Max’s Weekend Guard Standouts

This was my first time watching St. Thomas Academy, and Dobbs stood out with an impressive game at the point guard spot. Against a quick and high pressure SSP defense, he was keeping his composure and getting into dangerous spots off the dribble. Showcased excellent body control to finish in traffic around the rim, and even had a few scores through contact. Was most impressive as a passer though, dishing out 9 assists in a variety of ways. Could get deep into the paint and dump it off to a forward at the last second, and also was making some nice pick & pop passes from difficult angles. Displayed poise and toughness down the stretch to lead his team from behind to a win. Finished the game with 22 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists in a win.

BSM was ahead comfortably most of the game, but Richfield started to make a run late in the second half. Jaleel refused to let it get too close though, as any time Richfield made a big play he responded with an electric play on the other end. As just a sophomore he may be the fastest player in the state, as he can fly up the floor in a straight line, but is also incredibly shifty changing directions. Defenders just couldn’t stay in front of him, and once he beats his man he’s looking to dish it off to one of his forwards cutting to the rim. Had some flashy no look assists, and also got to the rim for a handful of finishes. There are still times where he turns it over trying to do too much, but he’ll make up for it by creating a bucket out of thin air the next time down. Defensively he has the speed to sit deep in a stance and pressure the ball, making opposing point guards uncomfortable.

Michael Kirchner Michael Kirchner 6’0″ | PG St. Thomas Academy | 2023 State MN made hit some big shots down the stretch in the win for St. Thomas Academy. As a wing-guard he has a strong frame that he used to finish around the basket through traffic, both off of dump-off passes or attacking off the dribble. From seeing him before I knew he was a talented finisher, but he impressed me with his shooting touch from beyond the arc. Also knocked down some clutch free throws down the stretch to bring his total to 22 points in the win.

Richfield came up short, but CJ Armstrong was just un-guardable at times. I’ve seen his scoring total as both 37 and 41, but either way he was putting up points in bulk. He’s grown a bit since last year and has a long and lanky frame with the ability to play either guard spot. CJ showed soft touch to hit floaters or finish lay-ups off the glass. Does a great job of catching in gaps, facing up, and just elevating for a short/mid-range jumper. Armstrong has some wiggle off the dribble to get by his man, but can also work off the ball to get into space for open shots. Has been one of the best 2025 scorers in the state this season.

Anish wasn’t going to go down without a fight on Friday. In a back-and-forth second half, Ramlall was making some clutch plays down the stretch that had his team up one with under a minute to play. One big play saw him take a shot to the eye after pulling in a rebound, dribbling up the floor, and then breaking his man down off the dribble before pulling up from three. Then later in the game he put his team ahead with a tough left handed finish through a foul, and then knocking down his free throw to put Rosemount up 1. At 6’3 he’s incredibly shifty, with defenders of all sizes having a difficult time keeping him in front. He has the ability to create his own shot off the dribble, but isn’t going to force his game and can run the offense for his team. Spent a lot of time guarding 6’6-6’8 forwards on the other end, and was limiting their ability to get high quality looks around the rim. Finished with a game high 19 points in a low scoring matchup.

You could tell by the way that Lakeville North’s defense was chasing Blake around that he’s a high level shooter. Even against such a disciplined defense that has plenty of length and athleticism, all it took was a quick head-fake from Blake and defenders were jumping. Due to all of the attention that Blake was getting he wasn’t able to get a ton of good looks, but ended up scoring a team high 11 points for Owatonna. When he was able to get into space he showcased his quick release from deep, while also doing a nice job of attacking when he got guys in the air and then kicking it out into space. Had a smooth euro-step into a tough finish at the rim in the first half that got the crowd fired up. The 2023 guard had some big time scoring performances throughout the season.

Jack brought a ton of toughness to the floor for St. Thomas Academy. He was working hard moving his feet on the ball, and any time there was a loose ball he was fighting for possession for his team. Jack’s activity on the defensive end helped force some turnovers and pick up key stops down the stretch that allowed his team to come from behind and win. Scored five points but was making a big impact with his defense and unselfishness on the offensive end.