10 Best: Class AAA State Tournament Quarterfinals
The Class AAA state tournament kicked off Wednesday morning at Williams Arena. Here’s the 10 best from the day:
MVP: Gabe Kalscheur (DeLaSalle Jr. guard) — The Islanders would’ve gotten upset in the first round by Big Lake had it not been for Kalscheur’s work on the offensive end. The 6-foot-4 off-guard scored 23 points, knocking down three 3-pointers, scoring on drives in traffic and even getting to the offensive glass where he had a size advantage inside. Kalscheur hauled in 10 rebounds as well. When DLS turned up the pressure late, Kalscheur was heavily involved as he was extremely active in the passing lanes and on and off the ball.
Best Offensive Performance: Jake Skelly (Grand Rapids Sr. Guard) — Grand Rapids lost by 19 to Marshall in the opening round and somehow, it would’ve been a whole lot uglier if Skelly had been just good. He was magnificent for the Thunderhawks, finishing the game with 33 points on 10 of 16 shooting. The senior guard willed his team back within 10 at one point in the second half thanks to a flurry of 3-pointers, steals, free throws and pull up jumpers. He put on a show.
Best Defensive Performance: The Barn — This is a bit of a cop out because there are certainly some terrific defensive teams in this tournament and when the game slows down, the teams left standing are the ones that play good defense. That said, the eight teams in Class AAA Wednesday combined to shoot 45 of 148 from 3-point range. That’s 30 percent for those without calculators at home. Some of that was the defense. But there were an awful lot of wide open shots that kids were just missing and I’d have to attribute some of that to playing in the Barn, where the backdrop isn’t like typical high school gyms.
Best Shooter: Duoth Gach (Austin Jr. Guard) — In a game where buckets were hard to come by, Duoth Gach supplied them for the Packers. Gach knocked down five 3-pointers and a catch-and-shot 2-pointer with his foot on the line to finish the game with 17 points.
Best Ball handler: Tanner Teige (Big Lake, Sr. Guard) — For large stretches of the DeLaSalle-Big Lake game, Teige was the most impactful player on the floor. He finished with just seven points but had seven assists and played a huge part in the Hornets’ ability to handle the Islanders’ defensive pressure and control the tempo of the game. Big Lake wouldn’t of had a shot to win against the Islanders in an up-and-down affair. They made it a grind-it-out game and while the Islanders ultimately won, Teige’s impact on the game gave the Hornets a legitimate shot to spring an upset over a superior on-paper team.
Best Big: Wendell Matthews (Columbia Heights Jr. Forward)— Matthews was a force for the Hylanders and come up with his share of clutch and highlight plays in the biggest moments of the team’s win over Fergus Falls. Matthews finished the game with 19 points on an economical 6 of 7 shooting while also converting on 7 of 9 from the free throw line. Matthews finished with 16 rebounds, two assists and two blocks as well. He showed great strength, finishing on several scores in traffic, while also showing off a developing skillset with several pretty passes from the interior. Definitely a player to watch this summer.
Best Finisher: Quentin Hardict (Columbia Heights Jr. Guard) — Hardict was dominant in the 32 minutes he played for the Hylanders. He ultimately fouled out of the game, which almost ended up costing Columbia Heights a victory because the Hylanders seemed like a ship without a captain once he left the floor. When on the court though, Hardict was terrific, scoring 19 points and showcasing a variety of creative finishes in traffic. His ability to blow by initial defenders was breathtaking and he used a combination of floaters, scoop shots and pull ups to finish 8 of 13 from the floor. At 5-foot-9, that in between game is going to be important for Hardict and he’ll have to be able to finish over taller defenders. He showed he could Wednesday.
Best Highlights: Weston Baker Magrath (Marshall Sr. Forward) — Baker Magrath is a highlight producing machine for the Tigers, possessing rare explosiveness and burst for a 6-foot-8 big man. Magrath blocked three shots and finished with 12 points on 6 of 9 shooting. Of those six field goals, five were dunks including one putback slam over Grand Rapids’ Brock Schrom. Baker Magrath is a rare player in this tournament who can dominate a game without scoring but when he does score, it’s probably ending up on Youtube.
