Small-School Section 6 Top Forwards

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">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. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With that in mind, here’s a look at some of the top forwards in the small schools in Section 6</span></p> <p><strong>Josh Streit, Eden Valley-Watkins</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This one is obvious as Streit has developed into one of the best overall players in Minnesota’s 2021 class. He’s capable of dominating a game without taking a shot, as he’s an anchor on the defensive end of the floor, and can control the paint on both ends. His defense and activity levels are still his strong points, but his offensive skill has developed quite nicely. He’s a threat at the 3-point line with a soft touch from anywhere inside the arc and he’s got enough ball skill to create his own shot in short areas. </span></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="958732" first="Matt" last="Thompson"], Hancock</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Thompson busted out in a big way for the Owls this past season, averaging better than 18 points and 13 rebounds, helping Hancock win 20 games. At 6-foot-6, he’s a tough guy to defend because he’s got the quickness and explosiveness to stress out bigger guys, but also the activity level and toughness to abuse smaller defenders. </span></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="774821" first="Jaden" last="Norby"], Ashby</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Norby’s an active, athletic big who can defend up or down an opposing lineup and he showed during the grassroots season that you can run offense through him in the halfcourt. He’s got the size and strength to bully his way to the rim, plus a soft perimeter touch, and he’s a terrific passer. Ashby won 19 games last winter and should be among the best teams in Class A this winter. </span></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="532590" first="Rowan" last="Nelson"], Melrose</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nelson took his game to another level as a junior, leading Melrose to a section championship appearance before the season was cut short. He averaged better than 16 points and seven rebounds. Nelson’s a skilled faceup four man who can also score on the post efficiently but what makes him one of the best players in the section is his defensive prowess. He’s capable of controlling the paint against opposing bigs, but also possesses the mobility to check perimeter players when needed. </span></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="774749" first="Logan" last="Purcell"], Annandale</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Purcell’s a well-known player at this point given his football pedigree and he’s certainly proven himself to be quite an interior presence as well. He’s a space-eater inside who can rebound his area as well as anybody and when he gets deep paint touches, he’s going to score. </span></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="958807" first="Titus" last="Skistad"], Spectrum</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Skistad enjoyed a productive sophomore season for Spectrum, averaging better than 15 points for a Spectrum team that before ending the year with six straight losses was looking dangerous in Section 6AA. Skistad’s a talented swingman though, and he’ll have more on his plate as an upperclassman, but he’s got the shooting stroke and the off-the-dribble juice to put up 20 points per game. </span></p>