Breakdown Tip Off Classic 5 Takeaways: Minneapolis North vs Lake City
The second game of the day on the East Court at the Breakdown Tip Off Classic was a dandy, as No. 2 Lake City beat No. 4 Minneapolis North thanks to 39 points from superstar guard Nate Heise. Here are…
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Continue ReadingThe second game of the day on the East Court at the Breakdown Tip Off Classic was a dandy, as No. 2 Lake City beat No. 4 Minneapolis North thanks to 39 points from superstar guard Nate Heise.
Here are five takeaways from the contest:
Heise was the best player on the floor
As has been the case routinely for more than a year, Nate Heise was far and away the best player on the floor Saturday. The senior guard did it all. He knocked down 3-pointers, he scored in the post, he got the free throw line, he had a couple of dunks and he handled the ball against constant ball pressure. Minneapolis North threw just about everybody at him at one point or another and they tried just about everything. Nothing worked. The stuff that usually works didn’t work. Heise needed to be dominant for the Tigers to win the game. He was dominant from the start and when the game hung in the balance, he was once again, dominant.
Davon Townley is an emerging force for the Polars
Minneapolis North is going to have an advantage inside in a lot of games this year because of junior big man Davon Townley. The 6-foot-7 center is a load in the paint and has a soft touch from the mid post and elbows. He’s footwork inside is a work in progress but at times, he shows excellent feel with his post moves and his ability to finish in traffic makes him extremely tough to slow down. When he’s active and his motor is hot, he’s a force. Minneapolis North is always going to want to play uptempo and use its defense to key the offense, but when things bog down, Townley needs to be the featured guy.
Willie Wilson and Reid Gastner were solid in their Robin roles
It took both guys a while to get going, but Willie Wilson and Reid Gastner were terrific in the second half Saturday. Wilson scored 13 of his 17 points in the second half while Gastner scored 14 of his 17 after halftime. Wilson finally started knocking down some jumpers – he’s always going to be dangerous in transition but the next step for him will be his play as a point guard in the halfcourt. Gastner knocked down an early 3-pointer and was quiet for about 20 minutes of gametime after that. But late in the game, the senior forward got aggressive going to the basket. His footwork and patience in the post is rare and while he goes to the rim less than he used to, he’s still at his best when he’s playing inside-out rather than vice-versa.
The Polars Sophomore/Junior Classes are Exciting
Minneapolis North is much more than Wilson and Townley. The sophomore class around Wilson looks outstanding as starting guards Mario Sanders and De’Meiko Anderson both look like solid pieces who can develop over the next three years. Clifford Brown is in his second year as a starter on the wing. He’s a solid defender despite Heise getting him into foul trouble fairly early in Saturday’s game and Terrance Kamara played solid minutes Saturday off the bench.
State Tournament Rematch?
While the win is awfully nice for Lake City, both teams likely come away from this one thinking there’s a good chance they could see each other again come March. Both teams are among the best five in Class AA. The Polars were the Class AA runner-up last year while Lake City finished third with both losing to state champ Minnehaha. Both teams have a great shot at getting back into that tournament this year and if a rematch were to occur, there’d be a ton of excitement knowing how good this one was.