Bethel Holiday Tournament #2 Preview
(Image: Bethel Royals Athletics, @BethelRoyals) Several days ago NHR previewed the first of two four-team brackets being played at Bethel University in St. Paul this week. The second bracket overlaps one day with the first one and from top to…
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Continue Reading(Image: Bethel Royals Athletics, @BethelRoyals)
Several days ago NHR previewed the first of two four-team brackets being played at Bethel University in St. Paul this week. The second bracket overlaps one day with the first one and from top to bottom is the deeper tournament. NHR talks the matchups, storylines, and prospects to watch on December 28-29 in the Robertson Center gym.
The Matchups
Dec. 28, 4:15 p.m. – Eagan vs. St. Louis Park
Eagan played a lot of sophomores and juniors last season in order to bring back some experience this year. They are just 2-4 and hold losses to Chaska, Jefferson and Prior Lake, but did defeat North St. Paul in a big win. Jake Van Wyk leads the Wildcats at 10.3 points per contest and the next four are averaging at least seven per game. Balance will go a long way come playoff time and this Eagan squad is a more battle-tested team than a year ago.
The Orioles of St. Louis Park are 2-3 on the year but seem to be playing some very good basketball lately. Two of their losses are to Park Center and Hopkins (both top 10 teams) and they were competitive games. A win against Minnehaha Academy is notable. Wing Mykal Howard is tearing it up with 14.2 ppg and 5.6 rpg, leading the team in both categories. Point guard Cire Mayfield is one of the more shifty ballhandlers in the metro and is putting up 11.4 per game, and workers Joey Whitlock, Richard Green and Ryan Domres are fitting their roles nicely as well.
Prediction: St. Louis Park 65, Eagan 58. This will be the better semifinal in the bracket since both teams have experience, balance and tough schedules. Howard vs. Van Wyk could be fun to watch. I’ll take the Orioles thanks to a firepower advantage.
Dec, 28, 6:00 p.m. – Mounds View vs. St. Francis
The loss of Nate Albers hurts deeply. This year it’s the Nick McMillan show, and he’s putting up 21.5 points a game. The Mustangs are 1-3 and have a crazy-tough New Year slate with games against Cretin and Woodbury right out of the gate. They need these tournament wins now to set them up for a difficult Suburban East schedule. Supporting McMillan is forward Brian Stone at 11.5 a game.
St. Francis is a perennially solid program but they graduated a veteran senior class that produced consistently. The Saints have dropped four in a row and are 2-4 on the young season. Ryan Svihel is a 6-5 swingman who is a matchup nightmare and he’s racking up 13.8 per game, with highly-touted frosh forward Wyatt Schroeder close behind at 11 points a contest. Genuine Matthews is one of the fastest guards around and can make you work for everything. St. Francis will be a fun test for Mounds View.
Prediction: Mounds View 57, St. Francis 53. Who will stop the twin towers Svihel and Schroeder, and in turn who will stop scoring machine McMillan? This one could go either way depending on how hot these guys get.
Dec. 29, 6:00 p.m. – Third Place Prediction: St. Francis 62, Eagan 50. 6-foot-6 Eagan forward Jaren Schetter is the only sizable fit to guard Svihel and Schroeder, and I think the Saints bounce back for a third place win over the Wildcats.
Dec. 29, 7:45 p.m. – Championship Prediction: St. Louis Park 77, Mounds View 67. I bet waterbug Cire Mayfield chases McMillan everywhere on defense while Howard goes to work on the weaker Mustang perimeter and scores 20. Don’t be surprised, though, if this one comes down to role player production. I like SLP in that specific area.
Prospects To Watch
Jake Van Wyk (F, 6-3, Sr., Eagan)
Jaren Schetter (F, 6-6, Jr., Eagan)
Cire Mayfield (PG, 5-9, Jr., St. Louis Park)
Mykal Howard (G, 6-2, Sr., St. Louis Park)
Joey Whitlock (G, 5-11, Jr., St. Louis Park)
Nick McMillan (G, 6-2, Sr., Mounds View)
Brian Stone (F, 6-3, Sr., Mounds View)
Ryan Svihel (F, 6-5, Sr., St. Francis)
Wyatt Schroeder (F, 6-5, Fr., St Francis)
Genuine Matthews (PG, 5-8, Sr., St. Francis)