Friday Night Match-Up: #1 Park Center at #1 Totino-Grace

Park Center and Totino-Grace are thought by many to be the best two teams in Minnesota.  Tonight they play their first of two games this year in a game of the year match-up.  Here is Friday Night Match-Up. Here are the projected line-ups: PG: ( Taison Chatman Taison Chatman 6'4" | PG Totino-Grace | 2023 State #28 Nation MN ) vs ( Leo Torbor Leo Torbor 6'3" | PG Park Center | 2022 State MN ).    You have a top 25 junior in the nation and a San Joe State committed guard.  Leo has the ability to ball pressure Taison but then again last weekend Tre Holloman Tre Holloman 6'2" | PG Cretin-Derham Hall | 2022 State #57 Nation MN did that and Taison Chatman Taison Chatman 6'4" | PG Totino-Grace | 2023 State #28 Nation MN put on one of the top performances of the season.   Torbor is scoring 14 a game for the Pirates, Taison leads the Eagles in scoring.   Two: ( Demarion Watson Demarion Watson 6'8" | SF Totino-Grace | 2022 State #150 Nation MN ) vs ( Braeden Carrington Braeden Carrington 6'4" | SG Park Center | 2022 State #141 Nation MN ).   Watson and Carrington played together for the Grassroots Sizzle over several years and tonight they will go head to head.  Watson and Carrington are both nationally ranked players with Watson headed to Iowa State and Carrington going to Minnesota.  Watson and Carrington are both having great years and tonight is their chance to have a Mr. Basketball moment.  Watson’s size will be on Carrington at times and Demarion has defensively been excellent.  But Carrington is a multi-level scoring talent.  Should be fun.  Three: ( Tommy Humphries Tommy Humphries 6'5" | SF Totino-Grace | 2023 State #254 Nation MN ) vs ( Ayouba Berthe Ayouba Berthe 6'5" | SF Park Center | 2022 State MN ).    Tommy is one of the most improved players in the state and Park Center has to get out and locate him.  Berthe is the perfect player to do that as he’s one of Minnesota’s better defenders.  Berthe and Humphries are both averaging 5/6 baskets a contest and are similar sized players.  Should be a great match-up. Berthe has the toughness that I think this Pirates team identifies with.  Four: ( Ahjany Lee Ahjany Lee 6'11" | C Totino-Grace | 2022 State #145 Nation MN ) vs ( Cody Pennebaker Cody Pennebaker 6'5" | SF Park Center | 2022 State MN ).    This is where these teams start to look different.  Lee will start the game with Bath although when one of the guards steps on the floor he will move to the five.  But as the four, Cody Pennebaker Cody Pennebaker 6'5" | SF Park Center | 2022 State MN will have to stop Lee from making an impact in the paint and a lot of teams have had trouble with that.  Lee may have to defend away from the basket a bit too.   Five: ( Patrick Bath Patrick Bath 6'9" | C Totino-Grace | 2023 State #307 Nation MN ) vs ( James Spencer James Spencer 6'6" | PF Park Center | 2022 State MN ).     Spencer has been the five for the Pirates and he’s played his role very well.  Tonight he has a tough task as James will have to deal with both Patrick Bath Patrick Bath 6'9" | C Totino-Grace | 2023 State #307 Nation MN and Ahjany Lee Ahjany Lee 6'11" | C Totino-Grace | 2022 State #145 Nation MN .  James is 6’6 so he will give up three or four inches but his length and effort will make up for some of that.   6th Man:  (Zy’lerre Stewart) vs ( JJ Ware JJ Ware 6'5" | SF Park Center | 2023 State MN ).    At 6’6 and giving the team 7.5 points and 5/6 rebounds a game JJ Ware JJ Ware 6'5" | SF Park Center | 2023 State MN will keep the Pirates long and active.  I can see Ware spending time on Humphries and Watson during this game and they will need JJ to make an impact off the bench.   Stewart will step on the floor and handle.  He will play in the backcourt with Taison Chatman Taison Chatman 6'4" | PG Totino-Grace | 2023 State #28 Nation MN which will mean Stewart will see a lot of Torbor.   7th Man: ( RJ Spencer RJ Spencer 6'3" | SG Totino-Grace | 2022 State MN ) vs (Jackson Fowlkes).  Spencer is a reserve senior guard that has a scoring punch.  He’s a player that will draw the fifth defender but that fifth defender has to locate Spencer.  Fowlkes is a hard working reserve junior wing that has impressed this year with the effort.  He could see time on several of the Eagle wings.