Breakdown Girls Tip-Off: Boys Games Preview
The first big event of the season is this Saturday at the Girls Tip Off Classic when four boys games will be played at center stage. 3:45. Cedar Falls (IA) vs Hopkins Match-Up: AJ Green vs Anthony Davis. The key…
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Continue ReadingThe first big event of the season is this Saturday at the Girls Tip Off Classic when four boys games will be played at center stage.
3:45. Cedar Falls (IA) vs Hopkins
Match-Up: AJ Green vs Anthony Davis. The key guys are Ball State signed Ishmael El-Amin and national top 100 rated AJ Green but Davis and Green know each other well from several AAU battles on the Adidas circuit and Davis is a guy I think will be defending him.
Notes: Hopkins has a pair of D1 signed kids in El-Amin (Ball State and Elon signed Simon Wright) plus Davis, division one offered big Joe Hedstrom, top five sophomore Zeke Nnaji, and several quality senior role guys. Cedar Falls has Green, a nice sophomore class, and a couple top 100 upperclassmen but the Royals talent level and size is far superior.
Prediction: Hopkins 79 Cedar Falls 60
5:30. Rochester JM vs Champlin Park
Match-Up: Matthew Hurt vs Theo John. John will likely defend Dedoch Chan more than Hurt putting guys like DJ Hunter, Marcus Hill, Chris Davis, and others on Hurt if they play man, but Hurt and John will run into each on several occasions.
Notes: Michael Hurt has graduated from the Rockets but they will not hit too much of a skid. Matthew Hurt will pick up a lot of the loss, Winona State signed Isaiah Walden and Dedoch Chan are much improved, and the Rockets role guys are solid as well. They will put up a fight with the number one ranked Rebels although they will not be able to match the depth. Champlin Park’s second five would win a lot of games in the NW Suburban. You have Marquette signed Theo John, Dayton signed McKinley Wright, Waldorf signed Brian Smith, Marcus Hill, DJ Hunter, and Chris Davis and that is just the senior group. There is more talent in the next two grades that will also help including Josiah Strong who started last season.
Prediction: Champlin Park 71 Rochester JM 63
7:00. Des Moines Hoover vs DeLaSalle
Match-Up: Douglas Wilson vs Goanar Mar. Mar is a nationally ranked top 250 talent headed to George Mason, Wilson is a 6-foot-6 forward who is one of the best unsigned players left in Iowa’s senior class. Excellent player match-up.
Notes: This game has the potential to be close and exciting as both teams are deep. Both have a couple solid seniors, strong junior classes, and then some standouts in the sophomore class (Tyrell Terry for De, Kenny Quinn for Hoover). The overall talent separation is close but Mar is better than Wilson and Hoover doesn’t have a junior like Gabe Kalscheur. Add in what the Islanders have done and how they have learned under Dave Thorson for five straight titles, it should be the Islanders by four or five scores at least.
Prediction: DeLaSalle 65 Hoover 55
8:30. Minneapolis North vs Apple Valley
Match-Up: Tre Jones vs JaQuan Sanders-Smith. Jones is five star junior point guard, Sanders-Smith is one of the best summer stories and has junior college D1 programs excited.
Notes: The last time I saw Jones and JaQuan in the same gym they were teammates for the Pulley 16s two years ago. Apple Valley of course lost a good senior class plus five star Gary Trent Jr but the Eagles junior class is outstanding and they may be an even better team now because of their chemistry and unselfishness. The Eagles beat DeLaSalle last weekend and that was without Luke Martens, likely their second best player. The Eagles have some good seniors but Jones, Martens, Spencer Rolland, Nathan Macho, Logan Wangerin make for a strong junior class plus 6-7 Rolland, 6-6 and thick Wangerin, 6-9 Kevin Totusek, and 6-6 Along Kang make them huge up front. North can counter with Odell Wilson who will be the best big in the game but after that they don’t have much size that we know of. Western Illinois bound Isaac Johnson, Sanders-Smith, and Tayler Johnson make for a great backcourt combo but this team just got done winning a football state title. How ready are they for the Eagles? Will they have the depth and team chemistry with a week less practice than their opponents?
Prediction: Apple Valley 83 Mpls North 70.