Ten Best: Totino-Grace vs. Brooklyn Center
A trip down 94 with my old man (a Brooklyn Center Centaur alum) in tow provided a great atmosphere and overall contest between BC and the Eagles of Totino-Grace. Hot shooting helped T-G jump out to a premature ten point…
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Continue ReadingA trip down 94 with my old man (a Brooklyn Center Centaur alum) in tow provided a great atmosphere and overall contest between BC and the Eagles of Totino-Grace. Hot shooting helped T-G jump out to a premature ten point lead but veterans Deshawn Pickford and Devonta Prince battled back with relentless attacks to the rim to make it a one possession game at the break.
All of half two was back and forth, and as the clock wound down, play became hurried and sloppy on both sides. Some big foul calls late pushed Totino-Grace ahead, then Brooklyn Center increased the pace to tie it at 61. A trey at the buzzer missed, and I found myself in attendance of a second overtime game in a row. Eagle forward Rocky Kreuser added two huge baskets in the extra period and several very physical putback attempts for the Centaurs couldn’t drop, much to the dismay of Coach McCollister. Eagles snuck out a victory over Brooklyn Center 67-65.
MVP: Nathan Kavolak (SG/SF, 6-4, Sr., Totino-Grace)
From the opening tap Kavolak was the man to watch beyond the arc. He camped out there and knocked out six treys on his way to 22 points. Two of those bombs came in the last minute and a half, the latter one tying the game at 61. He scorched the nets and contributed two rebounds and two assists as well. He could be a solid local D3 prospect.
Best offensive performance: Rudy Tahir (G, 5-8, Fr., Brooklyn Center)
Tahir was the one name in the Centaur starting lineup that I didn’t recognize. He’s just a freshman, so it makes sense, but he played with composure like a senior. Scored 16 with a go-ahead three late in the game and he handled the fast pace of the contest very fluidly. Tahir will be a mainstay for BC in the backcourt with that kind of poise.
Best defensive performance: Rocky Kreuser (SF/PF, 6-8, Sr., Totino-Grace)
By far the tallest player on the floor, NDSU-signed Rocky Kreuser did not overwhelm in the scoring column, but he tallied three blocks in the game and protected the rim well, continually altering the drives and slashes of BC athletes and turning them into missed layups. Finished with 11 points and seven boards as well.
Best rebounder: Tyler Kittelson (PF, 6-6, Jr., Totino-Grace)
Kittelson is up for Prep Hoops’ Dunk of the Week, and it’s evident that he’s got springs. Already lengthy at 6-foot-6, he skied high above the rest of the players on the floor and blocked out with a physicality I hadn’t seen from him before. He finished with ten rebounds on the night to go with eight points.
Best underclassman: Lu’Cye Patterson (PG, 5-8, Fr., Brooklyn Center)
Another talented freshman guard for Coach McCollister. Patterson is in his second season starting varsity and he is extremely focused for an underclassman. His crossover-to-spin combo is electric and already he has great court vision, anticipating open teammates for high-percentage looks. 12 points and four assists according to my stat sheet, with just one turnover.
Best performance off the bench: Will Schmidt (F, 6-6, Jr., Totino-Grace)
This guy might be one of the most deceiving players around. At 6-6 and put-together, you’d think he mans the paint and goes to work on the block; quite the contrary. He knocked down three first half bombs on his way to 13 points.
Best coaching decision: Four out, Rocky Kreuser in
Throughout the evening and especially in the second half, when T-G went to a four out motion offense and gave Kreuser post touches, the whole defense collapsed on him. That gave Rocky—who is a very underrated passer—chances to kick out to guards for threes and open driving lanes. Kavolak particularly benefitted from this scheme.
Best play: Patterson assist for buzzer beater three-pointer
The aforementioned Patterson crossed up an Eagle defender, got into the lane and saw a helper ready to take a charge. He changed his course and veered toward the corner where wide open Kerkulah Collins was standing with his hands ready. Collins let the ball fly and sunk it, cutting the T-G lead to two points at halftime. A big momentum swing in favor of BC.
Best under-the-radar performance: Devonta Prince (SF, 6-4, Sr., Brooklyn Center)/Deshawn Pickford (G, 5-11, Sr., Brooklyn Center)
This young man can flat-out soar. If you watched D1 MN Prospects 17U last summer you know what I’m saying. Scored 12 tonight on tough takes to the rim and one three-point make. I think he will have success wherever he lands, juco or otherwise, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him land in the D2 range sometime in the near future. Pickford was steady all night long and came up with clutch steals late to force the game into overtime. He’s another guy I like for jucos in the area.
Other: Al Nolen, former Patrick Henry and Minnesota Gopher point guard, is an assistant on the Centaurs staff. Cool to see him staying close to home after he played a couple years overseas. It was also personally fun to see this game because both my parents graduated from BC and I’d never been in their gym before.