MN in Vegas: Saturday’s Top Ten
Saturday’s top ten is led by several players and teams that have taken their squads into Sunday play, as well as the highlighters from the Comets/Warriors instant classic last night. Here is Saturday’s best. Instant Classic. The Comets/Warriors overtime thriller…
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Continue ReadingSaturday’s top ten is led by several players and teams that have taken their squads into Sunday play, as well as the highlighters from the Comets/Warriors instant classic last night. Here is Saturday’s best.
- Instant Classic. The Comets/Warriors overtime thriller had it all. Drama, fantastic coaching decisions and sets by both benches, great performances, outstanding and inspired fans, tough calls to be made by the officials, and players stepping forward to fight for their season. This game should have four moments in the top ten but I wanted to honor a bunch of guys so we put this as number one. The most memorable thing will be the faces of joy for the Comets and the end of an era sadness from the Warriors (that sadness was in a way a thing of honor as what they have done was awesome winning 44 games and they didn’t want the run to end). The performances on the court? Tough to forget the two huge treys from Bryce Irsfeld late including that NBA pull up triple (he had 20). Also, the attacking Simon Wright scores were memorable (had 15) and the late game three point play from Gavin Baumgartner gave them the edge. For the Warriors, Luke Loehr handled the early scoring and then Jameson Bryan as well as Joe Hird made clutch jumpers.
- Winning the Race. This is a banner weekend for Race Thompson. Injuries led to him being dominate at times. He’s played multiple spots. Race has earned more offers (Kansas State and Nebraska) and yesterday he added “clutch shot maker” to the list when he made a game winner to send his team into the next round.
- The Jaw Dropper. When Shae Mitchell went two hands over the top of a guy his teammates had a hard time getting back on defense because they were so excited for what they just saw their teammate do. Guys were jumping around and bumping Shae as the play was simply incredible.
- Mr. Double-Double. That right now is Trae Berhow. There are very few guards that board like him, that play as hard as he does, and that can score with feet set and off the bounce like he does. Trae is the kind of guy that can get you big scoring numbers even when he’s not taking jumpers as he’s an active off ball scorer plus a guy that has no problem taking six shots and moving the ball when teammates are playing as well as they did yesterday. Scored 33 Saturday morning though, sometimes he’s been that good going at teams on his own.
- Explosive Oturo. Daniel Outro chipped the paint on those silver rims on the main court of the Bigfoot Classic games. How? Physically dunking three times on his way to perfect shooting day of a dozen points in half one and 14/12 double-double for the game. What’s even better? Oturo was offered by Creighton and Georgia Tech yesterday. The guy is growing as a player so fast. Awesome potential.
- A proud father. Khalid El-Amin is arguably the greatest high school basketball player in Minnesota history plus a national champ (UCONN) and pro so when he is sitting in the stands it’s something people notice. Khalid has to have had a smile all month because son Ishmael El-Amin has been fantastic all month. Scored a team high 19 points in the final game of bracket play yesterday and has been in a great rhythm all month. Scored those 19 with late scores in a comeback, a wing trey, a corner trey, and took only ten shots.
- Isaac’s Spot. With Pulley you know you are going to get a lot of Tre Jones, Gary Trent Jr, and Brad Davison with Theo John and Daniel Oturo sharing the post. The other spot? It’s now, and has been all month, belonged firmly to Isaac Johnson. Isaac has proven that he deserves every one of the matching minutes of Jones, Davison, and Trent because his consistency of play is similar to that of his teammates. Made three treys and physically scored 23 in a win over Drive Elite.
- More Curtis Bell. I think we have to start looking at this St. Paul Washington player as a higher level kid than people realize. He has had a fantastic spring and summer highlighted by leading his team to four straight wins in Vegas. Bell is an athletic wing at 6-foot-3 with a big motor. Select Ellis teammate Kaleb Nelson has also stood out.
- Dedoch Turns it Up. Chan scored 16 to lead Powerhouse MN into Sunday play and the noteworthy thing is two fold: 1) Chan is playing as hard as I’ve seen him play, quite similar to how he played when I saw him fitting in with JM after being forced to sit out so long, and 2) I love the creative ways the 6-foot-6/6-foot-7 Chan is scoring with his back to the basket and spinning or facing up and using a dribble. Very good to see.
- Parker’s Start. Parker Fox opened the sweet 16 game last night with a dozen points in the first half and scored 23 for the game. His slashing abilities netted him these points and two of them was one of the more physical dunks you will see all weekend. Parker Fox hammered a guy at the rim and the player wanted to run and hide.
- Extra Credit. Can’t forget to talk about the Brian Smith 36 points as the Cinderella of the week Minnesota Select moved on beating All In Young & Reckless who won the huge NY2LA event the first week of July. Brian could not be stopped by these athletic defenders from any angle.