The Best (Individuals) of the Boys State Tournament

What the hell, let's just start out with my opinions.

Then, down below, you'll see the objective reality, that is the statistical leaders, but with a caveat. The MSHSL does not publish box scores for consolation games. I found box scores for some of those games (on the Hub or in hometown media) but not for others, and even when I did they mostly did not include anything other than scoring. So some of these numbers and rankings are approximate. None of that would have affected the all-tournament teams, I don't think.

My All-Tournament Teams

C- Colin Mulholland, Holy Family, 6-11, Sr., 78 pts in 3 games; 26 reb., 5 asts., 6 stls , 15 blks in 2 games

PF- Jackson McAndrew, Wayzata, 6-9, Jr., 67 pts., 24 reb., 3 asts, 1 ast., 3 blks. Head to head McAndrew had 28 pts and 8 reb. vs. Lakeville North and Nolan Winter, who had 24 pts and 5 reb. as Wayzata won 79-77 en route to the state title. McAnderw had 25 pts and 9 boards in the final. The #1 breakout player of the tournament.

SF- Owen Leach, Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton, 6-6, Sr., 88 pts., 25 reb., 4 asts., 1 stl. Overall tournament scoring leader.

PG- Casmir Chavis, Park Center, 6-3, Jr., 55 pts., 16 reb., 20 asts., 6 stls, 2 blks. Class AAAA MVP. Overall 2023 state tournament MVP.

SG- Nasir Whitlock, DeLaSalle, 6-1, Sr., 64 pts, 12 reb., 19 asts., 7 stls. Class AAA MVP.

6th- Isaiah Hagen, Orono, 6-4, Sr., SG, 80 pts, 17 reb., 7 asts., 7 stls.

2nd Team

C- Nolan Winter, Lakeville North, 6-11, Sr., 70 pts, 22 reb., 3 assts., 2 blks.

PF- Boden Kapke, Holy Family, 6-11, Sr., 68 pts, 29 reb., 8 asts., 5 blks.

SF- Scott Hondl, Albany, 6-6, Sp., 48 pts, 28 reb., 17 asts, 1 stl., 4 blk. Class AA Co-MVP.

PG- Taison Chatman, TG, 6-4, Sr., 48 pts, 18 reb., 18 asts., 5 stls.

SG- Tysen Gerads, Albany, 6-3, Sr., 69 pts., 12 reb., 14 asts., 2 stls, 1 blk. Class AA Co-MVP.

6th- Aidan Wichmann, Russell-Tyler-Ruthton, 6-2, Sr., 65 pts, 20 reb., 20 asts, 7 stls. Class A MVP

3rd Team

C- Patrick Bath, TG, 6-9, Sr., 44 pts., 27 reb., 2 asts., 1 stl., 5 blks.

PF- Matthew Bothun, St. Francis, 6-9, Sr., 16 pts, 4 reb. in one game

SF- Grayson Grove, Alexandria, 6-9, Jr., 41 pts, 15 reb., 7 asts, 4 stls, 6 blks in 2 games

PG- Jerome Williams, Minnehaha, 5-10, Jr., 58 pts, 10 reb., 16 asts, 2 stls, 2 blks.

SG- Ben Kopetzki, Andover, 6-1, Sr., 78 pts.

6th- Henry Tibbitts, Wayzata, 6-1, Sr., 59 pts, 3 reb., 10 asts., 3 stls.

Honorable Mention--it was hard to leave Rolyns Aligbe, Drew Werkman, Erick Reader and Abraham Soumis off of these teams.

Statistical Leaders

Overall Scoring--Leach, DGF 88; Hagen, Orono 80; Kopetzki, Andover 78; Mulholland, Holy Family 78; Winter, Lakeville North 70

Overall Rebounding--Reader, New Life 40; Kapke, Holy Family 29; Bath, TG 27; Mulholland 26; Leach 25

Overall Assists--Chavis, Park Center; Gunderson, Orono; and A. Wichmann, RTR 20; Whitlock, DLS 19; Chatman, TG 18; Hagen 17

Overall Steals--Kole Hanson, Holy Family 9; R. Aligbe, Minnehaha 8; Briggs, New Life 8;  I. Johnson, TG 8; Hagen 7; Whitlock 7; Werkman and A. Wichmann, RTR 7

Overall Blocks--Mulholland 15; Kloss, Eastview 11; Ring, PC 9; R. Aligbe 6; Grove, Alex 6

The most amazing statistical accomplishment was Colin Mulholland's 13 blocks in the 1st round. I haven't been able to ascertain whether that might be an all-time tournament record, but until I can determine it one way or the other, I'll say that's it's about 50/50 that it is.

Class AAAA

Scoring--Kopetzki 78, Winter 70, McAndrew 67

Rebounds--McAndrew 24, Winter 22, Ring 21

Assists--Chavis 20, O'Hara 10, Tibbitts 10

Steals--Chavis 6, Omweno 4; Kloss, Mekonnen, Stefonowicz, Tibbitts 3

Blocks--Kloss 11, Ring 9; McAndrew, O'Hara 3

Class AAA

Scoring--Hagen 80, Whitlock 64, Chatman 48 (Tschetter 43 and Grove 41 with one box score missing)

Rebounds--Bath 27, Chatman 18, Hagen 17

Assists--Gunderson 20, Whitlock 19, Chatman 18

Steals--I. Johnson 8, Hagen 7, Whitlock 7

Blocks--Grove 6, Bath 5, Pounds 4

Class AA

Scoring--Leach 88, Mulholland 78, T. Gerads, Albany 69

Rebounds--Kapke 29, Mulholland 26, Leach 25

Assists--Hondl, Albany 17; J. Williams, Minnehaha 16; Gerads 14

Steals--Hanson 9, Aligbe 8, Mulholland 6

Blocks--Mulholland 15, Aligbe 6, Kapke 5

Class A

Scoring--A. Wichmann 65, Werkman 50, Isaac Asuma 46

Rebounds--Reader 40, Cole Hendrick and Isaac Asuma 18

Assists--A. Wichmann 20, Isaac Asuma and Max Briggs 10

Steals--Briggs 8, Wichmann and Werkman 7

Blocks--Strinmoen 5 (all in one game), Carson Brown and Gravely 3