The Full Court Press: Nicholson & Hadley Breaking Records
What a week it’s been already: records broken, massive career highs, milestones, and huge wins. The Full Court Press breaks it all down now!
Nicholson Breaks School Record
Last night the Houston Rockets took 70 threes in a game versus 35 shots inside the arc. It’s the modern day game. What Cole Nicholson did last Tuesday in leading the Chaska Hawks to an 82-69 win over Cooper, was a throw back. Nicholson scored his 51 points without taking a single three!
Cooper is not a very big team. In fact the tallest player they put on the floor was 6-foot-3 guard Jalen Justice. So, with Nicholson being a strong 6-foot-4 or maybe 6-foot-5, he went at the rim relentlessly scoring what I believe was 23 of 29 field goal shooting with some foul shots sprinkled in. And Nicholson didn’t even need jumpers, he went old school low block and just power skilled his way to a school record.
Nicholson also had some motivation on his side. He was held to four scores in the previous game against Jefferson and last year’s Cooper at Chaska game was one of the angrier nights of the 2017-18 season (for both teams as there was so much chirping). Both of these items likely had Nicholson ready to battle.
Chaska Herald writer Eric Krashar said that the school record of 49 points was set in 1956 by Ivan Grimm. Spencer Tollackson (played at Minnesota), Jake White (played at Wichita State and Nebraska-Omaha), and Myles Hanson (at Xavier) all scored 48 but it’s Nicholson that broke the 63 year old record.
J’Vonne Hadley Makes History
Perhaps you have heard us/me say that Mahtomedi Zephyr J’Vonne Hadley is the best junior in Class AAA basketball. Or maybe you have caught us speaking several times about how Hadley has become one of the top scorers in the metro? And of course you have heard us state that Hadley has become a 30 point per game guy.
On Tuesday in a 15 point win over Hastings, J’Vonne Hadley used his physical finishing around the basket combined with athleticism at 6-foot-6 and skills that continue to develop to score 48 points. Hadley took down the record of now Northern State wing Parker Fox who set the school mark just a few years back.
Hadley continues to play like a Class AAA all state player and colleges are really picking up interest. South Dakota and Nebraska-Omaha were in town to see him play recently and J’Vonne was just a guest at the Gopher game.
Corbin Froelich Leads Paynesville
Six-foot sophomore Corbin Froelich has people in Paynesville excited about basketball for the first time in a long time. Froelich is not only scoring 22.3 points per game but he also helped his team beat Eden Valley-Watkins for the first time in five years.
Froelich scored 30 points with eight rebounds and three steals in a 74-62 win. Corbin also defended Josh Streit for much of the game and did a great job. After winning only six games last year Paynesville Area is 8-4 on the season.
Tip-Ins
Randolph senior Carysn Gunderson recently became the 9th player in school history to score over 1,000 career points. The Rockets are 14-1 on the season and ranked 9th in Class A. Gunderson is producing over 21 points a game on a balanced team that has won eight games in a row. The 6-foot-3 wing had a six three-point game earlier in the month as he continues to be a scorer that college coaches may need to get a better look at.
Move over Dawson Garcia, it’s time somebody else stepped into the headlines. That person this was Robert Jones, a top ten prospect in this state headed to Denver. Recently named the number one ranked Class AAAA team in state, Prior Lake faced a tough challenge against Eastview and needed a long three from Jones to push the game into overtime. Jones scored 15 with yet another double-double in the win (averaging 13 plus points and 11 rebounds a game). And oh yeah, that Dawson Garcia guy, scored 44 as well.
Greenway is 8-1 on the season and fighting to squeeze their way into a crowded Class AA top ten. Junior Dylan DeChampeau leads the team with 28.6 points per game. Earlier this week in a win over Mountain Iron-Buhl, Dylan had 38 points, 18 rebounds, and eight assists in the win. Even more impressive is that as a junior Dylan is closing in on 2,000 career points (has 1,826 points).