Congrats to Taylor Young and her many fans, who apparently got the word out, and found their way to Minnesota Hoops to vote for her in our 2nd annual Player of the Year vote. Young won the fan balloting with 73 of 254 ballots (28 percent).
Last year's PoY based on the fan balloting, Kevin Love, was this year's runner-up with 62 votes (24 percent).
3rd was Lindsay Whalen with 29 votes (11 percent), followed by:
Rachel Banham was 4th with 23 votes (9 percent)
Tyus Jones was 5th with 20 votes (7 percent).
Seimone Augustus with 19 votes (7 percent)
Ricky Rubio with 13 (5 percent)
James Ellisor with 10 (3 percent)
Nia Coffey with 3 votes (1 percent)
Siyani Chambers with 2 votes (0 percent)
Last year I wrote after the balloting was complete that I was within an eyelash of picking Tyler Nicolai, point guard for St. Thomas' national champions, as my PoY. But Love won the reader poll by a landslide, and so I decided to go with the consensus and pick Love as my PoY.
Keep in mind that I have picked a Minnesota PoY for every season going back to 1900. Check out the list on the post entitled Minnesota Player of the Year. (As of today it is the next post down.)
This year I'm going in a different direction:
Taylor Young is the MnHoops Readers Poll PoY. God bless all of you who made the effort to give her your support in the poll.
But Lindsay Whalen is the official Minnesota PoY and goes on that list of Minnesota PoYs that stretches all the way back to 1900.
Thanks to all who cast 254 ballots this year. Last year we had about 120.
Showing posts with label 2012. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2012. Show all posts
Friday, April 20, 2012
Monday, April 2, 2012
Minnesota Hoops Player of the Year Poll 2012
Vote for the Minnesota Hoops Player of the Year to the right. Following is some info on the 10 finalists.
Seimone Augustus, Lynx. Helped the Lynx to the WNBA title. She was their leading scorer and most often defended the opponent's top perimeter threat. Not noted as a great defender, perhaps coach Reeve's greatest achievement aside from the title itself was getting Seimone to play as hard on the defensive end as she does on offense.
Rachel Banham, Gophers. Gophers leading scorer, Big 10 freshman of the year, 1st team freshman all-America.
Siyani Chambers, Hopkins. Took his team within a heartbeat of a four-peat and/or a three-peat with him at the controls. Mr. Basketball.
Nia Coffey, Hopkins. Led her team to a repeat as Class AAAA champion. World class defender and improving rapidly on offense. Will be back next year to go for #3.
James Ellisor, Bemidji State. Led the Beavs to the #1 seed in the NSIC, though in part that's due to Winona's use of an ineligible player and subsequent penalties. Still Bemidji was one of the big surprises in small college ball and Ellisor seems clearly to have been the top small college player (D2 or D3, men or women) in the state.
Tyus Jones, Apple Valley. Won a couple of the more prestigious PoY awards, and he's just a sophomore.
Kevin Love, Timberwolves. 27 points and 13 rebounds per game, NBA 3 point shooting champ, should be (but won't) an MVP candidate.
Ricky Rubio, Timberwolves. Lent a dash of, well, dash to the Wolves before his knee injury. Among the league leaders in assists and steals.
Lindsay Whalen, Lynx. The leader on the court, she scores, she orchestrates, she makes her teammates better.
Taylor Young, St. Thomas. Led the Tommies to their 1st Final Four since 2003.
Seimone Augustus, Lynx. Helped the Lynx to the WNBA title. She was their leading scorer and most often defended the opponent's top perimeter threat. Not noted as a great defender, perhaps coach Reeve's greatest achievement aside from the title itself was getting Seimone to play as hard on the defensive end as she does on offense.
Rachel Banham, Gophers. Gophers leading scorer, Big 10 freshman of the year, 1st team freshman all-America.
Siyani Chambers, Hopkins. Took his team within a heartbeat of a four-peat and/or a three-peat with him at the controls. Mr. Basketball.
Nia Coffey, Hopkins. Led her team to a repeat as Class AAAA champion. World class defender and improving rapidly on offense. Will be back next year to go for #3.
James Ellisor, Bemidji State. Led the Beavs to the #1 seed in the NSIC, though in part that's due to Winona's use of an ineligible player and subsequent penalties. Still Bemidji was one of the big surprises in small college ball and Ellisor seems clearly to have been the top small college player (D2 or D3, men or women) in the state.
Tyus Jones, Apple Valley. Won a couple of the more prestigious PoY awards, and he's just a sophomore.
Kevin Love, Timberwolves. 27 points and 13 rebounds per game, NBA 3 point shooting champ, should be (but won't) an MVP candidate.
Ricky Rubio, Timberwolves. Lent a dash of, well, dash to the Wolves before his knee injury. Among the league leaders in assists and steals.
Lindsay Whalen, Lynx. The leader on the court, she scores, she orchestrates, she makes her teammates better.
Taylor Young, St. Thomas. Led the Tommies to their 1st Final Four since 2003.
2012 Season Recap
Well, another basketball season has come and gone--the 100th year, we were told, of Minnesota high school tournament ball, but the 112th year for the selection of a Minnesota Player of the Year by Minnesota Hoops. And, of course, it ain't entirely over. We don't know yet what the magnitude of the Timberwolves' improvement will be, though with Ricky Rubio and several others out with injuries it does not look like our Wolves will finish strongly.
Last year, for the first time, we were able to make it a poll of Minnesota Hoops visitors in selecting Kevin Love as the 2011 PoY. I'll be asking for your help in choosing the 2012 PoY as well. But to begin at the beginning.
Story of the Year
EDIT
1. Doh! Forgot about the Minnesota Lynx WNBA championship! I mean, it's been awhile. I guess one could ask, was that this same season? Was that part of 2011-2012, or was it last year? Was it part of 2010-2011? Well, I say it was part of the new season because Mya Moore played for Connecticut in 2010-2011, and she played for the Lynx in 2011-2012. Okay, so having solved that problem, then, are they the story of 2011-2012? Again, doh! I had the new and improved T-Wolves #1 and this was a vastly better story. So, yes, the Lynx are the story of the year.
END EDIT
2. The Minnesota Timberwolves added some new blood--most notably Ricky Rubio and coach Rick Adelman--and came out in 2013 like a new club, removed from the ineptitude of years gone by. Rubio made himself a strong Rookie of the Year candidate though, now, due to his knee injury, he will be an also-ran in that vote. Adelman should (but won't) get consideration for coach of the year. Kevin Love should (but won't) get consideration for MVP. But while most were healthy the Wolves flirted with the .500 mark and with a playoff spot, neither of which I had expected. Yes, we expected the Wolves to be better, but not this much better. And Rubio? I was a skeptic, and so his performance was the real difference-maker relative to my expectations. But in the end the Wolves have now slumped (3-7 in their last 10) to 25-29, 3.5 games out of the playoffs.
But Love is among the league leaders in scoring (26.5 ppg) and boards (13.7 rpg). Rubio is among the league leaders in assists (8.2 apg) and steals (2.2 spg). And there is optimism for the future, something that has not existed for the past 7 or 8 years. It would seem that good health is all that is really needed to make the next step. Anything less than a playoff spot (at least #6, I mean who wants to go on the road vs. #1 or 2?, so in other words, a winnable match-up in the 1st round) will be a disappointment.
3. Osseo 87 Hopkins 86 (3OT) in boys Class AAAA semi-final. There is no precedent for a three-time defending state champion to lose in triple OT in the state tournament, so by at least that standard this was one of the great games of all-time. Osseo went on to validate the win by taking the state title the next night in another thriller, 49-47 over Lakeville North on an Ian Theisen jumper at the final buzzer. Lots of Osseo and Hopkins talent returns next year so a repeat could be in order, but on the other hand Tyus Jones and Apple Valley could be ready to step in and take the spotlight in boys basketball.
4. St. Thomas women make it to the D3 Final Four. Coach Ruth Sinn and company waltzed through the MIAC undefeated and then swept through the NCAA with almost equal ease before losing to Illinois Wesleyan 67-53. The Tommies then routed #1-rated Amherst 87-60 for 3rd place. Taylor Young was named to the 4th D3Hoops all-America team, the only non-junior or senior named among 20 women. The Tommies bring back an embarrassment of riches next year and a trip to the Final Four surely will be among the team's goals and its fans' expectations.
5. Carlie Wagner arrives. The New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva sophomore arrived with a bang. It was the 1st round of the girls Class AA tournament, and it was the game in which Rebekah Dahlman would break Tayler Hill's career scoring record. Well, Dahlman did, scoring 25 to get to 3,895 (versus Hill's career total of 3,888). But Wagner overshadowed Dahlman's great moment, scoring 43 and NRHEG routed the Bombers 75-45. Two nights later she scored a tournament record 48 in the third place game won by NRHEG over Pequot Lakes 71-61, giving her a tournament record of 113 points in three games, also breaking one of Tayler Hill's records.
6. Minnesota Gopher men and women finish strong. It wasn't the NCAA, to be sure. In the case of the Gopher men, it was the NIT. The Gophers won four games--all on the road or a neutral site--before getting hosed by Stanford 75-51 in the final. For the women it wasn't even the WNIT, it was something called the WBI, but hey, call it anything but late for lunch. The Gophers won 4 home games against mid-major teams like Charleston Southern, Bradley, Manhattan and Northern Iowa. Well, a win is a win.
And so both go into next year with significantly higher expectations. The women have Big 10 freshman of the year and 1st string freshmen all-American Rachel Banham back. The men bring back everybody who contributed to that NIT runner-up finish, plus Trevor Mbakwe, who blew out his knee in December, but was granted an extra year of eligibility and so will be back next year. The only real question is how in the world Tubby will distribute minutes across a ridiculously deep roster. For the women the only question is who can replace Kiara Buford as Banham's sidekick and #2 scorer. Gopher fans hope the answer is Kayla Hirt.
Team of the Year
1. Minnesota Lynx 27-7 regular season, 7-1 post-season, 34-8, WNBA champions.
2. St. Thomas women (31-2) and third place in the D3 Final Four
3. Hopkins girls (31-1) and repeat state Class AAAA champions
4. Minnesota Timberwolves (25-29 as of 4-1-12) for their vast improvement in W and L, and the excitement surrounding them this year
5. Minnesota Gopher men (23-15). It was an up-and-down year. Down means 6-12 in the Big 10. Up means an upset win in the Big 10 tournament and 4 straight wins in the NIT to finish 5-2.
Coach of the Year
1. Rick Adelman, Minnesota Timberwolves. More responsible for Wolves resurgence than anybody.
2. Cheryl Reeve, Minnesota Lynx. Got everybody on the same page. Not an easy task, as the previous season demonstrated.
3. Ruth Sinn, St. Thomas women. Took Tommies to the D3 Final Four.
4. Brian Cosgriff, Hopkins girls. Won a second straight and fourth overall girls state title.
5. Billy McKee, Augsburg women. From doormat to .500.
Game of the Year
1. Osseo boys 87 Hopkins 86 (OT). Class AAAA boys semi-final.
EDIT: 2. Minnesota Lynx 85 San Antonio Silver Stars 67, Game 3, Conference Semi-finals
3. Gopher women 76 Ohio State 65 at Williams Arena. Well played game on both sides. OSU did not beat themseleves, but the Gophere did.
4. Augsburg women 61 St. Ben's 53. Mike Durbin's 1st loss to Augsburg in 26 years as Bennies' coach.
5. Minnesota Gopher men 77 Indiana 74. At Indiana. Early season game showed how good the Gophers could be, but never were.
6 (tie). Benilde boys 76 Hopkins 71
Wayzata girls 66 Hopkins 57
8. Eastview boys 64 Madison (WI) Memorial 37
Last year, for the first time, we were able to make it a poll of Minnesota Hoops visitors in selecting Kevin Love as the 2011 PoY. I'll be asking for your help in choosing the 2012 PoY as well. But to begin at the beginning.
Story of the Year
EDIT
1. Doh! Forgot about the Minnesota Lynx WNBA championship! I mean, it's been awhile. I guess one could ask, was that this same season? Was that part of 2011-2012, or was it last year? Was it part of 2010-2011? Well, I say it was part of the new season because Mya Moore played for Connecticut in 2010-2011, and she played for the Lynx in 2011-2012. Okay, so having solved that problem, then, are they the story of 2011-2012? Again, doh! I had the new and improved T-Wolves #1 and this was a vastly better story. So, yes, the Lynx are the story of the year.
END EDIT
2. The Minnesota Timberwolves added some new blood--most notably Ricky Rubio and coach Rick Adelman--and came out in 2013 like a new club, removed from the ineptitude of years gone by. Rubio made himself a strong Rookie of the Year candidate though, now, due to his knee injury, he will be an also-ran in that vote. Adelman should (but won't) get consideration for coach of the year. Kevin Love should (but won't) get consideration for MVP. But while most were healthy the Wolves flirted with the .500 mark and with a playoff spot, neither of which I had expected. Yes, we expected the Wolves to be better, but not this much better. And Rubio? I was a skeptic, and so his performance was the real difference-maker relative to my expectations. But in the end the Wolves have now slumped (3-7 in their last 10) to 25-29, 3.5 games out of the playoffs.
But Love is among the league leaders in scoring (26.5 ppg) and boards (13.7 rpg). Rubio is among the league leaders in assists (8.2 apg) and steals (2.2 spg). And there is optimism for the future, something that has not existed for the past 7 or 8 years. It would seem that good health is all that is really needed to make the next step. Anything less than a playoff spot (at least #6, I mean who wants to go on the road vs. #1 or 2?, so in other words, a winnable match-up in the 1st round) will be a disappointment.
3. Osseo 87 Hopkins 86 (3OT) in boys Class AAAA semi-final. There is no precedent for a three-time defending state champion to lose in triple OT in the state tournament, so by at least that standard this was one of the great games of all-time. Osseo went on to validate the win by taking the state title the next night in another thriller, 49-47 over Lakeville North on an Ian Theisen jumper at the final buzzer. Lots of Osseo and Hopkins talent returns next year so a repeat could be in order, but on the other hand Tyus Jones and Apple Valley could be ready to step in and take the spotlight in boys basketball.
4. St. Thomas women make it to the D3 Final Four. Coach Ruth Sinn and company waltzed through the MIAC undefeated and then swept through the NCAA with almost equal ease before losing to Illinois Wesleyan 67-53. The Tommies then routed #1-rated Amherst 87-60 for 3rd place. Taylor Young was named to the 4th D3Hoops all-America team, the only non-junior or senior named among 20 women. The Tommies bring back an embarrassment of riches next year and a trip to the Final Four surely will be among the team's goals and its fans' expectations.
5. Carlie Wagner arrives. The New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva sophomore arrived with a bang. It was the 1st round of the girls Class AA tournament, and it was the game in which Rebekah Dahlman would break Tayler Hill's career scoring record. Well, Dahlman did, scoring 25 to get to 3,895 (versus Hill's career total of 3,888). But Wagner overshadowed Dahlman's great moment, scoring 43 and NRHEG routed the Bombers 75-45. Two nights later she scored a tournament record 48 in the third place game won by NRHEG over Pequot Lakes 71-61, giving her a tournament record of 113 points in three games, also breaking one of Tayler Hill's records.
6. Minnesota Gopher men and women finish strong. It wasn't the NCAA, to be sure. In the case of the Gopher men, it was the NIT. The Gophers won four games--all on the road or a neutral site--before getting hosed by Stanford 75-51 in the final. For the women it wasn't even the WNIT, it was something called the WBI, but hey, call it anything but late for lunch. The Gophers won 4 home games against mid-major teams like Charleston Southern, Bradley, Manhattan and Northern Iowa. Well, a win is a win.
And so both go into next year with significantly higher expectations. The women have Big 10 freshman of the year and 1st string freshmen all-American Rachel Banham back. The men bring back everybody who contributed to that NIT runner-up finish, plus Trevor Mbakwe, who blew out his knee in December, but was granted an extra year of eligibility and so will be back next year. The only real question is how in the world Tubby will distribute minutes across a ridiculously deep roster. For the women the only question is who can replace Kiara Buford as Banham's sidekick and #2 scorer. Gopher fans hope the answer is Kayla Hirt.
Team of the Year
1. Minnesota Lynx 27-7 regular season, 7-1 post-season, 34-8, WNBA champions.
2. St. Thomas women (31-2) and third place in the D3 Final Four
3. Hopkins girls (31-1) and repeat state Class AAAA champions
4. Minnesota Timberwolves (25-29 as of 4-1-12) for their vast improvement in W and L, and the excitement surrounding them this year
5. Minnesota Gopher men (23-15). It was an up-and-down year. Down means 6-12 in the Big 10. Up means an upset win in the Big 10 tournament and 4 straight wins in the NIT to finish 5-2.
Coach of the Year
1. Rick Adelman, Minnesota Timberwolves. More responsible for Wolves resurgence than anybody.
2. Cheryl Reeve, Minnesota Lynx. Got everybody on the same page. Not an easy task, as the previous season demonstrated.
3. Ruth Sinn, St. Thomas women. Took Tommies to the D3 Final Four.
4. Brian Cosgriff, Hopkins girls. Won a second straight and fourth overall girls state title.
5. Billy McKee, Augsburg women. From doormat to .500.
Game of the Year
1. Osseo boys 87 Hopkins 86 (OT). Class AAAA boys semi-final.
EDIT: 2. Minnesota Lynx 85 San Antonio Silver Stars 67, Game 3, Conference Semi-finals
3. Gopher women 76 Ohio State 65 at Williams Arena. Well played game on both sides. OSU did not beat themseleves, but the Gophere did.
4. Augsburg women 61 St. Ben's 53. Mike Durbin's 1st loss to Augsburg in 26 years as Bennies' coach.
5. Minnesota Gopher men 77 Indiana 74. At Indiana. Early season game showed how good the Gophers could be, but never were.
6 (tie). Benilde boys 76 Hopkins 71
Wayzata girls 66 Hopkins 57
8. Eastview boys 64 Madison (WI) Memorial 37
Friday, March 30, 2012
Minnesota 2011-2012 Season Awards Candidates
Player of the Year Candidates
Lindsay Whalen, Minnesota Lynx, PG. In case you'd forgotten, the Lynx won the WNBA title this (2011-2012) basketball season in darn near a cakewalk, and many thought that Whalen was their best player. She scored 12 ppg on 46 percent shooting and team-bests of 4 assists and 1.5 steals.
Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves, PF. Just keeps getting better, and now he's pulling his team along with him. Averaging 27 points and 14 boards, while the Wolves are 25-27 and 2.5 games out of the playoffs.
Rachel Banham, Minnesota Gopher women, fr., PG. Scored 16 ppg as a true freshman, and added 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals.
Tyus Jones, Apple Valley boys, soph., PG. Will be the most heavily recruited Minnesota boy before he's through.
Ricky Rubio, Minnesota Timberwolves, PG. A terrifically charismatic and creative force with the rock, he averaged 11 points and 8 assists before going down with the knee injury. Along with Adelman and Love, most responsible for the Wolves' turnaround.
Nia Coffey, Hopkins girls, jr., F. Girls player of the year according to several selections. A terrific force on defense, creating turnovers, mopping up on the boards. Does it all.
