Ten Best: Mpls North at Mpls Washburn
MVP: Odell Wilson, North Wilson battled down low with strength but also showed touch. The best moment was a coast-to-coast lay-in that ended with an and-one. He shot an efficient 9-for-13 from the field and was a perfect 6-for-6 from…
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Continue ReadingMVP: Odell Wilson, North
Wilson battled down low with strength but also showed touch. The best moment was a coast-to-coast lay-in that ended with an and-one. He shot an efficient 9-for-13 from the field and was a perfect 6-for-6 from the stripe to total 24 points. Add in 15 rebounds and you’ve got a great game from the junior.
Best Offensive Performance: JaQuan Sanders-Smith, North
Odell was great, and I also thought about Isaac Johnson here. But after looking at the box score, JaQuan hit 4 of 6 of his FGs and added in seven more free throws for 21 total points. Then you have all the assists he threw and the constant fast-paced offense that he pushed. I think that gives JaQuan this award, although you could definitely insert Odell here as well.
Best Defensive Performance: Da’Kei Hines, North
Hines, a North newcomer along with his twin brother, was down for six blocks, including some nasty ones. His offensive skill is coming along, but his defensive timing is what might earn him college opportunities.
Best Shooter: Isaac Lotz, Washburn
The junior had several clutch threes for Washburn when they needed a spark the most. He had six threes total but went cold midway through the second. Nobody else on Washburn scored from deep.
Best Underclassman: Isaac Lotz, Washburn
Terrell Adams had 13 in the first half and led Washburn on a frenetic pace that kept them neck-and-neck with North, but he quickly fizzled in the second, scoring just two more points. Lotz kept the Millers alive in the second half and had the crowd going crazy with his long bombs.
Best Player off the Bench: Albert Demmings, Washburn, Nasir El-Amin, North
Albert comes off the bench but is one of the best combinations of athleticism and strength on the floor. He had 13 points but did a lot of the tough work required to compete with North. Nasir has an uncanny ability to draw contact and finish. He draws fouls near the rim very well and had 10 points of his own.
Best Under-the-Radar Performance: Gavin Yares, Washburn
Gavin is 6-foot-7 and has some potential. He had seven points last night, showing glimpses, and could have a nice senior year if he beefs up his frame.
Best Highlight Reel: Albert Demmings, Washburn
Albert put down a dunk that I’m going to tweet out tomorrow. Good lord, it was nasty.
Best Play: Five-point possession from North
You don’t see this every day … Jaquan Sanders goes to the rim, gets fouled and makes the bucket. Misses the free throw. Then Tayler Johnson gets that rebound, spins it off the glass and makes the and-one. North +5.
Best Storyline Going Forward: Is it North’s city again?
It doesn’t look like Washburn is going to compete for the MPLS city title unless things turn around quickly. They’re not a bad team, but they just didn’t look good at all against North or against Patrick Henry. North is going to have to go through its northside neighbor Henry to keep the title.