Twin Cities Team of the Week: Week 2
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Prep Hoops details 10 of the top performers in the Twin Cities from the past week of competition! Ben Carlson (6’9 2020 F, East Ridge)- By now news of Ben Carlson’s 40 point outburst have been all over social media. The…
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Continue ReadingPrep Hoops details 10 of the top performers in the Twin Cities from the past week of competition!
Ben Carlson (6’9 2020 F, East Ridge)- By now news of Ben Carlson’s 40 point outburst have been all over social media. The Wisconsin commit showed out in front of a packed house, combining brute force in the paint with a soft touch from outside to break East Ridge’s single game scoring record. More important than the 40 points? East Ridge got their first win of the season against arguably the most talented team in Class AAAA, Park Center. This win killed doubts on whether East Ridge could still compete at a high with an inexperienced group, and should help them build some momentum moving forward.
Joe Kearney (6’3 2020 G, Tartan)- After a solid junior year, and some strong showings with his AAU team, Joe returns ready for a breakout senior season. He’s started off on the right track, leading Tartan to two wins last week averaging 23 ppg. In a win over Richfield he scored 26, and followed that up with 20 points in a win over Andover. Joe has deep shooting range, and competes with a fiery passion on the defensive end. When he gets in a rhythm, Joe is one of the toughest guards in the St. Paul metro.
Alonzo Dodd (6’2 2022 G, South St. Paul)- Speaking of tough guards from the St. Paul area, Alonzo Dodd is off to a hot start during his sophomore year. The high scoring guard opened up the year with 28 points in a win over Breck, later scoring 22 points to lead his team past St. Paul Highland Park. Alonzo loves to attack the basket, and excels at drawing contact around the rim. He was able to earn 18 trips to the charity stripe in those two games. He’s unranked in the 2022 top-50 at the moment, but is someone you can expect to shoot up the rankings as time goes on.
Connor Christensen (6’6 2020 W, Eden Prairie)- The Dartmouth commit had a solid week, playing a big role in two Eden Prairie wins. He started off with 21 points in EP’s comfortable win over Burnsville, and then followed that up with 14 points to help take down Prior Lake. The 14 points doesn’t sound impressive, but it was his tough defense on Dawson Garcia that earned him a spot on this list. Dawson managed to score 26, but in the stretches that Connor guarded him, it took everything he had to score. Connor is known as one of the grittiest players in the state, and it showed in that performance against Prior Lake.
Curtis Jones (6’3 2020 G, Cretin-Derham Hall)- I’m sure we’ve all heard of Cretin-Derham Hall’s triumph over Minnehaha Academy at the Tip Off Classic, and it was Curtis Jones’ 19 points that helped the Raiders secure that win. Curtis found his rhythm from distance early, and he stayed hot for the whole game, knocking down five 3’s on the night. Prior to that big win Curtis scored 23 points in a win over North St. Paul. He hit 7-12 from beyond the arc, and is shooting 52% from deep over the first three games. One of the top shooters in the state who college coaches will want to take a closer look at.
Cameron Steele (6’8 2020 F, Minnetonka)- Steele always puts on a show at the Tip Off Classic, and this year was no different as he dropped 38 points in a win over Mahtomedi. The stretch-four showed off a smooth stroke from distance, while also banging in the post for some tough buckets. Earlier in the week he scored 28 in a win over Orono, and 18 in a tough loss to Prior Lake. Through three games he has shot 12-23 from beyond the arc, good for an impressive 52% on the year. His ability to knock down shots from deep makes him such a tough player to guard.
Ethan Townsend (6’2 2021 F, Park of Cottage Grove)- After a slow start in the season opener, Ethan Townsend rebounded with two strong showings in week two of the season. Though Park would ultimately come up one point short against Hastings, Townsend put up a 30 point scoring outburst. He followed that up by scoring 17 points to lead Park to a win over St. Paul Como Park. Townsend is a guy who Park will rely upon to fill the production lost to graduation, and he has been stepping up to the plate so far this season.
Robert Grace IV (5’10 2021 PG, Blake)- Robert Grace is one of the top 15 point guards in the state’s junior class, and he has started off the year strong for Blake. In a win over a talented Holy Angels team, Robert paved the way with 15 points, 5 assists, and 2 steals. Robert then led Blake to another win, this time over Mayer Lutheran. He scored 19 points while adding 4 assists and 3 steals on the night. Grace is one of the quickest guards in the state, with a first step that can get him into whatever space he wants on the floor. He also adds a strong defensive effort and nice passing vision to make him an all around threat at point guard.
Steven Crowl (6’11 2020 C, Eastview)- Steven reminds me a bit of Tim Duncan in a way. A silent assassin on the court who will quietly drop 30 points and walk away with a win. This past week was no different, as Steven and Eastview won both of their games, while he scored a combined 61 points. The first was a 34 point showing against Chaska, and he followed that up with 27 against Wayzata. Steven showed off his soft touch from distance, while also moving his feet in the paint to open up some looks inside. Eastview has looked dominant on offense so far this year, and if they can take down Eden Prairie on Thursday, could we see them take over the #1 ranking in Class AAAA?
Carter Owens (6’1 2021 G, St. Paul Highland Park)- Owens only played in one game last week, but he made the most of the opportunity by scoring 33 points. The 6’1 guard found success around the rim, with 12 of his 13 field goals coming inside the arc. He also chipped in 6 free throws to bring his total to 33. The quick guard was able to get out in transition for some easy points in what was a fast paced game against Minneapolis Edison. His 33 points were key in the win for Highland Park.