Seimone Augustus, Minnesota Lynx, SG. In case you'd forgotten, the Lynx won the WNBA title last year in darn near a cakewalk, and shooting guard Augustus was the Lynx' top vote-getting in WNBA MVP voting. She was also the Lynx' leading scorer at 22 ppg on the ridiculous shooting percentage for her position of 53 percent.
Trevor Mbakwe, Minnesota Gopher men, sr., PF. A man among boys until he tore his ACL. He scored 14 ppg on 60 percent shooting, and he added 9 boards per game. Now it looks like he'll be back for a 6th year.
Joey King, Eastview, sr., F. One and done in the state tournament, but he is a force and a high flyer.
James Ellisor, Bemidji State, sr., F. Led the Beavers to a shocking #1 seed in the NSIC playoffs. NSIC Player of the Year, very deservedly so.
Coach of the Year Candidates
Rick Adelman, Minnesota Timberwolves. Probably deserves more credit than anybody for the Wolves improvement.
Ruth Sinn, St. Thomas women. Took her Tommies to the Final Four for the 1st time since 2002.
Billy McKee, Augsburg women. Made a moribund program competitive again.
Tim Thiesen, Osseo boys. Pulled the big upset.
Mark Gerber, Eastview boys. The best team in the state for much of the season, no more so than when beating Lakeville North, Apple Valley and Madison (WI) Memorial in one week.
Tubby Smith, Minnesota Gophers. Gophers showed signs of breaking through.
Dave Montbriand, Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa. Second time was the charm.
Matt Bowen, Bemidji State. Led Bemidji to a shocking #1 seed into NSIC post-season tournament.
Team of the Year Candidates
Hopkins girls. Repeat Class AAAA champs. Would have been unbeatable except they somehow lost one.
St. Thomas women. Made it all the way to the D3 Final Four.
Minnesota Timberwolves, Improvement, competitiveness, excitement at last.
Eastview boys. They didn't win it all but nobody has ever had a week like they had in January, beating Lakeville North, Apple Valley and Madison (WI) Memorial.
St. Thomas men. Regular season co-champion, post-season champion of the MIAC.
Osseo boys. Pulled the big upset of the year 87-86 over Hopkins in 3OT in the state semi.
Winona State men. Regular season champion of the NSIC but for use of an ineligible player.
Gopher men. Showed signs of life.
Augsburg women. Much improved, from doormat to nearly .500 in the MIAC.
Bemidji State men. Won the #1 seed into the NSIC tournament.
Game of the Year Candidates
Osseo boys 87 Hopkins 86 (3OT), state AAAA semi-final
Minnesota Gopher women 76 Ohio State 65, Big 10 regular season game
Augsburg women 61 St. Ben's 53. Mike Durkin's 1st loss to Augsburg in his 26 years on the job.
Eastview boys 64 Madison Memorial 37
Prairie Seeds boys 165 Math & Science Academy 37. All-time high scoring game for 1 team.
Augsburg men 74 Houston Baptist 68. Rare D3 over D1 upset.
Moorhead State men 81 Ausustana 76
(tie) Moorhead State men 90 Winona State 72
Lindsay Whalen, Minnesota Lynx, PG. In case you'd forgotten, the Lynx won the WNBA title this (2011-2012) basketball season in darn near a cakewalk, and many thought that Whalen was their best player. She scored 12 ppg on 46 percent shooting and team-bests of 4 assists and 1.5 steals.
Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves, PF. Just keeps getting better, and now he's pulling his team along with him. Averaging 27 points and 14 boards, while the Wolves are 25-27 and 2.5 games out of the playoffs.
Rachel Banham, Minnesota Gopher women, fr., PG. Scored 16 ppg as a true freshman, and added 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals.
Tyus Jones, Apple Valley boys, soph., PG. Will be the most heavily recruited Minnesota boy before he's through.
Ricky Rubio, Minnesota Timberwolves, PG. A terrifically charismatic and creative force with the rock, he averaged 11 points and 8 assists before going down with the knee injury. Along with Adelman and Love, most responsible for the Wolves' turnaround.
Nia Coffey, Hopkins girls, jr., F. Girls player of the year according to several selections. A terrific force on defense, creating turnovers, mopping up on the boards. Does it all.
Seimone Augustus, Minnesota Lynx, SG. In case you'd forgotten, the Lynx won the WNBA title last year in darn near a cakewalk, and shooting guard Augustus was the Lynx' top vote-getting in WNBA MVP voting. She was also the Lynx' leading scorer at 22 ppg on the ridiculous shooting percentage for her position of 53 percent.
Trevor Mbakwe, Minnesota Gopher men, sr., PF. A man among boys until he tore his ACL. He scored 14 ppg on 60 percent shooting, and he added 9 boards per game. Now it looks like he'll be back for a 6th year.
Joey King, Eastview, sr., F. One and done in the state tournament, but he is a force and a high flyer.
James Ellisor, Bemidji State, sr., F. Led the Beavers to a shocking #1 seed in the NSIC playoffs. NSIC Player of the Year, very deservedly so.
Coach of the Year Candidates
Rick Adelman, Minnesota Timberwolves. Probably deserves more credit than anybody for the Wolves improvement.
Ruth Sinn, St. Thomas women. Took her Tommies to the Final Four for the 1st time since 2002.
Billy McKee, Augsburg women. Made a moribund program competitive again.
Brian Cosgriff, Hopkins girls. Repeat Class AAAA champions, Cosgriff's 4th overall.
Johnny Tauer, St. Thomas men. Led Tommies to co-championship of regular season and championship of post-season in his 1st year as Steve Fritz' successor.
Mark Gerber, Eastview boys. The best team in the state for much of the season, no more so than when beating Lakeville North, Apple Valley and Madison (WI) Memorial in one week.
Tubby Smith, Minnesota Gophers. Gophers showed signs of breaking through.
Dave Montbriand, Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa. Second time was the charm.
Matt Bowen, Bemidji State. Led Bemidji to a shocking #1 seed into NSIC post-season tournament.
Team of the Year Candidates
Hopkins girls. Repeat Class AAAA champs. Would have been unbeatable except they somehow lost one.
St. Thomas women. Made it all the way to the D3 Final Four.
Minnesota Timberwolves, Improvement, competitiveness, excitement at last.
Eastview boys. They didn't win it all but nobody has ever had a week like they had in January, beating Lakeville North, Apple Valley and Madison (WI) Memorial.
St. Thomas men. Regular season co-champion, post-season champion of the MIAC.
Osseo boys. Pulled the big upset of the year 87-86 over Hopkins in 3OT in the state semi.
Winona State men. Regular season champion of the NSIC but for use of an ineligible player.
Gopher men. Showed signs of life.
Augsburg women. Much improved, from doormat to nearly .500 in the MIAC.
Bemidji State men. Won the #1 seed into the NSIC tournament.
Game of the Year Candidates
Osseo boys 87 Hopkins 86 (3OT), state AAAA semi-final
Minnesota Gopher women 76 Ohio State 65, Big 10 regular season game
Augsburg women 61 St. Ben's 53. Mike Durkin's 1st loss to Augsburg in his 26 years on the job.
Minnesota Gopher men 77 Indiana 74
Benilde boys 76 Hopkins 71
Wayzata girls 66 Hopkins 57
Eastview boys 64 Madison Memorial 37
Prairie Seeds boys 165 Math & Science Academy 37. All-time high scoring game for 1 team.
Augsburg men 74 Houston Baptist 68. Rare D3 over D1 upset.
Moorhead State men 81 Ausustana 76
(tie) Moorhead State men 90 Winona State 72
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Boys HS Season Recap
The state tournament recap is elsewhere. Here we look back over the entire season. First, the consensus all-state (various different all-state, all-metro, Mr. Basketball, etc. etc.) all mushed together, plus my all-state team where it differs. Then the overall top 50 follows.
Consensus All-State and My All-State (where it differs, unless called out, I am in agreement)
1st Team
Siyani Chambers, Hopkins, sr., G--my Player of the Year, my overall state tournament MVP
Tyus Jones, Apple Valley, soph., G--AP Player of the Year and Gatorade Player of the Year
Joey King, Eastview, sr., F
Sanjay Lumpkin, Benilde-SM, sr., F--my 3rd team
Isaiah Zierden, Benilde-SM, sr., G--my 2nd team
2nd Team
Johnny Woodard, Duluth East, sr., G--my 3rd team
Rashad Vaughn, Cooper, soph., F
Reid Travis, DeLaSalle, soph., C
Travis Vaughan, Braham, sr., G
Zach Huisken, Southwest MN Christian, sr., C--my 3rd team
3rd Team
Marcus Marshall, St. Paul Johnson, sr., G--my 1st team
Sean Scott, Spring Lake Park, sr., F--my 1st team
Austin Pohlen, Grand Rapids, sr., G
Mike Tyus, Anoka, sr., G--my 4th team
Quinton Hooker, Park Center, jr., G--not on my 1st through 4th teams
4th Team
Alex Illikainen, Grand Rapids, fr., C
Ian Theissen, Osseo, soph., C
Sander Mohn, Eden Prairie, sr., G--my 4th team
Connor Goodwin, Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa, sr., C--not on my 1st through 4th teams
Kebu Johnson, Blake, jr., F--not on my 1st through 4th teams
Not Consensus All-State
Anders Broman, Lakeview Christian, jr., F--my 2nd team
Tyler Flack, Lakeville North, sr., F--my 3rd team
Joey Bartlett, St. Peter, sr., F--my 4th team
Final Top 50
1. Hopkins 30-2--if they play the state tournament 10 times, Hopkins wins 7
2. Osseo 30-2--but they only play it once, and Osseo is Class AAAA champion
3. Lakeville North 30-2--Class AAAA runners-up
4. Eastview 30-2
5. DeLaSalle 26-6--Class AAA champion
6. Minneapolis Washburn 29-3--Class AAA runners-up
7. Benilde-St. Margaret's 27-2
8. Eden Prairie 23-9
9. Apple Valley 23-6
10. Woodbury 24-6
11. Roseville 24-5
12. Chanhassan 23-6
13. Cretin-Derham Hall 19-9
14. Spring Lake Park 23-6
15. St. Paul Johnson 22-9
16. Edina 19-10
17. Champlin Park 18-11
18. Minnetonka 19-9
19. Wayzata 19-8
20. Grand Rapids 25-7
21. Park Center 18-9
22. Austin 23-6
23. Moorhead 18-10
24. Mankato East 25-5
25. Owatonna 22-7
26. Mounds View 18-10
27. Blake 24-4
28. Plainview-Elgin-Millville 27-6--Class AA champion
29. Detroit Lakes 22-8
30. Tartan 20-7
31. Buffalo 17-10
32. St. Thomas 18-11
33. St. Peter 28-2
34. Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa 33-0--Class A champion
35. Waconia 22-7
36. Duluth Denfeld 21-8
37. Blaine 17-12
38. Southwest MN Christian 28-2--Class A runners-up
39. Willmar 18-9
40. Rocori 18-12
41. Litchfield 26-6--Class AA runners-up
42. Zimmerman 23-5
43. Eagan 15-13
44. Rogers 19-9
45. Delano 22-7
46. Rushford-Peterson 26-6
47. White Bear Lake 15-13
48. St. Michael-Albertville 20-7
49. Perham 29-3
50. Braham 20-3
Next Year
Class AAAA--Apple Valley is the early favorite, yes, even vs. Hopkins, though I would not recommend underestimating Hopkins. All of the other state tournament teams have some talent coming back and will be a contender to return to the tournament, but I doubt if any of them have enough talent to contend for the state title. On paper, in other words, Apple Valley is a pretty solid favorite. I guess I'd make Osseo #3, Park Center #4 and Eden Prairie #5.
Class AAA--DeLaSalle will be loaded next year. It has been rumored that Wally Ellenson's (Minnesota Gophers recruit from Rice Lake, WI) brothers will be following him to the Twin Cities and enrolling at DeLaSalle (2 kids worth about 25 ppg between them). But this of course is just a rumor, like Ricky Rubio's sister coming to Hopkins. Stay tuned. Austin #2 and Grand Rapids #3 should be tough. Maybe Blake #4 and Johnson #5.
Class AA--Here I have no idea what to expect. Wide open. Let's say Litchfield #1 with Fairmont and Melrose following.
Class A--BBE has some talent coming back as does Lakeview Christian, they would be obvious #1 and #2 to start the new season. How about Dawson-Boyd #3, Browerville #4 and Sleepy Eye St. Mary's #5.
All-State--Tyus Jones, Anders Broman, Rashad Vaughn, Reid Travis, Ian Theissen
Consensus All-State and My All-State (where it differs, unless called out, I am in agreement)
1st Team
Siyani Chambers, Hopkins, sr., G--my Player of the Year, my overall state tournament MVP
Tyus Jones, Apple Valley, soph., G--AP Player of the Year and Gatorade Player of the Year
Joey King, Eastview, sr., F
Sanjay Lumpkin, Benilde-SM, sr., F--my 3rd team
Isaiah Zierden, Benilde-SM, sr., G--my 2nd team
2nd Team
Johnny Woodard, Duluth East, sr., G--my 3rd team
Rashad Vaughn, Cooper, soph., F
Reid Travis, DeLaSalle, soph., C
Travis Vaughan, Braham, sr., G
Zach Huisken, Southwest MN Christian, sr., C--my 3rd team
3rd Team
Marcus Marshall, St. Paul Johnson, sr., G--my 1st team
Sean Scott, Spring Lake Park, sr., F--my 1st team
Austin Pohlen, Grand Rapids, sr., G
Mike Tyus, Anoka, sr., G--my 4th team
Quinton Hooker, Park Center, jr., G--not on my 1st through 4th teams
4th Team
Alex Illikainen, Grand Rapids, fr., C
Ian Theissen, Osseo, soph., C
Sander Mohn, Eden Prairie, sr., G--my 4th team
Connor Goodwin, Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa, sr., C--not on my 1st through 4th teams
Kebu Johnson, Blake, jr., F--not on my 1st through 4th teams
Not Consensus All-State
Anders Broman, Lakeview Christian, jr., F--my 2nd team
Tyler Flack, Lakeville North, sr., F--my 3rd team
Joey Bartlett, St. Peter, sr., F--my 4th team
Final Top 50
1. Hopkins 30-2--if they play the state tournament 10 times, Hopkins wins 7
2. Osseo 30-2--but they only play it once, and Osseo is Class AAAA champion
3. Lakeville North 30-2--Class AAAA runners-up
4. Eastview 30-2
5. DeLaSalle 26-6--Class AAA champion
6. Minneapolis Washburn 29-3--Class AAA runners-up
7. Benilde-St. Margaret's 27-2
8. Eden Prairie 23-9
9. Apple Valley 23-6
10. Woodbury 24-6
11. Roseville 24-5
12. Chanhassan 23-6
13. Cretin-Derham Hall 19-9
14. Spring Lake Park 23-6
15. St. Paul Johnson 22-9
16. Edina 19-10
17. Champlin Park 18-11
18. Minnetonka 19-9
19. Wayzata 19-8
20. Grand Rapids 25-7
21. Park Center 18-9
22. Austin 23-6
23. Moorhead 18-10
24. Mankato East 25-5
25. Owatonna 22-7
26. Mounds View 18-10
27. Blake 24-4
28. Plainview-Elgin-Millville 27-6--Class AA champion
29. Detroit Lakes 22-8
30. Tartan 20-7
31. Buffalo 17-10
32. St. Thomas 18-11
33. St. Peter 28-2
34. Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa 33-0--Class A champion
35. Waconia 22-7
36. Duluth Denfeld 21-8
37. Blaine 17-12
38. Southwest MN Christian 28-2--Class A runners-up
39. Willmar 18-9
40. Rocori 18-12
41. Litchfield 26-6--Class AA runners-up
42. Zimmerman 23-5
43. Eagan 15-13
44. Rogers 19-9
45. Delano 22-7
46. Rushford-Peterson 26-6
47. White Bear Lake 15-13
48. St. Michael-Albertville 20-7
49. Perham 29-3
50. Braham 20-3
Next Year
Class AAAA--Apple Valley is the early favorite, yes, even vs. Hopkins, though I would not recommend underestimating Hopkins. All of the other state tournament teams have some talent coming back and will be a contender to return to the tournament, but I doubt if any of them have enough talent to contend for the state title. On paper, in other words, Apple Valley is a pretty solid favorite. I guess I'd make Osseo #3, Park Center #4 and Eden Prairie #5.
Class AAA--DeLaSalle will be loaded next year. It has been rumored that Wally Ellenson's (Minnesota Gophers recruit from Rice Lake, WI) brothers will be following him to the Twin Cities and enrolling at DeLaSalle (2 kids worth about 25 ppg between them). But this of course is just a rumor, like Ricky Rubio's sister coming to Hopkins. Stay tuned. Austin #2 and Grand Rapids #3 should be tough. Maybe Blake #4 and Johnson #5.
Class AA--Here I have no idea what to expect. Wide open. Let's say Litchfield #1 with Fairmont and Melrose following.
Class A--BBE has some talent coming back as does Lakeview Christian, they would be obvious #1 and #2 to start the new season. How about Dawson-Boyd #3, Browerville #4 and Sleepy Eye St. Mary's #5.
All-State--Tyus Jones, Anders Broman, Rashad Vaughn, Reid Travis, Ian Theissen
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
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.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
February Awards
Player of the Month
Player of the Month candidates were all Player of the Day sometime during the month of February. There is no obvious, dominant choice like Ricky Rubio last month, not to say that Rubio has continued to play well for the Wolves. But the choice is Rubio's teammate and last year's Player of the Year....
Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves. He has continued to lead the Wolves in getting better and better. I thought improvement would be winning 33 percent of the time. But, no, the Wolves are above .500 and beating quality teams on the road. Then there's his win in the 3-point shooting contest at the All-Star game, and 17 points in the All-Star game itself. Love is clearly 1 of the top 10 players in the NBA, and is back ahead of Rubio in the Player of the Year sweepstakes.
Team of the Month
It is tempting to pick the Timberwolves but, hey, they're a .500 team! Surely there's better out there. I'll take....
St. Thomas women. They completed the regular season + MIAC playoffs at 26-1, and they'll host 1st and 2nd round action in the NCAA D3 tournament this Friday and Saturday. They seem to have the potential of duplicating what the St. Thomas men did last year. So far they're more dominant. But the going gets a lot tougher from here on out.
Coach of the Month
Rick Adelman, Minnesota Timberwolves. There are lots of good candidates including Ruth Sinn of our Team of the Month. And yet the work Adelman has done with the Wolves is nothing short of miraculous. Yes, they've got Rubio and Derrick Williams and J.J. Barea this year. But they've also still got Love and Michael Beasley and Luke Ridnour and others of the same pieces that Kurt Rambis pushed around the chess board so unsuccessfully the past 2 years. Yes, coaching matters in the NBA.
Game of the Month
Wayzata girls 66 Hopkins 58. So, somebody is not unbeatable after all. In fairness, of course, the Royals have had injuries. Nia and Sydney Coffey have missed games, and Nia's back in fact continues to be a problem. And Mikaala Shackleford is out for the duration, I think. And with Wayzata peaking at just the right time--the Hopkins upset was followed by a rout of #3 Edina--section 6AAAA suddenly seems competitive.
