Gameday Match-Up: Minnehaha Academy vs Mpls North

Ryan James February 19, 2019 @ 03:47 PM

Tonight Minneapolis North hosts Minnehaha Academy in a key Class AA battle. Some have even said it could be a state title game preview. For now we just look at this big game spot by spot. PG: Nasir El Amin (North) vs Siegel Howard (Minnehaha Academy). El-Amin is taller but both Nasir and Siegel Howard have similar strong builds as guard. For the Redhawks Howard defends the opposing teams best guards and does it well. Nasir scores 12-13 a night for the Polars. Both of these players have similar roles except North needs El-Amin to score while Howard just needs to defend. SG: Eli Campbell (North) vs Jalen Suggs (Minnehaha Academy). At 18 points a game Campbell is an essential scorer for the Polars. When he had a tough shooting night against Waseca his team wasn't able to consistently put points on the board. Eli is also a key distributor. For Minnehaha, Jalen Suggs most often is playing the PG spot. He scores in big numbers but also creates several shots for others. Suggs and Campbell also have similar roles, Jalen just does a bigger share (which allows Howard to be defensively focussed). SF: Omar Brown (North) vs Kaden Johnson (Minnehaha Academy). Two of the better defenders in the state through the years and two very good football players. Brown and Johnson won't defend one another as Brown will likely be on Suggs with Johnson defending Campbell or one of the young wings off the bench. Neither player will look for their shot much but will score 3-4 times a game. PF: Davon Townley (North) vs Prince Aligbe (Minnehaha Academy). Davon is a top ten level sophomore in the state, Aligbe is one of the elite freshmen in the nation. Both are about 6-foot-6. Townley is a better back to the basket player while Prince is an explosive finisher that often scores his baskets on the move. Townley will likely slide down to the five spot and defend Holmgren for decent parts of the game. Both score 5-6 baskets a contest. C: Darius Hanson (North) vs Chet Holmgren (Minnehaha Academy). Chet Holmgren is the best shot blocker in the state of Minnesota and a national ranked prospect at seven feet tall. Hanson is a worker senior who started this weekend and may start again trying to force Holmgren away from the cup. When Hanson comes off the floor Townley will play the post. Sixth Man: Willie Wilson/Clifford Brown III (North) vs Donovan Smith/Bennett Theisen (Minnehaha Academy). Wilson (a freshman) and Brown (a sophomore) combine for 16 points a game from the bench. Wilson will come off the bench and be a double figure threat. Smith is a Redhawks shooter while Theisen comes off the bench and defends. Prediction: There are three key things that list as Ex-factors: 1) Jalen Suggs who has led the Hawks to a pair of state titles, North will need the best defensive effort that Omar Brown can give, 2) Chet Holmgren and his shot blocking/skilled scoring have no match in a Polars uniform, 3) North has more players (six) that have the potential to put double figure numbers on the board where as Minnehaha has one or two less. Minnehaha Academy wins 80-67.