Grassroots Preview: Minnesota Select Cave
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. Minnesota Select always churns out good teams and this year is no…
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Continue ReadingGrassroots 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.
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.
Here’s a quick look:
Guards: Reid Patterson, Bruce Lockwood, Joich Gong, David Ijidimbola, Parker Nielsen, Tyree Ihenacho
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Forwards: Ryan Thissen, Lukas Dunford, Brody Kriesel, Parker Mcmorrow
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.
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.
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.
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.