February All-Stars
Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves
Nikola Pekovic, Minnesota Timberwolves
James Ellisor, Bemidji State men
Tyus Jones, Apple Valley boys
Anders Broman, Lakeview Christian boys
Second Team
Marissa Grossfeld, Wayzata girls
Tyseanna Johnson, DeLaSalle girls
Tia Elbert, Tartan girls
Jackie Johnson, Eden Prairie girls
Third Team
Aimee Pelzer, Upsala girls
Taylor Hall, Bethel men
Will DeBerg, St. Thoman men
Fourth Team
Coach of the Month Runners-Up
1. Rick Adelman, Minnesota Timberwolves
2. Ruth Sinn, St. Thomas women
3. Matt Bowen, Bemidji State men
4. Dave Montbriand, Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa boys
5. Jeff Westlund, Bethel men
6. Mark Gerber, Eastview boys
7 (tie). Dave Thorson, DeLaSalle boys
Faith Johnson Patterson, DeLaSalle girls
9. Mike Leaf, Winona State
10. Johnny Tauer, St. Thomas men
Team of the Month
1. St. Thomas women
2. Bemidji State men
3. St. Thomas men
6. Moorhead State men
9. Gustavus men
10. Benilde-St. Margaret's boys
Game of the Month
1. Wayzata girls 66 Hopkins 58
2. Moorhead State men 90 Winona State 72
3. Benilde boys 60 DeLaSalle 59
4. Minnesota Timberwolves 92 Philadelphia 76ers 91
Player of the Month candidates were all Player of the Day sometime during the month of February. There is no obvious, dominant choice like Ricky Rubio last month, not to say that Rubio has continued to play well for the Wolves. But the choice is Rubio's teammate and last year's Player of the Year....
Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves. He has continued to lead the Wolves in getting better and better. I thought improvement would be winning 33 percent of the time. But, no, the Wolves are above .500 and beating quality teams on the road. Then there's his win in the 3-point shooting contest at the All-Star game, and 17 points in the All-Star game itself. Love is clearly 1 of the top 10 players in the NBA, and is back ahead of Rubio in the Player of the Year sweepstakes.
Team of the Month
It is tempting to pick the Timberwolves but, hey, they're a .500 team! Surely there's better out there. I'll take....
St. Thomas women. They completed the regular season + MIAC playoffs at 26-1, and they'll host 1st and 2nd round action in the NCAA D3 tournament this Friday and Saturday. They seem to have the potential of duplicating what the St. Thomas men did last year. So far they're more dominant. But the going gets a lot tougher from here on out.
Coach of the Month
Rick Adelman, Minnesota Timberwolves. There are lots of good candidates including Ruth Sinn of our Team of the Month. And yet the work Adelman has done with the Wolves is nothing short of miraculous. Yes, they've got Rubio and Derrick Williams and J.J. Barea this year. But they've also still got Love and Michael Beasley and Luke Ridnour and others of the same pieces that Kurt Rambis pushed around the chess board so unsuccessfully the past 2 years. Yes, coaching matters in the NBA.
Game of the Month
Wayzata girls 66 Hopkins 58. So, somebody is not unbeatable after all. In fairness, of course, the Royals have had injuries. Nia and Sydney Coffey have missed games, and Nia's back in fact continues to be a problem. And Mikaala Shackleford is out for the duration, I think. And with Wayzata peaking at just the right time--the Hopkins upset was followed by a rout of #3 Edina--section 6AAAA suddenly seems competitive.
February All-Stars
Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves
Nikola Pekovic, Minnesota Timberwolves
James Ellisor, Bemidji State men
Tyus Jones, Apple Valley boys
Anders Broman, Lakeview Christian boys
Second Team
Siyani Chambers, Hopkins boys
Marissa Grossfeld, Wayzata girls
Tyseanna Johnson, DeLaSalle girls
Tia Elbert, Tartan girls
Jackie Johnson, Eden Prairie girls
Third Team
Rachel Banham, Minnesota Gopher women
Isaiah Zierden, Benilde boys
Aimee Pelzer, Upsala girls
Taylor Hall, Bethel men
Will DeBerg, St. Thoman men
Fourth Team
Bobby Fong, St. Olaf men
Katybeth Biewen, Edina girls
Madison Guebert, Eastview girls
Michael Beasley, Minnesota Timberwolves
Derrick Williams, Minnesota Timberwolves
1. Rick Adelman, Minnesota Timberwolves
2. Ruth Sinn, St. Thomas women
3. Matt Bowen, Bemidji State men
4. Dave Montbriand, Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa boys
5. Jeff Westlund, Bethel men
6. Mark Gerber, Eastview boys
7 (tie). Dave Thorson, DeLaSalle boys
Faith Johnson Patterson, DeLaSalle girls
9. Mike Leaf, Winona State
10. Johnny Tauer, St. Thomas men
1. St. Thomas women
2. Bemidji State men
3. St. Thomas men
4. Wayzata girls
5. Minnesota Timberwolves
5. Minnesota Timberwolves
6. Moorhead State men
7. Eastview boys
8. Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa boys
9. Gustavus men
10. Benilde-St. Margaret's boys
1. Wayzata girls 66 Hopkins 58
2. Moorhead State men 90 Winona State 72
3. Benilde boys 60 DeLaSalle 59
4. Minnesota Timberwolves 92 Philadelphia 76ers 91
5. Bethel men 68 Gustavus men 52
6 (tie). Winona State men 84 St. Cloud State 74 (regular season) and Winona State 63 St. Cloud State 54 (NSIC playoffs)
6 (tie). Winona State men 84 St. Cloud State 74 (regular season) and Winona State 63 St. Cloud State 54 (NSIC playoffs)
8 (tie). St. Thomas men 75 Augsburg 72 (regular season) and St. Thomas 66 Gustavus 62 (OT) (MIAC final)
10 (tie). Some more great high school games:
Benilde-St. Margaret's boys 67 Spring Lake Park 65
Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa boys 73 Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted 66 (OT)
Benilde-St. Margaret's boys 67 Spring Lake Park 65
Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa boys 73 Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted 66 (OT)
Upsala girls 82 Parkers Prairie 78 (OT)
Saturday, February 4, 2012
The Big Game 2-3-12: #1 vs. #2
There were plenty of big games tonight but only 2 that I know of where #1 took on #2.
Benilde-St. Margaret boys at Spring Lake Park
The first was the Benilde-St. Margaret boys at Spring Lake Park. The host Panthers led 40-37 at the half and led most of the 2nd half. But Benilde rallied down the stretch and Sanjay Lumpkin hit the game winner with 2.6 seconds remaining. The final was Benilde 67 Spring Lake Park 65. Benilde takes a one game lead over Park in the race for the North Suburban Conference title. For Lumpkin, those were his 24th and 25th points, while Isaiah Zierden and Isaiah Gray added 17 and 13 points, respectively. Sean Scott scored 36 points for Park.
Winona State men at St. Cloud State
The second 1 vs. 2 match-up came in the Northern Sun, between the 1st place Winona State men and 2nd place St. Cloud State, at St. Cloud. Winona shot 55 percent in beating the Huskies 84-74. Winona is now 15-1 in the NSIC and 20-2 overall, and this is the 8th straight year the Warriors have won 20 games.
St. Cloud led 37-34 at the half, but Winona opened the 2nd half on a 17-4 run to take a 10-point lead at 15:07. The largest lead was at 71-55 at 7:11, and the Huskies pushed back to within 4 at 71-67 at 3:57, but that was as close as they got.
Taylor Cameron and Clayton Vette scored 21 points each for Winona, while Cameron added 6 rebounds and 7 assists. Shaun Jensen came up big for the Huskies with 24 points, 6 boards and 8 assists.
Player of the Day
You wouldn't expect Nikola Pekovic of the Minnesota Timberwolves to get written up in this spot, but there it is. Minnesota 108 New Jersey 105. Pekovic 27 points, 11 rebounds. Go figure.
Coach of the Day
Mike Leaf, Winona State. How does he do it? Players come and players go. GREAT players go. And Mike and his Warriors keep on winning. They've now quietly worked their way back up to a #4 national ranking.
Benilde-St. Margaret boys at Spring Lake Park
The first was the Benilde-St. Margaret boys at Spring Lake Park. The host Panthers led 40-37 at the half and led most of the 2nd half. But Benilde rallied down the stretch and Sanjay Lumpkin hit the game winner with 2.6 seconds remaining. The final was Benilde 67 Spring Lake Park 65. Benilde takes a one game lead over Park in the race for the North Suburban Conference title. For Lumpkin, those were his 24th and 25th points, while Isaiah Zierden and Isaiah Gray added 17 and 13 points, respectively. Sean Scott scored 36 points for Park.
Winona State men at St. Cloud State
The second 1 vs. 2 match-up came in the Northern Sun, between the 1st place Winona State men and 2nd place St. Cloud State, at St. Cloud. Winona shot 55 percent in beating the Huskies 84-74. Winona is now 15-1 in the NSIC and 20-2 overall, and this is the 8th straight year the Warriors have won 20 games.
St. Cloud led 37-34 at the half, but Winona opened the 2nd half on a 17-4 run to take a 10-point lead at 15:07. The largest lead was at 71-55 at 7:11, and the Huskies pushed back to within 4 at 71-67 at 3:57, but that was as close as they got.
Taylor Cameron and Clayton Vette scored 21 points each for Winona, while Cameron added 6 rebounds and 7 assists. Shaun Jensen came up big for the Huskies with 24 points, 6 boards and 8 assists.
Player of the Day
You wouldn't expect Nikola Pekovic of the Minnesota Timberwolves to get written up in this spot, but there it is. Minnesota 108 New Jersey 105. Pekovic 27 points, 11 rebounds. Go figure.
Coach of the Day
Mike Leaf, Winona State. How does he do it? Players come and players go. GREAT players go. And Mike and his Warriors keep on winning. They've now quietly worked their way back up to a #4 national ranking.
Monday, January 30, 2012
January 2012 Awards + Player/Coach of the Year Semi-Finalists
Player of the Month
Ricky Rubio, Minnesota Timberwolves
After a disappointing 0-3 start in December, the Wolves went 10-8 in January. How long has it been since the Wolves had a winning month? I don't know, so let's just say, A long freakin' time.
And after coming off the bench for the 1st 2 1/2 weeks, Ricky Rubio joined the Wolves starting lineup on January 13 at New Orleans, a game the Wolves won 87-80. In fact, after winning 3 of their 1st 10 games, the Wolves are 7-4 with Rubio in the starting lineup. Coincidence? Ain't no such thing.
Now, at the end of his 1st full month in the NBA, Rubio is the Wolves #4 scorer with 11 ppg. He is, of course, their assist leader at 9 apg. He is even #3 in rebounds with 5. He leads in steals with 2 and turnovers with 3. He is shooting 38 percent--aha! Could be better! Could be better. He is, by consensus, the NBA's rookie of the month and probably rookie of the year.
And if the Wolves win 7 of 11 the rest of the way, they'll be about 39-27. I had figured that a 33 winning percentage would represent an acceptable rate of progress. Instead we're lookin' at 59 percent. Or even if we just go 10-11 every month, we'll be 31-35 or 47 percent. And Rubio (along with coach Rick Adelman) is the #1 reason for the improvement.
Runners-up: Joey King, Eastview boys; Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves
Team of the Month
Eastview boys
Eastview had probably the best week any boys team has ever had 3 weeks ago, beating the #3 and #4 teams in the state--on the road, no less--just 3 days apart. Then, on the 4th day, instead of resting, they travelled to Wisconsin to play the undefeated defending state champion Madison Memorial and just smoked 'em 64-37.
They've been somewhat less dramatic of late, but remain unbeaten and rated #1 into February.
Runners-Up: St. Thomas women, Hopkins girls
Coach of the Month
Tubby Smith, Minnesota Gopher men
After losing Trevor Mbakwe and a disastrous 0-4 start in the Big 10, the Gophers have rallied, winning 4 of 5, including the big upset at Indiana and the revenge game against Illinois. Tubby has pulled a lot of strings. Some have worked and some have not. But 4-5, after that 0-4? Nobody thought it possible. Fans are even thinking NCAA tournament again. Another 4-1 streak would be nice, but even another 4-and-5 would get 'em to 8-10 and 20-11. I suppose that's "on the bubble," but barring too darn many upsets in the mid-major tournaments, I think it qualifies.
Runners-up: Rick Adelman, Minnesota Timberwolves; Mark Gerber, Eastview boys
Game of the Month
Prairie Seeds boys 165 Math & Science Academy 37
An all-time record for points by a Minnesota high school.
Runners-Up:
Joey King, Eastview boys
Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves
Nia Coffey, Hopkins girls
Katybeth Biewen, Edina girls
2nd Team
Sean Scott, Spring Lake Park boys
Seth Anderson, Gustavus men
Rachel Banham, Minnesota Gopher women
Joe Coleman, Minnesota Gopher men
Taylor Sheley, Bethel women
3rd Team
Rebekah Dahlman, Braham girls
Johnny Woodard, Duluth East boys
4th Team
Team of the Month
1. Eastview boys
2. St. Thomas women
3. Hopkins girls
4. Winona State men
5. Minnesota Timberwolves
6. Hopkins boys
Coach of the Month
1. Tubby Smith, Minnesota Gopher men
2. Rick Adelman, Minnesota Timberwolves
3. Mark Gerber, Eastview boys
4. Ruth Sinn, St. Thomas women
5. Mike Leaf, Winona State men
6. Matt Nilsen, Edina girls
7. Mark Hanson, Gustavus men
8. Dan Elhard, Grand Rapids boys
12. Chad Walthall, Moorhead State men
13. Aaron Griess, Augsburg men
14. Pam Borton, Minnesota Gopher women
15. Dave Stromme, St. Olaf women
16. Greg Slaathaug, Fulda girls
The Big Game (of the Month)
5 (tie). Minnesota Timberwolves 99 Dallas Mavericks 82
Minnesota Timberwolves 105 Dallas Mavericks 80
7. Eastview boys 91 Apple Valley 84
8. Gustavus men 82 St. Thomas 77
9. UMD men 101 Augustana 99
10. Duluth East boys 86 Rice Lake (WI) 71
11. Minnesota Gopher women 71 Michigan State 65
17. Duluth Denfeld 100 Duluth East 99 (OT)
24 (tie). Minnesota Gopher women 68 Northwestern 60
Minnesota Gopher men 75 Northwestern 52
November-December-January Awards
Player of the Year Candidates
1. Don't forget about Lindsay Whalen, Minnesota Lynx. The way I see it, the summer 2011 is part of the 2011-2012 season
2. Ricky Rubio, Minnesota Timberwolves
3. Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves
4. Joey King, Eastview boys
5. Nia Coffey, Hopkins girls
6. Rachel Banham, Minnesota Gopher women
7. Trevor Mbakwe, Minnesota Gopher men--not gonna be PoY, but he was that good when he was out there
8. Tyus Jones, Apple Valley boys
9. Seth Anderson, Gustavus men
10. Taylor Sheley, Bethel women
11. Kiara Buford, Minnesota Gopher women
12. Rebekah Dahlman, Braham girls
13 (tie). Katybeth Biewen, Edina girls
Shayne Mullaney, Eden Prairie girls
15. Sean Scott, Spring Lake Park boys
16. Clayton Vette, Winona State men
17. D.J. Hamilton, Moorhead State men
18. Brittani Wiese, UM-Crookston women
19. Jackie Johnson, Eden Prairie girls
20. Siyani Chambers, Hopkins boys
21. Taylor Stafford, Duluth East boys
22. Tessa Cichy, Hill-Murray girls
23. Joe Coleman, Minnesota Gopher men
24. Jake Hottenstine, UM-Duluth
25. Julian Welch, Minnesota Gopher men
26. Bobby Fong, St. Olaf men
27. Angie Jetvig, Moorhead State women
28. Katie Loberg, Minnesota Gopher women
29. Johnny Woodard, Duluth East boys
30. Tyler Schmidt, Augsburg men
Coach of the Year Candidates
1. Rick Adelman, Minnesota Timberwolves
2. Cheryl Reeve, Minnesota Lynx
3. Billy McKee, Augsburg women
4. Mark Gerber, Eastview boys
5. Tubby Smith, Minnesota Gopher men
6. Brian Cosgriff, Hopkins girls
7. Mike Leaf, Winona State men
8. Aaron Greiss, Augsburg men
9. Mike Roysland, UM-Crookston women
10. Ruth Sinn, St. Thomas women
11. Kenny Novak, Jr., Hopkins boys
12. Mark Hanson, Gustavus men
13. Johnny Tauer, St. Thomas men
14. Reggie Perkins, Mpls. Washburn boys
15. Dan Kosmoski, St. Olaf men
16. Chad Walthall, Moorhead State men
17. Chris Carr, Eden Prairie girls
18. John Herbrechtsmayer, Bethel women
19. Dan Elhard, Grand Rapids boys
20. Jeremy Post, White Bear Lake girls
Ricky Rubio, Minnesota Timberwolves
After a disappointing 0-3 start in December, the Wolves went 10-8 in January. How long has it been since the Wolves had a winning month? I don't know, so let's just say, A long freakin' time.
And after coming off the bench for the 1st 2 1/2 weeks, Ricky Rubio joined the Wolves starting lineup on January 13 at New Orleans, a game the Wolves won 87-80. In fact, after winning 3 of their 1st 10 games, the Wolves are 7-4 with Rubio in the starting lineup. Coincidence? Ain't no such thing.
Now, at the end of his 1st full month in the NBA, Rubio is the Wolves #4 scorer with 11 ppg. He is, of course, their assist leader at 9 apg. He is even #3 in rebounds with 5. He leads in steals with 2 and turnovers with 3. He is shooting 38 percent--aha! Could be better! Could be better. He is, by consensus, the NBA's rookie of the month and probably rookie of the year.
And if the Wolves win 7 of 11 the rest of the way, they'll be about 39-27. I had figured that a 33 winning percentage would represent an acceptable rate of progress. Instead we're lookin' at 59 percent. Or even if we just go 10-11 every month, we'll be 31-35 or 47 percent. And Rubio (along with coach Rick Adelman) is the #1 reason for the improvement.
Runners-up: Joey King, Eastview boys; Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves
Team of the Month
Eastview boys
Eastview had probably the best week any boys team has ever had 3 weeks ago, beating the #3 and #4 teams in the state--on the road, no less--just 3 days apart. Then, on the 4th day, instead of resting, they travelled to Wisconsin to play the undefeated defending state champion Madison Memorial and just smoked 'em 64-37.
They've been somewhat less dramatic of late, but remain unbeaten and rated #1 into February.
Runners-Up: St. Thomas women, Hopkins girls
Coach of the Month
Tubby Smith, Minnesota Gopher men
After losing Trevor Mbakwe and a disastrous 0-4 start in the Big 10, the Gophers have rallied, winning 4 of 5, including the big upset at Indiana and the revenge game against Illinois. Tubby has pulled a lot of strings. Some have worked and some have not. But 4-5, after that 0-4? Nobody thought it possible. Fans are even thinking NCAA tournament again. Another 4-1 streak would be nice, but even another 4-and-5 would get 'em to 8-10 and 20-11. I suppose that's "on the bubble," but barring too darn many upsets in the mid-major tournaments, I think it qualifies.
Runners-up: Rick Adelman, Minnesota Timberwolves; Mark Gerber, Eastview boys
Game of the Month
Prairie Seeds boys 165 Math & Science Academy 37
An all-time record for points by a Minnesota high school.
