Section Scout: 2AAAA Semifinals
The evening session sent me back to the all-too-familiar Hopkins Lindbergh Center for some 2AAAA semifinal action. The high speed and intensity from the start was extremely fun to watch and there were great crowds on hand for both games. Here’s the scoop on Chaska/Edina and Bloomington Jefferson/Eden Prairie.
Semifinal 1: #1 Chaska vs. #4 Edina
Both student sections showed out well and talent across all levels was on display in this one. Back and forth all of the first half, Chaska’s Myles Hanson willed his squad to a 35-30 lead at halftime. He tallied 19 points at the break. The hot streak didn’t end there; Chaska fed his mismatches against Edina guards and that ultimately helped the Hawks pull away (despite best efforts from Anders Nelson and Walt McGrory) with a 73-61 semifinal victory.
Alex Strazzanti (G, 6-2, Sr., Chaska) – Strazzanti got the scoring going early on with three open layups, then distributed and sat in a stance on defense to stifle the great Edina guard play. He’s walking on for football at Minnesota next year and his athleticism showed in his lateral movement and ability to chase down ballhandlers when he got beat. Eight points for Strazzanti.
Cole Nicholson (PF, 6-5, So., Chaska) – A big underclassman that has been a nice complement to the senior Hawk scorers this season. Nicholson never jumps out of his role or does anything more than he’s asked. His faceup game was smooth as he showed he can put the ball on the floor and get to the rim for pump fakes and easy buckets. Scored three times inside.
Myles Hanson (SG/SF, 6-6, Sr., Chaska) – Columbia is getting a bona fide scorer. Nobody can match up with him one-on-one and if he’s feeling it, you can count it every time he lets it fly. Whether it was a post up on a smaller Edina guard or just walking the ball up the floor and pulling a 24-footer, it went in. Final tally of 46 points on around seven triples. He crashed for 12 rebounds too, giving him a double-double. Hanson’s release is so fluid and simple and perfectly swishes every time he makes it. I wouldn’t want to see him and the Hawks in a random draw state quarterfinal game…
Anders Nelson (G, 6-0, Jr., Edina) – For a guard who stands six feet tall, Nelson can get his shot off over taller defenders very effectively. The give and go quick-cut offense Edina utilized was beneficial for the speedy Nelson to get layups before the Chaska defense could rotate over. He had 20 to lead the Hornets.
Jack Middleton (G, 6-2, So., Edina) – I knew there was buzz about Middleton’s shooting ability and he displayed it Saturday night. He hit three big treys in the first half to keep Edina close, complete with pumping up the crowd and getting the gym excited. He can handle the ball well for a sophomore and if he grows a couple more inches will be a very interesting prospect. Reminds me a little of Michael Jones from Woodbury. Scored a total of 13 points.
Walt McGrory (PG, 6-3, Sr., Edina) – Walt will have his pick of multiple mid-major schools to play at next season. In his final game as an Edina Hornet he posted 15 points and four rebounds, giving maximum effort to get some kind of rally going in the late minutes. His outside shot just wasn’t consistently falling. Walt’s physique is really nice for a Division I lead guard at 6-3 and probably 190 pounds; he’ll be a good pickup wherever he chooses to go.
Semifinal 2: #2 Bloomington Jefferson vs. #3 Eden Prairie
Jefferson and their senior stars’ big season came to a close on Saturday because Eden Prairie head coach David Flom pushed the Jaguars out of their comfort zone from the get-go. Stretching the on-ball defensive intensity to a higher level, Eden Prairie forced Jefferson to play uptempo and fast, which is not their favorite scheme. The Eagles flew to a 14-0 lead on two Owen Chose bombs and settled down for a 31-25 halftime lead. Though Tyler Riemersma had a nice offensive performance, the rest of the Jags couldn’t get past quick and agile EP defensive layers. 72-55 final, Eden Prairie moves on.
Jack Tillotson (SF, 6-4, Sr., Jefferson) – I really like watching Tillotson work on offense as a bigger small forward. He has a linebacker body and a smooth jumper, both of which contributed to his 12 point output on Saturday. He’s a strong rebounder and an overall good athlete. I’m interested to see what he decides to do in college.
Tyler Riemersma (F, 6-8, Sr., Jefferson) – He’s listed at center, but there’s nothing typical about Riemersma’s size. He’s a threat from midrange and even from beyond the arc, and he can take smaller or slower big men to the hole and draw fouls. I love his focus on the rim when he drives and contorts his shooting angles to score. An underratedly consistent rebounder too… remember he snatched 32 of them in a game earlier this year. His high school career was capped off with a 24-point, seven-rebound performance.
Austin Andrews (F, 6-5, Fr., Eden Prairie) – The young forward attacked the much larger and more experienced Jefferson frontcourt with eyes on the rim and fakes up his sleeve. He battled Riemersma for rebounds every possession and finished with 17 points and five rebounds. I like his future as a stretch four and he might not be done growing. Watch out for him with D1 Minnesota this spring/summer.
Owen Chose (SG, 6-2, Sr., Eden Prairie) – As the seasoned vet on the youthful Eden Prairie Eagles squad, Chose is responsible for keeping the intensity level at an even keel. He did that well by leading his team with 23 points and most of his makes at the 3-point line were in dagger form. He kept extending the Eagle lead and his emotion showed when he walked off the court with two minutes left and the victory sealed. Big game from Owen.
Will Pahl (F, 6-3, Sr., Eden Prairie) – Pahl is no household name but he had three key baskets in the second half as Eden Prairie made their run to a double digit lead. He sliced down the lane line past weak-side Jefferson help and finished over the Jaguars bigs with great focus. He’s a solid player that doesn’t get much glory but is trusted to be on the floor late in games.
–Chaska and Eden Prairie face off in the section 2AAAA championship game on Friday, March 17 at 7 p.m.