The Class AAAA Simulation Series: Round 1, Games 1-8
Here at NHR we’re finding ways to go back and watch old games, analyze current talent or predict how the rest of the playoffs would finish. All three of these content styles focus on real games. Today, for pure entertainment,…
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Continue ReadingHere at NHR we’re finding ways to go back and watch old games, analyze current talent or predict how the rest of the playoffs would finish. All three of these content styles focus on real games. Today, for pure entertainment, we’re changing it up.
I have found a workable basketball game simulation website to host the first installments of our hypothetical tournament, and we begin with Class AAAA. The top 32 teams in order of QRF ranking have been entered, with starting lineup and player rating estimates based on the 2019-20 season.
The one big downside to this tournament is I can see the composite team ratings in order, but as far as I can tell the first round matchups are as random as possible. So just like the State Tournament, we get to enjoy that the entire way.
All we get for results of these games are final scores and individual player points (note that no bench players are involved, only the starting five). It isn’t much, but it was a fun exercise in these four walls of isolation.
Without further ado, the first round commences with these eight games:
Game 1: Spring Lake Park 87, Robbinsdale Cooper 75
An extremely balanced scoring attack leads the Panthers to victory, led by Bemidji State-bound guard Gabe Myren Gabe Myren 6'3" | SG Spring Lake Park | 2020 State MN with 29 points. Senior wing Blake Remme Blake Remme 6'6" | SF Spring Lake Park | 2020 State MN (headed to NDSCS next year) scored an efficient 19 while Kaleb Skelly Kaleb Skelly 6'4" | SF Spring Lake Park | 2021 State MN and Daydor Phillips Daydor Phillips 6'2" | SF Spring Lake Park | 2020 State MN bullied the smaller Cooper defense inside with 16 and 12, respectively. Jacob Say Jacob Say 5'10" | PG Spring Lake Park | 2020 State MN added 11 points.
Jeffrey Cooper (an underrated 6-4 multifaceted junior forward) poured in 30 for the Hawks. Classmate and lead guard Broderick Powell Jr Broderick Powell Jr 5'11" | PG Robbinsdale Cooper | 2021 State MN . gave 18 points in the loss as well.
Game 2: White Bear Lake 91, Duluth East 78
Jack Janicki Jack Janicki 6'4" | SG White Bear Lake | 2023 State #277 Nation MN , a top-five 2023 talent in Minnesota, led the Bears to an impressive win with 23 points. All five Bears were in double figures, as Will Forsythe Will Forsythe 6'6" | PF White Bear Lake | 2021 MN scored 22, Moses Hancock 18, Kanye Raheem Kanye Raheem 6'2" | SG White Bear Lake | 2021 State MN 17 and Brice Peters Brice Peters 5'9" | PG White Bear Lake | 2020 State MN 11.
Not to be forgotten though, a recent stock riser in 6-6 wing Mattie Thompson Mattie Thompson 6'6" | SF Duluth East | 2021 State MN stepped up for Duluth East scoring 28. Point guard Will Van Scoy Will Van Scoy 6'1" | PG Duluth East | 2022 State MN added a strong 20 and Noah Paulson Noah Paulson 6'8" | C Duluth East | 2021 State MN scored 16 inside.
Game 3: Cretin-Derham Hall 90, East Ridge 81
It wouldn’t be the MN basketball postseason without an egregiously-seeded first-round matchup, and we get the best game we can out of it between SEC rivals. CDH’s Tre Holloman Tre Holloman 6'2" | PG Cretin-Derham Hall | 2022 State #57 Nation MN was excellent leading the way with 25 points and what we can assume was a bevy of assists, most of which found Amari Carter Amari Carter 6'6" | SF Cretin-Derham Hall | 2020 State MN (22 points) on the receiving end. Curtis Jones Curtis Jones 6'3" | SG Cretin-Derham Hall | 2020 State MN knocked out six threes for 18 points (I think it’s safe to say one of the best shooters in MN can have that kind of game). The combo of Carter and Will Burke Will Burke 6'4" | PF Cretin-Derham Hall | 2020 State MN held Ben Carlson Ben Carlson 6'9" | PF East Ridge | 2020 State #66 Nation MN to 10 points.
For East Ridge, Lake Region State commit Brody Kriesel Brody Kriesel 6'6" | PF East Ridge | 2020 State MN was unstoppable on the wing, scoring 25 himself. Big guard Kendall Blue Kendall Blue 6'6" | SG East Ridge | 2022 State #242 Nation MN scored 19 orchestrating the offense. Drew Adams Drew Adams 6'8" | PF Eastridge | 2021 State MN added 16 for the Raptors.
Game 4: Eden Prairie 79, Hopkins 70
Another unfortunate matchup in round one, it’s hard to see as strong a team as Hopkins go down early. Austin Andrews Austin Andrews 6'6" | PF Eden Prairie | 2020 State MN used his low block magic to sneak a 26-point night on the board, and John Henry John Henry 6'5" | SF Eden Prairie | 2020 State MN scored 19 getting hot late from deep. Connor Christensen Connor Christensen 6'7" | SF Eden Prairie | 2020 State #451 Nation MN drew the defensive assignment on Kerwin Walton Kerwin Walton 6'6" | SF Hopkins | 2020 State #62 Nation MN playing hard and giving extra effort for 16 points.