Runners-Up:
Minnesota Gopher men 77 Indiana 74
Eastview boys 64 Madison Memorial 37
January All-Stars
Ricky Rubio, Minnesota Timberwolves
Joey King, Eastview boys
Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves
Nia Coffey, Hopkins girls
Katybeth Biewen, Edina girls
2nd Team
Sean Scott, Spring Lake Park boys
Seth Anderson, Gustavus men
Rachel Banham, Minnesota Gopher women
Joe Coleman, Minnesota Gopher men
Taylor Sheley, Bethel women
3rd Team
Tessa Cichy, Hill-Murray girls
Siyani Chambers, Hopkins boys
Kiara Buford, Minnesota Gopher womenSiyani Chambers, Hopkins boys
Rebekah Dahlman, Braham girls
Johnny Woodard, Duluth East boys
4th Team
Tyler Flack, Lakeville North boys
Andy Grzesiak-Grimm, Augsburg men
Taylor Stafford, Duluth East boy
Jake Hottenstine, UMD men
Serenae Levine, Augsburg women
Team of the Month
1. Eastview boys
2. St. Thomas women
3. Hopkins girls
4. Winona State men
5. Minnesota Timberwolves
6. Hopkins boys
7. Gustavus men
8. Minnesota Gopher men
9. St. Thomas men
10. Eden Prairie girls
11. Minnesota Gopher women
12. Lakeville North boys
13. Braham girls
14. Mpls. Washburn boys
15. Edina girls
The "Cooling Off Award" (among the teams of the month/year earlier but no more)
The "Cooling Off Award" (among the teams of the month/year earlier but no more)
Moorhead State men
Bethel womenCoach of the Month
1. Tubby Smith, Minnesota Gopher men
2. Rick Adelman, Minnesota Timberwolves
3. Mark Gerber, Eastview boys
4. Ruth Sinn, St. Thomas women
5. Mike Leaf, Winona State men
6. Matt Nilsen, Edina girls
7. Mark Hanson, Gustavus men
8. Dan Elhard, Grand Rapids boys
9. Chris Carr, Eden Prairie girls
10. Reggie Perkins, Mpls. Washburn boys
11. John Oxton, Lakeville North boys
12. Chad Walthall, Moorhead State men
13. Aaron Griess, Augsburg men
14. Pam Borton, Minnesota Gopher women
15. Dave Stromme, St. Olaf women
16. Greg Slaathaug, Fulda girls
17. Scot Sorenson, Buffalo girls
18. Markus Okeson, Redwood Valley boys
19. John Herbrechtsmayer, Bethel women
20. Annette Wiles, UMD women19. John Herbrechtsmayer, Bethel women
The Big Game (of the Month)
1. Prairie Seeds boys 165 Math & Science Academy 37
2. Minnesota Gopher men 77 Indiana 74
3. Eastview boys 64 Madison Memorial 37
4. Minnesota Gopher women 76 Ohio State 65
5 (tie). Minnesota Timberwolves 99 Dallas Mavericks 82
Minnesota Timberwolves 105 Dallas Mavericks 80
7. Eastview boys 91 Apple Valley 84
8. Gustavus men 82 St. Thomas 77
9. UMD men 101 Augustana 99
10. Duluth East boys 86 Rice Lake (WI) 71
11. Minnesota Gopher women 71 Michigan State 65
12. Eastview boys 54 Lakeville North 48
13. Bloomington Kennedy girls 56 Lakeville North 47
14. Mpls. Washburn boys 78 Eden Prairie 74
15. Minnesota Gopher women 84 Indiana 43
16. Braham girls 56 Esko 54
17. Duluth Denfeld 100 Duluth East 99 (OT)
18. Duluth East boys 63 Mpls. Washburn 62
19. Minnesota Gopher men 80 Penn State 66
20. St. Thomas women 68 Bethel 66
21. St. Thomas men 78 St. Olaf 77
22. Bethel men 69 St. Thomas 68
23. Augsburg men 57 St. Olaf 55
24 (tie). Minnesota Gopher women 68 Northwestern 60
Minnesota Gopher men 75 Northwestern 52
November-December-January Awards
Player of the Year Candidates
1. Don't forget about Lindsay Whalen, Minnesota Lynx. The way I see it, the summer 2011 is part of the 2011-2012 season
2. Ricky Rubio, Minnesota Timberwolves
3. Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves
4. Joey King, Eastview boys
5. Nia Coffey, Hopkins girls
6. Rachel Banham, Minnesota Gopher women
7. Trevor Mbakwe, Minnesota Gopher men--not gonna be PoY, but he was that good when he was out there
8. Tyus Jones, Apple Valley boys
9. Seth Anderson, Gustavus men
10. Taylor Sheley, Bethel women
11. Kiara Buford, Minnesota Gopher women
12. Rebekah Dahlman, Braham girls
13 (tie). Katybeth Biewen, Edina girls
Shayne Mullaney, Eden Prairie girls
15. Sean Scott, Spring Lake Park boys
16. Clayton Vette, Winona State men
17. D.J. Hamilton, Moorhead State men
18. Brittani Wiese, UM-Crookston women
19. Jackie Johnson, Eden Prairie girls
20. Siyani Chambers, Hopkins boys
21. Taylor Stafford, Duluth East boys
22. Tessa Cichy, Hill-Murray girls
23. Joe Coleman, Minnesota Gopher men
24. Jake Hottenstine, UM-Duluth
25. Julian Welch, Minnesota Gopher men
26. Bobby Fong, St. Olaf men
27. Angie Jetvig, Moorhead State women
28. Katie Loberg, Minnesota Gopher women
29. Johnny Woodard, Duluth East boys
30. Tyler Schmidt, Augsburg men
Coach of the Year Candidates
1. Rick Adelman, Minnesota Timberwolves
2. Cheryl Reeve, Minnesota Lynx
3. Billy McKee, Augsburg women
4. Mark Gerber, Eastview boys
5. Tubby Smith, Minnesota Gopher men
6. Brian Cosgriff, Hopkins girls
7. Mike Leaf, Winona State men
8. Aaron Greiss, Augsburg men
9. Mike Roysland, UM-Crookston women
10. Ruth Sinn, St. Thomas women
11. Kenny Novak, Jr., Hopkins boys
12. Mark Hanson, Gustavus men
13. Johnny Tauer, St. Thomas men
14. Reggie Perkins, Mpls. Washburn boys
15. Dan Kosmoski, St. Olaf men
16. Chad Walthall, Moorhead State men
17. Chris Carr, Eden Prairie girls
18. John Herbrechtsmayer, Bethel women
19. Dan Elhard, Grand Rapids boys
20. Jeremy Post, White Bear Lake girls
Monday, January 23, 2012
The Big Game January 2012
Happy New Year! The Big Game for each day in January 2012 is as follows, based on the way things look today, January 1. There will be a The Big Game report each day in January. (Based on the results, it may or may not be the game that was foreseen here.)
Mon., 1-30--Gustavus men at Augsburg. #1 (tie) vs. #3 in the MIAC.
Tues., 1-31--Hopkins boys at Eden Prairie. #2 at #5. EP gave the 31-1 Royals its only loss a year ago.
Mon., 1-30--Gustavus men at Augsburg. #1 (tie) vs. #3 in the MIAC.
Tues., 1-31--Hopkins boys at Eden Prairie. #2 at #5. EP gave the 31-1 Royals its only loss a year ago.
Friday, January 20, 2012
The Big Game 1-19-12: Minnesota Gopher women 71 Michigan State 65; Biewen is Player of the Day
The Minnesota Gopher women got a balanced scoring effort and evened their Big 10 record at 3-3, beating previously 2nd place Michigan State (4-2) 71-65.
• Rachel Banham had another superb game with 16 points, 7 boards, 4 assists and 3 steals.
Tonight she had plenty of help.
• Kiara Buford with 22 points
• Jackie Voigt with 11 and 3 boards
• Micaella Riche with 9 points, 3 boards and 2 steals off the bench,
• Katie Loberg with 8 points, 7 boards and 3 blocked shots.
The Gophers jumped out to an 11-2 lead, but the Spartans came back to tie at 15-all. Eventually, the Gophers led 35-23 and 38-27 at the half. In the second half the Gophers opened up a 14 point lead at 53-39 but the Spartans got back within 6 at 57-51.
Then Buford hit a jumper from Leah Cotton, and then a pair of FT and Minnesota was back up by 10. The deficit was reduced to 6 again at 65-59 with 1:50 remaining, and the Gophers made just 6-of-12 FT after that. But the Spartans failed to score on 3 straight possessions between 1:00 and :30, and it was 69-59 inside of :30. Only a 3 at the final buzzer got Michigan State within the final score of 71-65.
The game's other crucial sequence came with the score tied at 15-all at 10:30 of the 1st half. Voigt blocked an MSU shot and Riche hit a pair of throws. Banham hit a jumper from Voigt, and a 2 off of a steal. State came back to within 21-17, but Buford hit 1-of-2 throws, Banham and Riche a pair of jumpers, and Voigt a pair of throws and suddenly it was 29-19. The Spartans would never again be closer than 6.
Minnesota shot 52 percent in the 1st half and 48 percent for the game, State just 36 and 41 percent. Even discounting those 12 FT inside of 1:00, the Gophers had already been to the line 26 times, making 21, to the Spartans' 10-of-15.
Player of the Day
Banham and Buford were stellar for the Minnesota Gophers, but player of the day honors go to Katybeth Biewen of Edina. The #2AAAA Hornets remained undefeated with a tough 62-57 road win at #3AAA Richfield. Biewen scored 25 for Edina, who continues to be without her running mate, MC McGrory, at the other guard spot. Richfield's star guard Jessica January scored 18 points, breaking a streak of 6 straight games with 20 points or more.
Coach of the Day
Matt Nilsen, Edina girls
• Rachel Banham had another superb game with 16 points, 7 boards, 4 assists and 3 steals.
Tonight she had plenty of help.
• Kiara Buford with 22 points
• Jackie Voigt with 11 and 3 boards
• Micaella Riche with 9 points, 3 boards and 2 steals off the bench,
• Katie Loberg with 8 points, 7 boards and 3 blocked shots.
The Gophers jumped out to an 11-2 lead, but the Spartans came back to tie at 15-all. Eventually, the Gophers led 35-23 and 38-27 at the half. In the second half the Gophers opened up a 14 point lead at 53-39 but the Spartans got back within 6 at 57-51.
Then Buford hit a jumper from Leah Cotton, and then a pair of FT and Minnesota was back up by 10. The deficit was reduced to 6 again at 65-59 with 1:50 remaining, and the Gophers made just 6-of-12 FT after that. But the Spartans failed to score on 3 straight possessions between 1:00 and :30, and it was 69-59 inside of :30. Only a 3 at the final buzzer got Michigan State within the final score of 71-65.
The game's other crucial sequence came with the score tied at 15-all at 10:30 of the 1st half. Voigt blocked an MSU shot and Riche hit a pair of throws. Banham hit a jumper from Voigt, and a 2 off of a steal. State came back to within 21-17, but Buford hit 1-of-2 throws, Banham and Riche a pair of jumpers, and Voigt a pair of throws and suddenly it was 29-19. The Spartans would never again be closer than 6.
Minnesota shot 52 percent in the 1st half and 48 percent for the game, State just 36 and 41 percent. Even discounting those 12 FT inside of 1:00, the Gophers had already been to the line 26 times, making 21, to the Spartans' 10-of-15.
Player of the Day
Banham and Buford were stellar for the Minnesota Gophers, but player of the day honors go to Katybeth Biewen of Edina. The #2AAAA Hornets remained undefeated with a tough 62-57 road win at #3AAA Richfield. Biewen scored 25 for Edina, who continues to be without her running mate, MC McGrory, at the other guard spot. Richfield's star guard Jessica January scored 18 points, breaking a streak of 6 straight games with 20 points or more.
Coach of the Day
Matt Nilsen, Edina girls
Thursday, January 12, 2012
The Big Game 1-12-12: Gopher Men Shock Indiana!
It was shades of Illinois. The Gophers had Indiana on the ropes. They had 'em beat. Could they put 'em away. No, not quite. Not yet. Not now. But finally, NOW! The final was Minnesota 77 Indiana 74.
The Gophers led 70-62 with 1:45 left to go after Ralph Sampson hit just his 2nd bucket of the night off a feed from Maverick Ahanmisi. At 1:11 Rodney Williams made 1-of-2 FT to make it 71-62. 13 seconds later Indiana hit a 3. 71-65. At :50, Mav missed the front end of a 1-and-1. 8 seconds later, Joe Coleman missed the front end of a 1-and-1, but the Hoosiers turned it over. Julian Welch returned the favor. Cody Zeller got the steal and an assist, Victor Oladipo got the 2, Welch the foul, and Oladipo the +1. 71-68. Still :40 to play.
But this time Coleman hit 2 FT and, after Matt Roth hit a 3 for Indiana, Coleman hit 2 more FT. 75-71 with :28 to go. 11 seconds later Zeller got the 2+1. 75-74 at :17. Austin Hollins made 2 FT at :15 and Indiana's Christian Watford finally missed a 3 at :05. Welch missed a pair of throws at :02 but Indiana couldn't get off a shot.
Whew!
But, hey, great show. Minnesota ran off 8 straight points to go ahead 29-20 at 7:30 of the 1st. Indiana tied it up at 32 but the Gophers led 37-34 at the half. Minnesota shot 14-for-28, including 6-of-13 on 3-pointers. In the 2nd half, the Gophers led 43-34, then 56-47, and finally 68-62 when Sampson hit his 2nd bucket.
Overall the Gophers shot 29-for-62 (47 percent), Indiana 24-for-55 (44 percent). Minnesota snared 16 offensive rebounds to 14 for Indiana, though the Hoosiers converted that into 22 2nd chance points, Minnesota just 13. But Indiana had 16 turnovers, Minnesota 11, and the Gophers scored more points off turnovers, 17-13. The good news is the Gophers didn't win with 1 truly amazing weapon. They did everything well--or, well enough.
Austin Hollins scored a career high 18 points, Williams 14 and Welch 10. Sampson scored just those 4 points, but led the team with 8 rebounds and 4 assists.
Does this mean the Gophers are back? Can they contend? Well, let's take it 1 game at a time, whaddya say? Well, OK, the next 2 games. We're at Penn State (1-4) and Northwestern at home (1-3), A couple wins get Minnesota to a respectable 3-4 and then you can start thinking about anything more.
Player of the Day
About once a month I pick a non-Minnesotan. This is one of those nights. Brittney Rayburn of Purdue hit 12-of-15 3s for 38 points against the Gophers at Williams Arena, and a Purdue team that was lucky to beat Minnesota at home clobbered 'em on the road 72-55.
Coach of the Day
Tubby Smith, who somehow got his guys to believe they could compete with Indiana at Bloomington. I mean, you didn't believe it, did you? Nor did I. Good job by Tubby and his guys. Now, can they play that well again?
The Gophers led 70-62 with 1:45 left to go after Ralph Sampson hit just his 2nd bucket of the night off a feed from Maverick Ahanmisi. At 1:11 Rodney Williams made 1-of-2 FT to make it 71-62. 13 seconds later Indiana hit a 3. 71-65. At :50, Mav missed the front end of a 1-and-1. 8 seconds later, Joe Coleman missed the front end of a 1-and-1, but the Hoosiers turned it over. Julian Welch returned the favor. Cody Zeller got the steal and an assist, Victor Oladipo got the 2, Welch the foul, and Oladipo the +1. 71-68. Still :40 to play.
But this time Coleman hit 2 FT and, after Matt Roth hit a 3 for Indiana, Coleman hit 2 more FT. 75-71 with :28 to go. 11 seconds later Zeller got the 2+1. 75-74 at :17. Austin Hollins made 2 FT at :15 and Indiana's Christian Watford finally missed a 3 at :05. Welch missed a pair of throws at :02 but Indiana couldn't get off a shot.
Whew!
But, hey, great show. Minnesota ran off 8 straight points to go ahead 29-20 at 7:30 of the 1st. Indiana tied it up at 32 but the Gophers led 37-34 at the half. Minnesota shot 14-for-28, including 6-of-13 on 3-pointers. In the 2nd half, the Gophers led 43-34, then 56-47, and finally 68-62 when Sampson hit his 2nd bucket.
Overall the Gophers shot 29-for-62 (47 percent), Indiana 24-for-55 (44 percent). Minnesota snared 16 offensive rebounds to 14 for Indiana, though the Hoosiers converted that into 22 2nd chance points, Minnesota just 13. But Indiana had 16 turnovers, Minnesota 11, and the Gophers scored more points off turnovers, 17-13. The good news is the Gophers didn't win with 1 truly amazing weapon. They did everything well--or, well enough.
Austin Hollins scored a career high 18 points, Williams 14 and Welch 10. Sampson scored just those 4 points, but led the team with 8 rebounds and 4 assists.
Does this mean the Gophers are back? Can they contend? Well, let's take it 1 game at a time, whaddya say? Well, OK, the next 2 games. We're at Penn State (1-4) and Northwestern at home (1-3), A couple wins get Minnesota to a respectable 3-4 and then you can start thinking about anything more.
Player of the Day
About once a month I pick a non-Minnesotan. This is one of those nights. Brittney Rayburn of Purdue hit 12-of-15 3s for 38 points against the Gophers at Williams Arena, and a Purdue team that was lucky to beat Minnesota at home clobbered 'em on the road 72-55.
Coach of the Day
Tubby Smith, who somehow got his guys to believe they could compete with Indiana at Bloomington. I mean, you didn't believe it, did you? Nor did I. Good job by Tubby and his guys. Now, can they play that well again?
The Big Game 1-11-12: MIAC Night
The MIAC had a full slate of games last night.
Among the men, 5 teams opened the night with 2 losses, 1 game behind St. Thomas in the loss column. 2 of those teams, Augsburg and Gustavus, beat 2 more of them, St. Olaf and St. John's, to clarify the race at the top of the standings.
The Augsburg men edged St. Olaf 57-55 as Andy Grzesiak-Grimm scored 16 points and added 12 boards. Augsburg led early 20-11 but the Oles stormed back to tie at 22. The Augies pulled back ahead 29-26, but St. Olaf scored the last 7 points of the 1st half to 33-29. The Oles extended their lead to as much as 5 points at 36-31 but Augsburg out-scored them 21-11 to lead 52-47, and held on to the end.
Grzesiak-Grimm scored 11 of Augie's 21 points during its decisive run. But there was cold shooting on both sides, as Augie made just 8-of-29 shots but hauled in 9 offensive boards on those 21 misses. Augsburg shot 38.5 percent on the night, the Oles 37.
Meanwhile the Gustavus men defeated St. John's 63-49. Seth Anderson scored 20 points for the winners, Andy Burns 20 for the losers. The Gusties roared out to a 24-5 lead and led 31-20 at the half. The Johnnies got within 6 at 3:25 of the 2nd half at 38-32 but Ty Moore hit a pair of 3s to push the lead back up to 13.
So the Augsburg and Gustavus men share 2nd place at 5-2, 1 game behind St. Thomas at 6-1.
The Tommies women also have 1st place at 9-0. Gustavus is at 8-1, while Bethel, Concordia (Moorhead) and St. Olaf are all at 6-3.
