Introducing… MN Select Robinson 17U

<p>I wanted to make sure I saw <strong>Select Robinson 17U</strong> on this weekend’s stream. There were a few names I knew already, but I thought there was a good chance to learn more names for the 2021 class as well. I was correct! Select beat <strong>Illinois Hoopstars Elite</strong> 72-69 on Sunday, hanging on through a late three-point attempt that would have tied.</p> <p><strong>Player Notes</strong></p> <p><strong>DJ Holthusen, Red Lake —</strong> Let’s start here. This was the kind of kid I was really hoping to find out about! DJ is the son of [player_tooltip player_id="774786" first="Delwyn" last="Holthusen"] Jr., a player from Red Lake’s legendary 1997 state tournament team. That team played Wabasso in what some call one of the greatest Minnesota state tournament games ever — Red Lake came back from down 14 pts. very late in the 4th quarter to go into OT. More on that in a later story. </p> <p>DJ led Select with 17 points, all on crafty shots around the rim. Some with the defender on his back, some reversed under the hoop, some through contact for a three-point play. A few put-backs, too. DJ protects the ball when it’s fed inside, keeps it high and is very reliable to convert at the rim. At 6-foot-4, I would have liked to see more defensive presence, but he’s a kid who should be observed by college coaches near northern Minnesota. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="774905" first="Grayson" last="Stalboerger"], Eastview —</strong> Stalboerger is a sturdy 6-foot-2 wing who can hit from outside and adds to an Eastview/Select group that already includes [player_tooltip player_id="774901" first="Jackson" last="Purcell"] and [player_tooltip player_id="774806" first="Zach" last="Spann"] from Ohnstad’s unit.</p> <p><strong>Mick Wherley, Shakopee —</strong> Mick seems to be a quality slasher and cutter who uses his size at 6-foot-6 for tip-ins at the hoop as well as back-to-the-basket moves. He will combine with MN Fury’s [player_tooltip player_id="850728" first="Nick" last="Katona"] for an effective forward combination at Shakopee this winter. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="957621" first="Nico" last="Peterson"], St. Paul Highland Park —</strong> This kid has a lot of potential. I raved about him after I saw the skinny 6-6 forward surprise me with a few dunks vs. Patrick Henry this winter. He kept up my positive outlook Sunday showing finishes with both hands as well as consistency at the free throw line. </p> <p><strong>Kip Schetnan, Northfield —</strong> Kip is gritty, he can hit from outside, he can defend in the post, and he can give you second-chance points with putbacks. He seems to be well-rounded and a bit of a glue guy. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="774764" first="Jace" last="Bigelow"], Kasson-Mantorville —</strong> I’ve seen Jace play for a few years now. Sunday he impressed me with his takes on the baseline — one with a Euro-step finish and another through contact for a tough and-one. Should project as a nice MIAC-type wing player.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="774800" first="Karsten" last="Clay"], Northfield —</strong> Karsten showed a sharp burst with the ball and a dynamic playing style. He impressed me when he rebounded his own shot for a key bucket at the hoop. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="957635" first="John" last="Palmer"], Faribault — </strong>It’s not often that I can say I’ve seen a kid hoop for 10 years, but he was just a little guy launching shots during timeouts at his older brother Chris’ games at Saint Mary’s from 2009 to 2011. He doesn’t have Chris’ size, but like his other brother Joe (who just had a nice freshman year at Augsburg), he’s energetic and fearless. On Sunday, John showed nice peripheral vision several times after driving hard and kicking out to perimeter shooters. This family flat-out has hoops genes, and I’d expect nothing different from John! </p> <p>&nbsp;</p>