Ten Best: Chaska vs. Woodbury
A top-10 Class AAAA matchup between Woodbury and Chaska lived up to the billing in perhaps the best game of the day on the East court at the Breakdown Tip Off Classic Saturday. It was a truly back-and-forth affair that…
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Continue ReadingA top-10 Class AAAA matchup between Woodbury and Chaska lived up to the billing in perhaps the best game of the day on the East court at the Breakdown Tip Off Classic Saturday. It was a truly back-and-forth affair that saw momentum swings on both sides, a lot of 3-pointers and two overtimes.
Ultimately too much Jeremiah Coddon and Michael Jones gave the Royals a 87-80 win.
Chaska had momentum early as Myles Hanson knocked down four 3-pointers to lead the Hawks to a 37-30 halftime lead. Woodbury responded big in the second half though, hitting eight 3-pointers.
The first overtime wasn’t enough to settle things. Hanson and Andrew Kallman boht fouled out for the Hawks and Coddon and Jones scored a combined 11 points in the second overtime.
MVP: Jeremiah Coddon (Woodbury)
Coddon had his fingerprints all over the game. He scored 24 points, he found his teammates for a number of easy looks inside and on the 3-point line and he was terrific on the defensive end of the floor (more on that in a bit).
When the Royals needed a play, the ball was in Coddon’s hands. And he did a solid job of mixing up looking for his own shot and finding shooters. He also came up clutch late in the game, scoring eight points in the two overtime sessions.
Best Offensive Performance: Michael Jones (Woodbury)
It’s weird to think a guy had a quiet 33 points, but Jones kind of did. He saved his best for late in the game for sure, scoring 25 points in the second half. Eight of those came in the overtime sessions as well. He knocked down seven 3-pointers in the game and hit eight free throws. A lot of the damage he did was by hitting catch-and-shoot 3-pointers but he also showed off solid handles at times and his ability to create off the dribble helped provide Coddon relief.
Best Defensive Performance: Coddon (Woodbury)
Coddon was a terror for the Chaska guards Saturday. He was incredibly active in the passing lanes, jumping passes and getting steals. Coddon was great on the ball as well where he used his strength to erase any penetration from the perimeter. He spent a lot of the afternoon defending Andrew Kallman, who finished the game with 12 points. Coddon’s menacing defense played a big part in making sure Kallman didn’t put up more than 20.
Best Underclassman: Cole Nicholson (Chaska)
Nicholson was outstanding on the offensive end Saturday for the Hawks, scoring 17 points. He could’ve had six or eight more had he been able to finish a couple other shots late in the game but Nicholson’s footwork and touch inside was awfully impressive. The 6-foot-5 sophomore showed off the ability to handle the ball and create his own offense too.
Best Player off the Bench: Ryan Rodriguez (Chaska)
The starters did a lot of the heavy lifting on both sides in this came but the guy who made a big impact off the bench was Chaska’s Ryan Rodriguez. Rodriguez scored 10 points and did a lot of the dirty work inside. The Hawks have talented scorers on the perimeter and Rodriguez did a nice job playing off the attention guys like Hanson, Kallman and Alex Strazzanti got.
Best Shooter: Myles Hanson (Chaska)
In a game where the two teams combined to hit 26 3-pointers, options for “best shooter” were plentiful. But Hanson was as good as any of them. The Chaska senior knocked down six treys on his way to a 26-point afternoon. Hanson’s an athletic specimen and a bigtime scorer for the Hawks. He’ll find a way to fill up the score sheet. On Saturday, it was from deep.
Best Passer: Coddon (Woodbury)
Coddon played a big part in the 3-point barrage Saturday for the Royals. The senior guard knocked down three treys and assisted on more than half of the remaining 13 3-pointers Woodbury hit. His ability to create off the dribble and find shooters at seemingly every spot on the floor was impressive.
Best Intangibles: Alex Strazzanti (Chaska)
Strazzanti is billed as a top defender and he certainly showed the chops on that end Saturday. He spent time defending Coddon, which was a great battle and his ability to make plays down the stretch for the Hawks was key. He scored 10 points and didn’t look to shoot a lot, but did a great running the offense and making sure guys like Hanson and Nicholson got touches.
Best Under-the-Radar Performance: Ike Thilgen (Woodbury)
Another guy who could’ve gotten the “best shooter” nod was Thilgen. The 5-foot-10 senior buried five 3-pointers on the way to a 19-point afternoon. Thilgen’s shot is a thing of beauty and his ability to play off the ball was a big factor in the Royals pulling out a win. Without Jake West, the Royals needed someone to step up and score. Thilgen answered the bell.
He said: Coddon (Woodbury)
Early season games like this ultimately don’t mean much in the long run. They aren’t going to make or break a team’s season. But it’s a great experience and a great atmosphere. Getting pushed by a quality opponent early in the season can be incredibly beneficial though because teams find out what they are made of.
“It’s really fun,” said Coddon. Last year we didn’t have too many tough games and in the playoffs I thought we got cut short. It’s nice to come out here, this great crowd and this great Breakdown event, going through adversity. It’s good early so when we get into conference and section play we’re more prepared.”