St. Mary's knocked off the Bethel women 46-42 at Bethel as Jessica Thone contributed 16 points, 10 boards and 5 assists. Taylor Sheley led Bethel as always with 10 points, 3 boards, 3 blocks and 2 steals, but shot just 4-for-17. Bethel shot 24 percent overall. Bethel lost its 3rd straight game after a 6-0 start. St. Mary's led 10-9, then 30-19 and 32-22 at the half. The Royals tied it up at 38 but scored just 4 points in the final 11:33. Thone and Jamie Stefeley of the Cardinals scored the next 4 points and St. Mary's led the rest of the way.
Player of the Day
Serenae Levine, Augsburg women, 21 points, 8 boards, 3 assists, 2 steals and a block, as Augie beat St. Olaf 61-51.
Coach of the Day
Aaron Griess, Augsburg men
Among the men, 5 teams opened the night with 2 losses, 1 game behind St. Thomas in the loss column. 2 of those teams, Augsburg and Gustavus, beat 2 more of them, St. Olaf and St. John's, to clarify the race at the top of the standings.
The Augsburg men edged St. Olaf 57-55 as Andy Grzesiak-Grimm scored 16 points and added 12 boards. Augsburg led early 20-11 but the Oles stormed back to tie at 22. The Augies pulled back ahead 29-26, but St. Olaf scored the last 7 points of the 1st half to 33-29. The Oles extended their lead to as much as 5 points at 36-31 but Augsburg out-scored them 21-11 to lead 52-47, and held on to the end.
Grzesiak-Grimm scored 11 of Augie's 21 points during its decisive run. But there was cold shooting on both sides, as Augie made just 8-of-29 shots but hauled in 9 offensive boards on those 21 misses. Augsburg shot 38.5 percent on the night, the Oles 37.
Meanwhile the Gustavus men defeated St. John's 63-49. Seth Anderson scored 20 points for the winners, Andy Burns 20 for the losers. The Gusties roared out to a 24-5 lead and led 31-20 at the half. The Johnnies got within 6 at 3:25 of the 2nd half at 38-32 but Ty Moore hit a pair of 3s to push the lead back up to 13.
So the Augsburg and Gustavus men share 2nd place at 5-2, 1 game behind St. Thomas at 6-1.
The Tommies women also have 1st place at 9-0. Gustavus is at 8-1, while Bethel, Concordia (Moorhead) and St. Olaf are all at 6-3.
St. Mary's knocked off the Bethel women 46-42 at Bethel as Jessica Thone contributed 16 points, 10 boards and 5 assists. Taylor Sheley led Bethel as always with 10 points, 3 boards, 3 blocks and 2 steals, but shot just 4-for-17. Bethel shot 24 percent overall. Bethel lost its 3rd straight game after a 6-0 start. St. Mary's led 10-9, then 30-19 and 32-22 at the half. The Royals tied it up at 38 but scored just 4 points in the final 11:33. Thone and Jamie Stefeley of the Cardinals scored the next 4 points and St. Mary's led the rest of the way.
Player of the Day
Serenae Levine, Augsburg women, 21 points, 8 boards, 3 assists, 2 steals and a block, as Augie beat St. Olaf 61-51.
Coach of the Day
Aaron Griess, Augsburg men
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
The Big Game 1-10-12: Big Night for the Visitors
There were 3 games that matched rated high school teams last night.
The #1AAAA Eastview boys took to the road for the 1st of 2 big challenges this week, and knocked off #4AAAA Lakeville North 54-48 as Joey King scored 18 points. Friday the Eagles are at #5AAAA Apple Valley led by sophomore guard Tyus Jones.
The #10A Battle Lake Battlers boys also won on the road at the #6A Ashby Arrows 51-44. The Battlrs led 30-19 at the half. Ashby battled back to tie it at 39, but ran out of gas.Battle Lake
And the #3AAA Richfield Spartans girls made it 3-for-3 for the visitors, knocking off the #4AAA Hill-Murray girls in the Pioneers' fieldhouse 67-48. Richfield took a 40-15 half-time lead and coasted home. Jessica January scored 26 points for Richfield, Tessa Cichy 21 for Hill-Murray.
Player of the Day
It's another 3-way for Player of the Day.
St. Paul Johnson took on #7AAAA Eden Prairie without guard Marcus Marshall last night, and lost at home 66-65. Wayland Johnson II stepped up for the Governors, scoring 30 points.
Sean Scott also scored 30 as #4AAA Spring Lake Park took yet another road win at Totino-Grace 84-69.
Finally, a win at home, as the new Duluth East Greyhounds were unveiled in a 95-52 win over Esko. Johnny Woodard, in his 2nd game back from injury, scored 33 for East. Guard Taylor Stafford added 26. And 6-10 post Akolda Manyang scored 11 in his 1st game.
Coach of the Day
Mark Gerber of the Eastview boys is still having the best year, but Vern Simmons of St. Paul Johnson probably got the most out of his kids on this particular date.
The #1AAAA Eastview boys took to the road for the 1st of 2 big challenges this week, and knocked off #4AAAA Lakeville North 54-48 as Joey King scored 18 points. Friday the Eagles are at #5AAAA Apple Valley led by sophomore guard Tyus Jones.
The #10A Battle Lake Battlers boys also won on the road at the #6A Ashby Arrows 51-44. The Battlrs led 30-19 at the half. Ashby battled back to tie it at 39, but ran out of gas.
Player of the Day
It's another 3-way for Player of the Day.
St. Paul Johnson took on #7AAAA Eden Prairie without guard Marcus Marshall last night, and lost at home 66-65. Wayland Johnson II stepped up for the Governors, scoring 30 points.
Sean Scott also scored 30 as #4AAA Spring Lake Park took yet another road win at Totino-Grace 84-69.
Finally, a win at home, as the new Duluth East Greyhounds were unveiled in a 95-52 win over Esko. Johnny Woodard, in his 2nd game back from injury, scored 33 for East. Guard Taylor Stafford added 26. And 6-10 post Akolda Manyang scored 11 in his 1st game.
Coach of the Day
Mark Gerber of the Eastview boys is still having the best year, but Vern Simmons of St. Paul Johnson probably got the most out of his kids on this particular date.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
The Second Season: High School Boys
The question of the year 2012 is the same question as most every other year: Can anybody beat Hopkins? Well, Benilde-St. Margaret's has already done it. But I mean, can anybody in Class AAAA beat Hopkins when it counts, at the state tournament or in section 6AAAA? And, if Hopkins cruises to a 4th straight AAAA title, will Benilde still be in the conversation as the possible #1 team in the state?
AAAA
1. Hopkins 11-1. OK, Benilde beat Hopkins, Eastview beat Benilde. Under ordinary circumstances, I would rate Eastview #1AAAA on that basis. But these are not ordinary circumstances. Hopkins is currently 3rd boys team ever to win 3 straight state titles at the highest level. (Edina 1966-67-68 and Mpls. North 1995-96-97). As such, until somebody beats 'em at crunch time, they're #1. Coach Kenny Novak has his kids just flying right now, out-scoring opponents by an average of 89-60. I think they'll skate through the toughest conference in the state and finish up with a 25-1 record. Projected section 6AAAA champ and #1 seed.
2. Eastview 9-0. I hear ya. But I don't think they'll get through the tough South Suburban Conference undefeated and, in fact, I think they'll take their 1st loss this week yet--either Tuesday at Lakeville North or Friday at Apple Valley. 24-2 sounds about right for the regular season. Still, ya gotta see 6-8 forward Joey King. Great high school player. And hats off to coach Mark Gerber. This is a great high school team, out-scoring opponents by an average of 78-50, but 2nd to Hopkins until they beat 'em in the post-season. Projected section 3AAAA champ and #2 seed.
3. Lakeville North 10-0. Coach John Oxton is another great high school coach who's got his team to where it can contend in the South Suburban and at the sectional level year in and year out. Out-scoring opponents by an average of 65-55. Projected section 1AAAA champ and #3 seed.
4. Osseo 11-0. 6-8 sophomore center Ian Thiesen, son (obviously) of coach Tim, will be one of the best by the time he's done. Out-scoring opponents 71-52. Projected section 5AAAA champ and #4 seed.
5. Eden Prairie 7-2. Another perennial under coach David Flom, with sophomore guard Andre Wallace leading the way. Out-scoring opponents 70-57. Projected section 2AAAA champ.
6. Wayzata 12-0. Out-scoring opponents 69-54, but no signature win. Will face Hopkins in section 6AAAA.
7. Apple Valley 9-1. Sophomore guard Tyus Jones is regarded by many as already the best high school player in Minnesota, and will certainly be the most heavily recruited Minnesota boy by the time he finishes his high school career. And the Eagles have other weapons as well. Only loss is to Eden Prairie by 4. 2 games each vs. Eastview and Lakeville North give 'em a chance to move up. Out-scoring opponents 80-68. Will face Eastview in section 3AAAA.
8. Minnetonka 10-2. Rebuilding in a hurry under coach Tom Dasovich. Lost to Benilde by just 3 (Hopkins lost to Benilde by 5, Eden Prairie by 12). Out-scoring opponents 76-63. Will face Hopkins in section 6AAAA.
9. Tartan 8-2. Lost to Apple Valley and #2AAA Spring Lake Park. Out-scoring opponents 64-51. Projected section 4AAAA champion.
10. Chanhassan 7-4. A young program very much on the rise. 3 of its 4 losses are to Hopkins, Lakeville North and Eden Prairie. Out-scoring opponents 66-64. Let's be honest, there's a big drop-off after the top 6-8 teams. Will face EP in section 2AAAA.
11. Duluth East 3-7. Ordinarily a 3-7 team wouldn't get a sniff of my top 20. But East has played the toughest schedule known to man, including Hopkins, Eastview, EP, Tonka--all without superstar guard Johnny Woodard. Guard Taylor Stafford stepped into the breach, scoring as many as 45 points one night and into the 30s routinely. Then, Woodard returned against Rice Lake (WI) in the Timberwolves Shootout last Saturday and scored 31 as East defeated Rice Lake 86-74. If the chemistry is right, East can play with the big boys. Projected section 7AAAA champion.
12. Woodbury 8-2.
13. Roseville 7-2.
14. Mounds View 8-2. Top contenders in wide open Suburban East race.
15. Mahtomedi 7-1. Unbeaten against Minnesota competition. All 4 will face Tartan in section 4AAAA.
16. Maple Grove 8-2.
17. Champlin Park 7-3. Both will face Osseo in section 5AAAA.
18. Moorhead 7-1. Projected section 8AAAA champion.
19. Prior Lake 5-5. Playing all comers. Middle of the pack in section 2AAAA.
20. Rochester Century 8-2. Will face Lakeville North in Section 1AAAA.
State tournament semi-finalists--should be the #1 through #4 seeds Hopkins, Eastview, Lakeville North and Osseo, but I'll predict that Eden Prairie will upset somebody in the 1st round, with Osseo the most vulnerable of the four seeds. It depends on the draw, of course.
AAA
1. Benilde-St. Margaret's 9-1. Beat Hopkins, Tonka, Eden Prairie, lost to Eastview. The only AAA team that can and does compete with the elite AAAAs. Out-scoring opponents 72-62. Projected section 6AAA champion and #1 seed.
2. Spring Lake Park 10-1. Shocked #9AAAA Tartan on its home court in the Tartan holiday tournament, but lost to Eastview 86-63. Sean Scott is a multi-skilled scorer. Out-scoring opponents 75-61. Projected section 3AAA champion and #2 seed.
3. Mpls. Washburn 7-1. Lost only to #3AAAA Lakeville North. Out-scoring opponents 73-53. Paired with Benilde is section 6AAA.
4. Grand Rapids 9-1. Destined to be highly rated for a long time, as its stars are junior guard Austin Pohlen and freshman post Alex Illikainen. Out-scoring opponents 67-52. Projected section 7AAA champ and #3 seed.
5. Blake 8-1. Knocked off DeLaSalle to open the year, lost only to AAAA Chaska. Out-scoring opponents 64-45. Also paired with Benilde and Washburn in section 6AAA.
6. Mankato East 8-1. Out-scoring opponents 85-64. Projected section 2AAA champion and #4 seed.
7. DeLaSalle 7-2. Out-scoring opponents 77-48, but paired with Spring Lake Park in section 3AAA.
8. St. Paul Johnson 4-3. Losses only to AAAA Hopkins, Lakeville South and Roseville. Projected section 4AAA champion.
9. Willmar 6-1. Out-scoring opponents 65-51. Faces Mankato East in section 2AAA.
10. Zimmerman 7-3. Faces Grand Rapids in section 7AAA.
11. Waconia 7-4. 3 of 4 losses vs. AAAA opponents. Another section 2AAA resident.
12. Austin 6-2. Knocked off Mankato East but lost to Rochester Mayo. Projected section 1AAA champion.
13. Richfield 6-4. Another 6AAA resident.
14. Duluth Denfeld 8-2. Paired with Grand Rapids, to whom they have already lost 70-58, in section 7AAA.
15. Little Falls 8-1. Projected section 8AAA champion.
Section 5AAA favorite--Rocori 7-4.
State tournament semi-finalists--should be the 4 seeds Benilde, Spring Lake Park, Grand Rapids and Mankato East, and I don't see anybody else crowding any of these out.
AA
1. Perham 9-1. Dropped all the way to #5AA after loss to Ellsworth, but I think they're still the best team in AA. Defeated then-#2AA Pelican Rapids as well as AAA St. Thomas. Projected section 8AA champ, gets section 1AA champ in 1st round, then section 4 vs. 5 winner.
2. Waterville-Elysian-Morristown 7-1. 2 starters back from last year's state tournament team, plus a big-time foreign exchange student was added. Explosive. Projected section 2AA champ, gets section 7AA in 1st round, then section 3 vs. 6 winner.
3. Watertown-Mayer 10-1. Lost only to AAA Waconia. Projected section 5AA champ, gets section 4AA in 1st round, then 1 vs. 8 winner.
4. Maple River 10-1. Paired with WEM in section 2AA. A serious threat to go all the way.
5. Redwood Valley 9-0. Features superstar Michael Busack, defeated Marshall and Windom in Southwest conference already. Projected section 3AA champion, gets section 6AA in 1st round, then 2 vs. 7 winner.
6. Pelican Rapids 7-3. Lost only at Perham, and to AAAA Minnetonka and Moorhead. Projected section 6AA champ, gets section 3AA in the quarter-finals, then the winner of the 2 vs. 7 game.
7. United South Central 9-2. Lost to WEM, beat Maple River. Features 6-8 forwrad Kyle Bauman. Another section 2AA resident.
8. Braham 10-1. Lost only to Hopkins. Led by coach Bob Vaughan and son Tyler. Projected section 7AA champion. Gets section 2AA in 1st round, then section 3 vs. 6.
9. Montevideo 7-3. Lost only to AAA Spring Lake Park, Mankato East and Marshall, then turned the tables on the latter. Will face Redwood Valley in section 3AAA.
10. St. Peter 9-1. Another section 2AA resident.
11. Hayfield 10-3. Also a 2AA resident.
12. Fairmont 8-2. And another 2AA resident.
13. Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 11-0. Defeated defending sectional champ Upsala, another 6AA resident.
14. Plainview-Elgin-Millville 9-3. All losses are to AAAA and AAA opponents.
15. Byron 8-1. Lost only to Hayfield, defeated AAA Red Wing. PEM or Byron is projected as the section 1AA champion. Gets section 8AA in the 1st round, then the winner of section 4 vs. 5.
Section 4AA favorite--toss-up among New Life, Concordia, Minnehaha, St. Croix Lutheran.
State semi-finalists? You tell me. OK, I'll go with Perham over PEM, Watertown Mayer over whomever, Waterville over Braham, with Redwood and Pelican a toss-up. Then Perham and Waterville. But this one is wide open. Darn near everybody through #15 is a threat.
A
1. Southwest MN Christian 6-1. The four-peters from 1999-2002 will contend again, starting right now. Out-scoring opponents 75-40. Lost only at AA Worthington by 1 point. Projected as section 3A champion, gets section 6A in the 1st round.
2. Dawson-Boyd 7-1. Outscoring opponents 77-43, lost only at AA power Montevideo 74-63. Also a section 3A resident.
3. Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa 9-0. Senior-dominated state runners-up of 2011 give way to a young Jaguars squad this year. Out-scores opponents 73-48, has had just 1 winning margin in single digits so far. Projected as section 6A champion, setting up a #1 vs. #3 in the 1st round.
4. Prairie Seeds Academy 8-0. Turned some heads with a state record 165-37 win over Math & Science Academy. Out-scoring opponents by an average 106-55. Projected as section 4A champion, getting section 5A champ in the 1st round and the winner of sections 1 vs. 8 in the semis.
5. Browerville 9-1. Outscoring opponents 67-49. Projected as section 5A champion, getting the 4A champ in the 1st round.
6. FAIR Academy 10-1. The Mpls. charter school has lost only to Prairie Seeds 84-83. Out-scoring opponents 83-55 on average. Will face Prairie Seeds in section 4A.
7. Lakeview Christian 8-2. Out-scoring opponents 88-73 behind the scoring exploits of Anders Broman, who as a junior is well on his way to becoming Minnesota's all-time leading scorer. Projected as the section 7A champions, getting section 2A in 1st round state tournament action.
8. Mountain Lake-Butterfield-Odin 9-1. Fresh off 50-48 win over Ellsworth, out-scoring opponents 61-51. Projected as section 2A champions, drawing section 7A champ at state.
9. Ashby 8-0. Walloping opponents 76-49. Opposite BBE in section 6.
10. Rushford-Peterson 10-2. 2-time state champs are projected as section 1A champ, and draw section 8A champ in 1st round.
11. Battle Lake 9-0. Out-scoring opponents 58-33. Section 6A.
12. Ellsworth 8-4. Recently lost Casey Schilling to a wrist injury, possibly for the season. Section 3A.
13. Russell-Tyler-Ruthton 9-1. Lost only to Ellsworth. Section 3A.
14. Goodhue 7-3. Section 1A.
15. Cass Lake-Bena 9-1. Lost only at Red Lake 112-107 in OT. Projected as section 8A champ.
16. Fosston 6-0. Section 8A.
17. Spring Grove 8-2. Out-scoring opponents 74-43, lost to Rushford-Pete and Goodhue. Section 1A.
18. Faribault Bethlehem 9-2. Section 1A.
19. MCCRAY 7-3. Section 3A.
20. Maranatha Christian 5-4. Section 4A.
State semis might feature Lakeview Christian and Anders Broman vs. Southwest MN Christian, and Rushford-Peterson carry good old public school pride vs. Prairie Seeds Academy.
