Battle At The Lakes: Friday Recaps (Chanhassen)
7:00 (17U): BBA Force (SD) 69 vs Rip City (MN) 61
The boys from South Dakota came to Minnesota on a mission, and got the weekend started the right way with this convincing win over the home-town Rip City squad. Most impressive for BBA Force was 6-foot shooting guard Carson Rentz, he canned several 3s and was the team’s primary ball-handler late when the pressure was ramped-up. Tartan (MN) 2017 Terrell James is as bouncy of a prospect as we’ve seen in some time, the 5-foot-11 guard was erupting off the floor, and threw down a couple of show-stopping slams — one a put-back jam.
8:05 (17U): Tri-State Steam (IA) 61 vs Minnesota Select 51
This talented bunch from northeast Iowa did not disappoint in their wire-to-wire win over the Minnesota squad. Dubuque, Hempstead duo Lucas Duax and Keith Johnson combined for 35 points in the win, and will be one of the better senior combos in Iowa next season. Johnson was at times dominant on the boards, and Duax is quietly becoming one of Iowa’s best point guards.
8:05 (16U): Sizzle Nation (MN) 80 vs Team Young & Reckless (IL) 66
Sizzle Nation is chock-full of high-level athletes and 6-foot-4 freshman guard Jalen Suggs is the headliner. The Young & Reckless team is also loaded; but having one of the nation’s most talented freshman on the roster, Sizzle Nation won this one relatively easily. Suggs floats when he jumps and plays well above the rim, adding a very decent skill-set to his preternatural leaping ability. He’ll turn a lot of heads this weekend.
9:10 (17U): Showtime Hoopers (IA) 70 vs Minnesota Basketball Academy 63
A nice team from northwest Iowa, this Showtime Hoopers group is headlined by Sioux City West 2019 Cliff McRay. Currently Iowa’s 28th-ranked 2019, that’s likely too low, and — even when playing up a grade level — he was having his way for most of the game against the Minnesota squad. Fellow Wolverine DeSean Foy had a coming out party in this one, dropping a team-high 20 points in the win. Minnesota Basketball Academy played with only five guys in the loss, none were more impressive than big, 6-foot-3 sharpshooter Mike Evens; the Jefferson 2018 was red-hot from deep and notched a game-high 22 points.