC Game 90-89.
DeLaSalle 62 Grand Rapids 58. The Thunderhawks unable to replicate their big upset of 2010.
Class AAAA 6 p.m Thursday
Hopkins 69 Osseo 65
Eastview 66 Lakeville North 58
Class A Noon Friday
BBE 69 Browerville 57
SW Christian 65 Rushford-Pete 57
Class AA 6 p.m. Friday
Watertown Mayer 59 Perham 57
St. Peter 66 Braham 62
Finals at Target Center Saturday
BBE 62 SWC 61
St. Peter 61 Watertown-Mayer 57
Washburn 70 DeLaSalle 65. The 2 had 4 common opponents. Washburn went 5-0 and DLS 2-3.
Eastview 68 Hopkins 66
Top Performers
AAAA Bobby King, Eastview; Siyani Chambers, Hopkins
AAA Reid Travis, DeLaSalle; Marcus Marshall, Johnson
AA Tyler Vaughan, Braham; Joey Bartlett, St. Peter
A Connor Goodwin, BBE; Andeers Broman, Lakeview
10 a.m. #1 seed Hopkins (28-1) vs. Woodbury (24-5). Zach Stahl is out for Hopkins due to an undisclosed rule infraction. Hopkins was already #1 seed by the hair on its chinny-chin-chin. Now I'd describe Class AAAA as wide open. I wonder if there have ever been 4 schools in a field with a total record of 111-3. Still, no surprises here as Hopkins seeks a record (boys or girls) 9th state title and coach Kenny Novak, Jr., seeks a boys record 7th title. A title would also be Hopkins' 4th in a row, tying the record of Southwest MN Christian and Mpls. Henry. Woodbury won it all once in 1983 and last appeared here in 2007. Hopkins 78 Woodbury 60.
12 noon #4 seed Osseo (27-2) vs. Duluth East (20-8). Ian Theisen vs. Akolda Manyang is not going to happen as Manyang is out. Johnny Woodard was out for 10 games early this year as well for the Greyhounds and 8 of East's 10 losses came at that time. So this is a better match-up than it looks to be, and the top prospect for a 1st round surprise. Osseo won the 2001 state title and returns from the 2009 and 2010 tournaments. East has never won one but finished 2nd in 1966, 1982, 2001 and 2006 and also last appeared here a year ago. Osseo 69 Duluth East 66.
2 p.m. #2 Lakeville North (28-1) vs. Moorhead (18-9). North gave Eastview its only loss and has won 18 in a row. Tyler Flack leads the way. Moorhead was just a #5 seed and is the only tourney entrant who was seeded lower than #2. Moorhead was the 1st repeat state champ in 1928 and 1929, then lost in the 1967 and 1968 finals. North is the only AAAA entrant that has not played in a state final. North is making its first appearance since 2006, Moorhead since 2002. Lakeville North 67 Moorhead 52.
4 p.m. #3 Eastview (28-1) vs. Eden Prairie (22-7). Eastview was rated #1 most of the way and now has won 9 in a row since the loss to Lakeville North. Joey King leads the way. EP was 13-2 before closing out the regular season at just 6-5. Eastview lost to Hopkins in the 2006 final and last appeared in the tournament 2 years ago. Eden Prairie lost in last year's final, also to Hopkins. Eastview 65 Eden Prairie 58.
Class AAA Williams Arena Wednesday March 21
10 a.m. #1 Minneapolis Washburn (27-2) vs. Rocori (18-11). Oddly enough, the #1 seed overall is 1 of 2 entrants who were not #1 in their section, but the Millers ride in with 16 straight wins. They are also the 2nd highest scoring team in the field at 79 points per game. Has wins over Eden Prairie, Austin, St. Paul Johnson and Benilde-St. Margaret's. Washburn won state titles in 1955 and 2009, Rocori won a title in 1988 and last appeared here in 2007. Coach Bob Brink, the #2 winningest coach in state boys history, has announced his retirement at the end of this season. Mpls. Washburn 73 Rocori 54.
12 noon #4 Austin (25-3) vs. St. Paul Johnson (20-8). Austin returns to the tournament field for the 28th time, but the 1st since 1982. It won state titles in 1935, 1946 and 1958. Johnson returns for the 4th straight year and the 6th out of 9. It won the Class AAA title in 2010. Johnson's Marcus Marshall may be the top individual in the AAA field. He scored 36 in Johnson's section final victory over St. Thomas 82-62. Johnson is the 2nd highest scoring team in the field (81 ppg) after Hopkins. Austin is the stingiest defender in the AAA field at 47 ppg. Johnson 69 Austin 59.
