The Race for Mr. Basketball
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The states top candidates have some big games coming up including a full slate of games at Saturday’s Breakdown Tip Off Classic. The Favorite Tre Holloman Tre Holloman 6'2" | PG Cretin-Derham Hall | 2022 State #57 Nation MN has…
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Continue ReadingThe states top candidates have some big games coming up including a full slate of games at Saturday’s Breakdown Tip Off Classic.
The Favorite
Tre Holloman Tre Holloman 6'2" | PG Cretin-Derham Hall | 2022 State #57 Nation MN has a big game in front of him as he leads the CDH Raiders against top ranked Totino-Grace. This means Holloman will be facing Taison Chatman Taison Chatman 6'4" | PG Totino Grace | 2023 State #35 Nation MN while trying to led his team to a big victory. Two years ago Holloman led the Raiders over Jalen Suggs and Minnehaha Academy. Could we see something similar this weekend?
Top Contenders
Pharrel Payne Pharrel Payne 6'9" | C Park Of Cottage Grove | 2022 State #84 Nation MN missed the first two games of the season because of soreness from a fall injury. This weekend he was to face Nolan Winter Nolan Winter 7'0" | PF Lakeville North | 2023 State #98 Nation MN but Winter is out with his leg in a boot. We don’t know if Payne will play this weekend, but we hope so.
Prince Aligbe Prince Aligbe 6'6" | SF Minnehaha Academy | 2022 State #167 Nation MN is looking for a ring for his thumb! The Redhawks leader takes his team into a massive battle with Minneapolis North, two top Class AA contenders. Prince has a resume that is Final Five worthy. This is a big stage for him.
Braeden Carrington Braeden Carrington 6'4" | SG Park Center | 2022 State #141 Nation MN is rapidly improving. I can not stress to you enough how improved he is and how good his feel for the game has become. He’s skilled, agile, and motivated. The top player on the number one team in Class AAAA and he has a chance to capture the moment versus Wayzata.
Final Five Contenders
Demarion Watson Demarion Watson 6'8" | SF Totino-Grace | 2022 State #150 Nation MN is a nationally ranked Iowa State committed wing ready to lead Totino-Grace into a huge game with CDH. Watson will be playing shooting guard with this team meaning he is going to be facing a good CDH Raider with a physical advantage.
Alonzo Dodd Alonzo Dodd 6'2" | CG South St Paul | 2022 State MN . I have said this many times, saying it again. Alonzo Dodd Alonzo Dodd 6'2" | CG South St Paul | 2022 State MN needs to be bronzed at SSP for what he has done for that basketball program. Maybe even a statue. This weekend he leads the Packers into a game with a fellow top five AAA team, Mankato East. BJ Omot BJ Omot 6'8" | PF Mankato East | 2022 State #231 Nation MN , he’s another final five contender. The Austin Packers beat East badly this week so Omot and his team will be motivated to face Dodd and company on the big stage.
Jackson Loge Jackson Loge 6'7" | C Morris Area | 2022 State MN just became the all time leading scorer in Morris Area basketball history. He’s putting together monster double-doubles and then taking a seat for the final six minutes of the game. It will be tougher this weekend against Blake in a top ten Class AA match-up.
Top Ten List Potentials
Kendall Blue Kendall Blue 6'6" | SG East Ridge | 2022 State #242 Nation MN and East Ridge take on Hopkins. We could see Blue versus CJ O’Hara CJ O’Hara 6'4" | SF Park Center | 2023 State #285 Nation MN which is a great match-up. Hopkins is a very legit state title contender and if East Ridge got the win here that would be huge for Blue and his team.
We just spoke about Hopkins as a top team and their monster up front if Elvis Nnaji Elvis Nnaji 6'8" | C Hopkins | 2022 State #215 Nation MN . If you take Elvis and compare him to Travis Mbakwe, of course there are differences. But there are a lot of things between the two that are similar as well. Elvis is a potential for this list and you can see it this weekend as his team faces East idge.
When you are the top player on a returning champion, and you are a D1 committed player to the local school, you are a potential. That’s Carter Bjerke Carter Bjerke 6'9" | C Wayzata | 2022 State MN and his Wayzata Trojans face Park Center this weekend at the Tip Off.
Back to that CDH vs TG main event. Ahjany Lee Ahjany Lee 6'9" | C Byron | 2022 State #145 Nation MN will be inside against Brandon Melchior Brandon Melchior 6'10" | C Elk River | 2022 State MN and Mekhi Edwards Mekhi Edwards 6'8" | SF St Cloud Tech | 2024 State MN . Perfect chance to see what the UST signed big can do against other quality bigs.