Section 7AAAA Top Players to Watch

Section tournaments are underway and mostly down to the semifinals in the next few days. Section 7AAAA has been one of the more wide-open tournaments in recent years. Cambridge-Isanti will face Forest Lake while Duluth East will take on Andover Saturday in Elk River. Here are some guys to keep an eye on: [player_tooltip player_id="846135" first="Henry" last="Abraham"], Cambridge-Isanti The best team in the section is the Bluejackets and the best player is their starting point guard [player_tooltip player_id="846135" first="Henry" last="Abraham"]. One of the state’s best pure shooters (maybe ever), Abraham is a scoring machine that few teams have figured out how to slow down. He’s a threat to shoot from anywhere inside halfcourt and while he’s on the small side, don’t mistake him for being a guy who just makes his leaving casting from deep. He’s hard to keep out of the paint and does a great job getting to the free throw line. And because he draws so much attention from opposing defenses, he’s been able to pile up impressive assist numbers this year. He’s averaged seven per game as a senior. The Bluejackets are the favorite to win the section tournament and get to state for the second year in a row. If they do, it’ll be in large part because of Abraham. [player_tooltip player_id="774801" first="Mattie" last="Thompson"], Duluth East The Greyhounds have gone from six wins two years ago to 22 this year and in the hunt to win a section title. 6-foot-6 junior swingman [player_tooltip player_id="774801" first="Mattie" last="Thompson"] has been a catalyst in the team’s rise. He’s upped his scoring by 10 points per game from his sophomore year, averaging better than 18 points per game. His size and skill make him awfully intriguing down the road as he’s got the athleticism to defend guys up or down the lineup. He can shoot from deep, he gets to the mid-range and can finish in the paint. [player_tooltip player_id="774888" first="Jordan" last="Boysen"], Forest Lake Boysen’s one of the better forwards in the section. At 6-foot-5, he plays with a level of physicality that few guys can match inside. He’s strong in the low post and can finish at the rim. He’s got a solid faceup game in the mid-post and has the short-area quickness to beat primary defenders inside. He’s a solid rebounder in his area and can defend bigger guys because of his strength. [player_tooltip player_id="846173" first="Micah" last="Ladd"], Cambridge-Isanti Abraham is the Batman for the Bluejackets. Ladd does a heck of a Robin impersonation. The senior guard averages 15 points and nearly five assists per game. He does a little bit of everything on both ends of the floor. He’s a feisty defender who can guard bigger guys when necessary. And he’s an adept scorer from all three levels who can take ballhandling responsibility off of Abraham’s plate. [player_tooltip player_id="774755" first="Noah" last="Paulson"], Duluth East Paulson’s another key cog in the Duluth East rise over the last couple seasons and he could be the type of guy that tips the scales in the Greyhounds’ favor in the section tournament. He’s 6-foot-8 and has put up double-double type production each of the last two years. He’s a strong rebounder in and out of his area and can defend all types of big men. He’s productive on the offensive end of the floor, excelling as a finisher around the rim and in the mid-post areas on the floor. [player_tooltip player_id="774785" first="Calvin" last="Foy"], Andover Foy has been a bit of feast or famine throughout the year but it’s pretty clear that he’s the key for the Huskies. In the team’s wins, Foy averages 15 points per game. In losses, the number is 10.5. The junior guard isn’t the biggest, but he plays with a physicality and knows how to leverage defenders to get to areas of the floor where he can do damage. He’s a competitive defender who puts pressure on the ball well. Eric Peterson, Forest Lake Peterson’s been the go-to guy for the Rangers this year, operating as a primary shot-creator for large stretches of play. He’s a big guard who uses his size and length to his advantage. He hasn’t been super consistent - held to less than 10 points eight times - but when he’s good, he’s been very good and the Rangers are capable of beating anybody.