Jack's Quarterfinal Standouts

The first week of playoffs was loaded with exciting matchups! Here are the top seven prospects that caught my eye. Robbinsdale Armstrong (70) vs Robbinsdale Cooper (60) - 6AAAA Quarterfinal [player_tooltip player_id="958687" first="Payton" last="Mogire"] of Robbinsdale Armstrong (6’9 Forward - 2022 Payton dominated Tuesday’s section quarterfinal matchup, totaling a game-high 24 points along with some huge blocks and rebounds. He could not be stopped once getting the ball inside the three-point line, as he would either knock down the mid-range jumper or utilize a different variety of moves to get to the basket. He also worked himself into great positions to receive passes for easy dunks inside. He capped off the win with a thunderous two-handed dunk in transition, getting everyone off their feet. Payton and Armstrong look to carry this momentum into the next round of playoffs. [player_tooltip player_id="958647" first="Peyton" last="Newbern"] of Robbinsdale Armstrong (6’5” Guard - 2022) Peyton impressed me a lot on Tuesday. The combination of his speed, ball handling, and IQ are very rare out of a prospect his size, as he used all of those things to his advantage in the section quarterfinal win. He was finding major success attacking the rim, taking the game over in the first half. The senior guard also used that athleticism to outrun opponents in transition for some easy dunks and layups. Another thing that impressed me with Newbern was his ability to conduct the offense for the Falcons, bringing the ball up the floor the majority of the game. Armstrong will take on #3 Wayzata in Friday’s section semifinal matchup. [player_tooltip player_id="958641" first="Davion" last="Evans"] of Robbinsdale Cooper (6’0” Guard - 2022) Despite the loss, Davion showed why he is known as one the best scorers in the state on Tuesday. He is very unpredictable with the ball in his hands, being able to attack the rim or shoot from just about anywhere. When he gets to his spots he is able to knock down some very difficult shots off of the dribble, even with a hand in his face. He also used his strength to his advantage as well, finishing through defenders for some tough layups. Evans is not just a scorer though, coming away with a couple of steals and unselfish passes to set up his teammates. He finished his senior season averaging 24.2 points per game, surpassing 1,000 career points for the Hawks.   Academy of Holy Angels (48) vs Mound Westonka (61) - 6AAA Quarterfinal [player_tooltip player_id="1144111" first="Jack" last="Eberhart"] of Mound Westonka (6’3” Guard - 2022) Jack scored a team-high 16 points on Tuesday to lead his team to a section quarterfinal win over Academy of Holy Angels. He scored the majority of his baskets from deep, hitting some shots from beyond the college three. He was also able to reel in 13 rebounds, finishing the game with a double-double. Eberhart and Mound Westonka will travel to Benilde-St. Margaret’s on Saturday to take on the Red Knights in a section semifinal matchup. [player_tooltip player_id="962225" first="Reese" last="Vanderwilt"] of Mound Westonka (6’5” Forward - 2023) In Tuesday’s win, Reese provided a spark off the bench for the Whitehawks. He connected with three three-pointers, all coming in the catch-and-shoot. He was able to find openings in the aggressive Holy Angels defense for some open looks off of passes from his teammates. Vanderwilt and Mound Westonka also played lockdown defense all night, holding AHA to 48 points which was only the fourth time they have been held under 50 all season. The Whitehawks look to carry this momentum into their section semifinal matchup with Benilde-St. Margaret’s on Saturday.   Prior Lake (86) vs Minnetonka (78) - 2AAAA Quarterfinal [player_tooltip player_id="850712" first="Malcolm" last="Jones"] of Prior Lake (6’7” Forward - 2022) Malcolm dominated on Wednesday night, carrying his team to an upset win over #8 (#3 in section) Minnetonka. The Minnesota State signee scored a game-high 35 points and came down with 16 rebounds to complete the double-double. He was just too big and strong for the Skippers, as that has been an issue for them all season. He was scoring in many different ways, ranging from throwing down some huge dunks inside to knocking down a few three-pointers from beyond the arc. MSU got a steal with Malcolm and he should make an immediate impact for the Mavericks. [player_tooltip player_id="962207" first="Ibrahim" last="El-Amin"] of Minnetonka (5’11” Guard - 2023) Ibo did all he could for Minnetonka on Wednesday. He tallied 27 points, as he was scorching hot from deep. Ibo is so unpredictable as he can shoot over you with his high rising jump shot or he can blow by you with his speed and shiftiness. Another effect of him being so hard to guard is that he can lure in help defenders, leaving teammates wide open for easy looks as he is able to hit them with picture perfect passes. El-Amin had a phenomenal junior season and Minnetonka should be back even better next season as they had very few seniors on this year’s roster. I would rank them as a top 3 team in class AAAA in my ‘way too early rankings’. Eric Dueffert of Prior Lake (5’10” Guard - 2022) If Malcolm wasn’t scoring for Prior Lake, then it was Eric leading the way. The senior guard got it going from deep early and never cooled down. He plays the game very confidently and knows his strengths, he finished the win with 21 points. PL will take on Eden Prairie on Saturday in the 2AAAA section semifinals. Averaging 11.5 points per game over the regular season, Dueffert is seeming to get hot at the right time as he has scored over 20 points in back-to-back matchups for the Lakers.