Minnesota Playoff Central: Another Eli King Explosive Showing

<p>All four levels of Minnesota High School Basketball are in section play tonight as games are all across the state.  Allow us to keep you updated, at Minnesota Playoff Central.</p> <p><strong>Playoff Central.</strong>    Class AAAA gets going with three different sections playing (1AAAA, 6AAAA, and 8AAAA).  There are a couple excellent 4/5 and 3/6 games in those groups.  Then in Class AAA there are another three groups: 1AAA, 2AAA, and 8AAA, so basically most of the Class AAA teams are playing their first games. Class AA has two groups getting started (2AA and 4AA) and then at the Class A level 4A gets started while 2A has quarterfinal play. </p> <p><strong>Upset City</strong>.    It wasn’t an upset, but it was close. It was the 1/8 game between Hayfield and Randolph.  Hayfield is the defending state champion.  The Vikings are ranked number one in Class A.  Hayfield beat the Rockets by 13 points and 23 points in the earlier two meetings but last night, it was close.  With ten seconds to go Randolph had the ball down three but Vikings Coach Chris Pack instructed his players to foul Randolph.  The Rockets missed the front end of the one and one, Hayfield made a foul shot, Hayfield’s season moves on.  Kobe Foster scored 24 points to lead Hayfield who faced a triangle and two zone designed to stop [player_tooltip player_id="962284" first="Isaac" last="Matti"] and [player_tooltip player_id="1226403" first="Ethan" last="Pack"].  Hayfield was up 13 at the half but Randolph made a push at the upset.  </p> <p><strong>The Big Stage.  </strong> Cooper vs Armstrong.  One of the state’s best rivalries is at it for the first time this season.  Teams in the same district.  Last year Cooper clobbered Armstrong 84-57 in section play led by [player_tooltip player_id="958641" first="Davion" last="Evans"] scoring 23 and Prince Appiah’s 17.  Evans and Appiah are still at Cooper and leading the team in scoring this season.  Evans is averaging 24.6 points a game.  Armstrong is on the road at Cooper as they are 12-14.  Armstrong lost 10 of 14 in the middle of the year but they have one three of five.  Cooper enters the game having won six of nine games. </p> <p><strong>Top Performers</strong>. [player_tooltip player_id="754315" first="Eli" last="King"] led Caledonia over Triton 70-53.  King handles the ball, defended, and scored 26 points on 9 of 17 shooting.  King made 7 of 8 foul shots, grabbed 11 rebounds, defensively collected six steals, and dished out five assists.  It was an all around game for one of the top Mr. Basketball candidates. </p> <p><strong>Tip of the Hat to the Career</strong>. [player_tooltip player_id="958844" first="Tanner" last="Heier"] of Rothsay had a great career.  He was a five year starter that went over 1,000 points as a junior and played a lot of roles for his team as an all around 6’1 player.  He was a multiple honor as an all conference player and last year when his team lost by two scores to Park Christian his season was done. [player_tooltip player_id="958844" first="Tanner" last="Heier"] had a heck of a high school basketball career. </p>