Thursday Night Match-Up and Predictions!

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We give you a special Thursday night match-up and predictions because we have a monster night of games. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2AAAA Wayzata at 5AAAA Minnetonka</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1560807' first='Isaac' last='Olmstead'] vs [player_tooltip player_id='1284083' first='Andy' last='Stefonowicz']. The young up and comer against the veteran. Both very skilled: Andy more efficient as a veteran, Omstead the flashy talent becoming more steady. Good match-up.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1227246' first='Ben' last='Shaffer'] vs [player_tooltip player_id='1288767' first='Greyson' last='Uelmen']. Shaffer had a great 17u year but was hurt early in the season. Uelmen has made a name for himself as the leading scorer of his team. Both are very good senior combo guards that play different roles for their quality teams.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1560867' first='Christian' last='Wiggins'] vs [player_tooltip player_id='1574218' first='Duke' last='Richardson']. Wiggins will handle, he will get to the rim, he will defend, and he will shoot. Young up and comer scoring 15 a night. Duke is a junior that is in the scoring role for Tonka and doing it well giving them yet another wing option.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1454976' first='Wyatt' last='McBeth'] vs Jalen Cain. You have a 6'6/6'7 and long, skilled McBeth who is one of three [program_tooltip program_id='2075965' first='Trojans' last=''] scoring about ten a game. The junior will have to deal with the veteran in Cain who can get you 20 in attack mode. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1287438' first='Jackson' last='McAndrew'] vs [player_tooltip player_id='1296153' first='Kayden' last='Wells']. Tonka did not have a guy in the past to even try and get length on a player like McAndrew. Now they have Wells. Wells doesn't have to shut down McAndrew, he just need to make things tougher so McAndrew doesn't get 30.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Prediction: Tonka came back against the young Hopkins Royals to get the win. They can not get behind like that against Wayzata. I say [program_tooltip program_id='2075965' first='Trojans' last=''] by four. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>5AAA Columbia Heights at 1AA Breck </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Zy'lerre Stewart vs Hanif Muhammad. Senior hard charging downhill players going at it. Really fun match-up of guards right here. Stewart the more explosive, Muhammad the speedy.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1284156' first='Jency' last='Davis'] vs [player_tooltip player_id='2295283' first='DeAngelo' last='Dungey'], Davis is a senior that packs a 20 point punch while Dungey is a sophomore that has really surprised earning a starting role. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Randy McClendon vs [player_tooltip player_id='1151197' first='Daniel' last='Freitag']. This match-up should be fun. Shots will go up from these team leading scorers and I am sure the baselines will be full of hand held cameras just hoping they can get a flex or a point their way so these cameramen can feel proud. Freitag is on a roll right now, while McClendon is that guy that can explode for a dozen in about two minutes. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2424020' first='Camren' last='Smith'] vs [player_tooltip player_id='1574225' first='Miles' last='Newton']. Newton is having a really nice season and it will be up to 6'3 [player_tooltip player_id='2424020' first='Camren' last='Smith'] to have an impact to slow him down.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Prediction: Breck is a bit deeper but they are also longer and taller. [player_tooltip player_id='1560864' first='JP' last='Musoke'] is another double figure averaging Mustang and [player_tooltip player_id='2103364' first='Carter' last='Steinbeck'] comes off the bench. That size should give Breck the edge to win by eight. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>3AAAA Lakeville North at 6AAAA Shakopee</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1269166' first='Matt' last='Drake'] vs [player_tooltip player_id='1288706' first='Jalen' last='Langsy']. Drake and Langsy have had many, many battles. I am sure [player_tooltip player_id='1575342' first='Isaac' last='Cordes'] will spend more time on Drake while Langsy gets a different Panther but the Drake/Langsy match-ups of Shakopee vs North and Select vs Fury/Heat have been many.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1284147' first='Jack' last='Robison'] vs Lucas Wherley. Wherley is a little shorter than Robison and if Shakopee had more size Lucas would be playing more of the Robison role. Tonight Wherley might get a chance to see what he can do against one of the state's best. Or Wherley will have to battle Quam while Robison has a guard or Braxton on him.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1436479' first='Andrew' last='Quam'] vs [player_tooltip player_id='1454849' first='Kaden' last='Braxton']. I really, really don't think Shakopee can defend Quam - in whatever defense they use - with one of their many, many skilled guards. So I look to Braxton, who is also a guard but stronger, to maybe be the guy who runs into Quam. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Prediction: Shakopee might have the biggest bullpen of shooters I have seen. If they are on, tough for anybody to beat them. That said, North has size that is also smart and skilled able to defend away from the cup. So I say North by four. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>3AAA Stewartville at 3AA Lake City</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1139594' first='Henry' last='Tschetter'] vs [player_tooltip player_id='1284140' first='Hunter' last='Lorenson']. It's the southern Minnesota version of Magic &amp; Bird, Kobe &amp; LeBron, maybe Chet vs Victor in the future? Whatever the case, Henry and Hunter have been doing battle for years plus they were Comets teammates. Fun pair to see go against each other again. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kegan Ryan vs [player_tooltip player_id='1476739' first='Caleb' last='Bancroft']. Kegan will get you a lot of everything: five buckets, ten boards, six assists, three blocks and two steals seems like his normal night. He will likely face Bancroft, Stewartville's strong third leading scorer. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Prediction: The Lake City Tigers are rolling right now and I think they continue that roll getting revenge for early in the season in a one score game. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>7AAAA Cretin-Derham Hall at East Ridge</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1560882' first='Cedric' last='Tomes'] vs [player_tooltip player_id='1560868' first='Joseph' last='Mitchell III']. Mitchell is scoring 18 a game and wants in that conversation with Tomes and [player_tooltip player_id='1550877' first='Jayden' last='Moore'], I can't blame him. These two are putting up similar numbers, had similar numbers in their first meeting, and CDH won the first game and has the better record. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Prediction: CDH is the Raptor Kryptonite. East Ridge seemed like they had solved the issue last year but then they lost to White Bear Lake in the section finals followed by CDH beating them early this season. The game is at East Ridge though. But I still go Raider purple by one. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->