Mid-Week Section Playoff Standouts

After a few sections got started last week, the whole state is now in playoff mode, as it’s win or go home for boy’s basketball programs in Minnesota. So far this week I’ve seen Caledonia take on Triton, as well as Minneapolis South face off with Minneapolis Southwest, and these are seven of the top performers from those games. [player_tooltip player_id="754315" first="Eli" last="King"] (6’3 2022 G, Caledonia)- A Mr. Basketball contender and Iowa State committed guard, [player_tooltip player_id="754315" first="Eli" last="King"] made scoring 26 points look easy against Triton. Didn’t force much offensively, and just found ways to get high percentage looks at the rim. Eli crashed the glass hard for offensive boards, and was attacking off the dribble to get into the lane. He does a great job of catching his balance and elevating off two feet in the paint to finish at a high percentage, but he can also go off of one foot and convert with ease from seemingly difficult angles. Defensively he’s so good off the ball as he can read exactly what the opposing player wants to do with the ball, and jump the passing lane to pick up an easy steal. Really liked how he high pointed the ball off missed shots to pull in rebounds in bulk as well. [player_tooltip player_id="958827" first="Owen" last="Petersohn"] (6’ 2022 G, Triton)- Owen was one of the reasons why Triton was keeping the game so close for a majority of the night. The senior guard showed off some sharpshooting abilities, as his high arching shot was connecting consistently from beyond the arc. Despite being smaller than most of Caledonia’s lineup, he wasn’t afraid to put the ball on the floor and attack, showing some craftiness around the basket as well as managing to finish through some hard contact. Owen showed he can handle the ball under pressure, knock down some tough shots, and create a bit for his teammates as well on his way to a 21 point showing. Ja’shon Simpson (6’3 2022 G, Caledonia)- One of the reasons this Caledonia team is so good is that they have a variety of players who can step up on any given night. This time it was Ja’shon Simpson, scoring 13 points to help his team pull away with a win. He’s a composed player with a nice frame and some strength to finish inside. Cal doesn’t have a true big man, so Simpson is sometimes needed to compete down low as a rebounder and defender, and showed no problem doing so. Offensively he made some nice cuts off the ball to get into open space, and also showed touch with his shot from beyond the arc. Simpson added in a nice turnaround jumper towards the end of the game as Caledonia was pulling ahead. Poet Davis (5’11 2024 G, Minneapolis South)- Poet has been most known for his shooting ability this season, as the sophomore guard is a marksman from deep. Last night however, he showed he’s just as good at the rim. Poet slashed to the basket for some tough finishes in the first half, including one bumping off a defender and extending with his left hand for an and-one finish. It’s rare to see an underclassman able to convert with his off-hand like that, and it just shows the level of skill and body control that Poet possesses. He capped off his solo run in the first half by playing some tough on-ball defense and sliding his feet to draw a charge to help his team build a commanding lead over Southwest. [player_tooltip player_id="1284157" first="Jerome" last="Williams Jr"]. (5’9 2024 PG, Minneapolis South)- Really like the jump Jerome has made as a facilitator. Last season as a freshman he showed he can score the ball at a high level as a freshman, but has since been more dangerous getting into the paint and dishing it out to his teammates. Jerome is so dangerous taking an outlet pass and flying up the floor, using his tight handle to weave in-and-out of defenders. Once he gets into the paint he’s able to spot an open teammate slashing to the rim because he always has his head up and eyes scanning the floor. Last night he had a few nice assists, a couple of threes, and a transition finish to help his team advance in the playoffs. [player_tooltip player_id="1226376" first="Caden" last="Sullivan"] (6’4 2023 G, Minneapolis Southwest)- Really like the energy and passion that Caden competes with. He doesn’t back down from a challenge, and in fact he embraces going up against talented competition. Sullivan really got after it defensively last night, moving his feet with smaller/quicker guards on the perimeter, and also challenging guys at the rim. When he makes a play defensively he gets his whole team fired up with his energy. Offensively he showed he can run the point at 6’4, or play off the ball and act as a shooting threat. Finished with 8 points on the night. [player_tooltip player_id="958675" first="Hakeem" last="Ford"] (6’5 2022 SF, Minneapolis Southwest)- Ending the game with a team high 12 points, Hakeem showed some ridiculous finishing ability at the rim. One of the most explosive wings in the state, Hakeem flew in for a put-back dunk, while adding in some attacks in the half-court and scoring with touch while faced off against arguably the best shot blocker in the state. Showed some flashes of footwork in the lane with a nice up-and-under move that got his defender in the air, and also rejected a 6’8 player at the rim on the defensive end. High ceiling player at the next level because of his defensive versatility, finishing ability, and improving offensive skillset.