Previewing the MLK Classic(s)!
This Saturday and Monday it’s a great day to celebrate the Martin Luther King Holiday with some basketball within the local basketball community. NHR previews the Saturday and Monday games.
The MLK Classic in the North Metro
11:00 am Henry vs Cristo Rey. Cristo Rey is 8-2 on the season led by the near 20 point per game scorers James Sommer and Franklin Doyle who have done a nice job stepping in to the huge shoes that Jericho Sims has left behind. Henry is the deeper team with four guys they can consistently rely on for point production. Reshaud Rollins, Marshun Downey, Mark Campbell, and Anton Barr all scoring in double figures each night for the Patriots. A nice opening game.
12:30 pm Holy Family vs Byron. The Fire come into the game 10-2 as one of the surprise teams in Class AA basketball where as Byron is 7-3 against a very tough schedule that has included several big school programs. Nathan Hendler and Lincoln Cizek are a fantastic 1-2 punch both scoring 20 a game where as Byron has Bjorn Knutson, Michael Coble, and Kaden Koski battle tested and hoping to get a win over a top ten Class AA level team.
2:00 pm Cloquet vs Monticello. The 9-2 Magic against the 8-4 Cloquet squad at the middle of the day. Cloquet has won six of seven plus they have a win over Grand Rapids. Bryce Turnbull leads Cloquet along with Timothy Pokornowski both of which are tough senior forwards. Cloquet hasn’t seen anything like the play of Matt Todd yet who is putting up 30 points, 6.3 assists, 5.8 rebounds, and 5.5 steals a game. Crazy numbers for one of the quickest guards you will see. Rezi Useh is also playing very well for Monticello.
3:45 pm Orono vs Breck. The very difficult schedule of Orono has led them to 7-5 after a big win over top five ranked Chaska last night. The Jarivs Omersa versus David Roddy match-up is the individual match-up of the day and they will both likely have some strong numbers. Omersa has Colton Codute, Max Bjorklund, and Griffin Sage around him while Roddy has Joey Ganley, Josh Roddy, and Eric McDavid for their 5-6 squad.
5:30 pm Totino Grace vs Hopkins. The T-G Eagles are in the middle of a tough stretch of Park Center, Hopkins, and Osseo. They were are a top ten 6-2 team until they’ve had some losses against that level of teams. Charlie Jacob is the top Eagles scorer but Anthony Davis will counter him at guard, Will Schmidt is a solid forward scorer but Hopkins has Zeke Nnaji, Joe Hedstrom, and Dane Zimmer up front, and then Nick Flottmeier is a solid PG to go against Blaise Beauchamp. The Royals are ranked second in the state.
7:15 pm De La Salle vs Waconia. The top ranked Islanders have Gabe Kalscheur leading with 19 points a game, Tyrell Terry playmaking for himself and others, Jamison Battle hitting threes for his dozen a game, and CJ Dickson has scored an active ten a contest. Waconia is 7-3 on the year and kind of lying in the weeds ready to make the run they usually do. Charlie Gove is a good PG to go at Terry, Nick Fulford scores 15 a night and should have a good battle with Dickson and/or Battle, and PJ Hayes on the wing will be fun to watch against Kalscheur at times.
The MLK Classic in Duluth0
10am. Hinckley-Finlaysion vs Superior, Wisconsin. The top five Class A Jaguars have Travis Visser putting together a massive season with his 26 points per game with some solid players supporting him. They are beating Wisconsin, not reason to get going, Minnesota wins. The Jags are a veteran team with a lot of good players around Visser.
11:30am. Hermantown vs St. Cloud Apollo. Hermantown has won five of eight after losing their first six of the season. Apollo had some tough early season games before the big Delano upset. Since then Appolo has played good teams tough and then grabbed a couple more wins. David Birkeland leads Hermantown along with Noah Soumis while Apollo is led by seniors Renell Edwards and Marquise Smith.
1:15pm. Nevis vs North Woods. Both teams are undefeated and both are top Class A squads. This is a game that many people have been waiting to see as the winner moves up the Class A rankings while the loser, barring a blowout, will be behind the other although just behind. Tate Olson and Cade Googleye are putting up massive scoring numbers in first halves before sitting in second halves. Nevis has a lot of balance led by Michael Lindquist and Derek Lindow.
2:45pm. Brooklyn Center vs Esko. Teams that are considered among the best in Class AA. Both have lost some games this year but both will be factors through the end of the season. Adam Trapp blocks everything and guys don’t want to go at him around the bucket with Ryan Pantsar and Quinn Fischer working around him. Brookyln Center is led by Ly’Cue Patterson and his 22 a game along with the 16 a game from Adreone Sprinkles.
4:15pm. Chisago Lakes vs Cloquet. Cloquet, the one team playing in both events! They are 8-4 in this game playing 7AAA section opponent Chisago Lakes. The Wildcats are 2-7 and have lost several in a row but they can get back into position in the section with a win over Cloquet.
6pm. Anoka vs Grand Rapids. At 9-3 the Thunderhawks have been making headlines with the play of Nate Seelye putting up massive numbers and Blake Smith doing things around the paint. Jake Phipps and his 17.5 points and nearly ten boards a game leads 7-4 Anoka and Phipps versus Smith will be a highlight. Watch for Anoka’s Addison Ostendorf as well.
7:30pm. Hibbing vs Duluth East. The Greyhounds got win number one beating Hermantown stopped the streak of 11 straight losses. Hibbing is 8-4 and you would expect a win for the Bluejackets but these are playing for the second time and Hibbing needed overtime to beat East. Game could be close.