True Under the Radar Talent: Class A
The Class A level of basketball has sleepers that routinely step forward and have outstanding careers at the D3 level. Those future names could be among the following players in the final True Under the Radar Talent series.
Section 1A. Landon Skalet of Rushford-Peterson. The Tom Vix crew isn’t slowing down any time soon. Kobe Lind and Luke O’Hare are experienced sophomores and Landon Skalet returns as a senior after scoring a dozen a game last year. Landon scored 11 a game last year on a balanced team that went to state plus is the QB this fall on the football team.
Section 2A. 2A will have four of the top five players in all of Class A basketball next year and half of the top ten including the likely top ranked teams in the state. Finding a sleeper here is tough but Alex Hillisheim of New Ulm Cathedral is one. Alex is a three sport athlete that scored 13 points per game a year ago earning all conference honors in the Tomahawk Conference.
Section 3A. Bentley Boike of Dawson-Boyd. Bentley Boike will challenge the Hennens as the top scorers in the section and will keep Dawson-Boyd in the mix of 3A. He’s a 6-3 forward that averaged 18.2 points per game last winter and that was after running for 1,800 in ten games on the football field.
Section 4A. The most dangerous scorer at Mounds Park Academy could push his team to the section final and that is Yahya Madar of Mounds Park. Madar is a forward that scored 17 a game last year including an 80 point run in three playoff games that took his team to the section championship of 2018.
Section 5A. Cromwell won 23 games a year ago and battled to the section final, and now the Cardinals are ready for their biggest basketball season in over 20 years. All of their key pieces return including 20 point per game level scorer Micah Pocernich. The expectations in Cromwell are big, and they should be, and Micah is the crucial piece. Micah is a 5-foot-10 guard.
Section 6A. Ortonville is a 20 win team that returns all of their key pieces including Tyson Powell. Powell has a chance to be a top Class A All State player. Tyson is a 5-foot-10 guard that put up 21 points a game a year ago with five boards and five assists a contest. Powell has a beautiful shooting touch.
Section 7A. Wrenshall was a 25-3 team a year ago and a top contender to North Woods. The Wrens lost their top two scorers but Coach Jon Bartczak still has Eli Krisak returning: a 16 point per game scorer in 17-18 as a junior. Is this the year that somebody can step to North Woods and knock them down? Past history says a fat “NO” but Eli is the guy that could give them a chance.
Section 8A. Brenden Bethke of Sacred Heart. The sleeper in 8A is definitely Sacred Heart. They aren’t a sleeper to locals though, this is a team that went 23-9. Brenden Bethke is now the main guy for the Eagles after putting up 13.4 points and 4.3 assists a game as the main playmaker last year.