2 p.m. #2 DeLaSalle (23-6) vs. Detroit Lakes (22-7). DeLaSalle started 12-5 but finished 11-0. Sophomore Reid Travis is regarded as one of the best young players in the state. DeLaSalle has won state titles in 1985, 1988, 1998, 1999 and 2006 with 3 additional runners-up. They last appeared in the tournament 2 years ago. Detroit Lakes has made but 1 tourney appearance and that way back in 1918. DeLaSalle 63 Detroit Lakes 51.
4 p.m. #3 Grand Rapids (24-5) vs. Mankato East (25-4). This should be the best ball game among the 4 AAA quarter-finals. The 2 teams met at Grand Rapids on January 28 with Rapids winning 81-63. Now on a neutral court, it should be closer. Still Rapids is led by a classic inside-out 1-2 punch of guard Austin Pohlen and freshman post, 6-9 Alex Illikainen. Grand Rapids was runner-up to Johnson in 2010 and returns to its 4th straight tournament and 8th in 16 years. Mankato East returns for the 1st time since 2005. Mankato East 63 Grand Rapids 62.
Class AA Target Center Wednesday March 21
6 p.m. #1 Perham (27-2) vs. Worthington (21-6). The defending state champs from Perham come in on a 13 game winning streak, and as a slight favorite (as the #1 seed) to repeat. But this is a closely bunched field in this very 1st year of seeding in Class AA. Worthington boasts 1 of the better players in the field in 6-8 Mitch Weg, while Perham counters with 6-5 Mark Schumacher. Perham does it with defense. They're the stingiest team in this field and also the lowest scoring at 59. This is Worthington's 1st tournament appearance since 1998. Perham 59 Worthington 56.
8 p.m. #4 Litchfield (24-4) vs. Watertown-Mayer (28-2). Here's a mystifying seed, Litchfield with 4 losses at #4, Watertown-Mayer with 2 losses and no seed. But Litch beat WM 63-50 at Litch on January 24, and plays in the tougher Wright County Conference (WM plays in the Minnesota Valley). But the 2 central Minny teams had many other common opponents against whom WM went 8-1 and Litch went 10-4. Litchfield won state titles in 2000, 2002 and 2003, but has not appeared here since 2003. WM has not appeared since a runner-up finish in 1999. Watertown-Mayer 60 Litchfield 56.
Class AA Williams Arena Wednesday March 21
6 p.m. #2 St. Peter (28-1) vs. Plainview-Elgin-Millville (24-6). Plainview EM returns to its 4th straight tournament and 5th in 6 years while St. Peter last appeared here in 1995. St. Peter has the best W-L record in the field and the #2 seed, and is the 2nd highest scoring team in the AA field after Braham with 77 points. St. Peter 65 Plainview EM 60.
8 p.m. #3 Braham (29-1) vs. St. Croix Lutheran (24-6). Braham, AA champion in 2004, 2005 and 2006, is back for the 6th time in 9 years, while St. Croix Lutheran makes its 1st-ever appearance. Braham is led by Tyler Vaughan, who recently went over the 3,000 point mark for his career (3,255 points). Braham 72 St. Croix Lutheran 59.
Class A Williams Arena Thursday March 22
11 a.m. #1 Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa (30-0) vs. Lakeview Christian (25-5). One of the top match-ups of the 1st round in any class, this one features the undefeated, #1 rated and #1 seeded, and last year's Class A runner-up BBE versus Lakeview Christian and high-scoring Anders Broman, already the #2 scorer all-time among MN boys with 3,811 points. Lakeview is the highest scoring team in any class with 93 points per game. BBE 84 Lakeview 80.
1 p.m. #4 Browerville (27-2) vs. Mountain Lake-Butterfield-Odin (24-5). Browerville and MLBO make their 1st tournament appearances, but Mountain Lake was a frequent participant in the single class era with 13 appearances between 1913 and 1952. The Lakers were runners-up 3 times, including in the very 1st tournament in 1913, and won the 1939 state title. Browerville 64 MLBO 57.
3 p.m. #2 Southwest MN Christian (26-1) vs. Fosston (24-4). SWC makes its 7th appearance and seeks its 5th state title. SWC was the 1st team, boys or girls, ever to win 4 straight titles in 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002. This is their 1st appearance since 2002. Fosston appeared in 7 of the 1st 9 tournaments from 1913 to 1921, winning the 1st tournament in 1913. They then made their 1st tournament appearance in 90 years last year. SWC 63 Fosston 55.
