AAA State Quarterfinal Standouts

State is here, the stakes are higher and the matchups are loaded with talent on both sides. These are the seven prospects that stood out to me in the AAA State Quarterfinals. [player_tooltip player_id="850715" first="BJ" last="Omot"] of Mankato East (6’7” Forward - 2022) BJ absolutely took over in Mankato East’s quarterfinal matchup with Mound Westonka. He started out quiet, only having 3 points at the end of the first half. Then, the Cougars went to a full court trap/press and left the White Hawks with no answer, swarming ball handlers and forcing bad passes leading to turnovers and easy baskets at the other end. Omot’s long frame and athleticism allowed him to get into passing lanes, deflecting balls and picking up steals. The North Dakota commit finished the game with 25 points and the victory, as he was knocking down tough shot after tough shot. Mankato East has a tough matchup in front of them, taking on #1 Totino-Grace for a chance to go to the AAA State Championship. Goanar Tap of St. Cloud Tech (6’9” Forward - 2022) This was my first time seeing Goanar play and I was very impressed. The senior forward came off the bench and provided a spark for the Tigers. He scored 10 points, shooting a perfect 4/4 from the field and 2/3 from the free throw line. He scored all of his baskets in the paint, using his size to finish over defenders. The part of his game that stood out to me the most was his shot blocking ability. Tap was timing his block attempts perfectly and if he did not get the block it was always a solid contest. Goanar is a very intriguing senior prospect with an extremely high ceiling. [player_tooltip player_id="962198" first="Taison" last="Chatman"] of Totino-Grace (6’4” Guard - 2023) Tuesday’s Quarterfinal matchup with Hermantown was a perfect example of why Taison is such a highly touted prospect. He finished the win with 18 points, shooting an incredible 8/10 from the field. As usual, Chatman was knocking down some very difficult shots from the perimeter, making him almost impossible to guard. He also got to the rim with ease, showcasing his ability to finish around the basket at full speed. Taison has already grown his offer list to nine schools as a junior, including Louisville, Minnesota, Iowa, and more. [player_tooltip player_id="958662" first="Haydn" last="Stay"] of Princeton (6’4” Forward - 2022) Haydn did everything for Princeton in their State Quarterfinal win. He racked up 23 points and an outstanding 16 boards! He was clearly the hardest worker on the floor, overpowering defenders and chasing down rebounds all game. The North Dakota football commit also has a solid offensive arsenal, being able to knock down shots from the outside and bully opponents inside for some tough finishes. Stay and Princeton advance to the State Semifinals where they will matchup with a red-hot DeLaSalle squad ready to make a State Title run. I am very intrigued how Haydn will matchup with a combination of Moses/Hoban of the Islanders on Thursday. [player_tooltip player_id="962218" first="Nasir" last="Whitlock"] of DeLaSalle (6’1” Guard - 2023) Nas did a fantastic job commanding the Islander offense in the State Quarterfinal win over St. Cloud Tech. He seemed to always make the right play, totaling 14 points and 6 assists. He scored his portion of points in a variety of ways, including a pull-up mid-range jumper, a three-pointer from NBA range, and a tough contested finish at the basket. In my opinion, Whitlock was the best player on the court on Tuesday. DeLaSalle is on a roll and they will matchup with a 27-1 Princeton team on Thursday in the State Semifinals. [player_tooltip player_id="958777" first="Kyle" last="Johnson"] of DeLaSalle (6’2” Guard - 2022) Kyle caught fire on Tuesday, finishing the win over St. Cloud Tech with a game-high 19 points. He has been such a consistent scorer from outside all season and that did not change. It is very hard to get a good contest on Johnson’s shot as he gets the ball off very quick and gets pretty high off the floor when he shoots. He also had some nice contested finishes inside and played great Islander defense. DeLaSalle will need Kyle to keep his hot shooting up if they want to win it all. They matchup with Princeton on Thursday, then will take on the winner of Totino-Grace and Mankato East on Saturday if they come out with the victory. [player_tooltip player_id="891901" first="Ahjany" last="Lee"] of Totino-Grace (6’11” Forward - 2022) Ahjany filled up the stat sheet on Tuesday. He finished the win over Hermantown with 8 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 blocks in limited minutes. He could not be stopped in transition, using his large frame and athleticism to go coast-to-coast for some acrobatic layups and huge putback dunks. He also dominated the offensive glass, out-muscling defenders for second chance opportunities. Lee and Totino-Grace will take on Mankato East on Thursday to punch their ticket to the AAA State Championship.