All-State
Tyus Jones, Apple Valley, 6-3, soph., G, 28 ppg, Player of the Year
Siyani Chambers, Hopkins, 5-11, sr., G
Joey King, Eastview, 6-8, sr., F, 28 ppg
Sanjay Lumpkin, Benilde-St. Margaret's, 6-6, sr., G
Rashad Vaughan, Robbinsdale Cooper, 6-5, soph., G, 29 ppg
2nd Team
Anders Broman, Lakeview Christian, 6-1, jr., G, 46 ppg
Kyle Bauman, United South Central, 6-8, sr., F
Michael Busack, Redwood Valley, 6-4, sr., G
Tyler Vaughan, Braham, 6-0, sr., G
Sean Scott, Spring Lake Park, 6-4, sr., F, 26 ppg
3rd Team
Johnny Woodard, Duluth East, 6-3, sr., F
Taylor Stafford, Duluth East, 6-0, sr., G, 33 ppg
Zach Stahl, Hopkins, 6-5, sr., F
Mark Schumacher, Perham, 6-6, sr., C
Marcus Marshall, St. Paul Johnson, 6-2, sr., G
Coach of the Year
Mark Gerber, Eastview
AAAA
1. Hopkins 11-1. OK, Benilde beat Hopkins, Eastview beat Benilde. Under ordinary circumstances, I would rate Eastview #1AAAA on that basis. But these are not ordinary circumstances. Hopkins is currently 3rd boys team ever to win 3 straight state titles at the highest level. (Edina 1966-67-68 and Mpls. North 1995-96-97). As such, until somebody beats 'em at crunch time, they're #1. Coach Kenny Novak has his kids just flying right now, out-scoring opponents by an average of 89-60. I think they'll skate through the toughest conference in the state and finish up with a 25-1 record. Projected section 6AAAA champ and #1 seed.
2. Eastview 9-0. I hear ya. But I don't think they'll get through the tough South Suburban Conference undefeated and, in fact, I think they'll take their 1st loss this week yet--either Tuesday at Lakeville North or Friday at Apple Valley. 24-2 sounds about right for the regular season. Still, ya gotta see 6-8 forward Joey King. Great high school player. And hats off to coach Mark Gerber. This is a great high school team, out-scoring opponents by an average of 78-50, but 2nd to Hopkins until they beat 'em in the post-season. Projected section 3AAAA champ and #2 seed.
3. Lakeville North 10-0. Coach John Oxton is another great high school coach who's got his team to where it can contend in the South Suburban and at the sectional level year in and year out. Out-scoring opponents by an average of 65-55. Projected section 1AAAA champ and #3 seed.
4. Osseo 11-0. 6-8 sophomore center Ian Thiesen, son (obviously) of coach Tim, will be one of the best by the time he's done. Out-scoring opponents 71-52. Projected section 5AAAA champ and #4 seed.
5. Eden Prairie 7-2. Another perennial under coach David Flom, with sophomore guard Andre Wallace leading the way. Out-scoring opponents 70-57. Projected section 2AAAA champ.
6. Wayzata 12-0. Out-scoring opponents 69-54, but no signature win. Will face Hopkins in section 6AAAA.
7. Apple Valley 9-1. Sophomore guard Tyus Jones is regarded by many as already the best high school player in Minnesota, and will certainly be the most heavily recruited Minnesota boy by the time he finishes his high school career. And the Eagles have other weapons as well. Only loss is to Eden Prairie by 4. 2 games each vs. Eastview and Lakeville North give 'em a chance to move up. Out-scoring opponents 80-68. Will face Eastview in section 3AAAA.
8. Minnetonka 10-2. Rebuilding in a hurry under coach Tom Dasovich. Lost to Benilde by just 3 (Hopkins lost to Benilde by 5, Eden Prairie by 12). Out-scoring opponents 76-63. Will face Hopkins in section 6AAAA.
9. Tartan 8-2. Lost to Apple Valley and #2AAA Spring Lake Park. Out-scoring opponents 64-51. Projected section 4AAAA champion.
10. Chanhassan 7-4. A young program very much on the rise. 3 of its 4 losses are to Hopkins, Lakeville North and Eden Prairie. Out-scoring opponents 66-64. Let's be honest, there's a big drop-off after the top 6-8 teams. Will face EP in section 2AAAA.
11. Duluth East 3-7. Ordinarily a 3-7 team wouldn't get a sniff of my top 20. But East has played the toughest schedule known to man, including Hopkins, Eastview, EP, Tonka--all without superstar guard Johnny Woodard. Guard Taylor Stafford stepped into the breach, scoring as many as 45 points one night and into the 30s routinely. Then, Woodard returned against Rice Lake (WI) in the Timberwolves Shootout last Saturday and scored 31 as East defeated Rice Lake 86-74. If the chemistry is right, East can play with the big boys. Projected section 7AAAA champion.
12. Woodbury 8-2.
13. Roseville 7-2.
14. Mounds View 8-2. Top contenders in wide open Suburban East race.
15. Mahtomedi 7-1. Unbeaten against Minnesota competition. All 4 will face Tartan in section 4AAAA.
16. Maple Grove 8-2.
17. Champlin Park 7-3. Both will face Osseo in section 5AAAA.
18. Moorhead 7-1. Projected section 8AAAA champion.
19. Prior Lake 5-5. Playing all comers. Middle of the pack in section 2AAAA.
20. Rochester Century 8-2. Will face Lakeville North in Section 1AAAA.
State tournament semi-finalists--should be the #1 through #4 seeds Hopkins, Eastview, Lakeville North and Osseo, but I'll predict that Eden Prairie will upset somebody in the 1st round, with Osseo the most vulnerable of the four seeds. It depends on the draw, of course.
AAA
1. Benilde-St. Margaret's 9-1. Beat Hopkins, Tonka, Eden Prairie, lost to Eastview. The only AAA team that can and does compete with the elite AAAAs. Out-scoring opponents 72-62. Projected section 6AAA champion and #1 seed.
2. Spring Lake Park 10-1. Shocked #9AAAA Tartan on its home court in the Tartan holiday tournament, but lost to Eastview 86-63. Sean Scott is a multi-skilled scorer. Out-scoring opponents 75-61. Projected section 3AAA champion and #2 seed.
3. Mpls. Washburn 7-1. Lost only to #3AAAA Lakeville North. Out-scoring opponents 73-53. Paired with Benilde is section 6AAA.
4. Grand Rapids 9-1. Destined to be highly rated for a long time, as its stars are junior guard Austin Pohlen and freshman post Alex Illikainen. Out-scoring opponents 67-52. Projected section 7AAA champ and #3 seed.
5. Blake 8-1. Knocked off DeLaSalle to open the year, lost only to AAAA Chaska. Out-scoring opponents 64-45. Also paired with Benilde and Washburn in section 6AAA.
6. Mankato East 8-1. Out-scoring opponents 85-64. Projected section 2AAA champion and #4 seed.
7. DeLaSalle 7-2. Out-scoring opponents 77-48, but paired with Spring Lake Park in section 3AAA.
8. St. Paul Johnson 4-3. Losses only to AAAA Hopkins, Lakeville South and Roseville. Projected section 4AAA champion.
9. Willmar 6-1. Out-scoring opponents 65-51. Faces Mankato East in section 2AAA.
10. Zimmerman 7-3. Faces Grand Rapids in section 7AAA.
11. Waconia 7-4. 3 of 4 losses vs. AAAA opponents. Another section 2AAA resident.
12. Austin 6-2. Knocked off Mankato East but lost to Rochester Mayo. Projected section 1AAA champion.
13. Richfield 6-4. Another 6AAA resident.
14. Duluth Denfeld 8-2. Paired with Grand Rapids, to whom they have already lost 70-58, in section 7AAA.
15. Little Falls 8-1. Projected section 8AAA champion.
Section 5AAA favorite--Rocori 7-4.
State tournament semi-finalists--should be the 4 seeds Benilde, Spring Lake Park, Grand Rapids and Mankato East, and I don't see anybody else crowding any of these out.
AA
1. Perham 9-1. Dropped all the way to #5AA after loss to Ellsworth, but I think they're still the best team in AA. Defeated then-#2AA Pelican Rapids as well as AAA St. Thomas. Projected section 8AA champ, gets section 1AA champ in 1st round, then section 4 vs. 5 winner.
2. Waterville-Elysian-Morristown 7-1. 2 starters back from last year's state tournament team, plus a big-time foreign exchange student was added. Explosive. Projected section 2AA champ, gets section 7AA in 1st round, then section 3 vs. 6 winner.
3. Watertown-Mayer 10-1. Lost only to AAA Waconia. Projected section 5AA champ, gets section 4AA in 1st round, then 1 vs. 8 winner.
4. Maple River 10-1. Paired with WEM in section 2AA. A serious threat to go all the way.
5. Redwood Valley 9-0. Features superstar Michael Busack, defeated Marshall and Windom in Southwest conference already. Projected section 3AA champion, gets section 6AA in 1st round, then 2 vs. 7 winner.
6. Pelican Rapids 7-3. Lost only at Perham, and to AAAA Minnetonka and Moorhead. Projected section 6AA champ, gets section 3AA in the quarter-finals, then the winner of the 2 vs. 7 game.
7. United South Central 9-2. Lost to WEM, beat Maple River. Features 6-8 forwrad Kyle Bauman. Another section 2AA resident.
8. Braham 10-1. Lost only to Hopkins. Led by coach Bob Vaughan and son Tyler. Projected section 7AA champion. Gets section 2AA in 1st round, then section 3 vs. 6.
9. Montevideo 7-3. Lost only to AAA Spring Lake Park, Mankato East and Marshall, then turned the tables on the latter. Will face Redwood Valley in section 3AAA.
10. St. Peter 9-1. Another section 2AA resident.
11. Hayfield 10-3. Also a 2AA resident.
12. Fairmont 8-2. And another 2AA resident.
13. Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 11-0. Defeated defending sectional champ Upsala, another 6AA resident.
14. Plainview-Elgin-Millville 9-3. All losses are to AAAA and AAA opponents.
15. Byron 8-1. Lost only to Hayfield, defeated AAA Red Wing. PEM or Byron is projected as the section 1AA champion. Gets section 8AA in the 1st round, then the winner of section 4 vs. 5.
Section 4AA favorite--toss-up among New Life, Concordia, Minnehaha, St. Croix Lutheran.
State semi-finalists? You tell me. OK, I'll go with Perham over PEM, Watertown Mayer over whomever, Waterville over Braham, with Redwood and Pelican a toss-up. Then Perham and Waterville. But this one is wide open. Darn near everybody through #15 is a threat.
A
1. Southwest MN Christian 6-1. The four-peters from 1999-2002 will contend again, starting right now. Out-scoring opponents 75-40. Lost only at AA Worthington by 1 point. Projected as section 3A champion, gets section 6A in the 1st round.
2. Dawson-Boyd 7-1. Outscoring opponents 77-43, lost only at AA power Montevideo 74-63. Also a section 3A resident.
3. Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa 9-0. Senior-dominated state runners-up of 2011 give way to a young Jaguars squad this year. Out-scores opponents 73-48, has had just 1 winning margin in single digits so far. Projected as section 6A champion, setting up a #1 vs. #3 in the 1st round.
4. Prairie Seeds Academy 8-0. Turned some heads with a state record 165-37 win over Math & Science Academy. Out-scoring opponents by an average 106-55. Projected as section 4A champion, getting section 5A champ in the 1st round and the winner of sections 1 vs. 8 in the semis.
5. Browerville 9-1. Outscoring opponents 67-49. Projected as section 5A champion, getting the 4A champ in the 1st round.
6. FAIR Academy 10-1. The Mpls. charter school has lost only to Prairie Seeds 84-83. Out-scoring opponents 83-55 on average. Will face Prairie Seeds in section 4A.
7. Lakeview Christian 8-2. Out-scoring opponents 88-73 behind the scoring exploits of Anders Broman, who as a junior is well on his way to becoming Minnesota's all-time leading scorer. Projected as the section 7A champions, getting section 2A in 1st round state tournament action.
8. Mountain Lake-Butterfield-Odin 9-1. Fresh off 50-48 win over Ellsworth, out-scoring opponents 61-51. Projected as section 2A champions, drawing section 7A champ at state.
9. Ashby 8-0. Walloping opponents 76-49. Opposite BBE in section 6.
10. Rushford-Peterson 10-2. 2-time state champs are projected as section 1A champ, and draw section 8A champ in 1st round.
11. Battle Lake 9-0. Out-scoring opponents 58-33. Section 6A.
12. Ellsworth 8-4. Recently lost Casey Schilling to a wrist injury, possibly for the season. Section 3A.
13. Russell-Tyler-Ruthton 9-1. Lost only to Ellsworth. Section 3A.
14. Goodhue 7-3. Section 1A.
15. Cass Lake-Bena 9-1. Lost only at Red Lake 112-107 in OT. Projected as section 8A champ.
16. Fosston 6-0. Section 8A.
17. Spring Grove 8-2. Out-scoring opponents 74-43, lost to Rushford-Pete and Goodhue. Section 1A.
18. Faribault Bethlehem 9-2. Section 1A.
19. MCCRAY 7-3. Section 3A.
20. Maranatha Christian 5-4. Section 4A.
State semis might feature Lakeview Christian and Anders Broman vs. Southwest MN Christian, and Rushford-Peterson carry good old public school pride vs. Prairie Seeds Academy.
All-State
Tyus Jones, Apple Valley, 6-3, soph., G, 28 ppg, Player of the Year
Siyani Chambers, Hopkins, 5-11, sr., G
Joey King, Eastview, 6-8, sr., F, 28 ppg
Sanjay Lumpkin, Benilde-St. Margaret's, 6-6, sr., G
Rashad Vaughan, Robbinsdale Cooper, 6-5, soph., G, 29 ppg
2nd Team
Anders Broman, Lakeview Christian, 6-1, jr., G, 46 ppg
Kyle Bauman, United South Central, 6-8, sr., F
Michael Busack, Redwood Valley, 6-4, sr., G
Tyler Vaughan, Braham, 6-0, sr., G
Sean Scott, Spring Lake Park, 6-4, sr., F, 26 ppg
3rd Team
Johnny Woodard, Duluth East, 6-3, sr., F
Taylor Stafford, Duluth East, 6-0, sr., G, 33 ppg
Zach Stahl, Hopkins, 6-5, sr., F
Mark Schumacher, Perham, 6-6, sr., C
Marcus Marshall, St. Paul Johnson, 6-2, sr., G
Coach of the Year
Mark Gerber, Eastview
Sunday, January 8, 2012
The Second Season: The Minnesota Gopher Women and the Big 10
Minnesota Gopher Women's Outlook
The Minnesota Gopher women turned the corner from the first to the second season by winning 2 out of 3 conference games--losing a heart-breaker at 1st place Purdue, then hammering Indiana at home, and withstanding a Northwestern rally to win their 1st road game of the year. All in all, enough to renew a sense of optimism among Gopher women faithful.
Yet this optimism would have to be described as cautious. Pam Borton's Gophers, after all, have been down over the past several years, and rely on a freshman for their offensive production more so than any other Big 10 team. And, on top of that, the schedule is not much of a help. With the Big 10's 16-game schedule, every team plays 5 opponents twice and 6 once. The voids in the Gopher schedule include all 4 of the #9 through #12 teams, whereas we play all 4 of the currently rated teams twice apiece. And the schedule concludes with a pair of games at #22 Penn State and #19 Ohio State.
Given the degree of difficulty presented by the schedule, any continued success would have to begin with a win next Thursday against 1st place Purdue. A week ago I would have said that this wouldn't/shouldn't be possible but after barely falling short at West Lafayette, I'd say this game is now a toss-up. A win, and 9-7, 17-13 would seem possible. Still not enough for an NCAA bid, but enough to declare that the future will be better than the recent past.
If so, we owe it all to that freshman guard, Rachel Banham from Lakeville North. Banham is the Gophers' leading scorer at 15 ppg (on 40 percent shooting), with 5.5 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. Senior guard Kiara Buford adds 14 ppg (on 44 percent shooting), with 4 boards, 3.5 assists and 2 steals. Junior post Katie Loberg is much improved at 10 ppg with a t eam-high 7..5 rebounds, but she still shoots below 40 percent.
The Gophers overall are, in fact, not a good shooting team and they also turn the ball over a little too much. So, they're prone to the same devastating droughts that have hurt so much in recent years. And, so, while that 9-7 Big 10 record mentioned above remains possible, 7-9 is more likely and would be an acceptable conclusion to this rebuilding/reloading year.
Life at the Top
The pre-season coaches' poll had Penn State, Purdue, Iowa and Michigan State 1 through 4, with multiple time defending champion Ohio State only slated for 5th place. But the most recent national rankings more closely resemble our sense of reality in the Big 10:
#9 Ohio State 2-0, 15-0
#18 Purdue 3-0, 13-3
#19 Nebraska 2-0, 13-1
#22 Penn State 1-1, 11-3
Well, the Buckeyes and Boilers at #1-2 seems familiar. But Nebraska and Penn State at 3-4? Not so much. This is, of course, the Cornhuskers' 1st year jn the Big 10 and its national ranking totally unexpected. Coach Connie Yori is the Big 10 Coach of the Year so far in 2011-2012. Soph forward Jordan Hooper has blossomed with 21 points and 9 boards per game, giving the Huskers a leg up on the inside in what has become a guard-oriented league.
Penn State, of course, had plenty of success under former coach Rene Portland but, since her departure, not so much. Now coach Coquese Washington and guards Alex Bentley, Maggie Lucas and Zhaque Gray have the Lions contending for a Big 10 title again. Bentley, the pre-season Player of the Year, is scoring 19 pppg with 5 boards and 3 steals; Lucas is adding 15 ppg with 2 boards, 6 assists and 3 steals; and Gray is at 11 ppg, 3 boards and 2 assists. And it helps their cause that, again, there's not a lot of really strong inside players in the league this year, unlike, say, the Ohio State teams of the recent past.
Ah, Ohio State. Surely they miss all-America posts Jessica Davenport and Jantel Lavender, who seem to have roamed the paint for the Bucks for the past decade or more. Surely they miss them! Well, they're 15-0 and very likely to be 17-0 before losing for the 1st time at Michigan State or, failing that, 21-0 before losing to the Gophers at Williams Arena. And, surprise, it's not pre-season all-conference choice Sam Prahalis leading the charge, it's our own Tayler Hill from Mpls. South with 22 ppg. Prahalis, to be sure, is next with 18 ppg plus 5 boards and 7 assists. And the fact is that most Big 10 teams this year are unequipped to exploit the Buckeye's lack of strength in the pivot.
The Middle of the Pack
This is where the Gopher women reside with the likes of Iowa, Michigan State and Michigan.
I thought Iowa would contend, and of course they did for a half at Ohio State last night, leading by as many as 16. But the Buckeyes caught up by half-time and pulled away to an 84-71 win. The fact is that Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder has had trouble figuring out how to deploy her 3 guards including senior Kamille Wahlin from Crookston, MN; junior Jamie Printy; and freshman Sam Logic. The 3 score about 36 ppg among them, barely more than the Gopher trio of Banham, Buford and Leah Cotton; and shoot only about 40 percent as a group. Logic was rated more highly than Banham coming in but has had to compete with Wahlin for the ball, and so she's had the tougher time adjusting.
Michigan State usually contends and this year they've again found a way so far. Pre-season all-conference pick Lykendra Johnson hasn't blossomed, however; she's scoring 9.5 ppg. Senior guard Porsche Poole is leading the way with 11 ppg, so I think you can say they're doing it with mirrors.
Michigan continues to improve, thanks in part to Minnesota guards Courtney Boylan (13 ppg on 49 percent shooting) and Kate Thompson (9 ppg). But with Ohio State and Penn State up next, their middle-of-the-packness will shortly be reinforced.
