What If…. The Metro/Outstate Game

<p>Each and every year I think back to the old Minnesota High School Basketball tradition of the Metro-Outstate game.  </p> <p>What was the Metro-Outstate Game you ask?  It was what Minnesota had before the All Star Series of 40 seniors from all around the state.  It was ten metro players against ten outstate talents.  So what would that game of looked like in 2022?  First, here is our participants (yes size/position is taken into consideration somewhat) of seniors.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>The Metro Ten</strong></p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="850702" first="Prince" last="Aligbe"] of Minnehaha Academy</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="850713" first="Carter" last="Bjerke"] of Wayzata</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="850708" first="Kendall" last="Blue"] of East Ridge</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="850710" first="Braeden" last="Carrington"] of Park Center</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="958636" first="Alonzo" last="Dodd"] of South St. Paul</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="850701" first="Tre" last="Holloman"] of Cretin-Derham Hall</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="850728" first="Nick" last="Katona"] of Shakopee</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="958715" first="Pharrel" last="Payne"] of Park of Cottage Grove</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="958669" first="Kenji" last="Scales"] of Eastview</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="958638" first="Demarion" last="Watson"] of Totino-Grace</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>The Outstate Ten</strong></p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="850720" first="Donald" last="Ferguson"] of St. Cloud Tech</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="850733" first="JaSean" last="Glover"] of Madelia</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="754315" first="Eli" last="King"] of Caledonia</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="850706" first="Jackson" last="Loge"] of Morris Area/Chokia-Alberta</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="958683" first="Mason" last="Lund"] of Sartell/St. Stephen</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="850731" first="Ayden" last="McDonald"] of Hibbing</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="850715" first="BJ" last="Omot"] of Mankato East</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="850725" first="Samuel" last="Rensch"] of Hutchinson</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="958689" first="Brady" last="Spaulding"] of Annandale</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="958681" first="Brayden" last="Williams"] of Owatonna</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>The Result </strong></p> <p>The defensive versatility of the metro group just screams double figure win to me in a normal situation with both teams motivated.  There is length all over these two rosters but I just can’t see a lot of points scored with Holloman pressuring, Aligbe, Watson, and Katona getting length on hands, and Payne in the paint patrolling.   Outstate would have more shooting and the difference in skill and athletic ability is not as different as you think, but the metro is the more explosive team plus I just don’t see the Outstate scoring on this Metro defense.  This is a list full of scholarship talent. </p>