Small-School Section 3 Top Forwards

Matt Bigelow

September 22, 2020 @ 05:00 PM

It’s never too early for too-early-season. With fall sports and school underway, it’s only a matter of time before the winter sports season is upon us. With that in mind, here’s a look at some of the top forwards in the small schools in Section 3 [player_tooltip player_id="850706" first="Jackson" last="Loge"], Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta Loge is one of the best bigs in the state and has been among the most impactful two-way post players in the section since his eighth-grade season. He puts up video game numbers regularly and averaged 24 points and 13 rebounds last year. He’s a load on the low post, possessing great footwork, excellent touch and the strength to bully people. His activity level allows him to produce consistently despite drawing extra eyeballs on every possession. [player_tooltip player_id="774941" first="Riley" last="Ashburn"], Renville County West Ashburn stuffed the stat sheet as a junior for the Jaguars, averaging 22 points, nine rebounds and four assists while providing terrific defense. He’s versatile on the defensive end of the floor, possessing the strength and toughness to defend in the paint, plus the length and athleticism to hang with a lot of perimeter guys. He’s a terrific help defender and capable of triggering transition offense on rebounds. [player_tooltip player_id="958649" first="Carson" last="Woodford"], Redwood Valley Woodford was a double-double guy for the Cardinals as a sophomore and looks like the next Redwood Valley stud. He’s one of the best two-way bigs in the area and can dominate a game protecting the paint defensively, and rim-running and finishing on the offensive end. His skill continues to develop, as he’s got a soft touch out of the mid and high posts. Expect big numbers in 2020-21. Trenten Cavaness, MACCRAY Cavaness was the third head in MACCRAY’s attack and highly effective, averaging 15 points and nine rebounds. He’s a respectable 3-point shooter. He gets to the free throw line at a solid rate and hits his foul shots. And he’s a solid enough secondary playmaker. He’ll have more on his plate as a senior, but he’s got the talent to put up 20-plus points and 10-plus rebounds. [player_tooltip player_id="774820" first="Maverick" last="Conn"], Lac qui Parle Valley Conn is a jack-of-all-trades guy who can impact the game in so many ways. He’s got the athleticism and skill to abuse opposing big guys plus the back-to-the-basket skill and toughness to work effectively inside. He rebounds at a high rate, scores from just about anywhere and he can make plays in complementary fashion. He’s an elite player and LQPV should be among the contenders in Section 3A this winter. [player_tooltip player_id="957216" first="Dawson" last="Kellen"], Pipestone Kellen put up 19 points per game as a junior and in a section loaded with double-double bigs, Kellen is right there in terms of two-way impact. He’s a strong finisher at the rim, hits the offensive glass at a high rate and has excellent post skills. [player_tooltip player_id="774773" first="Corbin" last="Froelich"], Paynesville Froelich is one of the most productive players in the section coming off a season in which he averaged nearly 22 points and seven rebounds for a 16-win Paynesville club. He’s a do-it-all guy who can shoot it from deep, get to the paint, make plays and guard multiple positions. [player_tooltip player_id="958653" first="Tony" last="Nelson"], Tracy-Milroy-Balaton TMB won 17 games last season and Nelson was a catalyst on the offensive end of the floor, averaging better than 16 points per game. He’s got great size and his ability to establish position in the low post and score efficiently causes a lot of problems for opposing teams. He’s a beast on the glass and only getting better.