First Impressions: Class 4A Favorites
Minnesota high school basketball is back, and the 4A class is looking as competitive as it’s been in years. With Breakdown Sports’ Big 12 Classic event, I was able to get a look at a majority of the top ten…
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Continue ReadingMinnesota high school basketball is back, and the 4A class is looking as competitive as it’s been in years. With Breakdown Sports’ Big 12 Classic event, I was able to get a look at a majority of the top ten ranked teams in the class. After seeing these teams compete for the first time this year, I’ll be giving my first impressions on the top five ranked teams’ playing styles and main contributors.
#1 East Ridge (Defeated Hopkins 74-65)- East Ridge came into the season with high expectations as the #1 ranked team in the class, and they delivered on those expectations against #2 Hopkins. The Raptors played through Kendall Brown and Courtney Brown offensively, combining for 43 points in the win. Kendall looks to have a vastly improved arsenal on offense, with the confidence and aggression to put it to full use. Ben Carlson had a relatively quiet night by his standards faced with a tough match-up down low, but proved to be a strong defender inside. Zach Zebrowski continues to bring energy and toughness to the lineup, as well as being a constant threat from deep. Outside of those four, there wasn’t much scoring to be found. East Ridge gave me a first impression of not only initial substance and production, but of potential in the long run. Their ability to have that much star power but still share the ball around is something that can be hard to come by, and although their bench didn’t produce much in the first game, the talent is there to make this an extremely hard squad to beat come March.
#2 Eden Prairie (Lost to DeLaSalle 76-66)- Eden Prairie and their loaded 2020 class faced off against a tough DeLaSalle team in their opener. Off the bat Eden Prairie didn’t come out with that intensity that they have in past games, and struggled to find that swagger that has made them such a good team. As the game progressed they started to find that confidence, and Drake Dobbs started to heat up. Drake will be key to Eden Prairie’s success, because when he gets going, he’s as dangerous an offensive player as almost anyone in the state. Austin Andrews provided a handful of buckets down low, using his impeccable footwork and patience to find open space in the lane. Despite their lack of a true center, Andrews will allow Eden Prairie to compete with the other big 4A teams with his uncanny ability to get defenders in the air on offense, and stand his ground against taller opponents on defense. Connor Christensen is like a second coach on the floor for Eden Prairie as he’s always communicating on defense and outworking anyone else on the court.
#3 Hopkins (Lost to East Ridge 74-65)- Hopkins comes into the 18-19 season with an incredibly new team from last year. Zeke Nnaji was their only returning starter from last season (Kerwin Walton did not play), so it can be hard to gather a good read on just how good this team can be later in the season. The bulk of their offense was designed to go through Zeke, who despite constant double and triple teams managed to score 20 points. His improved strength and aggression will make it hard for anyone in the state to guard him man-to-man. One of their big issues in this game is that they didn’t have a major shooting threat on the floor. Jalen Dearring knocked down a few threes, but the absence of Kerwin Walton made them a bit more one dimensional. I really like Rayquan Valentin as a glue guy for this team. He got the start and was a solid defender, moved the ball well, and had some really nice post feeds inside to Zeke. It may take Hopkins a few more games to fully gel as a unit, but the talent up and down their roster could be as good as any in the state.
#4 Lakeville North (Defeated Edina 70-62)- Lakeville North is the perfect example of a group of guys knowing their roles and executing them to get the win. Tyler Wahl is the position-less “do it all” player for North who showed his ability to put up big scoring numbers efficiently and without ever seeming to force his game. He came out a lot more confident in his offense this season than in years past, knowing exactly what he is capable of and utilizing his versatility to help his team win. A guy that really stood out to me was senior Eli Mostaert. The D1 football commit was giving up 5 inches on his defensive assignment, but held Jacob Hutson scoreless throughout the whole game with his effort, positioning, and quick hands to poke the ball free for a few turnovers. Eli finished with 10 points off of some nice finishes inside, and proved to be a really valuable asset for this squad. Tommy Jensen is another guy who isn’t the most well known player, but can compete against any team. He opened up a lot of things inside for Lakeville North with his outside shooting, knocking down a handful of threes on his way to 17 points. Overall Lakeville North plays with a chemistry and sense of togetherness that makes them as good as anyone in the state.
#5 Wayzata (Defeated Cretin-Derham Hall 69-63)- After making a run to the state quarterfinals last year, Wayzata comes back with the talent to compete for the championship in 2019. Jacob Beeninga leads the charge offensively, and patiently played his way into an 18 point performance. He has a way of lulling his defender to sleep, and then out of nowhere he’ll score three or four times in a matter of minutes. A player who could be critical down the road is sophomore Kody Williams. He looked lightning quick off the dribble, getting to the rack with ease and finishing in a variety of different ways around the rim. That quickness translates to defense where he’s able to pick up opposing point guards at half court and disrupt the flow of their offense. Luke Paulsen is an all around contributor who may go unnoticed over the course of a game, but can really stuff the box score. He had 11 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals in a very productive game. This crew has the talent and experience to get back to state, and potentially extend their playoff win streak against Hopkins to three games.