Max’s Week 1 Section Playoff Standouts

<p>With section playoffs in full swing, I recap the week by looking at seven of the top performers that I was able to watch compete over the course of the week! </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="850708" first="Kendall" last="Blue"] (6’6 2022 W, East Ridge)- </strong>For how skilled of a player Kendall is, he’s extremely unselfish. Against White Bear Lake however, Kendall set his sights on putting points on the board. He had his best offensive performance that I’ve seen out of him in person this year, scoring in a variety of ways. Kendall crossed over into a smooth pull-up jumper, attacked the basket for a soft finish at the buzzer in the first half, was getting up in passing lanes leading to some transition looks, and two of those resulted in highlight one handed dunks with his length and explosiveness. His game high 22 points helped lead East Ridge to a blowout win on Thursday night.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="958715" first="Pharrel" last="Payne"] (6’8 2022 PF/C, Park of Cottage Grove)- </strong>Park vs Eastview ended up being one of the most exciting games I’ve seen all year, and Pharrel’s play helped his team upset the #1 seeded team in section 3AAAA. Eastview made it a point of focus to not let Pharrel get the ball on the block, so instead he put his efforts towards securing second chance buckets. His effort on the glass led to a tip-in and a few offensive boards that saw him explode right back up to score. He also had a nice cut without the ball leading to an alley-oop slam. Defensively he did a great job of contesting around the rim without fouling, moving his feet to defend smaller forwards on the perimeter, and elevating for a pair of rejections. I also came away impressed with his ability to tip the ball out on some of his team’s misses, which led to more second chance opportunities even when he wasn’t able to secure the ball. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="958736" first="Carson" last="Kolles"] (5’11 2022 G, Monticello)- </strong>In another upset win this week, Carson helped lead Monticello past St. Francis. Carson has a strong frame at 5’11, and used that to his advantage on multiple occasions as he got to the rim for some tough finishes through contact. He has a quick burst off the dribble and showcased excellent body control when elevating and extending for some difficult scores. Offensively he played with poise and skill, using footwork and shooting touch to put up 20 points in the win. I was also impressed with his scrappiness and effort defensively, and ability to guard taller players.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1151197" first="Daniel" last="Freitag"] (6’2 2024 PG, Bloomington Jefferson)- </strong>The standout freshman showed no signs of fear in Jefferson’s playoff opener. He came off the bench and immediately provided the spark his team needed to pull off the upset win over Edina. Jefferson likes to use Daniel on the block a lot, as he’s so dangerous in the post because of his vision to find cutters and his footwork/explosiveness that can lead to finishes over opposing guards. He also showcased a quick spin move that led to two finishes in the paint, and knocked down a pair of threes on his way to 18 points in the win. It was exciting to watch Daniel’s confidence improve over the season, as his explosiveness, handle, finishing ability, and passing vision combine to make him a promising prospect in the 2024 class.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="850701" first="Tre" last="Holloman"] (6’2 2022 PG, Cretin-Derham Hall)- </strong>When Tre plays like he did on Thursday, CDH can compete with just about anyone in the state. The junior point guard was flying up and down the court, making some tough finishes at the rim and dishing out some highlight level assists. I loved the way that he passed the ball up the floor, and was able to find teammates for multiple open lay-ups just by throwing the ball ahead. He hit two mid-range jumpers, and as always he was applying constant ball pressure on the defensive end. Tre finished with a game high 24 points in the win over North St. Paul.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="958644" first="Shawn" last="West-Zimpel"] (6’2 2022 SG, South St. Paul)- </strong>South St. Paul put together one of the best first halves I’ve seen this year, and Shawn was the one who got them started on his way to 26 points. Early in the first half he showcased his shooting touch, knocking down three shots from beyond the arc. That forced the defense to close out on him harder, so he took advantage of that by taking a quick shot fake and then attacking the basket for some finishes with his left hand. He’s a deceptively quick athlete able to lull defenders to sleep and then blow by them to get to the rim. He brought constant energy to the defensive end, and helped his team pull off the win against Holy Angels.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="957198" first="Bryce" last="Boyd"] (6’5 2021 F, Holy Angels)- </strong>I was able to see Holy Angels play twice throughout the week, and I thought Bryce put in strong performances in both games. At 6’5 with a strong frame, he was able to dominate around the rim in both games, rebounding at a high level and finishing with consistency. Against South St. Paul he put together a strong run of play in the second half, scoring three straight times with a jump hook, steal leading to a transition dunk, and then finishing through contact off a dump-off pass. His size was a major presence in that game. In a win over St. Paul Highland Park he put up 16 points and 5 rebounds, and then finished with 15 points in the loss to South St. Paul.</p>