Tuesday’s Top Ten: Impact Transfers
We are two or three weeks into school – depending on where you are – and there are many players that have changed addresses and are now playing in new schools. Here is a quick run through of the noteworthy transfers we are currently aware of (not written in any particular order).
One. Four Leave BC. Brooklyn Center’s program has worked so hard to get where they are right now (a state championship contender) and with the young talent coming up (as well as a guy in Qentrell Douglas who has a great chance to make a name for himself as a leader of his BC team this year) they will be good again. But losing to Lu’Cye Patterson, Adreone Sprinkles, Rudwan Tahir, and Amahn Decker to the new local prep school program obviously takes away the title of “state title contender”.
Two. EP 2020 Gets Better. The Eagles are already considered one of the top few favorites for Class AAAA with what is coming back (Dobbs, Henry, Connor C, Austin Andrews, Dunford) in their 2020 class. To get Ariel Bland as a transfer coming in from South Carolina, that’s “rich getting richer” type stuff as it makes EP even more talented with a different dimension. Our guys at Prep Hoops South Carolina say that Bland has the type of athletic talent at 6-foot-6 to become a mid-major talent so this makes the Eagles even better.
Three. Eastview 2020 Group Improves. Up front the Lightning are considered one of the best in state with Steven Crowl and Tate Machacek. Ryan Thissen, Caden Scales, Nick Vermulen, and others are all experienced 2020s back as well. Now they add a point guard in Jaylen James that really could complete the group all around. James scored a team high 12 a game last year for Eagan and was a key player for the Fury Zurn 16u team that had so much success.
Four. CDH Has a Future Star. Trejuan Holloman leaves in the east metro but with his mother coaching at Minneapolis North the national 2022 standout was a nice piece as a grade eight standout for North scoring 11 a game. Now Trejuan’s mother is working at Cretin-Derham Hall which is of course much closer to home and Holloman is going to school at CDH. That gives the Raiders a star for the next four years PLUS they also added move-ins Karsten Broadley from up north at Fosston (18 a game last year) and Curtis Jones from Minneapolis South (17 a contest as a sophomore in 17-18).
Five. The Return. Hopkins lost Blaise Beauchamp to prep school (Findlay Prep) but in his place they got even better when two of the top three returning players for Minnetonka enrolled at Hopkins. Jalen Dearring (his brother Riley played a couple years for the Royals) scored 16.6 a game as a junior and now gives Coach Ken Novak Jr a point guard to play in place of Beauchamp. Then you have Andy Stafford (nine a game as a junior) back at the Royals where he also played as a freshman and sophomore. The long history of Minnetonka and Hopkins trading players continues.
Six. Brothers Join the Stars. Holy Angels suddenly has become relevant with the addition of Charles Johnson and Emmett Johnson, brothers who left Minneapolis Washburn for AHA. Charles scored 13 a contest last season and will make a really nice pair with Max Gerstner. Emmett Johnson is a freshman with a lot of talent.
Seven. A Fourth Piece. With James Flicek handling, Jon Stimmler in the post, Adam Williams shooting on one wing, and now Reilly O’Neill shooting on the other wing this Princeton line-up has become even stronger. Reilly scored 13.5 points per game at Norwood-Young America last season.
Eight. U-Turn. One of the most athletically gifted frontcourt players in the 2020 class is Deng Diew, a 6-foot-7 talent from the very good group of St. Cloud Apollo 2020 players. Diew left Apollo, was said to be going to Minnesota Prep (not sure if he ever did take a class there), but is now back at Apollo. With Diew up front Apollo could be really, really good this year.
Nine. Cardinals Are Contenders. Up front Treyton Thompson has established himself as one of the top three prospects in Minnesota’s 2021 class. He didn’t play varsity last year but should have a strong winter. Also, if the AAU rosters from the summer and if the Prep Expo roster is correct, Osakis leading scorer Daniel Savageau has moved to Alexandria meaning he will be giving that school two big years. With Thompson now ready for varsity and Savageau as a backcourt scorer – plus the talent Alexandria has returning, watch out for the Cardinals.
Ten. Champs Lose Lockett. Terry Lockett won two state titles at point guard with Minnehaha Academy but has moved to Ohio where his dad lives and is now at SPIRE Academy. The Redhawks still are the state championship favorites but Terry is such a good player that adjustments will need to be made. Good thing for Minnehaha they have this Jalen Suggs guy who is pretty good as well as talented young players.
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Deandre Miller is now at Maple Grove after playing at Cooper last season.
Standout Fridley 2022 Hassan Kamahra is said to have enrolled at Champlin Park for ninth grade.
Malik Lamin left DeLaSalle for a prep school in Arizona.
Cameron Vaughn was listed on some AAU rosters as now playing at Park Center, he was at Cooper.