They Also Ran
Northwestern, Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin are now 0-11, and this is where they shall remain until another year. Northwestern is young and was expected to improve dramatically. But injuries and youth have put those plans on hold. Time will tell when Illinois, Indiana and the Badgers can escape "also ran" status anytime soon.
In Summary
1. Ohio State 14-2, #1 seed conference tournament, tournament champion; 30-2, NCAA bid
2. Penn State 12-4, #2; 22-7, NCAA bid
3. Purdue 12-4, #3; 23-8, NCAA bid
4. Nebraska 11-5, #4; 23-7, NCAA bid
5. Michigan State 9-7, #5; 18-13, WNIT bid
6. Iowa 8-8, #6, 3 wins (2 upsets) in conference tournament, runner-up; 18-14, WNIT bid
7. Michigan 8-8, #7; 19-11, NCAA bid
8. Minnesota 7-9, #8;16-16, WNIT bid
9. Northwestern 5-11, #9; 15-15
10. Illinois 4-12, #10, 1 upset win in conference tournament; 11-20
11. Indiana 3-13, #11; 8-22
12. Wisconsin 3-13, #12; 7-22
All-Conference
Sam Prahalis, Ohio State, g
Tayler Hill, Ohio State, g
Alex Bentley, Penn State, g
Maggie Lucas, Penn State, g
Jordan Hooper, Nebraska, f
2nd Team
Brittney Rayburn, Purdue, g
Jamie Printy, Iowa, g
Rachel Banham, Minnesota, g
Kendall Hackney, Northwestern, f
Karisma Penn, Illinois, f
3rd Team
Morgan Johnson, Iowa, c
Lykendra Johnson, Michigan State, f
Kiara Buford, Minnesota, g
Lindsay Moore, Nebraska, g
Taylor Wurtz, Wisconsin, g
The Minnesota Gopher women turned the corner from the first to the second season by winning 2 out of 3 conference games--losing a heart-breaker at 1st place Purdue, then hammering Indiana at home, and withstanding a Northwestern rally to win their 1st road game of the year. All in all, enough to renew a sense of optimism among Gopher women faithful.
Yet this optimism would have to be described as cautious. Pam Borton's Gophers, after all, have been down over the past several years, and rely on a freshman for their offensive production more so than any other Big 10 team. And, on top of that, the schedule is not much of a help. With the Big 10's 16-game schedule, every team plays 5 opponents twice and 6 once. The voids in the Gopher schedule include all 4 of the #9 through #12 teams, whereas we play all 4 of the currently rated teams twice apiece. And the schedule concludes with a pair of games at #22 Penn State and #19 Ohio State.
Given the degree of difficulty presented by the schedule, any continued success would have to begin with a win next Thursday against 1st place Purdue. A week ago I would have said that this wouldn't/shouldn't be possible but after barely falling short at West Lafayette, I'd say this game is now a toss-up. A win, and 9-7, 17-13 would seem possible. Still not enough for an NCAA bid, but enough to declare that the future will be better than the recent past.
If so, we owe it all to that freshman guard, Rachel Banham from Lakeville North. Banham is the Gophers' leading scorer at 15 ppg (on 40 percent shooting), with 5.5 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. Senior guard Kiara Buford adds 14 ppg (on 44 percent shooting), with 4 boards, 3.5 assists and 2 steals. Junior post Katie Loberg is much improved at 10 ppg with a t eam-high 7..5 rebounds, but she still shoots below 40 percent.
The Gophers overall are, in fact, not a good shooting team and they also turn the ball over a little too much. So, they're prone to the same devastating droughts that have hurt so much in recent years. And, so, while that 9-7 Big 10 record mentioned above remains possible, 7-9 is more likely and would be an acceptable conclusion to this rebuilding/reloading year.
Life at the Top
The pre-season coaches' poll had Penn State, Purdue, Iowa and Michigan State 1 through 4, with multiple time defending champion Ohio State only slated for 5th place. But the most recent national rankings more closely resemble our sense of reality in the Big 10:
#9 Ohio State 2-0, 15-0
#18 Purdue 3-0, 13-3
#19 Nebraska 2-0, 13-1
#22 Penn State 1-1, 11-3
Well, the Buckeyes and Boilers at #1-2 seems familiar. But Nebraska and Penn State at 3-4? Not so much. This is, of course, the Cornhuskers' 1st year jn the Big 10 and its national ranking totally unexpected. Coach Connie Yori is the Big 10 Coach of the Year so far in 2011-2012. Soph forward Jordan Hooper has blossomed with 21 points and 9 boards per game, giving the Huskers a leg up on the inside in what has become a guard-oriented league.
Penn State, of course, had plenty of success under former coach Rene Portland but, since her departure, not so much. Now coach Coquese Washington and guards Alex Bentley, Maggie Lucas and Zhaque Gray have the Lions contending for a Big 10 title again. Bentley, the pre-season Player of the Year, is scoring 19 pppg with 5 boards and 3 steals; Lucas is adding 15 ppg with 2 boards, 6 assists and 3 steals; and Gray is at 11 ppg, 3 boards and 2 assists. And it helps their cause that, again, there's not a lot of really strong inside players in the league this year, unlike, say, the Ohio State teams of the recent past.
Ah, Ohio State. Surely they miss all-America posts Jessica Davenport and Jantel Lavender, who seem to have roamed the paint for the Bucks for the past decade or more. Surely they miss them! Well, they're 15-0 and very likely to be 17-0 before losing for the 1st time at Michigan State or, failing that, 21-0 before losing to the Gophers at Williams Arena. And, surprise, it's not pre-season all-conference choice Sam Prahalis leading the charge, it's our own Tayler Hill from Mpls. South with 22 ppg. Prahalis, to be sure, is next with 18 ppg plus 5 boards and 7 assists. And the fact is that most Big 10 teams this year are unequipped to exploit the Buckeye's lack of strength in the pivot.
The Middle of the Pack
This is where the Gopher women reside with the likes of Iowa, Michigan State and Michigan.
I thought Iowa would contend, and of course they did for a half at Ohio State last night, leading by as many as 16. But the Buckeyes caught up by half-time and pulled away to an 84-71 win. The fact is that Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder has had trouble figuring out how to deploy her 3 guards including senior Kamille Wahlin from Crookston, MN; junior Jamie Printy; and freshman Sam Logic. The 3 score about 36 ppg among them, barely more than the Gopher trio of Banham, Buford and Leah Cotton; and shoot only about 40 percent as a group. Logic was rated more highly than Banham coming in but has had to compete with Wahlin for the ball, and so she's had the tougher time adjusting.
Michigan State usually contends and this year they've again found a way so far. Pre-season all-conference pick Lykendra Johnson hasn't blossomed, however; she's scoring 9.5 ppg. Senior guard Porsche Poole is leading the way with 11 ppg, so I think you can say they're doing it with mirrors.
Michigan continues to improve, thanks in part to Minnesota guards Courtney Boylan (13 ppg on 49 percent shooting) and Kate Thompson (9 ppg). But with Ohio State and Penn State up next, their middle-of-the-packness will shortly be reinforced.
They Also Ran
Northwestern, Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin are now 0-11, and this is where they shall remain until another year. Northwestern is young and was expected to improve dramatically. But injuries and youth have put those plans on hold. Time will tell when Illinois, Indiana and the Badgers can escape "also ran" status anytime soon.
In Summary
1. Ohio State 14-2, #1 seed conference tournament, tournament champion; 30-2, NCAA bid
2. Penn State 12-4, #2; 22-7, NCAA bid
3. Purdue 12-4, #3; 23-8, NCAA bid
4. Nebraska 11-5, #4; 23-7, NCAA bid
5. Michigan State 9-7, #5; 18-13, WNIT bid
6. Iowa 8-8, #6, 3 wins (2 upsets) in conference tournament, runner-up; 18-14, WNIT bid
7. Michigan 8-8, #7; 19-11, NCAA bid
8. Minnesota 7-9, #8;16-16, WNIT bid
9. Northwestern 5-11, #9; 15-15
10. Illinois 4-12, #10, 1 upset win in conference tournament; 11-20
11. Indiana 3-13, #11; 8-22
12. Wisconsin 3-13, #12; 7-22
All-Conference
Sam Prahalis, Ohio State, g
Tayler Hill, Ohio State, g
Alex Bentley, Penn State, g
Maggie Lucas, Penn State, g
Jordan Hooper, Nebraska, f
2nd Team
Brittney Rayburn, Purdue, g
Jamie Printy, Iowa, g
Rachel Banham, Minnesota, g
Kendall Hackney, Northwestern, f
Karisma Penn, Illinois, f
3rd Team
Morgan Johnson, Iowa, c
Lykendra Johnson, Michigan State, f
Kiara Buford, Minnesota, g
Lindsay Moore, Nebraska, g
Taylor Wurtz, Wisconsin, g
The Big Game 1-7-12: East, Woodard Blitz Rice Lake, Ellenson
The feature game of this year's Minnesota Timberwolves Shoot-Out turned out to feature a team with 2 wins and 7 losses. It's a deceptive record because the Greyhounds of Duluth East have taken on all comers--#1 Eastview, #2 Hopkins, Eden Prairie, Minnetonka et al--and they've done it with their best player, guard Johnny Woodard, out with an injury.
Well, Woodard returned to action Saturday at the Target Center and the result was a signature win, 86-74 over Rice Lake (WI). Not only that, but Woodard scored 31 points to just 9 for Rice Lake's Minnesota Gopher recruit Wally Ellenson.
Also at the Shootout:
Benilde-St. Margaret's 68 St. Thomas More (SD) 50
Minnetonka 86 Pelican Rapids 66
Cedar Falls (IA) 67 Prior Lake 56
Hopkins 97 Sioux City (IA) East 74
Apple Valley 66 Onalaska (WI) 64
Player of the Day
Woodard
Coach of the Day
Dan Elhard, Grand Rapids boys, won at Zimmerman 64-56. And Greg Slaathaug, Fulda girls, who won at Worthington 73-67.
Well, Woodard returned to action Saturday at the Target Center and the result was a signature win, 86-74 over Rice Lake (WI). Not only that, but Woodard scored 31 points to just 9 for Rice Lake's Minnesota Gopher recruit Wally Ellenson.
Also at the Shootout:
Benilde-St. Margaret's 68 St. Thomas More (SD) 50
Minnetonka 86 Pelican Rapids 66
Cedar Falls (IA) 67 Prior Lake 56
Hopkins 97 Sioux City (IA) East 74
Apple Valley 66 Onalaska (WI) 64
Player of the Day
Woodard
Coach of the Day
Dan Elhard, Grand Rapids boys, won at Zimmerman 64-56. And Greg Slaathaug, Fulda girls, who won at Worthington 73-67.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
The Big Game 1-6-12: Bloomington Kennedy, Mountain Lake-Butterfield-Odin win
3 high school games matched rated teams Friday night, one metro, one rural; one boys, one girls; one big (schools) and one small.
Boys
#8A Mountain Lake-Butterfield-Odin edged #4A 50-48. Casey Schilling had wrist surgery earlier in the week and may be out for the season for Ellsworth.
Prairie Seeds Academy, a charter school located in Brooklyn Center, MN, set a state scoring recored by beating Math & Science Academy 165-37. Trent Pollard scored 37 points, Gage Deis 34, Mike Miller 29, Devin Buckley 24 and Dominick Jackson 20 for the winners.
Girls
#4AAAA Bloomington Kennedy beat #7AAAA Lakeville North 56-47 as Tonoia Wade scored 17 points. Kennedy led 31-17 at the half.
Buffalo (#10AAAA) won at #7AAAA Minnetonka 49-47 as Emily Spier scored 18 points for the winners.
Player of the Day
Katybeth Biewen scored 26 points and added 7 rebounds as the Edina girls defeated Duluth East 45-35.
Coach of the Day
Scot Sorenson, Buffalo girls, has his team at 10-3 and rated #10AAAA, and with road wins at top 10-rated Roseville and Minnetonka.
Boys
#8A Mountain Lake-Butterfield-Odin edged #4A 50-48. Casey Schilling had wrist surgery earlier in the week and may be out for the season for Ellsworth.
Prairie Seeds Academy, a charter school located in Brooklyn Center, MN, set a state scoring recored by beating Math & Science Academy 165-37. Trent Pollard scored 37 points, Gage Deis 34, Mike Miller 29, Devin Buckley 24 and Dominick Jackson 20 for the winners.
Girls
#4AAAA Bloomington Kennedy beat #7AAAA Lakeville North 56-47 as Tonoia Wade scored 17 points. Kennedy led 31-17 at the half.
Buffalo (#10AAAA) won at #7AAAA Minnetonka 49-47 as Emily Spier scored 18 points for the winners.
Player of the Day
Katybeth Biewen scored 26 points and added 7 rebounds as the Edina girls defeated Duluth East 45-35.
Coach of the Day
Scot Sorenson, Buffalo girls, has his team at 10-3 and rated #10AAAA, and with road wins at top 10-rated Roseville and Minnetonka.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
The Second Season: High School Girls
The First Season clearly confirmed defending state champs Hopkins (#1AAAA, 12-0) and Maranatha (#1A, 9-3 with 1 loss each to Class AA, AAA and AAAA teams), and defending state AA runners-up Providence (#1AA, 9-3 with losses to #5 and #7AAAA Eden Prairie and Lakeville North and #1AA Fergus Falls), as favorites for 2012 titles.
Meanwhile, it muddied AAA where pre-season #1 Benilde-St. Margaret's lost to #5AAAA Eden Prairie 51-50 in OT and, more to the point, #4AAA Hill Murray 49-39. As a result, 10-0 Fergus Falls takes over the top spot in the latest rankings from Minnesota Basketball News (MBN).
The ratings below are mine. Those referred to above are from MBN.
Class AAAA
1. Hopkins 12-0. Before the Royals' holiday tournament game with Prior Lake, coach Brian Cosgriff said he feared that the Lakers would try to slow his club down into a half-court. Well, they tried and even succeeded intermittently. Otherwise the score would have been more decisive than it was at 67-29. 2 nights later defending state runner-up Eden Prairie, led by 2 Minnesota Gopher recruits, tried to play at a faster pace and lost 83-51. Not as deep as in previous years but with awesome front-line talent led by the daughters of former Gopher Richard Coffey, 6-1 junior guard-forward Nia and 5-11 senior forward-guard Sydney. Projected Section 6 champ and state tourney #1 seed.
2. Eden Prairie 11-2. Dropped all the way to #5 in MBN rankings after the Hopkins debacle, but I think they'll beat MBN's #2AAAA Edina for the Section 2AAAA title and the #2 seed at state. The Gopher recruits are a classic inside-outside combo, seniors Jackie Johnson, a 6-2 post, and Shayne Mullaney, a 5-9 guard.
3. Edina (11-0). Unrated in pre-season but guards Katybeth Biewen and junior MC McGrory are a most dynamic duo. The Classic Lake schedule, including #1, #2, #3, #6 and #7 teams in this ranking, will resolve how good these teams are, really, not to mention Section 2 which includes #2, 3, 4 and #11.
4. Bloomington Kennedy (8-2). Probably has better talent 1 through 5 than #2 and #3 but lacks the on-the-court senior leadership of Mullaney and Biewen. But that may be hair-splitting as Kennedy's point is also a Gopher recruit, sophomore Kenisha Bell. Junior forward Jade Martin is an even bigger talent.
5. Lakeville North (7-4). Unlike EP, tried to slow Hopkins down...and did, losing 46-41 in OT. Lakeville promptly lost to Edina 47-38 and to EP 62-56. Still, nobody has handled Hopkins pressure defenses as well as senior guard Taylor Stewart. Projected Section 1 champ and #3 seed.
6. Wayzata (11-1). Led by Iowa recruit, post Kayla Timmerman, and forward Marissa Grossfeld. Don't let a conference record under .500 fool you, but of course they also draw #1 Hopkins in sectional play.
7. Minnetonka (10-1). A surprise, but for real, I think. 8th grade center-forward Courtney Frederickson an emerging star. But like Wayzata, the Skippers draw Hopkins both in conference and section.
8. Osseo (8-3). Supremely talented. Senior guard Mikayla Bailey is a Gopher recruit while junior forward Phyllis Webb has offers from Minnesota and Iowa, at least. Still they've struggled with chemistry since senior forward Olivia Antilla arrived from Benilde. Projected Section 5 champ and #4 seed.
9. Buffalo (9-2). Surprised Roseville the other day. Projected Section 8 champion.
10. White Bear Lake (6-5). Struggling, as the W-L record shows. Obviously, I think they'll be back as some injuries heal. Led by Illinois State recruit Alexis Foley. Projected Section 4 champ.
11. Chanhassan (8-2)--a program on the rise
12. Roseville (10-1)
13. St. Paul Central (8-4)--incredibly tough schedule
14. Mounds View (7-2)
15. Eastview (6-4)--rebuilding/reloading, Projected Section 3 champ
16. Prior Lake (4-6)
17. St. Michael-Albertville (8-2)
18. Robbinsdale Cooper (9-2)
19. Andover (6-5). Projected Section 7 champ.
20. Centennial (8-2)
In theory the 4 state tournament semi-finalists would be Hopkins, Eden Prairie, Lakeville North and Osseo. The most likely to be derailed is Osseo and the most likely to sneak into the final four is White Bear Lake.
Class AAA
1. DeLaSalle (8-2). White Bear and Providence snuck up on the Islanders and probable losses to Hopkins and Eden Prairie loom in January. But a February contest with Benilde will settle the question of the #1AAA seed. Juniors Tyseanna Johnson and Allina Starr, ah, star. Projected Section 3AAA champ and #1AAA seed.
2. Benilde-St. Margaret's (6-2). Lost to AA Providence and surprised by Hill-Murray. With the transfer of Antilla and the emergence of 5-8 soph guard and Minnesota Gopher recruit Grace Coughlin, the Red Knights have become more of a perimeter tean, and that's been a double-edged sword as 6-0 senior forward Khadidjah Shunpert's production slipped. Still, the talent is there. Projected Section 6AAA champ and #2 seed
3. Fergus Falls (10-0), with a come-from-behind win over #1AA Providence who has subsequent wins over Benilde and Lakeville North. Senior post Mariah Monke and soph guard Brianna Rasmussen lead the way. Projected Section 8AAA champ and #3 seed.
4. Hill-Murray (8-3) with losses only to 3 teams from the mighty Lake. Guard Tessa Cichy remains an enigma. 36 points vs. DeLaSalle in the 2010 state tournament followed by a melt-down in '11. Down from #1 in her class on gPrep to #8. But the upside is there, and she's got help, too. Projected Section 4AAA champ and #4 seed.
5. Richfield (9-2) and squares off with Hill-Murray in the Classic Suburban conference, junior guard Jessica January facing Cichy. The good news is they won't face 'em in section play. The bad news is they'll face the Red Knights in Section 6.
6. Hutchinson (10-2) with losses only to Osseo (in OT) and Milwaukee Rufus King at the Dick's holiday tournament. Upcoming game with Mankato East will help sort out a highly competitive section. Point guard Alicia Retterath is a good one. Projected Section 2AAA champ.
7. Holy Family (7-2). Another Section 6er.
8. Park Center (6-3) with losses only to AAAA teams in the tough Northwest Suburban conference. Soph forward Cayla McMorris is rightfully now rated #1 in her class. Will face DeLaSalle in Section 3AAA.
