Ten Best: Osseo vs. Maple Grove
I returned to the old stomping grounds on Friday night for the biannual girls/boys doubleheader to see #3 Maple Grove host district rival Osseo and come out on top 72-68. Admittedly my nostalgia was through the roof but the game itself…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingI returned to the old stomping grounds on Friday night for the biannual girls/boys doubleheader to see #3 Maple Grove host district rival Osseo and come out on top 72-68. Admittedly my nostalgia was through the roof but the game itself was one for the ages.
A quick start for both teams as Tywhon Pickford and Zach Theisen heat up early. Osseo runs for a few minutes and the Crimson respond to close out the half with a 40-36 lead. Maple Grove pulled ahead by as many as 15, but in these high-emotion contests nothing is out of the question. The Orioles surged late to get within one point, but what happened when MG needed it most? Ball security was a given when Brad Davison had possession. Crimson escaped in a four point battle.
MVP: Brad Davison (G, 6-3, Sr., Maple Grove)/Tywhon Pickford (G, 6-4, Sr., Maple Grove)
Osseo tried to knock him down all evening, but Brad always popped right back up. He gritted his way to 25 points and added nine assists for 20 more. If the game is tight within two minutes, you can almost bet that Davison will somehow put it away. He has that confidence in himself and his teammates. Performed with toughness in front of his head coach next year, Wisconsin’s Greg Gard.
Pickford went to work right away and continues to prove he can bury the three-pointer. The chemistry between him and Davison is almost untouchable. More and more D1s will be forced to peek. 26 points, nine rebounds for the stock riser on Friday.
Best offensive performance: Zach Theisen (SG, 6-2, Jr., Osseo)
There’s a reason mid-majors are calling. Zach torched the nets for 27 points on several treys and strong attacking finishes. I was impressed at his aggressiveness to the rim early, which opened up his perimeter game later on. He made everything despite being chased all 36 minutes.
Best defensive performance: Ryan Bredensteiner (F, 6-4, Sr., Maple Grove)
I’ve said before that Bredensteiner glues together the Crimson defense. He tightly guarded 6-8 Oriole center Alex Sinnen and mostly outrebounded the rest of the Osseo frontcourt. Notably he flew in from seemingly nowhere to provide an energetic putback layup during Maple Grove’s run in the first half.
Best underclassman: None
Zero freshmen and/or sophomores touched the floor for either squad. What’s waiting in the pipeline? Both teams have outstanding senior classes, so most minutes are taken there. But the next couple seasons will be quite interesting to see who picks up varsity play quicker.
Best under-the-radar performance: Gare Ewefada (SF, 6-2, Sr., Maple Grove)
Recently featured in a recruiting report here at NHR, Ewefada continues to provide quality spurts when the Crimson mainstays need a breather. His jumping ability outweighs almost everyone else on the floor and he committed to making hustle plays throughout the game on Friday. Scored one attacking bucket as well.
Best performance off the bench: Emmett Page (G, 6-0, Jr., Osseo)
His name is now on MN high school radar thanks to this shot, but he’s the real deal. Smooth pull-up jumper, quick first step on rip drives, and a solid seven points for the junior. Hit a trey late to decrease the deficit to one point. Keep your eyes on this hard worker for Osseo.
Best shooter: Zach Theisen/Jack Hutchison (G, 6-0, Sr., Maple Grove)
Theisen wins easy in this category. He even completed a four-point play. Hutchison was on his tail the whole game and he converted from deep without hesitation.
As a three-year starter and sharpshooter for the Crimson, Hutchison has a very reputable three-point jumper. He’s using it to his advantage smartly now with fluid pump fakes into one-dribble pull-ups. He added 10 outside points for MG.
Best intangibles: John Bezdicek (SF, 6-3, Sr., Osseo)/Matt Bezdicek (SF, 6-4, Sr., Osseo)
These two are gutsy in every sense of the word. Taking charges, offensive rebounds, big shots, you name it, the Bezdicek twins can get it done. John had a sneaky game of 16 points and several boards, and while Matt didn’t get on the scoresheet he dropped four assists for Osseo. Love what they could possibly bring to a MIAC program.
Best aspect of the environment: RIVALRY!
Throwing all my bias as far into the distance as possible, there are few matchups as anticipated and exciting and plain LOUD as the crosstown Maple Grove/Osseo game. As you can see from the feature image, the Maple Grove gym is standing room only. The whole community comes to see this one, whether they’re basketball fans or not. Factor in the girls game beforehand, college coach attendance, and alumni, this is a hard atmosphere to beat.
Best storyline moving forward: Next meeting and beyond
When Crimson and Orioles clash, you can toss all rankings and records out the window. It’s a battle through and through. The next time these two squads see each other is in mid-February at Osseo. Nobody knows what will happen then or what will have happened up until then either.
Osseo still has to fight through Champlin Park and Park Center in section 5. They could shoot and outwork their way into contention come playoff time. Maple Grove’s path is lighter in section 8. This rivalry went to the Target Center in 2011; could we see it once again?