Minnehaha vs Minneapolis South Top Performers

Poet caught fire in Thursday’s matchup with Minnehaha. The junior guard connected with some ridiculously deep shots, pulling up from NBA range consistently. He finished with a game-high 21 points, scoring 19 of those in the second half. He attacked the rim with no fear, absorbing and finishing through contact, as well as drawing fouls against much larger defenders. He was also very comfortable handling the ball, even with lots of pressure coming from the defense throughout the entire game. Despite the loss, Davis had one of the most impressive shooting performances I have seen this season and has clearly been South’s go-to guy this year. He’s averaging over 17 points per contest with a couple games left in the regular season of his junior year.

This was Jerome’s first game back at South (where he spent his freshman and sophomore seasons) since transferring to Minnehaha. He was excellent at creating shots for his team, as well as himself. He was super tough to stop in transition, using his speed and elite ability to change direction to blow right by defenders, where he would then dish it off to a teammate or find an open look to shoot. He knocked down 3 three-pointers in the win, on his way to a team-high 20 points. Most of his makes came off of the dribble, incorporating different crossovers and step backs to gain separation from his defender. Williams is never the tallest player on the floor, but he makes up for it with his ability to facilitate for his team which is very valuable.

Rolyns absolutely dominated the painted area in the win over South. He grabbed just about every rebound in reach on the offensive and defensive side, creating several second-chance opportunities for himself and minimizing any for South. He was unstoppable in the post, bullying defenders to get close to the basket where he would then lay it in with his right hand. Aligbe also threw down a pair of forceful dunks, one following an impressive spin move in the post and the other coming from running in transition. The senior forward had to have been close to a double-double, as he scored 14 points and was a force to be reckoned with on the boards.

Lorenzo was hitting some tough shots all game in the win over South. He started the game out hot from beyond the arc, knocking down 4 three-pointers in the first half to give Minnehaha an early lead that they held onto the entire game. He has deep range and is a very confident shooter. He was effective in getting shots off in the catch and shoot, as well as off of the dribble. He is a crafty ball handler and used a series of dribble moves to get past his defense to convert a difficult finish. He also had a highlight reel assist to a running teammate in transition for a dunk. The junior backcourt of Levy and Williams was fun to watch and they have led Minnehaha to being one of the highest scoring teams in the state this season as they are averaging nearly 80 points per game.

Kingston impacted Thursday’s win in just about every way imaginable. He was flying around the floor all game, giving 100% on every play when he was out there. He crashed the boards super hard, showing off his athleticism to go up and grab some contested rebounds. Manning was impossible to stop once he had the ball next to the rim, as he was converting finishes through two or three defenders every time. He has a knack for knowing how to not have his shot blocked and showed great presence in the paint. KKingston showed some serious hustle coming off the bench and stood out to me with the way he scored his buckets. The sophomore scored a season-high 11 points.

If Poet was not scoring, it was Mykelti doing the job. The senior guard ended the game with 17 points, scoring those baskets in a variety of ways. He stands at around six feet, but has a pretty stocky build. This allowed him to get down hill and absorb some contact for some makes. He out-muscled defenders in a couple of different situations. He was frequently drawing fouls, with 7 of his 17 points coming from the charity stripe. He also found himself in the right place at the right time, allowing him to get some fast break opportunities. His shots were not falling from the outside on Thursday, but he is a willing shooter from beyond the arc. Dillard is a very confident scorer who is averaging double-digits this season.

Harrison did not play the entire game as he was dealing with some sort of lower leg injury periodically, but when he was in he looked very good. The sophomore has great touch around the basket and was finding success attacking the painted area all night. He moves exceptionally well for being 6’6” and displayed what he can do on both sides of the floor with some lockdown on-ball defense. He also knocked down a three-pointer on his way to 11 points in the win. The Aligbe name continues to impress for the Redhawks over the years and Harrison possesses some great potential. I would not be surprised if he took that next step as a prospect very soon.