Ten Best: Chaska rolls St. Louis Park
MVP: Myles Hanson, Chaska Myles played like a grown man last night. He led all scorers with 21 points, led all rebounders with 19, facilitated several assists and grabbed a few blocks. The 6-foot-5 Columbia commit looked like he was…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingMVP: Myles Hanson, Chaska
Myles played like a grown man last night. He led all scorers with 21 points, led all rebounders with 19, facilitated several assists and grabbed a few blocks. The 6-foot-5 Columbia commit looked like he was very confident and a step ahead of SLP physically.
Best Offensive Performance: Cire Mayfield, St. Louis Park
Myles had the most points of anyone, but Cire was electric at times for St. Louis Park when the Orioles desperately needed a spark, especially late. Trying to break a 10-point barrier, Cire hit a few pull-ups and 3-pointers in the final minutes that kept a chance of a comeback. I love the way he chases his own rebounds as well.
Best Defensive Performance: Myles Hanson, Chaska
Myles had three blocks and affected the chances of several more Oriole attempts. Several SLP fast breaks were botched because the ball-handler could feel Hanson charging behind him, getting ready to swat.
Best Player Comparison: Cire Mayfield and Jamal Crawford
Cire has a shake and a quickness that is rare. The way his jumpers have a quick trigger and high arc reminds me of Jamal Crawford from the Clippers. Both guys skip around the court effortlessly and attack the rim with swift bursts of energy. Jamal’s also one of my favorite players to watch (in his prime), so this is high praise.
Best Under the Radar Performance: Joey Whitlock, St. Louis Park
Joey may not have the biggest muscles or the tallest height, but man, his motor never stops. Much like his older brother (now at Luther), Joe finds ways to keep scoring. By this summer, he’ll be a great target for area D3s.
Best Underclassmen: Cole Nicolson, Chaska
Cole started off pretty slowly, and it took him a while to get going and show me why he played on D1 MN 15s’ top team. But as the game went on, Cole kept grinding and kept making a difference down low. He had 12 points total and hit half of those from the free throw line. He’s very strong for a sophomore, has good height at 6’5″, and will be the go-to guy when this senior Chaska class moves on.
Best Intangibles: St. Louis Park
The Orioles trotted out about 30 4th and 5th graders before the game to rebound for the varsity guys, then they announced all of their names and had them run through an introduction line. Cool to see SLP making a connection between the young kids and their idols; classic situation where the experience likely meant more for the little guys than the varsity crew will ever realize.
Best High-character Play: Joey Whitlock, St. Louis Park
Whitlock, while in the middle of his defensive stance near half-court, leaned over and fixed the plug for the volleyball pole so nobody tripped. Classy guy! I had a chuckle as the ball-handler let Joey put it back in place, so I guess that’s a nice gesture, too.
Best Prospect: Myles Hanson, Cire Mayfield, Andrew Kallman
Hanson was so physically advanced in this one and had the look of someone who was already a Division I college athlete. Columbia got a great prospect here. Mayfield showed some really good scoring ability last night, but with his height around 5’9″, what division does he play? Maybe a D2 sneaks in next summer, maybe a low- to mid-major hops on if he proves toughness and resilience with whichever AAU team he plays with. Kallman scored 17 points and is just so long and lanky, he has an elite frame as an NSIC wing and made a couple threes to remind us just how lethal he can be out there. He was also one-hand whipping passes around the perimeter with precision.
Best Story to Watch Moving Forward: Chaska and Section 2AAAA
Czar likes Chaska coming out of Section 2AAAA this Spring, and I saw things both ways last night. Hanson has as much talent as anybody in the state, and when he’s playing at the top of his game, watch out. He also has side pieces in Kallman, Strazzanti, Nicolson and a few other upperclassmen that he trusts and works with well. But what if Hanson isn’t on? Kallman is a great shooter, but what if he’s cold? What if they run into an effective big man? They didn’t face that test last night. To be fair, there really aren’t that many great big men in AAAA right now, so that may never be a concern until they would encounter Champlin Park, CDH or Lakeville North. If the senior trio is clicking on all cylinders, watch out for Chaska, as they will put up points in bunches.