Best Under-the-Rader Performance: Reece Winkelman (Marshall, Sr. Forward) —Winkelman is the perfect glue guy for the Tigers, oftentimes taking on one of the tougher defensive assignments and doing the dirty work like setting screens and spacing the floor. He does a lot of his work on the glass or off the ball. Winkelman was outstanding in the Tigers’ win over Grand Rapids, scoring 17 points and hauling in 10 rebounds.
Best Extras: Ok this is technically cheating because it’s supposed to be “ten best” but here’s a handful of other standouts from Wednesday:
DeLaSalle
Goanar Mar (Sr. Forward)— Mar had a quiet day until late when he knocked down free throws to finish with 14 points. The senior forward was excellent on the defensive end as always, showcasing the ability to defend all five positions on the floor. Mar’s got elite “role player” traits in that he can dominate a game without piling up big point totals. He generally scores more than he did Wednesday, which makes him one of the best players in the state.
Big Lake
Austin Miller (Sr. Guard)— Miller had a tough day against DeLaSalle’s bevy of long and athletic perimeter defenders but when the Hornets were making a surge back into the game, it was Miller leading the charge. The senior guard finished with 15 points and hit three triples.
Grand Rapids
Nate Seelye (Jr. Guard)—A guy to watch this upcoming spring/summer, Seelye had a tough day shooting the ball against the Tigers’ defense but still found a way to contribute and finish the game with 16 points and nine rebounds. As the only returning starter looking ahead to next year, Seelye will have a chance to put up huge numbers for the Thunderhawks.
Marshall
Trey Lance (Jr. Guard) —It looks like Lance will have opportuntiies to play Division I football, but if he wanted to, he’d make an excellent basketball recruit as well. at 6-foot-3, Lance is a smooth athlete who can really score when he wants to. Because the Tigers have so many guys, he doesn’t look to pile up points often. He finished with 14 points, six rebounds and four assists while playing excellent defense in the team’s win over Grand Rapids.
Fergus Falls
Matthew Johnson (So. Guard) —One of the best underclassmen in the tournament, Johnson comes off the bench for the Otters and provides a lot of offensive punch. The sophomore guard finished with 14 points on just three shot attempts, going 2 for 2 from the 3-point line and 6 of 7 from the free throw line. He’s an excellent spotup shooter but can also create for himself and others.
Harrison Christensen (Jr. Guard) —Christensen led the Otters in scoring with 16 points and has a well-balanced overall game. He can knock down perimeter shots but doesn’t settle for contested looks often. He’s capable of getting to the rim and is patient in traffic against shot blockers. Christensen also played solid defense overall and contributed as a second ball handler and rebounder.
Matthew Monke (Sr. Forward) —Monke is one of the most improved players in the state and while he didn’t have a great game overall, he was huge down the stretch when the Otters made a furious comeback attempts. The 6-foot-5 forward finished with 16 points, knocking down a 3-pointer and 7 of 9 free throw attempts. He was also active defensively, finishing with seven rebounds and four steals.
Austin
Both Gach (Jr. Guard) —Austin’s primary ball handler, Gach didn’t have an explosive offensive day but finished with 14 points thanks to six made free throws. Gach finished with six rebounds and four assists and was a pest on the defensive end, spearheading Austin’s 1-2-2 zone.
St. Thomas Academy
Sam Vascellaro (Jr. Forward) —Maybe the top individual performance after Jake Skelly Wednesday, Vascellaro was awesome for the Cadets. The 6-foot-5 junior forward scored 24 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, scoring on spot up jumpers, mid-range pull ups, mid-post faceup attacks, in transition and on the offensive glass. He singlehandedly kept St. Thomas Academy in the game and will be a player to watch this upcoming spring/summer.