CDH Jamboree Notes
Hopkins 54, Minnehaha Academy 26 Ish El-Amin comes out and opens with a dunk on the first possession. He continues to grow, and his junior year will be pivotal; finishing above the rim like that is another good sign of…
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Continue ReadingHopkins 54, Minnehaha Academy 26
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Ish El-Amin comes out and opens with a dunk on the first possession. He continues to grow, and his junior year will be pivotal; finishing above the rim like that is another good sign of physical growth.
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Jalen Suggs is a year older and a year bigger. His confidence as an 8th grader has to remind some of a young Tyus Jones, and I was particularly impressed when he went up and challenged 6-8 Joe Hedstrom from behind after Hedstrom boxed him out at the rim. Suggs drew a foul, but also got a hand on the ball and showed some hops to get up and contest. He also had several takes to the rim where it looked like he was going to try a dunk, but he adjusted for a lay-in.
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Javonni Bickham’s midrange jumper looked great on Saturday. He was rolling off picks and opening up for midranges in the elbow area with success. He seems to have made his shooting motion more fluid and streamlined, in my opinion. Jumpers from that area add a great facet to his game.
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I am impressed by the offseason work of both Simon Wright and Erik Davis. Wright came into this event looking visibly stronger, having packed on muscle to his upper body. Davis finished several at the rim and brings another 6-5 body to the mix; I like him as a D3 prospect quite a bit.
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Sophomore Joe Hedstrom made his varsity debut, and it’s looking like he’ll have a nice career ahead of him. Long (6-8), runs fairly well, and getting time on a state contender.
- The standout in this game was Amir Coffey. Amir is back and more confident than ever, using his length and improving strength to get to the rim easily. He had several contested makes from close range where he simply asserted himself. One year removed from an ACL injury, this is Amir’s year.
Maple Grove 35, Cretin-Derham Hall 27
- Maple Grove’s starting lineup is formidable, with Brad Davison, Jack Hutchinson, Tywhon Pickford, Reed Nikko and Jared Martinson to fill things out.
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Cretin’s Daniel Oturu is now varsity-ready. He stands 6-foot-8 and battled Missouri-bound Reed Nikko throughout the scrimmage, trading baskets and favoring a spin move that proved effective. He also had a really nice block at the rim on Tywhon. The sophomore will be a centerpiece for CDH moving forward.
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Nikko will be a handful for any team in the state. He’s even stronger than before, and there are maybe a handful of players in the state who can match up against him physically. Add in a player of Davison’s ability and consider several nice complementary pieces, and this is a team with a ton of postseason potential.
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Jalan Ousley-Brown came out shooting for CDH, something that I loved to see. He’s trying to transition his game to the wing, and truthfully, his jumper looks pretty good — we’ve just rarely seen it. Good to see him building confidence in that shot. He tells me he’s talking with several jucos, most recently Sheridan (Wy.).
Apple Valley 26, Eden Prairie 18
- Hard to come away with much in this low-scoring affair other than that Apple Valley’s defense suffocated EP’s varsity lineup. Granted, skilled junior Owen Chose was out with a concussion, but they fell behind early and didn’t do much until Brady Rudrud fired off back-to-back 3s. EP is a team that needs a big man to emerge… maybe Vermendahl? Will Gopher football commit Carter Coughlin play?
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Gary Trent, Jr. looks like he has packed on some muscle in the offseason. He only scored 5 on Saturday, but his confidence is through the roof and I think we’re probably in for some legendary scoring performances from him this year.
- Tre Jones got after it defensively, as he’s known to do. Between him and Jordan Bolton, the Eagles are ready to terrorize backcourts. Big brother took a break from a very busy TImberwolves schedule to check out the Jamboree.
Park Center 38, Washburn 23
- Washburn was missing at least two starters (Cortez Adams, Fortay Johnson), and the inexperience showed. Guards were streaking to the rim without discretion and throwing up some ugly shots. The score looks closer than it was.
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I liked freshman Khari Broadway for PC. He’s skilled around the rim and nailed a buzzer-beater before the first segment ended. PC also has freshman Jarius Cook who played with the D1 MN Prospects team, indicating that the future is bright for first-year coach Ware.
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Washburn has a few football kids who are undersized but bring a ton of scrappiness. Mo Mahamud took a forearm to the throat, but recovered quickly and kept hustling — that’s toughness. Savion Johnson is just 5-foot-6, but he is a ball of energy who plays with a high level of quickness. His jumper isn’t bad, either.
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Quiet scrimmage for 7-footer Charlie Irmiger. You have to think they’re saving him for the regular season.