The Watch List is out. Complaints have been filed. We give you a few “snubs” but also look at the leaders for the various countdowns, and all the names are still there. Let’s go! Leader: Nolan Winter Nolan Winter 6'10"…
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Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log inThe Watch List is out. Complaints have been filed. We give you a few “snubs” but also look at the leaders for the various countdowns, and all the names are still there. Let’s go!
Leader:
Nolan Winter
Nolan
Winter
6'10" | PF
Lakeville North | 2023
State
#98
Nation
MN
of Lakeville North. Winter has missed the last two games with an ankle injury so the door is open for others!. And yes Nolan made the watch list.
Final Five Favorites: Winter,
Boden Kapke
Boden
Kapke
6'11" | C
Holy Family | 2023
State
#153
Nation
MN
of Holy Family,
Nasir Whitlock
Nasir
Whitlock
6'1" | PG
DeLaSalle | 2023
State
MN
of DeLaSalle,
Max Shikenjanski
Max
Shikenjanski
6'2" | PG
Stillwater | 2023
State
#288
Nation
MN
of Stillwater, and
CJ O’Hara
CJ
O’Hara
6'4" | SF
Park Center | 2023
State
#285
Nation
MN
of Park Center. Kapke is coming off of a 35 point game against Minnehaha Academy that many are talking about. Whitlock is scoring 25 a game and just had 24 spots against Minneapolis North and Columbia Heights. O’Hara is averaging 17.4 a game for undefeated Park Center and Shikenjanski just had 32 against Park plus 24 to lead the Ponies to a close game win over Stillwater. All of these players made the list.
Top Ten Favorites. Winter, Kapke, Whitlock, Shikenjanski, and O’Hara joined by
Patrick Bath
Patrick
Bath
6'9" | C
Totino-Grace | 2023
State
MN
of Totino-Grace,
Isaiah Hagen
Isaiah
Hagen
6'3" | PG
Orono | 2023
State
MN
of Orono,
Ben Kopetzki
Ben
Kopetzki
6'0" | PG
Andover | 2023
State
MN
of Andover, and at this point I would say the other two are so far up in the air I can’t even offer two more names at this exact moment. All eight of those players made the watch list.
Top 20. If I had to add a dozen names to the other eight I would say: injured and now playing
Taison Chatman
Taison
Chatman
6'4" | PG
Totino-Grace | 2023
State
#35
Nation
MN
of Totino-Grace and
Jack Janicki
Jack
Janicki
6'4" | SG
White Bear Lake | 2023
State
#277
Nation
MN
of White Bear Lake plus
Tommy Humphries
Tommy
Humphries
6'5" | SF
Totino-Grace | 2023
State
#283
Nation
MN
of Totino-Grace,
Ryan Heise
Ryan
Heise
6'8" | SF
Lake City | 2023
State
MN
of Lake City,
Adam Jenkins
Adam
Jenkins
6'9" | C
Moorhead | 2023
State
MN
of Moorhead,
Buay Koak
Buay
Koak
6'3" | SG
Lyle-Austin Pacelli | 2023
State
MN
of Lyle/Austin Pacelli,
Owen Leach
Owen
Leach
6'5" | SF
Dillworth Glyndon-Felton | 2023
State
MN
of DGF (huge 30/15 game in a win over Perham last week),
Isaac Matti
Isaac
Matti
6'1" | SG
Hayfield | 2023
State
MN
of Hayfield,
Will Opsahl
Will
Opsahl
6'8" | SF
Goodhue | 2023
State
MN
of Goodhue,
Aeron Stevens
Aeron
Stevens
6'7" | PF
Plainview-Elgin-Millville | 2023
State
MN
of PEM,
Will Underwood
Will
Underwood
6'3" | PG
Mahtomedi | 2023
State
MN
of Mahtomedi, and
Hayden Tibbits
Hayden
Tibbits
5'11" | PG
Wayzata | 2023
State
MN
of Wayzata. All of those players made the watch list.
So as you can tell, I think the most deserving players that have earned a spot on the list are there and going forward they will all battle for spots on what is a wide open race.
That said, you can’t have an all star game, or an all league team, or a race for a certain trophy without “snubs”. So here are five that I think have a case for the watch list:
Khalif Bettis
Khalif
Bettis
6'4" | SF
Burnsville | 2023
State
MN
of Burnsville. At 23 points a game for an improved Burnsville team Bettis is maybe the most naturally talented player that was not on the watch list for Mr. Basketball.
Nate Dahl
Nate
Dahl
6'0" | PG
Buffalo | 2023
State
MN
of Buffalo. Dahl might have the case for the biggest snub considering his team is 10-1 coming off of the win at Eden Prairie and he is scoring 23 points per game.
Tysen Gerads
Tysen
Gerads
6'3" | SG
Albany | 2023
State
MN
of Albany. Albany is one of the best teams in Class AA basketball and leading the way has been Minnesota State Moorhead bound
Tysen Gerads
Tysen
Gerads
6'3" | SG
Albany | 2023
State
MN
.
Kaiden Peters
Kaiden
Peters
6'2" | CG
Plainview/Elgin-Millville | 2023
State
MN
of PEM. Peterson is coming off of a 40 point game and when he has been in the line-up for PEM they have been exceptional (missed a game for football).
Mason Schirmer Mason Schirmer 5'9" | PG Maple River | 2023 State MN of Maple River. Schirmer has been a constant all league talent for a Maple River team that has been a constant top ten team and has beaten Minnehaha and many others.