Walton scored 21, and Regan Merritt Regan Merritt 5'10" | PG Hopkins | 2020 State MN continued his sharpshooting ways with a 17-point night. Elvis Nnaji Elvis Nnaji 6'8" | C Hopkins | 2022 State #215 Nation MN took big steps forward for 14 points against one of the best defensive squads in the state.
Game 5: Moorhead 92, North St. Paul 69
In a surprisingly large blowout, Moorhead got excellent production across the board. Brady Walthall Brady Walthall 6'0" | PG Moorhead | 2021 State MN led the way with 24 and big man Donnavin Hinsz Donnavin Hinsz 6'6" | PF Columbia Heights | 2022 State MN added 22 points gritting around inside on the boards. Senior wing Drew Hagen Drew Hagen 6'6" | SF Moorhead | 2020 State MN scored 18 using his length to beat contested hands. Blake Walthall Blake Walthall 6'0" | PG Moorhead | 2021 State MN also contributed 17.
For the Polars, Shaheed Muhammad Shaheed Muhammad 5'11" | PG North St. Paul | 2020 State MN was held to eight points which is logically a chief reason why the game got out of hand. Sophomore Shawn West-Zimpel Shawn West-Zimpel 6'2" | SG South St. Paul | 2022 State MN was Herculean scoring 22 in defeat and highflyer LaRon Thomas added 16.
Game 6: Lakeville North 87, Robbinsdale Armstrong 71
Big games from inside-out tandem Carter Patterson Carter Patterson 6'1" | SG Lakeville North | 2020 State MN (29 points) and Noah Frechette Noah Frechette 6'4" | PF Lakeville North | 2020 State MN (25 points) propel the Panthers to victory. A staunch defensive effort (relative to the rest of the results so far) was headed by Josh Kamara Josh Kamara 6'0" | PG Lakeville North | 2020 State MN and Cooper Laufenburger Cooper Laufenburger 6'5" | SF Lakeville North | 2021 State MN .
Adam Biewen Adam Biewen 6'4" | SF Robbinsdale Armstrong | 2020 State MN hit multiple triples (multriples?) en route to 24 for the Falcons. Hezekiah Iyawe Hezekiah Iyawe 6'6" | PF Robbinsdale Armstrong | 2020 State MN , another stock-rising metro player, poured in 18 in the paint. Point guard Jake Breitbach Jake Breitbach 6'2" | PG Robbinsdale Armstrong | 2020 State MN was held to seven points, Peyton Newbern Peyton Newbern 6'5" | SF Armstrong | 2022 State MN scored 12 and D’Sean Larkins D’Sean Larkins 6'0" | PG Robbinsdale Armstrong | 2021 State MN added 10.
Game 7: Prior Lake 77, Eastview 68
Both teams have a high-major Division I forward. Dawson Garcia Dawson Garcia 6'11" | PF Prior Lake | 2020 State #26 Nation MN got the win individually and as a team, scoring 22. The supporting cast was superb, with Kyle McCullough Kyle McCullough 6'3" | SF Prior Lake | 2021 State MN scoring 15, Malcolm Jones Malcolm Jones 6'9" | C Prior Lake | 2022 State MN and Tyree Ihenacho Tyree Ihenacho 6'5" | SG Prior Lake | 2020 State MN provided 14 apiece and Tommy Mestnik Tommy Mestnik 6'1" | PG Prior Lake | 2021 State MN led the way at the point with 12.
Wisconsin-bound Steven Crowl Steven Crowl 6'10" | C Eastview | 2020 State #96 Nation MN scored 16, while point guard Jaylen James Jaylen James 6'0" | PG Eastview | 2020 State MN led the team with 19 points. Across the entire lineup Eastview has the size advantage, but shots just didn’t fall as Tate Machacek Tate Machacek 6'6" | PF Eastview | 2020 State MN and Caden Scales Caden Scales 6'1" | PG Eastview | 2020 State MN scored 12 each and Ryan Thissen Ryan Thissen 6'5" | SF Eastview | 2020 State MN added nine.
Game 8: Park Center 100, Minnetonka 74
It was a frontcourt party for the Pirates, who got 32 points from star center Dain Dainja Dain Dainja 6'9" | C Park Center | 2020 State #48 Nation MN , 23 from do-everything wing Detavius Frierson Detavius Frierson 6'4" | SF Park Center | 2020 State MN and 20 from stretch forward John Grigsby John Grigsby 6'9" | PF Park Center | 2020 State MN . The smaller Minnetonka lineup couldn’t hold fast to the relentless pressure on the rim that Park Center produces.
Cameron Steele Cameron Steele 6'8" | PF Minnetonka | 2020 State MN put up another day at the office scoring 22. Guard Cohen Kellogg Cohen Kellogg 6'0" | PG Orono | 2022 State MN was impressive against the larger PC frontcourt adding 19 points, and JT Gaffney JT Gaffney 6'6" | SF Minnetonka | 2020 State MN continued his stellar shooting season putting in 16.
Stay tuned for the second half of round one!