Breakdown State Tournament: Class AA Top Guards

<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 guards from the Class AA tournament:</span></p> <p><strong>Erick Burgess, Cristo Rey Jesuit</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Burgess has been one of the best players for Cristo Rey the last few years and he looks like he’s still on the way up ahead of his upperclass years. Burgess is one of the best two-way players in the state, providing stifling on-ball defense while also causing all sorts of problems for defenses with his ability to get into the paint and finish. Burgess has the strength and quickness to overwhelm opposing ball handlers on the first row and his ability to force turnovers allows his team to get countless easy buckets. His offense is predicated mostly on his being able to get into the paint, but few guys can stop him when he gets an angle because he’s so strong. </span></p> <p><strong>Rudy Voss, Jackson County Central</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Jackson County Central had a tough time against Perham - most teams will - but Rudy Voss showed in that game, and throughout the weekend just how talented he is. The to-be senior guard is a stat-stuffer, showing off scoring ability from all three levels along with the creativity and passing ability to spoonfeed his teammates easy buckets. </span></p> <p><strong>Willie Wilson, Minneapolis North</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wilson figures to be the next stud guard at Minneapolis North. After struggling to shoot the ball throughout last winter, Wilson looks like he’s on his way to improvement, as he knocked down triples at a pretty good rate Sunday. He’s an active defender and has the athleticism to get where he wants on the floor; if he can shoot with consistency, he’s going to be a 20 point-per-game guy. </span></p> <p><strong>James Sommer, Cristo Rey Jesuit</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Sommer is a treat to watch, as his scoring ability is among the tops in the state. He’s a terrific long-range shooter and he combines it with the strength, explosiveness and craft to get into the paint and score against anybody. He plays much bigger than his listed height, rebounds with tenacity and oftentimes guards the biggest guy on the opposing team. He got banged up in the game agaisnt Rockford and when he's not on the floor, Cristo Rey's offense falls apart a little bit in the halfcourt. His ability to seemingly make something out of nothing and drive their halfcourt offense gives reason as to why next winter could be special for the Pumas.</span></p> <p><strong>Riley Fischer, Esko</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fischer looks like a breakout candidate for Esko next winter as he was the orchestrator of what looked like a well-oiled machine Sunday. Fischer sees the floor extremely well and does a great job using ball screens or creating shots for others on his own. He’s a crafty finisher in the paint as well. Based on how he played Sunday, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s sitting on a 14-point, six-assist type of season next winter. </span></p> <p><strong>Todd Traen, Rockford</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">All the hype around Rockford will inevitably be based on Calvin Sisk and the Rockets’ collective size, but Todd Traen is a guy to look out for. He’s a very good perimeter shooter, feisty as an on-ball defender on the perimeter and capable of breaking primary defenders down and getting to the rim. He averaged 10 points per game a year ago and he’ll have nights next winter where he leads the team in scoring. </span></p> <p><strong>Danny Yates, Brooklyn Center</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Yates was one of the bright spots for Brooklyn Center Sunday, showing off a really nice shooting stroke and scoring touch from all levels on the floor. Yates has solid size and strength and uses it to his advantage on drives, creating separation from defenders to either finish at the rim or get a step back or pull up jumper. </span></p> <p><strong>Payton Wefel, Esko</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Wefel is one of the best shooters in Class AA and it looks like he’ll have no problem filling it up next winter for an Esko team that moves the ball and spaces the floor as well as any team in the state. Wefel has a quick release, long range and he knows how to get open or get to spots on the floor where he can catch and shoot. </span></p>