Breakdown State Tournament: Class A Top Forwards

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Breakdown State Tournament took over Bloomington Sunday, with Henning, Caledonia, Mankato East and Park Center taking home championship honors. With most of the top teams from each respective class in attendance, there was no shortage of high-end talent on display all day long. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Here were some of the standout forwards from the Class A tournament:</span></p> <p><strong style="font-size: 1rem;">Grant McBroom, WEM</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">McBroom is more of a wing but WEM plays sort of positionless basketball with so many guys being of similar size and build. Either way, he’s a gamebreaker. He’s got the size and athleticism to abuse smaller and bigger defenders and his ability to elevate and finish in traffic or knock down perimeter jumpers make him a matchup nightmare. He’s also a rock-solid defender who can guard guards and rebound and run. Watch out for WEM with this guy leading the way. </span></p> <p><strong>Gabe Hagen, Blooming Prairie</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hagen is a beast in the paint. There’s no way around it. He’s not the tallest guy, but he’s an ox. He uses that strength to earn tough buckets around the rim and he’s skilled and nimble enough to beat guys off the dribble from the mid-post and in. He’s also a terrific passer and can make teams pay for sending double teams his way.</span></p> <p><strong>Luke Dudycha, Hayfield</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dudycha is a two-way force for the Vikings and will play a big part in keeping that team among the top teams in Class A next winter. The 6-foot-6 senior-to-be is a presence on both ends of the floor, altering shots and controlling the glass on defense, and finishing at a high level around the rim. </span></p> <p><strong>Cole Kokoschke, WEM</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Kokoschke is going to cause fits this year in the Gopher Conference because of his versatility, skillset and willingness to play within the flow of the offense. The Buccaneers don’t lack scorers and Kokoschke is probably the best one. He’s got strength, footwork and great hands inside, a soft shooting touch beyond the 3-point line and the smarts to get himself into good position to put up points uber-efficiently.</span></p> <p><strong>Vincent Mason, Rushford-Peterson</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Rushford-Peterson is always going to be good and it’s guys like Vincent Mason that epitomize the lifeblood of that program. Mason was a role player last year for the Trojans and with graduations, he’ll be thrust into a bigger role next winter. By the look of things Sunday, he looks ready for that challenge. The 6-foot-5 to-be senior showcased really sound footwork and post moves inside, the mobility to screen and roll to the rim and the ability to defend and control the paint. </span></p> <p><strong>Jon Zinniel, New Ulm Cathedral</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Zinniel is going to have a chance to put up massive numbers next winter with NUC and he showed Sunday that he’s got the ability to do so. At 6-foot-5, Zinniel is tough to guard because he’s skilled on the inside but has the outside shooting and ball handling ability to step away and avoid potential double teams. He’s also a force on the defensive end, protecting the rim and changing shots in the paint. </span></p>