Five Things To Know: Krieger, Totino-Grace Catch Fire Against Brooklyn Center
Game one at the Breakdown Tip-Off Classic pitted two north metro squads against each other in Totino-Grace and Brooklyn Center. BC had the athleticism advantage but a late burst of shooting and rock-solid zone defense from T-G sent the Eagles…
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Continue ReadingGame one at the Breakdown Tip-Off Classic pitted two north metro squads against each other in Totino-Grace and Brooklyn Center. BC had the athleticism advantage but a late burst of shooting and rock-solid zone defense from T-G sent the Eagles into the break with a 20-point lead. They would not relinquish it in the second frame and cruised to a 91-70 victory.
Composure of youngsters. The Centaurs were without star 2023 Maxsimus Wilson today but fellow eighth-grader Quyavant Douglas was very good around the rim for 20 points. BC lost a huge chunk of their pipeline from last year but the instant help they’ve received from Douglas and Wilson demands optimism. Let’s not forget senior Qentrell Douglas and his 19 this game, too; he’s the top option and carried himself well even when things weren’t falling in the favor of BC.
The future is bright. Two eighth-graders, a freshman, two sophomores, a junior and two seniors make up the Centaur rotation. Seems like the next few years are pretty well set with talent and they’ll get valuable experience in events like today’s. They already seemed to step into the moment without wide eyes; no doubt their confidence will grow down the road.
Bench strength. Totino-Grace played way better than I expected, and they got production from all aspects of their rotation. Let’s talk reserves first: Carter Weierke is going to be so good for this team. He’s a 6-foot-3 sophomore that has composure and ball security of a senior. He was instrumental in keeping the ball moving and limiting turnovers. I liked what sophomore guard Chasen Livingston did in a playmaking role too. He had nine points and four assists.
Krieger! 6-foot-1 shooting guard Eric Kreiger does just that: shoot. But today he tried a few different things like getting to the basket on cuts and drives. He was a pest on the top of the T-G zone as well getting some fast break buckets off turnovers. Krieger finished with 24 points after pouring in over 30 against Benilde earlier this week.
What’s next? The Eagles have a very solid rotation of at least seven guys. That should give them opportunities to compete with a lot of teams on their schedule, and maybe pull off a couple wins they otherwise wouldn’t get. Not bad after graduating an entire starting lineup. I’ll be excited to see how they progress. Meanwhile BC will play a relatively tough Tri-Metro schedule and their youth will learn. That’s the biggest thing for them moving forward.