Minnesota Playoff Central: Friday
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Last Friday there were eight big school playoff games in Minnesota. Minneapolis South ending the Hopkins season convincingly was the most noteworthy item. Playoff Central. Friday night there were two 6AAAA match-ups – Wayzata beating Armstrong and South…
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Continue ReadingLast Friday there were eight big school playoff games in Minnesota. Minneapolis South ending the Hopkins season convincingly was the most noteworthy item.
Playoff Central. Friday night there were two 6AAAA match-ups – Wayzata beating Armstrong and South defeating Hopkins on the road – as well as six Class AAA section games in various part of Central and Northern Minnesota. Fans that went to Cambridge-Isanti saw a double-header that included one-loss Princeton barely getting by Big Lake 83-82 in overtime and Becker defeating Monticello by double figures.
Upset City. The only low seed team beating a high seed on Friday was Minneapolis South defeating Hopkins 68-53. Sophomore guard Poet Davis hit four threes scoring 17 points while fellow sophomore guard De’Mari Larkins De’Mari Larkins 5'9" | PG Osseo | 2024 State MN supported the Davis efforts with 16 points. A total of 62 points were scored by Minneapolis South underclassmen (remember, they had 68).
The Big Stage. The big stage will almost always be a back to back situation of games. Cooper Jones Cooper Jones 5'10" | PG Princeton | 2022 MN had a team high 29 points with 8 assists leading Princeton to that one point win over Big Lake. Haydn Stay Haydn Stay 6'4" | PG Princeton | 2022 State MN gave his team a monster game with his 28 points and 14 rebounds. Senior Johnny O’Brien scored 24 points for Big Lake in the loss. Brady Paumen Brady Paumen 6'6" | SF Becker | 2023 State MN had 23 points leading Becker over the Magic in the second contest.
Top Performers. We will start with the Wayzata defense. The Trojans limited Armstrong to 25 points total in a 67-25 victory. The Falcons had one guy score more than four points (the team high player had seven). Meanwhile Wayzata had 11 players scored and eight of them score three or more times.
St. Cloud Tech senior wing Donald Ferguson Donald Ferguson 6'1" | SG St. Cloud Tech | 2022 State MN led his team with 25 points as Ferguson continues to have a magnificent season leading Tech to the 8AAA section final. Fellow Tech Tiger Jalyn Simmons scored 15 points.
Grayson Gove scored 17 points leading Alexandria over Rocori.
Tip of the Hat to the Career. Elvis Nnaji Elvis Nnaji 6'8" | C Hopkins | 2022 State #215 Nation MN saw the Hopkins Royals lose last Friday. It was the last high school game for Nnaji who is a 6’8/6’9 explosive five man that plays with effort and energy. He’s a physical specimen with excellent explosion. Nnaji averaged 15 points and 9 rebounds a game this year. Nnaji is still unsigned and in my opinion is a division one five man.