9. New Prague (5-4) but 3 of the 4 losses are to AAAA teams. Ann Rynda has emerged as the Trojans' latest star. Section 2.
10. Thief River Falls (9-2)
11. Mankato East (8-1)--also a threat in Section 2AAA
12. Chisago Lakes (7-3) behind Wisconsin recruit Whitney Tinjum. Projected Section 7AAA champ.
13. Detroit Lakes (7-2)
14. Alexandria (8-1)
15. Marshall (8-3)
Section 1AAA favorite--Kasson-Mantorville (12-0)
Section 5AAA fave--Big Lake (3-7)
In theory, the final four should be DeLaSalle, Benilde, Fergus and Hill-Murray. The most likely upset is Richfield over Benilde in Section 6, or at the state tournament level Hill-Murray might be vulnerable to Hutchinson.
Class AA
1. Providence (9-3) with losses to #2 and #5AAAA EP and Lakeville North and #3AAA Fergus Falls in OT, and they reversed the loss to North 41-33 at the Rochester tournament. Projected champion in section 5AA.
2. Braham (10-1). Defending state champ, Rebekah Dahlman well on her way to becoming state's all-time girls scorer. Projected section 7AA champion.
3. New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva (10-0) and projected Section 2AA champ.
4. Esko (8-1) with only a 2-point loss to Braham. A rematch in Section 7AA seems likely. The Eskomos are led by 6-8 junior Savanna Trapp.
5. Staples-Motley (8-2). Projected Section 6AA champion.
6. Pine Island (12-0). Projected Section 1AA champion.
7. Jordan (8-1) with only loss to AAAA Shakopee. Will have to find a way to surprise Providence in Section 5AA.
8. St. Peter (8-2) with losses only to AAA Mankato East and #3AA NRHEG. Section 2AA.
9. Hawley (6-1). Projected Section 8 champ.
10. Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial (8-1). Projected Section 3AA champion.
11. New London-Spicer (8-1)
Section 4 fave--Minnehaha (5-5) with all losses to rated or Class AAAA teams
Tournament pairings are 1 vs. 8, 4 vs. 5, 2 vs. 7 and 3 vs. 6. Semi-finalists should be Pine Island vs. Providence and Staples-Motley vs. Braham.
Class A
1. Maranatha Christian (6-3) with all losses to AA, AAA and AAAA schools. The defending state champs took Braham down to the wire before losing 77-70. Projected Section 4A champ.
2. Goodhue (10-1). The 2010 champs are led by the Tipckes, senior Ericka and soph Mikayla. Projected Section 1 champ.
3. Parkers Prairie (11-0). Coach John and daughter Micaela, a sophomore guard, lead the way but there's lots of help. Projected Section 6 champ.
4. Spring Grove (11-2) with losses to Goodhue and Waukon, IA. Section 1A.
5. Fulda (8-1) with a loss to Sisseton, SD. Projected Section 3 champ.
6. Minneota (8-1). Lost only to Marshall. Underdog to Fulda in Section 3, however,
7. Hancock (6-1). Lost only to Minneota. Led by senior Kendra Schmidgall. Underdog to Parkers Prairie in Section 6.
8. Upsala (7-1). Lost only to AA Staples-Motley. Projected Section 5A champion.
9. Sebeka (8-2) with losses only to AA schools. Section 5.
10. Mountain Iron-Buhl (12-0). Projected Section 7 champ.
Section 8A fave--Win-E-Mac (10-0)
Section 2A fave--Minnesota Valley Lutheran (7-3)
Pairings are the same as Class AA above, so the semi-finals would feature: Goodhue vs. Maranatha, and Parkers Prairie vs. Mountain Iron-Buhl. Upset specials are Minneota over Fulda in Section 3, and Sebeka over Upsala in Section 5. Minneota or Fulda over Parkers Prairie is the upset special at state.
But let's be honest. Class A is a crap shoot. There are too few interregional games and common opponents to know how the regions stack up. All you can do is go by history, which says that the regions rank roughly as follows: 5, 4, 2, 1, 3, 8 and 6 all send down tough teams roughly in the order listed. Section 7 lags. Just on history, without knowing anything about the specific teams, you'd pick 1 over 8, 5 over 4, 2 and 3 over 6 and 7. This year I'm only picking the historically stronger section in 1 of 4 games. This says to me to be ready for some surprises.
Mid-Season All-State Picks
Nia Coffey, Hopkins, jr.
Rebekah Dahlman, Braham, jr.
Shayne Mullaney, Eden Prairie, sr. (Minnesota)
Jackie Johnson, Eden Prairie, sr. (Minnesota)
Tyseanna Johnson, DeLaSalle, jr.
2nd Team
Whitney Tinjum, Chisago Lakes, sr. (Wisconsin)
Jessica January, Richfield, jr.
Marissa Jannning, Watertown-Mayer, sr. (Creighton)
Katybeth Biewen, Edina, sr.
Jade Martin, Bloomington Kennedy, jr. (Georgetown)
3rd Team
Tessa Cichy, Hill-Murray, sr.
Phyllis Webb, Osseo, jr.
Marissa Grossfeld, Wayzata, sr.
Sydney Coffey, Hopkins. sr. (Marist)
Khadidja Shumpert, Benilde, sr.
4th Team
Cayla McMorris, Park Center, soph.
Savanna Trapp, Esko, jr.
Kenisha Bell, Bloomington Kennedy, soph. (Minnesota)
Ann Rynda, New Prague, sr.
Alexis Foley, White Bear Lake, sr. (Illinois State)
5th Team
Mariah Adanane, DeLaSalle, sr.
Allina Starr, DeLaSalle. jr. (Georgetown)
Meanwhile, it muddied AAA where pre-season #1 Benilde-St. Margaret's lost to #5AAAA Eden Prairie 51-50 in OT and, more to the point, #4AAA Hill Murray 49-39. As a result, 10-0 Fergus Falls takes over the top spot in the latest rankings from Minnesota Basketball News (MBN).
The ratings below are mine. Those referred to above are from MBN.
Class AAAA
1. Hopkins 12-0. Before the Royals' holiday tournament game with Prior Lake, coach Brian Cosgriff said he feared that the Lakers would try to slow his club down into a half-court. Well, they tried and even succeeded intermittently. Otherwise the score would have been more decisive than it was at 67-29. 2 nights later defending state runner-up Eden Prairie, led by 2 Minnesota Gopher recruits, tried to play at a faster pace and lost 83-51. Not as deep as in previous years but with awesome front-line talent led by the daughters of former Gopher Richard Coffey, 6-1 junior guard-forward Nia and 5-11 senior forward-guard Sydney. Projected Section 6 champ and state tourney #1 seed.
2. Eden Prairie 11-2. Dropped all the way to #5 in MBN rankings after the Hopkins debacle, but I think they'll beat MBN's #2AAAA Edina for the Section 2AAAA title and the #2 seed at state. The Gopher recruits are a classic inside-outside combo, seniors Jackie Johnson, a 6-2 post, and Shayne Mullaney, a 5-9 guard.
3. Edina (11-0). Unrated in pre-season but guards Katybeth Biewen and junior MC McGrory are a most dynamic duo. The Classic Lake schedule, including #1, #2, #3, #6 and #7 teams in this ranking, will resolve how good these teams are, really, not to mention Section 2 which includes #2, 3, 4 and #11.
4. Bloomington Kennedy (8-2). Probably has better talent 1 through 5 than #2 and #3 but lacks the on-the-court senior leadership of Mullaney and Biewen. But that may be hair-splitting as Kennedy's point is also a Gopher recruit, sophomore Kenisha Bell. Junior forward Jade Martin is an even bigger talent.
5. Lakeville North (7-4). Unlike EP, tried to slow Hopkins down...and did, losing 46-41 in OT. Lakeville promptly lost to Edina 47-38 and to EP 62-56. Still, nobody has handled Hopkins pressure defenses as well as senior guard Taylor Stewart. Projected Section 1 champ and #3 seed.
6. Wayzata (11-1). Led by Iowa recruit, post Kayla Timmerman, and forward Marissa Grossfeld. Don't let a conference record under .500 fool you, but of course they also draw #1 Hopkins in sectional play.
7. Minnetonka (10-1). A surprise, but for real, I think. 8th grade center-forward Courtney Frederickson an emerging star. But like Wayzata, the Skippers draw Hopkins both in conference and section.
8. Osseo (8-3). Supremely talented. Senior guard Mikayla Bailey is a Gopher recruit while junior forward Phyllis Webb has offers from Minnesota and Iowa, at least. Still they've struggled with chemistry since senior forward Olivia Antilla arrived from Benilde. Projected Section 5 champ and #4 seed.
9. Buffalo (9-2). Surprised Roseville the other day. Projected Section 8 champion.
10. White Bear Lake (6-5). Struggling, as the W-L record shows. Obviously, I think they'll be back as some injuries heal. Led by Illinois State recruit Alexis Foley. Projected Section 4 champ.
11. Chanhassan (8-2)--a program on the rise
12. Roseville (10-1)
13. St. Paul Central (8-4)--incredibly tough schedule
14. Mounds View (7-2)
15. Eastview (6-4)--rebuilding/reloading, Projected Section 3 champ
16. Prior Lake (4-6)
17. St. Michael-Albertville (8-2)
18. Robbinsdale Cooper (9-2)
19. Andover (6-5). Projected Section 7 champ.
20. Centennial (8-2)
In theory the 4 state tournament semi-finalists would be Hopkins, Eden Prairie, Lakeville North and Osseo. The most likely to be derailed is Osseo and the most likely to sneak into the final four is White Bear Lake.
Class AAA
1. DeLaSalle (8-2). White Bear and Providence snuck up on the Islanders and probable losses to Hopkins and Eden Prairie loom in January. But a February contest with Benilde will settle the question of the #1AAA seed. Juniors Tyseanna Johnson and Allina Starr, ah, star. Projected Section 3AAA champ and #1AAA seed.
2. Benilde-St. Margaret's (6-2). Lost to AA Providence and surprised by Hill-Murray. With the transfer of Antilla and the emergence of 5-8 soph guard and Minnesota Gopher recruit Grace Coughlin, the Red Knights have become more of a perimeter tean, and that's been a double-edged sword as 6-0 senior forward Khadidjah Shunpert's production slipped. Still, the talent is there. Projected Section 6AAA champ and #2 seed
3. Fergus Falls (10-0), with a come-from-behind win over #1AA Providence who has subsequent wins over Benilde and Lakeville North. Senior post Mariah Monke and soph guard Brianna Rasmussen lead the way. Projected Section 8AAA champ and #3 seed.
4. Hill-Murray (8-3) with losses only to 3 teams from the mighty Lake. Guard Tessa Cichy remains an enigma. 36 points vs. DeLaSalle in the 2010 state tournament followed by a melt-down in '11. Down from #1 in her class on gPrep to #8. But the upside is there, and she's got help, too. Projected Section 4AAA champ and #4 seed.
5. Richfield (9-2) and squares off with Hill-Murray in the Classic Suburban conference, junior guard Jessica January facing Cichy. The good news is they won't face 'em in section play. The bad news is they'll face the Red Knights in Section 6.
6. Hutchinson (10-2) with losses only to Osseo (in OT) and Milwaukee Rufus King at the Dick's holiday tournament. Upcoming game with Mankato East will help sort out a highly competitive section. Point guard Alicia Retterath is a good one. Projected Section 2AAA champ.
7. Holy Family (7-2). Another Section 6er.
8. Park Center (6-3) with losses only to AAAA teams in the tough Northwest Suburban conference. Soph forward Cayla McMorris is rightfully now rated #1 in her class. Will face DeLaSalle in Section 3AAA.
9. New Prague (5-4) but 3 of the 4 losses are to AAAA teams. Ann Rynda has emerged as the Trojans' latest star. Section 2.
10. Thief River Falls (9-2)
11. Mankato East (8-1)--also a threat in Section 2AAA
12. Chisago Lakes (7-3) behind Wisconsin recruit Whitney Tinjum. Projected Section 7AAA champ.
13. Detroit Lakes (7-2)
14. Alexandria (8-1)
15. Marshall (8-3)
Section 1AAA favorite--Kasson-Mantorville (12-0)
Section 5AAA fave--Big Lake (3-7)
In theory, the final four should be DeLaSalle, Benilde, Fergus and Hill-Murray. The most likely upset is Richfield over Benilde in Section 6, or at the state tournament level Hill-Murray might be vulnerable to Hutchinson.
Class AA
1. Providence (9-3) with losses to #2 and #5AAAA EP and Lakeville North and #3AAA Fergus Falls in OT, and they reversed the loss to North 41-33 at the Rochester tournament. Projected champion in section 5AA.
2. Braham (10-1). Defending state champ, Rebekah Dahlman well on her way to becoming state's all-time girls scorer. Projected section 7AA champion.
3. New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva (10-0) and projected Section 2AA champ.
4. Esko (8-1) with only a 2-point loss to Braham. A rematch in Section 7AA seems likely. The Eskomos are led by 6-8 junior Savanna Trapp.
5. Staples-Motley (8-2). Projected Section 6AA champion.
6. Pine Island (12-0). Projected Section 1AA champion.
7. Jordan (8-1) with only loss to AAAA Shakopee. Will have to find a way to surprise Providence in Section 5AA.
8. St. Peter (8-2) with losses only to AAA Mankato East and #3AA NRHEG. Section 2AA.
9. Hawley (6-1). Projected Section 8 champ.
10. Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial (8-1). Projected Section 3AA champion.
11. New London-Spicer (8-1)
Section 4 fave--Minnehaha (5-5) with all losses to rated or Class AAAA teams
Tournament pairings are 1 vs. 8, 4 vs. 5, 2 vs. 7 and 3 vs. 6. Semi-finalists should be Pine Island vs. Providence and Staples-Motley vs. Braham.
Class A
1. Maranatha Christian (6-3) with all losses to AA, AAA and AAAA schools. The defending state champs took Braham down to the wire before losing 77-70. Projected Section 4A champ.
2. Goodhue (10-1). The 2010 champs are led by the Tipckes, senior Ericka and soph Mikayla. Projected Section 1 champ.
3. Parkers Prairie (11-0). Coach John and daughter Micaela, a sophomore guard, lead the way but there's lots of help. Projected Section 6 champ.
4. Spring Grove (11-2) with losses to Goodhue and Waukon, IA. Section 1A.
5. Fulda (8-1) with a loss to Sisseton, SD. Projected Section 3 champ.
6. Minneota (8-1). Lost only to Marshall. Underdog to Fulda in Section 3, however,
7. Hancock (6-1). Lost only to Minneota. Led by senior Kendra Schmidgall. Underdog to Parkers Prairie in Section 6.
8. Upsala (7-1). Lost only to AA Staples-Motley. Projected Section 5A champion.
9. Sebeka (8-2) with losses only to AA schools. Section 5.
10. Mountain Iron-Buhl (12-0). Projected Section 7 champ.
Section 8A fave--Win-E-Mac (10-0)
Section 2A fave--Minnesota Valley Lutheran (7-3)
Pairings are the same as Class AA above, so the semi-finals would feature: Goodhue vs. Maranatha, and Parkers Prairie vs. Mountain Iron-Buhl. Upset specials are Minneota over Fulda in Section 3, and Sebeka over Upsala in Section 5. Minneota or Fulda over Parkers Prairie is the upset special at state.
But let's be honest. Class A is a crap shoot. There are too few interregional games and common opponents to know how the regions stack up. All you can do is go by history, which says that the regions rank roughly as follows: 5, 4, 2, 1, 3, 8 and 6 all send down tough teams roughly in the order listed. Section 7 lags. Just on history, without knowing anything about the specific teams, you'd pick 1 over 8, 5 over 4, 2 and 3 over 6 and 7. This year I'm only picking the historically stronger section in 1 of 4 games. This says to me to be ready for some surprises.
Mid-Season All-State Picks
Nia Coffey, Hopkins, jr.
Rebekah Dahlman, Braham, jr.
Shayne Mullaney, Eden Prairie, sr. (Minnesota)
Jackie Johnson, Eden Prairie, sr. (Minnesota)
Tyseanna Johnson, DeLaSalle, jr.
2nd Team
Whitney Tinjum, Chisago Lakes, sr. (Wisconsin)
Jessica January, Richfield, jr.
Marissa Jannning, Watertown-Mayer, sr. (Creighton)
Katybeth Biewen, Edina, sr.
Jade Martin, Bloomington Kennedy, jr. (Georgetown)
3rd Team
Tessa Cichy, Hill-Murray, sr.
Phyllis Webb, Osseo, jr.
Marissa Grossfeld, Wayzata, sr.
Sydney Coffey, Hopkins. sr. (Marist)
Khadidja Shumpert, Benilde, sr.
4th Team
Cayla McMorris, Park Center, soph.
Savanna Trapp, Esko, jr.
Kenisha Bell, Bloomington Kennedy, soph. (Minnesota)
Ann Rynda, New Prague, sr.
Alexis Foley, White Bear Lake, sr. (Illinois State)
5th Team
Kayla Timmerman, Wayzata, sr. (Iowa)
Kendra Schmidgall, Hancock, sr.
Madison Dean, Jordan, soph.Mariah Adanane, DeLaSalle, sr.
Allina Starr, DeLaSalle. jr. (Georgetown)
Monday, January 2, 2012
The Big Game 1-1-12: Timberwolves Throw a Perfect Game at NBA Champs
The previously winless (0-3) Minnesota Timberwolves took no chances--nor any prisoners--in a 99-82 rout of the defending champion Dallas Mavericks.
The Wolves led 74-69 after 3. And, so it would be decided in the 4th quarter and who thought the Mavs, with NBA playoff MVP Dirk Nowitzki, would be denied?
The Wolves led 74-69 after 3. And, so it would be decided in the 4th quarter and who thought the Mavs, with NBA playoff MVP Dirk Nowitzki, would be denied?
Well, Ricky Rubio scored the 1st 5 points of the 4th on a finger roll and a 3, and soon the Wolves were up 80-69. The Mavs roared back within 84-82 when Kevin Love made a pair of 3s, Tolliver a 3, Love a dunk and Tolliver another 3 and suddenly it was all over at 98-82 with 2:02 to go. Oh, and Rubio assisted on 4 of the 5 buckets.
It was without a doubt the best 3:30 of basketball that T-Wolves fans have seen at the Target Center in 7-and-a-half years, courtesy of Tolliver, Love, Beasley, Ridnour and Rubio...and coach Rick Adelman. Not only did the Wolves score on 5 straight possessions with the game on the line, the Mavs failed to score a single point in the final 5:35.
Love finished with his usual 25 and 17. Nowitzki finished at 21 and 4. Rubio was next (on either team) with 14 points and led all players with 7 assists.
They Also Ran
Earlier in the day, the Minnesota Gophers played their 2nd strong Big 10 game but dropped to 0-2, falling at #18-rated Michigan 61-56. Freshman guard Trey Burke scored 27 to lead the Wolverines to their 7th straight win. The Gophers had 2 chances to tie or lead inside of 1 minute, but 3-pointers by Maverick Ahanmisi and Rodney Williams were off the mark.
Player of the Day
Ricky Rubio, T-Wolves guard, with 5 points and 5 assists in the 4th quarter in which the Wolves dominated the defending world champion Dallas Mavericks 25-13.
Coach of the Day
Rick Adelman, Minnesota Timberwolves.
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