Twin Cities Team of the Week: Week 5

Week 5 was a short one for high school hoops in Minnesota, but the weekend was loaded with holiday tournaments featuring many teams throughout the Twin Cities. Find out which ten players put in performances worthy of recognition in week 5's team of the week! Josh Brown (6'3 2020 G, Park Center)- Park Center faced off against Prior Lake in a highly anticipated matchup, and though Dain Dainja vs Dawson Garcia was the headline for this game, Josh Brown stole the show with his 27 point performance in the win for Park Center. After a breakout summer with Minnesota Heat, Josh has continued that production into the high school season, and this game against Prior Lake was arguably his best performance to date. Josh knocked down threes while also showing he can create for himself off the dribble. One of the top shooters in the state that scholarship schools need to be looking at. Cameron Steele (6'8 2020 F, Minnetonka)- Steele continued his big time senior season by leading Minnetonka to a win in their lone game last week. The Abilene Christian commit scored 24 points to power his squad past Northfield 79-52. The big man has the size and touch to finish inside, but what really causes defenses trouble is his accuracy from beyond the arc. His shooting percentages have only been posted online for 4/7 of his games this year, but in those games he's shooting 15 of 29 from beyond the arc. Those numbers are ridiculous for a 6'8 forward, and have kept Minnetonka competitive in most games this year. Tait Nelson (5'10 2020 G, St. Anthony)- Tait got off to a slower start to this season than usual, but rebounded last week with two huge performances, both resulting in wins for his team. In a win over St. Paul Harding he went for 31 points, and topped that the very next day by scoring 38 points in a win over Anoka. Tait is a shifty point guard that can fly around the court to get into space to shoot, whether off the dribble or moving without the ball. Not only can he put up big numbers on offense, but he is an absolute pest with his on-ball defense. He recently committed to Dakota Wesleyan for his college ball. Caron Crowe (6' 2020 G, St. Paul Central)- After graduating a lot from last year's successful team, Caron Crowe has taken over as the go-to guy for Central. The explosive guard has responded by averaging 19.2 ppg to start the year, including two big performances last week at Augsburg. In a close loss to Minneapolis Southwest, Caron scored 30 points. The next day he scored 20 points against an always loaded Hopkins squad. Caron is a solid shooter from beyond the arc, has long arms that allow him to block shots and tip balls in passing lanes, and is an explosive athlete that can rise up and finish above the rim. Look for him to continue to build on this breakout season. Camden Holter (6'3 2022 W, Minneapolis Southwest)- One of the main reasons Caron Crowe's Central team lost to Minneapolis Southwest? That would be Camden Holter and his 27 point outburst. The day after that win he added 10 points as Southwest was able to stay competitive in a loss to Minneapolis North. Holter has begun to emerge as a sophomore to watch this year, and is currently averaging 15.1 ppg through 8 games this season. With 6'3 length and some intriguing athleticism, Holter will be a name to keep an eye on in the Minneapolis City Conference over the next few seasons. Drake Dobbs (6'1 2020 PG, Eden Prairie)- Eden Prairie remained undefeated after taking down two very tough teams in their holiday event, and it was their always reliable floor general Drake Dobbs who had big performances in the wins. Against Edina the Liberty commit tallied 25 points, and then chipped in 24 more to take down Shakopee. Dobbs seems to have a knack for stepping up against top competition, and this past week was no exception. With a deadly jumper, a quick handle, and the ability to get to the rim and finish past size, Dobbs is a big time scoring threat who can explode on any given night. Ryan Thissen (6'6 2020 W, Eastview)- After suffering their lone loss to #1 Eden Prairie, Eastview has won their past three games, including two last week. In a highly contested match against East Ridge, Thissen totaled 21 points while knocking down a three pointer at the buzzer to help his team earn a 66-63 win. He followed that up with 17 points in limited playing time in a 79-47 win over Centennial. The versatile wing showed off his ability to score in multiple ways, knocking down threes, mid-range jumpers, and attacking the rim off the dribble. Thissen also has the physical tools that have college coaches salivating, with a 6'6 frame and explosive bounce off of two feet to finish above the rim with ease. Jabari Langley (6'2 2021 W, Minneapolis Edison)- Jabari Langley is putting together a real solid junior season for Minneapolis Edison, and he continued that run of form last week in two games. Jabari scored 23 points for Edison in a close win over Providence Academy. That game was his third straight scoring 20+ points. He capped off the week with 7 points in a loss to Richfield. Jabari is a tough rebounder and a good finisher inside for an Edison squad that will look to remain in the top half of the city conference this year. Mahad Faisal (6'7 2020 F, Chaska)- Mahad Faisal helped Chaska pull off two huge victories against some of the toughest teams in the state in Shakopee and Edina. With breakout performances in both games, Faisal scored 24 against Shakopee and then 20 more against Edina. Mahad has a lot of length at 6'7 that causes problems for opposing teams as a shot blocker on defense, and as we saw with his numbers last week, as a finisher inside. He combines with star guard Zach Lea as a solid inside-out duo. Iggy Ejiofor (6'4 2020 F, Irondale)- Widely known as one of the best dunkers in Minnesota, Iggy has developed into an offensive threat for Irondale this season. He led his team to two wins last week, scoring a season-high 24 against St. Louis Park, and then adding 10 points against Hastings. Iggy has a strong frame that allows him to fight inside to finish and grab tough rebounds, while his impressive leaping ability allows him to rise up above shot blockers to finish. A true grinder who competes on both ends with constant intensity, Iggy could make a college program very happy with his physical attributes and his efforts on both ends of the floor.