Class AAAA Guards to Watch
Class AAAA should be a lot of fun this year as there seem to be more quality teams than in typical years. There isn’t a clear-cut best team nor is there a matchup-proof team but there is a whole lot of talent all over the state. Here are some guards to watch:
Tommy Chatman, Sr., Park Center: Park Center can certainly make a case as the best team in Class AAAA this year and the Pirates have been one of the best teams for a while now. But for them to get over the hump and get to the state tournament, they’ll need to show they can win games when they aren’t able to overwhelm teams with their athleticism and tempo. Tommy Chatman had a terrific summer and looks like he’s ready to take his game to another level for the Pirates after averaging 11 points as a junior.
Jalen Dearring, Sr., Hopkins: Dearring averaged better than 15 points per game for a solid Minnetonka team. He was the featured guy on that team. With Hopkins, he’ll likely settle into the No. 2/3 role behind Zeke Nnaji and with Kerwin Walton on the offensive food chain. But Hopkins always has huge expectations and not getting to state tournament the last two years only increases the urgency to do so this year. Dearring will be a big cog in that effort.
Kurt Ohlhues, Jr., Eagan: Eagan won six games last year but should be much improved this winter after playing a lot of youngsters last season. Ohlhues averaged roughly nine points per game as a sophomore and had a terrific summer playing with Fury. His ability to score from all levels of the court are impressive and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him average 14-18 points a night.
Henry Abraham, Jr., Cambridge-Isanti: Abraham isn’t real big but he’s a heck of a scorer. The junior guard averaged better than 20 last year after putting up around 15 as a freshman. Cambridge has gotten better and better as Abraham has gotten older and the Blue Jackets look like a potential state tournament team this year. Abraham could lead the Mississippi 8 in scoring.
Jared Rainey, Sr., Maple Grove: 2017-18 was supposed to be a retooling season for Maple Grove. Instead, the Crimson won 21 games and got back to the state tournament. Jared Rainey was the key guy in that effort, averaging better than 13 points and five assists. He had an impressive summer playing with Minnesota Heat and it stands to reason that he’ll be even better in his second year as a varsity regular.
Joseph Kearney, Jr., Tartan: Tartan wins 20-plus games every year and despite losing a good core of seniors, the expectation remains the same. The Titans have a terrific lead guard in Antwan Kimmons but Joseph Kearney could be a breakout guy to watch after averaging about nine points per game as a sophomore. At 6-foot-3, Kearney has the size, athleticism and touch to put up 15-20 points per night.
Curtis Jones, Jr., Cretin-Derham Hall: Jones averaged 17 a night for Minneapolis South and now joins Trejuan Holloman in the backourt for the Raiders. Holloman looks like he’ll be a dominant player but he’ll be just a freshman starting against top-notch competition. Some inconsistency is expected from him. Jones should be a stabilizing force and a go-to scorer.
Camden Heide, Fr., Wayzata: Here’s one that takes some projection. Heide played rotation minutes for the Trojans as an eighth-grader and averaged five points per game. He certainly won’t be the feature guy for Wayzata this year as they’ve got a terrific core of perimeter guys led by Jacob Beeninga and Luke Paulson, but Heide is worth checking out. He’ll have opportunities to shine and he’s one of several really good looking underclassmen in the Trojan program.