Class AAAA State Semi-Finals: Top Performers
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Park Center knocked off Eastview and Wayzata beat Lakeville North in a pair of classics. Here are your top performers. Casmir Chavis Casmir Chavis 6'2" | PG Park Center | 2024 State #170 Nation MN of Park Center (jr). Last…
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Continue ReadingPark Center knocked off Eastview and Wayzata beat Lakeville North in a pair of classics. Here are your top performers.
Casmir Chavis Casmir Chavis 6'2" | PG Park Center | 2024 State #170 Nation MN of Park Center (jr). Last night Chavis had one of those special games that you will remember from a long time taking over and getting his team to the state championship. His late game attack finishes and his steal into an open floor score were the game changers and Chavis is again right there for Class AAAA Player of the Year along with two others in this article. He had 21 points on 9 of 17 shooting and most of it was ferocious attacks to the cup that Eastview just physically could not move with, or move to.Nearly everybody around Chavis had a rough game last night, but their top guy at times put the team on his back and led them to Saturday.
Jackson McAndrew Jackson McAndrew 6'10" | PF Wayzata | 2024 State #24 Nation MN of Wayzata (jr). If you don’t believe that Jackson is the junior prospect with the highest future ceiling in Minnesota after last night…. You are either too biased to who you like or just plain not basketball intelligent. He is 6’10/6’11 with gorgeous form and the type of range that looked comfortable on an NBA floor. Jackson made three threes with a 6’10 Big Ten player in his face. But Jackson was more than that last night. That attack from the elbow ending in an And1 dunk was a special play. His movement off the ball to finish from the guards was special, he made all of his foul shots and battled for a game high seven defensive boards (8 total). McAndrews is next up and I don’t mean just as a top player, I mean as the next potential big name nationally out of here. This is a top 50 level national prospect to me.
Jonathan Mekonnen Jonathan Mekonnen 6'8" | PF Eastview | 2024 State #201 Nation MN of Eastview (jr). Mekonnen continues to find new ways to show everybody that he belongs at the level you aren’t sure he belongs at. Every challenge of top player and top opponent that has been brought to him, Mekonnen produces. Last night against the most athletic, high octane team in the state Mekonnen had a game high six offensive rebounds and went at the opponents in the paint area for seven scores. He scored 19 points in a high pressure situation and now we need to watch and see what is next.
Hayden Tibbits Hayden Tibbits 5'11" | PG Wayzata | 2023 State MN of Wayzata (sr). Another game winner. Another clutch performance. And another time where the Trojans looked to be in trouble and their leader pushed them across the finish line. That game winner was special in terms of making a play out of a mistake by a teammate but so what, Hayden just hit the shot over the length of a 6’7 guy anyway. And his attack a few plays before shouldering his man off while attacking to get the window for an And1 finish, that was special too. Scored 24 points on 9 of 15 shooting.
Hudson Vaith Hudson Vaith 6'4" | SG Lakeville North | 2023 State MN of Lakeville North (sr). Vaith was the go-to Panther in the backcourt last night and he nearly made enough big shots to put his team in the title game. Vaith scored on 10 of 15 attempts for his 24 points and did it in a way that has me thinking higher about what he can do in the NSIC.
Nolan Winter Nolan Winter 7'0" | PF Lakeville North | 2023 State #98 Nation MN of Lakeville North (sr). I continue to think so highly of Nolan’s game. His drive, his intelligence in that North offense, and his ability to craft a shot with or without the ball, it’s high level. Winter shot 8 of 11 from the field including three threes and most of those attempts were contested by a defender his size! Winter scored 24 points in front of his future Badger coaches and I think he has a chance to be an All Big Ten player as the core strength comes to him in a college weight program.