Breakdown Summer State: Class AAAA Blue Storyboard

The winner of Class AAAA (Blue division)?  Park Center. Stop me if you’ve heard this before but, the Pirates are going to be very good once again.   The Results Park Center 3-0 Wayzata 2-1 Bloomington Jefferson 2-1 Stillwater 1-2 East Ridge 1-2 Eastview 0-3   The All Tournament Team Daniel Freitag Daniel Freitag 6'3" | PG Thomas Jefferson | 2024 State MN of Bloomington Jefferson Spencer Hall Spencer Hall 6'4" | SF Wayzata | 2023 State MN of Wayzata CJ O’Hara CJ O’Hara 6'4" | SF Park Center | 2023 State #211 Nation MN of Park Center Max Shikenjanski Max Shikenjanski 6'2" | PG Stillwater | 2023 State #282 Nation MN of Stillwater JJ Ware JJ Ware 6'6" | SF Park Center | 2023 State MN of Park Center   Three Prospect Notes Daniel Freitag Daniel Freitag 6'3" | PG Thomas Jefferson | 2024 State MN of Bloomington Jefferson.  Daniel Freitag Daniel Freitag 6'3" | PG Thomas Jefferson | 2024 State MN ’s combination of speed and handles, dribble separation game and touch, and explosive athletic ability is special.  The next top 50 national talent in Minnesota or higher level of special.  Did you see the way he was separating from scholarship corners at Gopher football camp?  Take that and then think of Al Nolen quickness with the ball, dribble separation that is starting to pattern Taison Chatman Taison Chatman 6'4" | PG Totino-Grace | 2023 State #28 Nation MN , and explosive finishing that makes one think Joe Coleman, and you take all the finer parts of those and put them together, that is this special talent.  Daniel’s ability to consistently lift into and make dribble separation jumpers is special. But not as special as his ability to consistently help this Jefferson program beat good teams.  Max Shikenjanski Max Shikenjanski 6'2" | PG Stillwater | 2023 State #282 Nation MN of Stillwater.  I’ve said everything I need to say about what Max does, he’s a scorer that is also an elite passer.  He’s more driven to win than 99.9 percent of those out there and he will out work that 0.01 other percent.  At this point it’s basically time to say college coaches, get after this young man now before you are battling many others to get him when he transfers up to your level. JJ Ware JJ Ware 6'6" | SF Park Center | 2023 State MN of Park Center.  It’s story time. Three years ago I watched JJ Ware JJ Ware 6'6" | SF Park Center | 2023 State MN ’s 14u team playing up a grade at a 15u event.  At that time Ware looked every bit like he would be a division one level basketball player with his frame and skills as a wing.  Unfortunately a bad leg injury led to a near two year set back.  JJ has since battled back to become a scholarship prospect and right now as a worker (active defender, rebounder) and as a skilled finisher (active off ball scores, really good mid-range attack game, jumper that is becoming more consistent) we are seeing JJ play in a full scholarship way.    The More You Know! Stillwater.  After watching them this weekend I feel really comfortable in saying that they have a very real chance to make a run at East Ridge.  Sure the Raptors are the big favorites but I think this year Stillwater can push for a strong record and a chance to upset the Raptors for a chance at state (same can be said for White Bear Lake).  Eastview.  When you run these events in the summer you know that there will be vacations and there will be other events meaning a team or two won’t be what they expect to be.  The Lightning were that team this weekend with their staff all out of town.  The Lightning played two games and were missing a lot of key players as well.  Park Center.  That line-up is looking like Casmir Chavis Casmir Chavis 6'4" | SG Park Center | 2024 MN , Jackson Fowlkes, CJ O’Hara CJ O’Hara 6'4" | SF Park Center | 2023 State #211 Nation MN , JJ Ware JJ Ware 6'6" | SF Park Center | 2023 State MN and Molley Kamara Molley Kamara 6'8" | C Park Center | 2023 State MN for next year.  With O’Hara joining four returning players that have all improved greatly, they have moved right back into that "preseason number one as the defending champs that have to be knocked off, and have the talent to repeat". Bloomington Jefferson.   As I said earlier, the Jags have what they need to be good again.  Freitag is an elite talent and the Jags have size.  6’7/6’8 2023 Anthony Thorman Anthony Thorman 6'7" | C Bloomington Jefferson | 2023 State MN looks really good and has played well this spring.  Thorman has the look of a future big in college basketball.   Wayzata.  I didn’t get a chance to see them play but it should surprise nobody that they were in the title game once again.  In casual observation the Trojans look like they have some quality size coming up from the younger levels.  East Ridge.  Brayden Carlson Brayden Carlson 6'8" | PF East Ridge | 2024 State MN really seems to have matured.  He’s about 6’8 and his frame has really filled out with stronger shoulders and a strong core.  I was impressed with many of the things he did both Saturday and Sunday.  When you combine Carlson with the Charlies (Bern and Theis), Alex Mattes Alex Mattes 6'3" | SG East Ridge | 2023 State MN as the shooter/scorer, and freshman-to-be Cedric Tomes coming up looking like the next star of the program, the Raptors will continue to be a top ten factor.