The Week Ahead: Mike Miller Classic
Fans of high school basketball in South Dakota are very fortunate to have the Mike Miller Classic in Mitchell and Sioux Falls. Not only do the best in the state compete, but also the event brings in some of the…
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Continue ReadingFans of high school basketball in South Dakota are very fortunate to have the Mike Miller Classic in Mitchell and Sioux Falls. Not only do the best in the state compete, but also the event brings in some of the best in the nation. PHD looks at the week of games in, The Week Ahead!
Mike Miller Classic. For the seventh straight year this event will bring together some of the best in the area to play some of the best in the country. Who are the headliners? The IMG Academy team that first plays DeLaSalle of Minnesota (five time defending state champs that have nationally ranked top 200 player Goanar Mar headed to George Mason and top 200 ranked national junior Gabe Kalscheur) and then either faces SF O’Gorman or Mitchell, they may be the most talented team in the nation.
IMG Academy has the number one rated point guard in the country in Travon Duval. The 5 star Duval is uncommitted and can pick whatever school he wants to go to nationwide. Inside the team has 4 star Maryland commit Bruno Fernado who is 6-foot-10 and Emmitt Williams who is one of the best juniors in the nation as he has college options from nearly everyone.
How about La Lumiere who plays Aberdeen Central on Tuesday? Cole Bergan of Aberdeen gets his first chance to play a national star when he takes on five star Michigan State signed Jaren Jackson, the 15th ranked senior in the nation. Five star guard Brian Bowen is unsigned with offers from every team in the nation except UK and Duke. So yes he can nearly pick his school. Bowen is ranked as the 22nd best senior in the nation. The team also has 4 star Michigan signed guard Jordan Poole (ranked 96th nationally).
So those are the headliners and South Dakota teams will play them. Also from South Dakota in the Mike Miller Classic is Mitchell Christian (playing a top ten Class AAA Minnesota team Minneapolis Patrick Henry on Thursday), Sioux Falls Washington taking on St. Anthony from Texas (that’s a Friday game in the Pentagon), and a massive Class B showdown between Chester Area and Bridgewater-Emery which could decide who will be next week’s Class B number one. That Game will in Mitchell on Thursday. B-E also plays Prairie Seeds Academy on Friday in Mitchell (PSA is a top five small school team in Minnesota).
Sanford Pentagon Samaritan’s Feet Basketball Classic on New Year’s Eve. Thought the holiday hoops fun was done with the Mike Miller Classic? No, No! The guys at the Sanford Pentagon put together another all day event for fans to enjoy. Here is a quick run down:
10am. Warner/Crazy Horse girls action.
11:30am. Canistota vs Warner in Class B action. Warner is fighting for another title and gets a quality test.
1pm. Vermillion vs Little Wound. This is the kind of rare match-up that an event like this can put together. Undefeated squad from Class A against a Little Wound team who is also consistently solid.
2:30. Leola-Frederick vs Waverly-South Shore.
4pm. Dakota Valley vs Mt. Vernon-Plankinton. Dakota Valley should be a contender and this is a test that they must pass if they are that contender.
- SF O’Gorman vs Mpls North. The North Polars are the defending small school champions in Minnesota and will have played two games earlier in the week in their own event. That will be followed with this game against the big school number one in South Dakota. Great test for Matt Cartwright going against Western Illinois signed Isaac Johnson.
7pm. SF Washington vs SF Christian. A local clash that has a lot of bragging rights riding on it. Jack Talley vs DeJay Fykstra will be closely watched.
8:30. SF Roosevelt vs Tea Area. A top Class A team against some Roughrider players that they know well.
NSU Wolves Classic. Northern State is also hosting a slate of games starting this Tuesday. There are teams from both North Dakota and South Dakota as well as a few other places. Potter County vs Britton-Hecla is one of the best Tuesday games.
Thursday Big Games. Not all games need to be a part of a big event. That Tea Area vs Vermillion contest is arguably the most important of holiday week (Chester vs B-E may have an argument though) matching great playmakers with Cooper & AJ facing the Freidels as the headliner. RC Stevens tries to show they are for real when they travel across state and face SF Roosevelt and Huron (Th-Fr). Another big Thursday game is Flandreau against Dakota Valley. St. Thomas More takes on Sisseton and Aberdeen Roncalli on back to back days (Thursday and Friday) so they are also using the holiday for hoops travel.