Madness In The Midwest: Minnesota Standouts

No team had an answer from Semanko as he was dominant all weekend long averaging 30 ppg for Minnesota Lockdown. The Hopkins wing showcased his full arsenal creating off the dribble as he could find a gap and attack it to get to the rim, while also creating space to get off a three point shot. JJ has a high release and with his long frame it’s difficult for opposing wings to get a clean contest when he pulls up for a jumper. He plays with excellent pace and even when in traffic he never looked sped up or unbalanced. Opposing defenses were constantly adjusting to try to slow him down, but he still found ways to put points on the board. Also had some impressive passes as he sees the floor well and used his height to zip in passes over the top of defenders.

Colton Benson Colton Benson 6'5″ | SF New Ulm | 2024 State MN was dominant in a Sunday morning win over Minnesota Heat-Jones as the versatile forward was putting points on the board in a variety of ways. For his first bucket of the game he simply bullied his defender towards the rim before going up for an easy finish. At 6’5 he has that type of size and strength to just move defenders on the block and score through contact. Benson also showcased his perimeter ability as he drained a handful of threes, and was creating a bit off the dribble. Able to attack from the wing or go coast-to-coast for transition buckets. Benson is a presence on the glass on both ends of the floor, and offers some versatility on the defensive end with his mobility at 6’5. Skilled, strong, and patient player who was taking whatever the defense gave him.

Aedan showed some nice flashes for Minnesota Heat over the weekend. He’s a versatile big who had some tough finishes inside, but could also step out and hit the open three. Sets good screens and can be hard to defend because of his ability to roll and finish or pop out for a three. Although he doesn’t have elite quickness at his size, when switched on to the perimeter you could tell he’s willing to work hard to contain smaller players until he can switch back to his man. Does a nice job of walling up to protect the rim while limiting his fouls. If he can continue to improve, he’ll help form a really good frontcourt duo for Minneapolis Washburn next winter.

On Friday night Will was impressing with his defense in a win over World Hoops Elite. He’s pretty versatile as he can defend on the wing against similar sized players, but has a strong frame at 6’3 that allows him to guard in the paint against guys 6’5-6’6. Really good off-ball positioning to step in and take charges/contest shots, and he always finds a guy to box out when a shot goes up. In an intense game against Minnesota Chill he stepped up scoring wise, as he was knocking down threes, finishing in transition, and powering his way up for buckets in the paint in the half-court. Has shown with Totino-Grace that he can be a “dirty work” type of guy off the bench, and now with MN Rush is showcasing more of his offensive game.

Tyson was one of the quickest players I saw over the weekend, and he utilizes that speed to make plays on both ends of the floor. MN Lockdown pressed most of the time, and with that Tyson was pressuring the ball hard, and also reading cross-court passes to pick up steals. Once the ball is in his hands he’s a very shifty player who can beat his man to get downhill towards the rim and finish in a variety of ways. Tyson showcased a nice floater to finish over size, but if the lane is there he can get all the way to the rim and glide in to finish. Could be a part of a loaded Hopkins backcourt over the next couple of years.

There’s not much that Joe doesn’t do for this WOTN team. Scoring wise he can hit the open three, can pull-up from mid-range, and he doesn’t shy away from contact when at the rim. Both games I watched WOTN play went down to the wire, and both times they were turning to Joe Hager Joe Hager 6'4″ | SF Lakeville South | 2024 State MN to make plays down the stretch. Athletic wing who can take on various roles for a team at 6’4.

Based off his high school season I knew John could score the ball coming into the weekend. But I came away impressed with his passing ability over the two games I watched. He was dangerous as a pick & roll ball handler because at 6’3 he has the ability to pull-up from three if you try to go under, but he could also zip in passes over the top if his big had space towards the rim. Saw the floor really well in transition making the right choices on whether to dish it off or get to the rim on his own. Skilled guard who plays the game at his own pace and makes smart decisions with the ball in his hands.