Class AAAA Title Contender Series: Osseo

<p>The Osseo Orioles will start the season a top ten squad mixing quality veterans with some really good up and coming talent.  Here is the Osseo Orioles preview. </p> <p><strong>Key Wins in 20-21 (11-9)</strong><strong>:  </strong> Park Center, Spring Lake Park, Maple Grove, Armstrong</p> <p><strong>Oops</strong>: Maple Grove, Park Center, Totino-Grace, Andover, Armstrong, Champlin Park</p> <p><strong>Moving On: </strong> Osseo had a pair of junior starters move on.  Minnesota committed Joshua Ola-Joseph was the team’s best player, best prospect, top scorer, and top rebounder.  He is now at Prolific Prep in California.  [player_tooltip player_id="850720" first="Donald" last="Ferguson"] is currently going to school at St. Cloud Tech where his father Don is the new head coach.  Ferguson scored nine a game last season and was the team’s best shooter.  The Orioles also lost a couple senior reserves in Michael McIntryre and KK Totten who did some good things.  </p> <p><strong>Returning Starters (3):  </strong> The Orioles return three starters and that’s six foot point guard Tyirece Waits, 6’9 center [player_tooltip player_id="850705" first="Blessed" last="Barhayiga"], and 6’3 worker [player_tooltip player_id="796952" first="Owen" last="Dukowitz"].   All three are seniors and they will be quality anchors.  Waits is an excellent defender and a pace pushing smart ball handler.  Barhayiga is a low post defender who will give the team five buckets, a block, a couple shot contests, and 6-7 boards.  Dukowitz is the worker that will take the other team’s best scorer defensively plus he’s improved offensively as well. </p> <p>Then you add in [player_tooltip player_id="850721" first="Benard" last="Omooria"]. The games I saw Benard play last year he was the 6th Man BUT he started before (was the team’s all league player as a sophomore starting PG), I am guessing he started some games last year at different times, and he is the team’s top returning scorer (was the second leading scorer for Osseo last year).  Benard had a fabulous summer with Minnesota Select shooting and scoring the basketball.  He was an all state 17u player and I think he will have a great senior year. </p> <p><strong>Reserves Playing a Bigger Role:  </strong>Lewis Cargoer is a 6’5 senior that I think will step into a bigger role.  Because Lewis plays so hard he could be the team’s starting four that moves well enough to defend fours, he’s tough enough to play some five, and Lewis rebounds in a way that will allow him to play both.  Could be a starter, could be a 6th Man.  </p> <p><strong>Potentials from the JV: </strong>There are more seniors that could help in addition to the five we have mentioned.  Six-foot-7 Evan Johnson and 6’5 [player_tooltip player_id="1140184" first="Demi" last="Adebayo"] could provide frontcourt depth.  Six foot guards Nate Vinson and Markus Ambrose are also now seniors. </p> <p>The junior to watch is [player_tooltip player_id="1220406" first="Trey" last="Smith"].  Smith is a 6’5/6’6 wing/forward that has a lot of potential.  He was great for the Minnesota Bounce last season as their leading scorer and rebounder.  Smith will have a role for Osseo, what that role fully is depends on how quickly he blends into the varsity chemistry with the veterans.  The same can be said about [player_tooltip player_id="1284143" first="Isaiah" last="Johnson"], a 6’6/6’7 sophomore who is one of the best sophomores in the state.  Johnson had a great 15u season with Team Tyus/Howard Pulley and will figure into this big and agile frontcourt.  [player_tooltip player_id="1284229" first="Ty" last="Swanson"] played on JV last year as a freshman guard and will also figure into the rotation. </p> <p><strong>Final Thoughts</strong>: Not many teams can lose a top 200 level national recruit to a prep, lose their best shooter to a transfer, and lose several of their role players (seniors) from a season ago, and still be a top ten team.  Osseo can be.  The Waits/Omooria backcourt mixed with the Cargoer/Barhayiga frontcourt and Owen on the wing is a great veteran foundation.  If the youth mixes in well (Smith and Johnson) this team can make a run.  </p>