The Weekend Menu
Looking for some good games to see Friday night and Saturday? Here are the appetizers, specials, main course, and deserts of an upcoming weekend that has several quality events.
Jonathan KumingaTasty Appetizer. The appetizer doesn’t get any tastier than what’s going on at Minnehaha Academy tonight. The #1 ranked Class AAA Redhawks welcome the #3 ranked Class AAAA Park Center Pirates in match-up of two true heavyweights of Minnesota high school basketball. Chet Holmgren vs Dain Dainja on the inside, Jalen Suggs will have one of the state’s top defenders on him in DT Frierson, and there are players all around them. And later in the night Suggs will decide between Gonzaga and playing professionally plus there is the game between St. Patrick’s from New Jersey and Sierra Canyon going on after the Redhawks/Pirates tilt. St. Patricks is led by the number one player in the 2021 class Jonathan Kuminga as well as top 200 level senior talent Noah Farrakhan and top 60 level junior Adama Sanogo.
Specials. For those of you in Northern Minnesota the Breakdown returns with the Crossover Classic at Perham High School. Five boys games and three girls games starting at 9:30am and finishing up with an 8:30pm tip off between Maranatha Christian and Perham. The Yellowjackets are ranked 4th in the state led by 20 point per game scorers Charlie Rasmussen and Finn Diggins while MCA recently fell out of the top ten but is also talented. The headliner is likely #2 Henning battling #6 Ada-Borup in an excellent match-up of Class A schools. Breckenridge vs Cass Lake Bena should also be good.
Chet HolmgrenMain Course. The Target Center is about to host one of the most anticipated high school basketball games in the state of Minnesota that I can remember. Not only does the game have talent but the celebrity interest is there. The sons of well known entertainer Master P as well as the sons of LeBron James and Dewayne Wade are all playing. As far the actual basketball, it will include local five star talents Jalen Suggs and Chet Holmgren plus d1 prospects Hercy Miller, Prince Aligbe, Isaiah Davis, and Chase Carter not to mention football signed Terry Lockett (Michigan State) and Kaden Johnson (Wisconsin).
Sierra Canyon’s talent? Ranks with the best in the nation. Five star senior talent Ziaire Williams and BJ Boston (both top ten ranked players nationally) headline the team plus top 125 level talent Terren Frank (headed to TCU) is another talented top notch senior. Seven-foot-2 junior Harold Yu ( a top 200 level player) and top ten level national sophomore Amari Bailey are also names to know as are senior Zaire Wade and freshman Bronny James.
Dessert. The Hoops Challenge in Rochester will run two courts of games all day long. #1 ranked Caledonia faces #3 ranked Waseca in Class AA headliner action. That game will include SDSU signed Noah King, a top five Minnesota junior in Andrew Morgan, a top five sophomore in Eli King, and several other quality players including Ryan Dufault and Kyreese Willingham. Will Tschetter of Stewartville and Ryan Samuleson of Jordan will do battle in a match-up of strong Class AA squads and the Austin vs St. Thomas battle will feature one of the state’s best unsigned players in Agwa Nywesh. St. Peter, South St. Paul, Cristo Rey, La Crescent, Springfield, and Hayfield are among the other headliners.