Jimmie Holiday Classic Preview
Here’s one way to kick off the holidays.
The University of Jamestown men’s basketball program will host its first ever Jimmy Basketball Holiday Classic Friday, December 22, at the school’s new $15 million dollar Harold Newman Arena.
Two games are on the docket Friday night featuring some of the top teams in North Dakota as well as a strong Class A Minnesota school.
Game One: Park Christian (Minn.) vs. Solen – 6:15 p.m.
The opening game will pit Class B Solen against Park Christian, a Class A school (small-school level) in Moorhead.
Solen is off to a 3-0 start on the season which includes a win over Wilton/Wing. Solen won 20 games a season ago and with a number of talented returners, the Sioux have all the pieces to put together another terrific season.
Park Christian has stumbled out of the gates, losing five of its first six games against traditionally strong small-school clubs in Minnesota.
The marquee matchup in this one will be PC’s Steele Senske and Solen’s Jayce Archambault. Senske is one of the top scorers in the state and has a table full of Division II and NAIA college basketball and track offers. Solen is ranked as the No. 10 prospect in N.D. and coming off a strong summer in which he played AAU with a very good ECI club. He’ll be looking to garner more college interest as the season goes along.
Game Two: Beulah vs. Oak Grove – 7:45 p.m.
The second game of the night should be a good one as two teams with state tournament aspirations go head-to-head. Beulah’s only played once to this point but will have three games under its belt by the time Friday rolls around. The Miners won 20 games a year ago and lost in the Region final. Oak Grove got to the state tournament last season and is off to a good start this year with a win over Class AA Hawley out of Minnesota.
Beulah’s got no shortage of talent as Chad Morsette, Derek Ferebee and Logan Miller are all back after averaging double-figures in scoring last season. Morsette is one of the top juniors in the state. A guy to watch for the future is eighth-grade guard Trey Brandt who heads into the year highly-regarded.
Oak Grove’s always got talent and it’s no different this year as Andrew Christianson returns after averaging 24 points per game as a junior. He’s one of the most dynamic scorers in the state, combining lethal long-range shooting with an ability to get to the rim and finish in traffic.