Breakdown State Tournament: Class AAA Top Guards

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. Here were some of the standout guards from the Class AAA tournament: Joich Gong, Mankato East Gong just makes things look easy. He’s smooth and has the ability to dominate a game without being particularly forceful. His length and athleticism make him a pest on the defensive end and allows him to guard (effectively) bigger and smaller guys. He isn’t a scoring machine, but he routinely puts up solid numbers because he’s so efficient. He’s a good outside shooter but is at his best when he’s breaking defenders down and either scoring in the paint or collapsing the defense and making plays for teammates. Mike Gravelle, St. Cloud Apollo Gravelle’s hardly a secret at the Class AAA level but if St. Cloud Apollo is going to be as good as some think the Eagles can be, Gravelle is the main cause. He’s terrific when it comes to controlling the tempo and setting the tone on both ends of the floor. He’s the Eagles’ best shot-creator in the halfcourt, really tough to stay in front of and is an outstanding finisher. Agwa Nywesh, Austin Nywesh looks like he’ll be the next go-to guy for the Packers as they look to keep their run of state tournament appearances alive. He’s one of the elite two-way players in Class AAA, using his length, quickness and instincts to wreak havoc on defense and what seems like limitless range and improved ball handling to pile up points as a top scoring option. Jax Madson, Mankato East Madson joins Gong to form the best backcourt tandem in Class AAA. The to-be senior guard is the bigger, more physical of the two but he’s just as smooth and capable of impacting the game on both ends of the court. He plays like a guy who’s been starting at the varsity level for two-plus years (and a coach’s kid) in that he doesn’t force things, but has the ability to bend the game to his liking. Austin Wetter, Monticello Wetter is going to shoulder a huge load next winter for the Magic and if this weekend was any indication, he may have to be even more aggressive hunting his own shot. Wetter is smart, smooth and unselfish and after putting up better than 17 points per game a year ago, it wouldn’t be surprising if he upped that at least five more points next year. Wetter is also a really good defender, using his size to contain opposing ball handlers - though I wonder how much he’ll be exposed to top guys next year if only because he’ll be needed to carry the offense for a while. Ayden McDonald, Hibbing Hibbing will be a top-10 team in AAA next year and the go-to guy on the perimeter is to-be sophomore Ayden McDonald. He’s a big guard who is wired to score. He’s an excellent 3-point shooter and can get his shot off from practically anywhere, he’s good at getting to the paint and has the strength to finish through contact and he’s a good passer. McDonald puts in a lot of effort on the defensive end as well, and can be a factor when it comes to forcing turnovers. Trey Longstreet, Delano Longstreet is one of my favorite players in that 2021 class and should be the go-to guy for a Delano team that will be competing in the Wright County Conference and Section 5AAA next year. Longstreet is a really good defender and can use his size to get into traffic and make plays. I think he’ll need to be even more aggressive looking for his offense, but that’s a role he can grow into after playing a complementary role last year and all throughout this summer. Eli Lubiani, St. Peter St. Peter is making the move up to Class AAA next year and with a bunch of talented returners, the Saints should be strong again. Lubiani was a bit guy for the Saints a year ago and while the go-to guy will again be Wyatt Olson, the to-be junior guard could be a breakout candidate. He’s explosive going to the rim and has the ability to break primary defenders down and create for himself. Colton Roderick, Alexandria Roderick was one of the most impressive guys I saw Sunday. The to-be junior guard plays with a fire and energy that will garner him few friends from the opposition but he’s a guy people are going to love to play with. He’s in your face on defense from end to end. He’s got the size and explosiveness to get to spots on the floor where he can score and he’s a good passer. The Cardinals look like a top-five team in Class AAA at this point and Roderick is a guy I’d peg as a breakout candidate.