If Fosston and MLBO both exit the tournament in the 1st round, as their lack of a seeding would suggest as being, shall we say, not unlikely, it would be fun if the 2 could be matched up--how about 8 a.m. on Saturday at Concordia, before the 4 3rd place games get underway. I mean, this is the 100th year of Minnesota High School Tournament Basketball. This would be a perfect way to cap off the 100 Year celebration. Bring back the 2 participants in that 1st final in 1913, won by Fosston 29-27 over Mountain Lake.
5 p.m. #3 Rushford-Peterson (24-5) vs. Prairie Seeds (24-2). An intriguing match-up between a perennial power and an upstart charter school. RP is back for the 12th time in 24 years, and with the 1989 and 2006 titles under its belt. Prairie Seeds Academy, founded in 2004 in Brooklyn Park, MN, is making its 1st tourney appearance. Seeds is also the 2nd highest-scoring team in any class with 91 ppg, while RP is always known for its tough defense and its ball control. Seeds will want to run, RP will want to walk. RP 65 Prairie Seeds 63.
Semi-Finals All At Target Center
Class AAA Noon Thursday
Washburn 77 Johnson 74. Washburn won the TC Game 90-89.
DeLaSalle 62 Grand Rapids 58. The Thunderhawks unable to replicate their big upset of 2010.
Class AAAA 6 p.m Thursday
Hopkins 69 Osseo 65
Eastview 66 Lakeville North 58
Class A Noon Friday
BBE 69 Browerville 57
SW Christian 65 Rushford-Pete 57
Class AA 6 p.m. Friday
Watertown Mayer 59 Perham 57
St. Peter 66 Braham 62
Finals at Target Center Saturday
BBE 62 SWC 61
St. Peter 61 Watertown-Mayer 57
Washburn 70 DeLaSalle 65. The 2 had 4 common opponents. Washburn went 5-0 and DLS 2-3.
Eastview 68 Hopkins 66
Top Performers
AAAA Bobby King, Eastview; Siyani Chambers, Hopkins
AAA Reid Travis, DeLaSalle; Marcus Marshall, Johnson
AA Tyler Vaughan, Braham; Joey Bartlett, St. Peter
A Connor Goodwin, BBE; Andeers Broman, Lakeview
Sunday, March 18, 2012
The Big Game 3-18-12: Gopher Women Stayin' Alive, Stayin' Alive
The Minnesota Gopher women won their second WBI game in three days today (Sunday)
On Friday night they hammered Charleston Southern 80-51, so as to draw a second home game today versus Bradley. The final was Minnesota 85 Bradley 59.
Today the Gophers led 39-20 at the half. Bradley got within 12 but the Gophers extended it to 20 at 55-35 and at 20 for good at 67-46 and by 30 at 85-55. Kiara Buford led the Gophers with 16 points, Micaella Riche scored 15, Leah Cotton 14, Katie Loberg 12. Kionna Kellogg had 5 points and 9 boards, Rachel Banham 6 points and 5 assists. Minnesota shot 57 percent.
On Friday Minnesota defeated Charleston Southern with ease. Banham scored 16 points, Riche and Buford 12, and Loberg 10. It was 50-22 at the half, and the biggest Gopher lead was 77-44. Sari Noga led with 7 rebounds and Brianna Mastey with 7 assists.
Player of the 2 Days
Micaella Riche
Coach of the Day
Pam Borton
On Friday night they hammered Charleston Southern 80-51, so as to draw a second home game today versus Bradley. The final was Minnesota 85 Bradley 59.
Today the Gophers led 39-20 at the half. Bradley got within 12 but the Gophers extended it to 20 at 55-35 and at 20 for good at 67-46 and by 30 at 85-55. Kiara Buford led the Gophers with 16 points, Micaella Riche scored 15, Leah Cotton 14, Katie Loberg 12. Kionna Kellogg had 5 points and 9 boards, Rachel Banham 6 points and 5 assists. Minnesota shot 57 percent.
On Friday Minnesota defeated Charleston Southern with ease. Banham scored 16 points, Riche and Buford 12, and Loberg 10. It was 50-22 at the half, and the biggest Gopher lead was 77-44. Sari Noga led with 7 rebounds and Brianna Mastey with 7 assists.
Player of the 2 Days
Micaella Riche
Coach of the Day
Pam Borton
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