Tuesday’s X-Factors To Watch

<p>It’s state tournament week, and that means every game is going to be filled with talent on both sides of the floor. Tuesday is filled with quarterfinals games in Class AA-AAAA, with schools from all over the state participating. These players may not be their teams’ "star" or go-to scorer, but they all bring a skill to the table that can help lead their team to a win at #MNStateHoops22. </p> <p><strong>Devin Yeager (6’7 2022 F, St. Cloud Tech)- </strong>Everyone’s eyes will be on the guard talent in this game, as both Tech and DeLaSalle have extremely talented backcourts. However, with DeLaSalle’s lack of size, Yeager will have a chance to make a big impact in this game. He’s a strong and explosive forward who can finish above the rim and is tough to keep off the glass. Yeager isn’t the type of post that you’re going to look to feed on the block constantly, but he’s one that can scrap for second chance points for both himself and his teammates. If he can finish at a high rate and keep possessions alive for his team, St. Cloud Tech could see themselves advancing to the next round.</p> <p><strong>Max Swanson (6’7 2022 PF/C, Mound Westonka)- </strong>Mound Westonka qualified for state with a one point win over Orono, and they now face off against Mankato East. That East team has plenty of length and athleticism to score around the basket, so Max’s size will be key here in order to contest their shots inside and fight for rebounds. Mound Westonka loves to pass the ball ahead, so Max’s ability to secure a defensive rebound and quickly find an outlet pass will be key if his team wants to get some transition buckets. He’s also been stepping up on the offensive end lately, using his size and strength to score 18 and 12 in his last two games.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1221177" first="Rolyns" last="Aligbe"] (6’8 2023 PF/C, Minnehaha Academy)- </strong>Minnehaha faces off against Morris Area, and with that comes the task of slowing down [player_tooltip player_id="850706" first="Jackson" last="Loge"]. Minnehaha could go with [player_tooltip player_id="850702" first="Prince" last="Aligbe"] on him, but based off of how they defended against Park of Cottage Grove, I think that Rolyns will get the task. He’s such a strong and physical presence defensively, while also being more agile than people know. That will allow him to stand his ground in the post without having to foul. Loge averages 24.7 ppg this season, and is extremely efficient, so Rolyns’ defensive role will be key. He’s no slouch offensively either, as he can score with his back to the basket and even has the ability to attack off the dribble or step out and hit threes. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="958725" first="Ty" last="Creger"] (6’ 2022 PG, Owatonna)- </strong>When you have someone as good as Ty as your third leading scorer, you know your team’s in good shape. Creger is putting up 12.8 ppg as a scrappy and quick point guard. Against CDH, a team led by their guard play, his role on both ends will be key. Owatonna is going to need his tough on-ball defense to disrupt the flow of the CDH offense, while also relying on his ball handling to limit turnovers, and therefore limit transition opportunities for CDH. He’s so tough to keep out of the lane, as his quick handle allows him to beat the initial defender and create good looks for his team from there. If Creger has a big game, Owatonna has a good chance to advance. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="796948" first="Brandon" last="Melchior"] (6’9 2022 C, Cretin-Derham Hall)- </strong>Sticking with this same matchup, [player_tooltip player_id="796948" first="Brandon" last="Melchior"]’s size for CDH will be much needed. He’ll be tasked with trying to slow down [player_tooltip player_id="850718" first="Evan" last="Dushek"], a 6’8 forward scoring just over 20 points a game this season. This CDH team is so dangerous when Melchior is playing physical and enforcing himself down low. Yes he’ll have some touches in the paint and will be looked upon to finish off dump off passes from [player_tooltip player_id="850701" first="Tre" last="Holloman"], but his role on defense will be huge tomorrow. He’ll have to stand his ground against a powerful forward, and try to contest shots while staying out of foul trouble. If Brandon can stay on the floor and keep making things difficult, CDH could see themselves advancing to the semi-finals.</p> <p><strong>Zach Neutz (6’6 2022 PF, Annandale)- </strong>Annandale is a team that packs plenty of size at the Class AA level, and Zach Neutz is someone I’ve seen capable of stepping up when needed. He’s not someone that’s going to impress with explosiveness or a high skill level, but he just works hard consistently. If he can provide a strong post presence on the glass, it will allow [player_tooltip player_id="958689" first="Brady" last="Spaulding"] to float all over the floor and utilize his versatility more. Neutz is someone who’s going to fight for rebounds, finish off his looks around the rim, and set hard screens to open up his teammates. Won’t always show up on the box score, but he makes winning plays down low.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1225624" first="Thane" last="Meiners"] (5’11 2022 G, Caledonia)- </strong>Caledonia is headlined by [player_tooltip player_id="754315" first="Eli" last="King"], but Thane has really stepped up in some important games this season. He’ll be playing baseball in college, but he’s such a tough player on the basketball court as well. The knockdown shooter is someone that always has to be accounted for, because his off-ball activity is constantly putting himself into positions to get open looks from deep. Thane has no shortage of confidence in his shot, but is also smart enough to not force much. If Perham keys in on trying to stop [player_tooltip player_id="754315" first="Eli" last="King"], [player_tooltip player_id="1225624" first="Thane" last="Meiners"] will look to step up to help his team advance.</p>