Jack’s Week 8 Star Performers
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I was able to see some of Minnesota’s top individual talent this past week. I watched Holy Family vs Park Center on Monday and Bloomington Jefferson vs Chaska on Tuesday. Here were the seven players who really stood out to…
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Continue ReadingI was able to see some of Minnesota’s top individual talent this past week. I watched Holy Family vs Park Center on Monday and Bloomington Jefferson vs Chaska on Tuesday. Here were the seven players who really stood out to me.
Holy Family (80) vs Park Center (100):
Boden embraced the tough matchup with #1 Park Center and dominated the game from start to finish. He was very hard to stop once he got the ball inside, leaving the defense with no answer as he would will himself to the basket and dunk it home. He also knocked down some shots from the outside on his way to an incredible 40 point performance. Kapke looked very comfortable working in the post and handling the ball to break the Pirate’s elite full-court press as well. The Butler commit is the full package for a big man and should move up amongst the Mr. Basketball leaders after this impressive showing. the Mr. Basketball leaders after this impressive showing.
Jackson stepped up and played a huge role off the bench in the win over Holy Family. The junior guard played with extreme confidence and affected the game in a variety of different ways. He scored 17 points and played lockdown defense on opposing ball handlers at every opportunity he got. He attacked the basket very well in the half court, as well as running in transition for some easy layups. Fowlkes also showed off his shooting stroke, connecting with a pair of corner three-pointers. This Park Center team is very deep and anyone can step up at any time. This time, it was Jackson.
JJ has continued to be Park Center’s leading scoring option this season and that did not change on Monday. The senior wing has proven himself to be one of the top shooters in the state and has been lights out in the catch-and-shoot. He finished the win over #2-AA Holy Family with a team-high 21 points, scoring from beyond the arc, as well as in the paint in transition. Ware has been a team-high scorer for the Pirates in six out of the last seven games, leaving him with an average of over 18 points per game. Whoever gets JJ at the next level, is getting confident scorer who will also do all of the little things necessary to contribute to a winning team.
Cash committed a quick first three fouls, so he missed around half of the first half due to foul trouble. Once the second half began, he took over with his explosiveness and facilitating. The junior guard is so good in transition situations, always maintaining full control even at full speed. He picked up some assists with some wonderful cross-court passes to teammates for open looks. Adding onto that, he absorbed contact from larger opponents to convert some super tough finishes. He also knocked down a pair of three-pointers on his way to finish with a solid 13 points. Chavis is so entertaining to watch and fits perfectly into the Pirates’ scheme.
Highlights
Bloomington Jefferson (80) vs Chaska (83):
Daniel’s 30-point triple-double was not enough in an exciting back-and-forth game against Chaska. The 4-star prospect was a threat to score from all three levels on the floor. He attacked the basket with force to draw fouls and finish through contact. He connected with a super smooth pull-up jumper in the mid-range, as well as some shots from beyond the arc off the dribble and in the catch-and-shoot. Freitag is so quick when changing directions with the ball in his hands and had to kick out to teammates often because Chaska would bring one or two players into the paint to help when he would drive. Daniel is the full package and can play either guard spot with no problems.
Highlights
This is the third Chaska game I have been able to attend this season and Tray continues to impress me with the ceiling I believe he can achieve. The sophomore forward is listed at 6’6” and has an extremely dynamic offensive skillset. He has the ability to score from the outside with his smooth shooting mechanics, but he did the majority of his damage from inside on Tuesday. He attacked Jefferson’s lack of size and had some nice finishes off the dribble, as well as in the post. Lenzen finished the game with 14 points and the win. Chaska has a solid young core with Tray and 2027 Tyler Forrest Tyler Forrest 6’2″ | PG Chaska | 2027 State MN being in the center of it.
Marcus has emerged as one of the top scoring options on this Jefferson team behind Daniel Freitag Daniel Freitag 6’1″ | PG Breck | 2024 State #142 Nation MN and had a very solid 22 point outing in the tight loss against Chaska. The sophomore guard is a knockdown shooter from the perimeter and specialized in a few catch-and-shoot scenarios on the wing and in the corners. There were also four instances where he cut to the basket, received a pass from a teammate, and finished it off with either a right hand or a left hand layup. He shot very efficiently and was a huge reason this game was as close as it was. The backcourt duo of Freitag and Horton has some potential.