Grassroots Preview: Minnesota Select Cave

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Grassroots season is underway and the talent pool in the state of Minnesota is incredibly spread out, meaning there should be a lot of really good, competitive clubs. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Minnesota Select always churns out good teams and this year is no different as Select Cave figures to be one of the top 17U teams in the state. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Here’s a quick look:</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Guards:</strong> Reid Patterson, Bruce Lockwood, Joich Gong, David Ijidimbola, Parker Nielsen, Tyree Ihenacho</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Gong is the biggest name on this team at this point as he was one of the best players in Class AAA as a junior and a really nice piece as a sophomore out of Mankato East High School. He brings a lot of length to the table as a guard and his ability to handle the ball and create for his teammates make him a valuable head in this team’s attack.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ijidimbola and Ihenacho both excelled in defense-first roles for their high school teams a year ago (Park Center and Prior Lake) and both are at their best when they are filling lanes in transition and attacking the rim. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lockwood was a rotation guy for a really good Shakopee team last year and his defensive versatility and off-ball skillset makes him a good fit with this club. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Patterson is one of the best 2021 guys in the state out of Lakeville South. He’s playing up but he should be one of this team’s best players specifically as a shot-creator and scorer.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nielsen is a big wing out of Prescott, Wisconsin who is very good on and off the ball. He’s a solid shooter but he’s another guy on this team who can really do damage playing in transition and attacking the basket with or without the ball. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;"><strong>Forwards:</strong> Ryan Thissen, Lukas Dunford, Brody Kriesel, Parker Mcmorrow</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Thissen is a talented swingman out of Eastview who can score from all levels on the floor. He’s a very good perimeter shooter and smart off the ball but also has the burst and explosiveness along with the length to make plays going to the rim. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dunford is a rotation guy at Eden Prairie and while he isn’t a starter, he would be for a lot of teams around the state. At 6-foot-7, he’s big, strong and active on both ends of the court.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Kriesel is in a similar boat as Dunford in that this may be his best time to earn a lot of playing time because he’s stuck behind some incredibly talented big men during the winter months. Make no mistake though, he can play. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mcmorrow was a solid rotation guy out of Woodbury last year and should continue on the upward trend with this team. He won’t be asked to score a lot but his defense and rebounding will be a big key for a team that wants to play uptempo.</span></p>