The Sophomore All State Team
Minnesota’s 2020 class of talent played a large impact on the 2017-18 season and today NHR gives you our Sophomore All State Team.
First Team
Jalen Suggs of Minnehaha Academy. Jalen is once again the Class AA Player of the Year after leading his team to a second straight state championship. At 16 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and 3.5 steals a game on a balanced, talented team the sophomore from the Redhawks lived up to the high expectations of March once again. Five Star guard giving Five Star results.
Ben Carlson of East Ridge. Carlson scored 19 points per game and grabbed near double figure rebounds for a Raptors team that was ranked in the top ten in Class AAAA most of the year and played in the second final before losing to eventual state champions CDH.
Dawson Garcia of Prior Lake. Garcia helped Prior Lake become a top ten Class AAAA team for a good part of the year a lot earlier than many expected. The high effort forward scored 22 points per game with 11 rebounds a night pushing the Lakers to a 22 win season.
Lu’Cye Patterson of Brooklyn Center. Every time I watch BC play I feel like Patterson is about 12 months further than I would expect him to be. At state this year? Thought it would be 18-19. Patterson scoring 23 a game with 6.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists on 47 percent shooting against a strong schedule? That seems like upperclassmen numbers. The fact is Patterson spends so much time in the gym his feel for the game is way more advanced than your average sophomore.
Noah King of Caledonia. At 21 points per game King was the Caledonia leading scorer and he led his team in rebounding at over six a contest. King wore a lot of hats for this team pushing them to 28-5 on the season and a runner up in state finish. It was a fantastic year of growth for the D1 offered Caledonia guard.
Second Team
Austin Andrews of Eden Prairie. The EP forward led the Eagles in scoring (18.3 a game), led the team in rebounding (7.3 a game), and was third on the team in assists. Andrews was likely the most consistent guy on a final four team in the state of Minnesota. Is one of the better face-up and back to the basket combo efficient sophomores I’ve seen.
Drake Dobbs of Eden Prairie. Drake made over 100 threes this year as he continues to be one of the most flammable shooters out there. Dobbs is a guy that scored 18 points a game with defenders chasing him or stuck to him like glue. Also averaged almost four assists a game with 4-5 boards for a final four squad in state.
Dain Dainja of Park Center. Dainja came back from mid-season injury to help Park Center stay a top ten team in Class AAAA for the majority of the year. The Pirates center scored with both hands and did it over both shoulders for 13 points and 7-8 rebounds a game. Park Center went 24-5 on the season with Dainja as the low post scoring option.
Terry Lockett of Minnehaha Academy. Terry overcame some annoying injuries this year to give Minnehaha one of the state’s elite ball handlers and decision makers. He scored 11-12 points a contest with four assists and four rebounds a game.
Blaise Beauchamp of Hopkins. Blaise scored 15.4 points per game this season and handled the ball for the Royals who won 27 of their 29 games. Beauchamp grew as a distributor and the Royals grew as a team with him.
Third Team
Connor Christensen of Eden Prairie. Connor gave his team 11 points and seven rebounds a contest but even more, he was a top defender in the state of Minnesota. The Eagles of course had success because of all of their tough competitors working as a unit and Christensen was one of their elite defenders. Eagles were a Class AAAA final four team.
Ryan Samuelson of Jordan. At 17 points and five rebounds a game shooting 47 percent from the floor and 40 percent from the arc Samuelson was the backcourt option the Hubmen needed to get back to the state tournament. Jordan won 25 games this year and Ryan was a huge reason why.
Gabe Madsen of Rochester Mayo. The Spartans won half of their regular season games this season with Gabe scoring just under 20 points per game and his brother Chase producing just under 17 a night in the Big Nine. It was a nice start to their Minnesota careers.
Charles Katona of Shakopee. The Sabers made a ten game improvement with Charles putting up 20 points, eight rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 2.3 steals per game. Charles took Shakopee from a doormat last year to a tough competitor this season.
Henry Abraham of Cambridge. The Bluejackets pretty much flipped their record from year to year and Henry’s crafty scoring ability led the way totaling 21 points per contest. With four boards, four assists, and two steals a game Henry found other ways to help as well.
Fourth Team
Micah Pocernich of Cromwell. Cromwell won 23 games and was a single game from state. A big reason for their success was the 19 points, four rebounds, three assists, and 2.2 steals a game from 6-foot-1 guard Micah Pocernich. Micah is about to explode as an upperclassmen so keep that name in mind.
John Henry of Eden Prairie. With one of the prettier strokes around Henry scored 13points a game for the Eagles. Eden Prairie was a final four team in the state and Henry came off the bench – and sometimes started – grabbing five boards a game as well.
Dylan DeChampeau of Greenway. Greenway lost only four games this season and Dylan’s double-double numbers highlighted by a 22 points per game has this team thinking about state contending in the future.
Jax Madson of Mankato East. The Cougars point guard scored 11 a game, was second on the team in assists, second on the team in steals, and hit more threes than any Cougar helping East to the state tournament.
Decker Scheffler of Springfield. With two losses all season Springfield was ranked at the top of Class A for a good part of the year. Scheffler’s 16 points, eight rebounds, and four assists a contest played a big part in their success.
Fifth Team
Kerwin Walton of Hopkins. Kerwin scored 11 points a contest as a wing shooting threat for the Royals who were a top five team in state all season with their 27-2 record.
Nathan Heise of Lake City. The Tigers put together a 24-4 season this winter with Nathan scoring 16 points a game.
Matt Willert of Buffalo. Matthew’s creative scoring feel scored 20 plus per game and the sophomore dominated Bison made it to the section final growing up early.
Jon Zinniel of New Ulm Cathedral. Cathedral surprised many with the great season they had winning 22 games. Jon led the team with 15 points and six rebounds a game.
James Sommer of Cristo Rey Jesuit. With Jericho dunking for the Horns his year Sommer kept the team at the 20+ win level scoring 19.5 points game.
J’Vonne Hadley of Mahtomedi. Hadley produced 15-16 points a game with 5-6 rebounds a night for a 21 win team.
Sixth Team
Steven Crowl of Eastview. It was a tough year for Eastview but Crowl led the team in scoring at a dozen points a night.
Jacob Hutson of Edina. Hutson gave the Hornets a consistent post threat scoring nine points a game.
PJ Hayes of Waconia. Hayes totaled 15.4 points and 5.2 rebounds a night playing one of the tougher schedules in the state.
Brady Williams of Dover-Eyota. Scored 18.5 points per game and his team improved to four games over .500.
Blake Remme of Spring Lake Park. Remme is a talented wing that scored 18 a game for 12-win Spring Lake Park.
Kaden Johnson of Minnehaha Academy. Kaden is the top Redhawks defender, scored seven a game, and grabbed four rebounds a contest.
Cameron Steele of Minnetonka. Steele scored 16 a night for the Skippers who finished as a .500 team.