Class AAAA….A Taste
What’s the latest going on in Class AAAA basketball? Who are some players to know this winter that may not be headlining names? Read “A Taste”.
Section 1. From the recruiting standpoint now is the time that schools get out and see talent. At Rochester JM is the third rated prospect in the nation (in the 2019 class) Matthew Hurt. On Monday coaches from Notre Dame, Louisville, and Iowa were in to see Hurt. On Wednesday (tonight) Roy Williams and assistant saw Hurt as did assistants from Duke (Coach K is recovering from knee injury). Minnesota will see Hurt tomorrow.
Section 2. Mike Evens is a player we talked about this summer a couple times but at 6-foot-3 and being the top returning scorer at Jefferson we thought we would bring him up again. Events has good size and an excellent shooting touch. He and Chris Seymore are the top returning players.
Section 3. Apple Valley and Minnehaha Academy were expected to play in the Girls Tip-Off Classic but ESPN wants that game and is figuring out a date to play on TV at Apple Valley. The date won’t be on the 2nd so the Breakdown lost that game but it is expected to be later in the year. Tre Jones and Jalen Suggs are the five star talents headlining the events.
Section 4. East Ridge High has some of the best young talent and the recent recruiting items show it. Ben Carlson has recently visited Wisconsin and Kansas State and will see Iowa State, Creighton, and Nebraska this weekend. Teammate Courtney Brown Jr was recently at Minnesota on an unofficial visit with his brother Kendall Brown, a freshman, and Brown had Wisconsin-Milwaukee and North Dakota (offer) in to see him this week.
Section 5. Park Center guard Jarius Cook recently visited Idaho officially (that’s where former teammate Losini Kamara is now at) and he will visit North Dakota State in two weekends. Northern Iowa will be in this week to see Cook.
Section 6. Hopkins has talent, and they just became more talented. Breck standout sophomore Kerwin Walton has left his previous school and has joined the stacked roster of Hopkins talent. Kerwin scored 16.3 points per game for Breck a year ago and is a nationally ranked top 250 kid in the 2020 class.
Section 7. Andover went to state last year with Logan Rezac leading the way but he’s taken his 25 a game to the college level. Seniors Connor Knoeplfe and Mason Heath are two returning players that Andover will lean on entering the next season. Heath stands 6-foot-5 and is one to take note of.
Section 8. Brainerd always competes tough. They lost their top two scorers but return Chris Karels, Joey Sauer, Brandon Burggraf, and others who all played key roles this year. This is the same Brainerd squad that entered 17u events last spring and played really well. Don’t overlook this crew as they are well taught and experienced.