State Tournament Friday: The Top Talking Points

The Class AA and Class A semi-finals were played today and so much happened to talk about.  It wasn’t always pretty, but that was a conversation as well!

1. Jalen Suggs put on a show against St. Cloud Cathedral. His dominating performance lead to 25 points, nine rebounds, and four assists. He controlled the defensive glass,  made three three-pointers out of his nine of 20 shooting,  in 30 minutes of play controlled everything on both ends.
2. Jalen vs Owen, Round 2.  Owen King did not have a great statistical game in the semi final vs Brooklyn Center but he did the job that was needed and now we get to see Jalen against Owen King for the second time this year.  Jalen’s team won the first game but Owen was the best player on the court that night.
3. North Woods beat Cass Lake-Bena by 20 and the Grizzlies guard play completely controlled the game.  Tate Olson and Cade Goggleye controlled the action throughout with Cade scoring 23 and Tate putting up with 11 with several assists.  It wasn’t always a thing of beauty but that is why I was even more impressed, because sometimes things are tough and a team has to handle their business.  North Woods did that and looked like a veteran championship level squad.
4. Now it will be Black & Blue against Black & Blue when RTR and North Woods go head to head.  They have the same colors but they are from totally opposite sides of the state and they come together to face off for the Class A title game.  The same colors, from similar distances from the location they are playing at, with full support.
5. As hard as the RTR and Mayer Lutheran teams worked, it was not a pretty shooting game.  RTR shot 36 percent for the game and they won by 11!  The starters of the winning team shot 5 of 16, 3 of 12, 1 of 7, 3 of 9, and 3 of 7, and they won because they were so much harder than the Crusaders.  The game had 37 turnovers and 31 baskets.
6. So Mayer Lutheran was 0 for 21 from the arc.  I’ve never seen a number that ugly, in any game.  They were 15 of 56 as a team, and 0 for 21 from the arc!  RTR’s defense is so good and the biggest reason for the Crusader issues but after that it became mental.  Mayer Lutheran was 0 for 21!  I’ve never seen a number like that.  Who said the three point arc was a good thing? (Kidding).
7. The Redhawks support was outstanding in the semi final. Kaden Johnson played his usual lockdown defense and made all that but one shot on his way to 15 points.  Terry Lockett  looks closer and closer to healthy giving his team 13 points and JaVonni Bickham put up 10. The Minnehaha support  playing extremely well.
8. The Kings Owen, Eli, and Noah continue to grow. The feel they all have for the game is incredible, even Eli who is in grade 8. None of them had a good day shooting on Friday but Eli on the glass, Noah at the foul line, Owen moving the ball, and all of them being dependable and steady really caught our eye. Let’s not forget the game Caledonia received inside from Marten Morem who controlled the paint with 25 points on 11 of 15 shooting.
9. The ML/RTR game was ugly but the work that Carter Hansen put in was amazing.  This guy was everywhere.  It was like he was on star power at 150 miles per hour and everyone else was at 55.  He raced down rebounds and went at people like they were small obstacles in the conquests of life.  Carter had 18 points and 16 rebounds entertaining all in a game that was a struggle.
10. Lu’Cye Patterson has played like a star. His playoff run has him as a certainty on the class AA all-state team  and another level of college coaches are starting to ask about him. That’s what happens when you knock out North and win your first round of state  followed by 29 point performance in 36 minutes of a semifinal.
11. And finally that Dunk from Mitchell Plombon. A good 2-dribble run at a 6 foot 10 young center into an explosive dunk that will be remembered forever. Mithchell also had a very good game scoring 20 points on 7 of 16 shooting.