Breakdown State Tournament: Class AAAA Top Forwards
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…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThe 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 forwards from the Class AAAA tournament:
Dain Dainja, Park Center
Dainja made things look easy Sunday as Park Center won the tournament title. The 6-foot-9 center is seemingly unguardable when he’s got the ball and even some semblance of room anywhere inside the 3-point line. He’s so big yet so nimble and smooth that guys who can stick with him off the dribble, rarely have the strength to oppose him at the rim. The guys big and strong enough to bother him physically (rare) have no chance to sticking with him when he puts the ball on the floor. He settles for a lot of 3-pointers (though teams will likely do everything they can to jam the paint against him come winter) and I’d like to see him screen more (on and off the ball), but when he wants to, he can dominate both ends of the floor like few other bigs in the state.
Camden Heide, Wayzata
Heide’s had a big summer and he’ll be one of the best players in the state next year as just a sophomore. At 6-foot-5ish, Heide is wired to score from just about anywhere on the court. He’s explosive but also smart and blends into the Wayzata offensive system really well. Defensively, he’s got the length, athleticism and smarts to be an impact guy on and off the ball.
Amari Carter, Cretin-Derham Hall
When Carter goes hard, he has the ability to be a force. His size, athleticism and skill make him tough to contain and on a CDH team that is loaded with guards who can shoot and pass, he’s got a ton of space to operate with and without the ball. Carter’s skilled enough where he can knock down outside shots too, which makes him hard to defend for bigger guys, but his strength is his finishing and rebounding ability around the rim. He’ll have a chance to put up big numbers next winter in a relatively low-usage role.
Zach Spann, Eastview
Spann is a guy I’ve been high on this summer and while he’s not likely to put up big numbers this year, I envision him being something of a super role player. He’s 6-foot-5 and super bouncy and twitchy and while there might not be a clear fit for him with the two other Eastview big men, when he’s able to just be an athlete, he can make a difference. He’s a solid defender and has the tools to be a terrific on and off ball guy on that end and his skillset is budding offensively. For now, he’s effective in the short-corner area crashing the glass or one-dribble finishing and with this Eastview team, he’ll have a lot of space to make an impact in a low-maintenance role.
Steven Crowl, Eastview
Crowl is dominant at times for the Lightning. Unfortunately for him, he’s reliant on other guys getting him the ball in good spots and when the Eastview guards got sped up, things went sideways. Crowl’s a solid perimeter shooter for a 6-foot-10 guy and a pretty good passer from the high post area too. I’d like to see him set more screens but there’s no denying that when he gets the ball, few guys are as skilled when it comes to footwork and touch.
Austin Andrews, Eden Prairie
Andrews took a step back when it comes to scoring last season and I have no idea if he’ll put up huge point totals in his senior year but he’s definitely skilled enough to do it. His ability to finish is among the best in the state and he’s deadly when he’s able to face guys up from the mid post area. Even if usage dictates his scoring stays in that 15ish range, Andrews is a huge positive because his defense has come along mightily. He hasn’t grown a whole lot since his sophomore year, but he’s strong enough to defend bigger posts and has great timing to contest shots in the paint. And his mobility and athleticism allows him to effectively guard faceup type guys.