What If…. The Metro/Outstate Game

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Each and every year I think back to the old Minnesota High School Basketball tradition of the Metro-Outstate game.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>What was the Metro-Outstate Game you ask?  It was what Minnesota had before the All Star Series of 40 seniors from all around the state.  It was ten metro players against ten outstate talents.  So what would that game of looked like in 2023?  First, here is our participants (yes size/position is taken into consideration somewhat, we aren't putting five small point guards on the same team) of seniors.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The Metro Ten</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1223070' first='Patrick' last='Bath'] of Totino-Grace</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='962198' first='Taison' last='Chatman'] of Totino-Grace</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='962203' first='Tommy' last='Humphries'] of Totino-Grace</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='962200' first='Jack' last='Janicki'] of White Bear Lake</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='962212' first='Boden' last='Kapke'] of Holy Family</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>CJ O'Hara of Park Ceter</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='962206' first='Max' last='Shikenjanski'] of Stillwater</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1167554' first='Hayden' last='Tibbits'] of Wayzata</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='962218' first='Nasir' last='Whitlock'] of DeLaSalle</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='962214' first='Nolan' last='Winter'] of Lakeville North</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The Outstate Ten</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='962279' first='Zach' last='Anderson'] of Martin County West</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='962273' first='Cooper' last='Drews'] of Princeton</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1225623' first='Ryan' last='Heise'] of Lake City</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1139197' first='Adam' last='Jenkins'] of Moorhead</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='962256' first='Buay' last='Koak'] of Lyle/Austin Pacelli</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='962228' first='Owen' last='Leach'] of DGF</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='962284' first='Isaac' last='Matti'] of Hayfield</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='962224' first='Will' last='Opsahl'] of Goodhue</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1339196' first='Aeron' last='Stevens'] of PEM</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='962209' first='Asher' last='Zubich'] of Mt Iron-Buhl</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The Result</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The outstate would be a much bigger and longer team with true power forwards that would have to be defended by O'Hara and Humphries, who would be playing the four on this team, but both could handle it. There would be a lot of versatility on the floor and I do have to wonder how a group of Whitlock, Tibbits, Chatman, and Shikenjanski are sharing the ball. That said, Tibbits and Shikenjanski managed just fine this past summer playing together so it would not be an issue. Then you have the issue of the unstoppable duo of Kapke and Winter in the paint together, or subbing in for one another. Jenkins would be the only outstate player that could try and slow them in the post. I say Metro by double digits for sure, maybe by 16 points. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->