Jack’s Weekend Top Performers

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I had the chance to catch a game on both Friday and Saturday. Here are the top performers that stood out to me!</span></p> <p><b>Park Center (61) vs Totino-Grace (64):</b></p> <p><b>[player_tooltip player_id="1288728" first="Zy’Ierre" last="Stewart"] </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">of Totino-Grace (5’11” Guard - 2024)</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Zy’Ierre had a breakout performance on Friday night against Park Center. Coming off the bench, the sophomore guard was a key factor in the win for Totino-Grace. He provided a much needed spark for the Eagles, especially scoring the ball, finishing the game with 14 points. He also had a huge assist to [player_tooltip player_id="958638" first="Demarion" last="Watson"] for a thunderous dunk late in the second half to complete the comeback victory for TG. I have been very impressed with Stewart’s ability to score and to never seem rattled or pressured in important situations. He will be a prospect to monitor this AAU season!</span></p> <p><b>[player_tooltip player_id="958638" first="Demarion" last="Watson"] </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">of Totino-Grace (6’8” Wing - 2022)</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Demarion proved to everyone that he is a top player in the state on Friday night. The Iowa State signee took over in the second half where he scored 13 of his 17 points, most of those points coming from beyond the arc late in the game. It is so hard to slow him down when he is hitting his shots from the perimeter. One reason being that he is 6’8” and is very hard to contest, he can also go downhill and score at the rim. Watson also showed off his athleticism, taking off for some ‘Space Jam’ dunks. ISU is truly getting the full package with Demarion and I am excited to see him at the next level. </span></p> <p><b>[player_tooltip player_id="850710" first="Braeden" last="Carrington"] </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">of Park Center (6’4” Guard - 2022) </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If anyone was going to bring a win home for Park Center, it was going to be Braeden. Early in the game he was lighting it up from deep, finishing the first half with 17 points including 4 three-pointers. He was knocking down some ridiculously hard shots off the dribble with a hand in his face. Carrington is such a great shot creator, using different variations of moves to set up his defenders. The Gophers are getting an elite scorer and an elite competitor. </span></p> <p><b>[player_tooltip player_id="962203" first="Tommy" last="Humphries"] </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">of Totino-Grace (6’5” Wing - 2023) </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">I’ve always known that Tommy is a knockdown three-point shooter, but he has impressed me more in other aspects of his game so far this season. He seems to have more confidence attacking the rim and has evolved into a much better facilitator than last year. He finished Friday’s win over Park Center with 12 points, including a pair of clutch threes late in the second half. I expect Humphries to be one of the top scorers in the state next season as Totino-Grace loses both [player_tooltip player_id="891901" first="Ahjany" last="Lee"] and [player_tooltip player_id="958638" first="Demarion" last="Watson"] to graduation.</span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Holy Angels (78) vs Mahtomedi (83):</b></p> <p><b>[player_tooltip player_id="1221176" first="Owen" last="Carlson"] </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">of Mahtomedi (6’3” Guard - 2023) </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Owen was very impressive versus Holy Angels on Saturday. The junior guard’s shot is so pure and smooth, he was not missing all game. Carlson did most of his scoring from beyond the arc and with the pull up mid-range. He finished the win with a game-high 28 points. He missed four games earlier in the season with a hand injury, but has looked great since coming back. He’s currently averaging 23 points per game in the 7 he has appeared in. Owen is one of the most underrated players in Minnesota’s 2023 class and will run with Minnesota Chill this upcoming AAU season. </span></p> <p><b>Rob Issa </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">of Holy Angels (6’4” Guard - 2022) </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Rob is a very intriguing senior prospect who was averaging 19 points per game headed into his matchup with Mahtomedi. He continued to score at will, finishing Saturday’s loss with 30 points. He did the majority of his first half scoring from inside, but knocked down a couple threes later in the game. Issa and [player_tooltip player_id="850716" first="Emmett" last="Johnson"] seemed to have a great connection on cuts to the basket as they hooked up a couple times. The 6’4” guard is very athletic and long. This allows him to rise up to block shots and get in passing lanes to cause turnovers. Rob was also selected for the Mr. Basketball Watch List earlier this week. </span></p> <p><b>Cole Armitage </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">of Mahtomedi (6’0” Guard - 2023)</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Cole was a key factor in Mahtomedi’s win over Holy Angels. He finished the game with 16 points, scoring from different levels. The junior guard possesses a nice jump shot as he knocked down a couple three-pointers in the second half. He also found major success converting opponents turnovers into easy baskets in transition. The Zephyrs have a very solid 2023 class including Cole, [player_tooltip player_id="1221176" first="Owen" last="Carlson"], and AJ McCleery. Look for them to be atop the Metro East conference next season. </span></p>