Previewing The Season Opener: Top Five on December 2
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We aren’t too far away from high school basketball in Minnesota. States around the country have already tipped off, don’t worry Minnesota, your time is coming soon. Here are the first games you can go see…. I’m seeing there MIGHT…
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Continue ReadingWe aren’t too far away from high school basketball in Minnesota. States around the country have already tipped off, don’t worry Minnesota, your time is coming soon. Here are the first games you can go see….
I’m seeing there MIGHT be a few games on Tuesday, November 30th, just eight days after the first practice. Not sure if that is a certainty. I surely see that there are a number of games on December 2nd. Here are five games of note on opening day!
Morris Area at LQPV. Jackson Loge Jackson Loge 6'7" | C Morris Area | 2022 State MN and the Tigers take on a 17-4 LQPV team on the road that returns three starters who were three of their best players. Morris Area is a top five Class AA team with a first team all state player and all of their starters returning. This is an outstanding season opener. LQPV is a reasonably sized team that will put some length on Loge at times, and likely some offensive lineman on Jackson at times.
Eagan at South St. Paul. The east metro opener of note is Eagan traveling to SSP. The Wildcats have the talent to try and make a statement against one of the best teams. Emmanuel Schmitter Emmanuel Schmitter 6'3" | SG Eagan | 2023 State MN and Oscar Khazon Oscar Khazon 6'1" | PG Eagan | 2023 State MN will lead the Cats but their task will be monumental as SSP is a senior dominated group full of playmaking guards. You try and defend Alonzo Dodd Alonzo Dodd 6'2" | CG South St Paul | 2022 State MN and Devin Newsome Devin Newsome 6'1" | SG South St Paul | 2022 State MN , but then who stops Shawn West-Zimpel Shawn West-Zimpel 6'2" | SG South St. Paul | 2022 State MN ? That’s the fun dilemma of the game.
Watertown-Mayer at Lester Prairie. The Bulldogs open their new gym with a tough game against a Watertown-Mayer team that is a real Wright County West contender and a 5AA section sleeper. Both teams have big expectations for this winter and both squads have a good frontcourt scorer as well as good guards ( John Mueller John Mueller 6'5" | SF Watertown-Mayer | 2023 State MN and Jack Behning Jack Behning 6'3" | SF Lester Prairie | 2022 State MN ). This could actually be the game of the night.
Orono at Hopkins. The plethora of Orono Spartan guards hit the road to face the big bad Hopkins Royals. Orono has the skill and guard talent to match a lot of the Hopkins talent, but who is going to deal with the monster in the middle, Elvis Nnaji Elvis Nnaji 6'8" | C Hopkins | 2022 State #215 Nation MN ? The Spartan players can look to recent Wofford walk-on commit Cohen Kellogg Cohen Kellogg 6'0" | PG Orono | 2022 State MN for advice as he’s played a ton of games against Hopkins.
Deer River at Cherry. Man, this is a very tempting drive. Isaac Asuma Isaac Asuma 6'3" | PG Cherry | 2024 State #102 Nation MN is one of the best sophomores in the state and is coming off a monster number season. Ty Morrison Ty Morrison 6'4" | SF Deer River | 2022 State MN is the Class A preseason player of the year and the leader of a deep Deer River team that is ranked number one entering the season. This should be a very fun season opening game!