The Minnesota Hoops Weekend

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Where should you go see playoff basketball in Minnesota this weekend? We give you the breakdown!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The Friday Metro Combo</strong>. Tonight there is one location to take in a pair of games and that is STMA High School. The 5AAA semi-finals will be played with Becker taking on Class AAA number one ranked Totino-Grace and Big Lake facing Fridley. It's the heavy favorite (TG) playing our preseason predicted four seed Becker, followed by our predicted 2-3 seed Big Lake facing section surprise Fridley. All around Miami signed talent [player_tooltip player_id='1284143' first='Isaiah' last='Johnson'] leads TG, the 19ppg of [player_tooltip player_id='1547624' first='Kyan' last='Blomquist'] leads Becker, Big Lake leading scorer sophomore Owen Wilzcek (15ppg) is their top talent, and [player_tooltip player_id='1296151' first='Antwan' last='Smith'] leads Fridley.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Weekend's Best</strong>. It's got to be Orono at Delano. A high powered match-up. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1579885' first='Nolan' last='Groves'] vs [player_tooltip player_id='1284231' first='Will' last='Strandemo']. Will got the better of this match-up last time scoring 24 while Groves had 16 (with ten rebounds) leading Delano to the win. Will is scoring 24 a game and has been playing very well scoring and distributing. That said, NOBODY in the state is putting up the all around numbers for his team right now during actual competitive game time (not stat padding against the opposing JV or when full bench is on the floor) that Groves is. The 6'4/6'5 guard might be the hottest produced in the state at the moment. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1336696' first='Riley' last='Nelson'] vs [player_tooltip player_id='1560739' first='Max' last='Iversen']. Nelson is a quality senior and he had 18 for Orono the first time around. Iversen is such a tough cover because he can score with crazy range, and his ability to playmake is just as dangerous as Strandemo which really causes teams issues. Max had 21 in the first game. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1391203' first='Mitchell' last='Kauch'] vs [player_tooltip player_id='1582111' first='Jake' last='Schultz']. These are third wing options for their teams. Neither really had a big game the first time but Schultz is the third double figure backcourt Delano option.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Nathan Chavez vs [player_tooltip player_id='2103353' first='JJ' last='Longstreet']. Lonstreet's purpose is defense. He might be on Wooley, he might be on Chavez who can score double digits, or maybe he's on Groves as Groves is big. Whatever the case Longstreet defends and boards, Chavez can shoot it. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1484016' first='Brady' last='Wooley'] vs Frankie Nau. Nau is the top frontcourt Delano finisher, Wooley is a 6'9 double-double active player that is coming off of a broken elbow. Wooley has played well since he has been back and his active size gives Orono something that Delano doesn't have. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Bang For the Buck</strong>. There are four locations that have four games on Saturday. They are as follows:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Mayo Civic Center in Rochester</em>: You got 6AA Lake CIty against Zumbrota-Mazzepa, a Class AA top ten match-up between Cannon Falls and Caledonia, Kingsland against 5A Blooming Prairie, and the upset pair of Fillmore Central and Goodhue going head to head as a 6 vs a 7. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Hibbing Memorial Arena</em>: It starts at noon with Hill City vs CarltonWrenshall, Deer River taking on Mountain Iron-Buhl, 1A Cherry led by Minnesota signed [player_tooltip player_id='1288733' first='Isaac' last='Asuma'] facing North Woods and then Fond du Lac Ojibwe playing Cromwell-Wright. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Ralph Engelstad Arena in NORTH DAKOTA</em>: Minnesota high school hoops in North Dakota. Sounds funny but it makes sense. Sacred Heart and 8A Fertile-Beltrami start it off followed by WAO taking on 9A Red Lake County. Then 10A Cass Lake-Bena plays Mahnomen/Waubun and Red Lake plays Win-E-Mac. Lots of talent in that location. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Southwest Minnesota State</em>: The games open at 12:30 with 3AA Eden Valley-Watkins playing Morris Area and then Jackson County Central facing Redwood Valley. There is a break and then defending champ RTR plays Hills-Beaver Creek and Minneota takes on Central Minnesota Christian. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top Twenty Weekend Games</strong>!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true} --> <ol><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Orono at Delano (S)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>8AAAA Waconia at 7AAAA Shakopee (S)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>5AA Cannon Falls vs 9AA Caledonia at Mayo Civic Center (S)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Minneapolis Washburn at 3AAAA Hopkins (F)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Morris Area vs 3AA Eden Valley-Watkins at SMSU (S)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Hutchinson vs Mankato East at Gustavus (S)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Lakeville South at 9AAAA Farmington (S)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Edina at 1AAAA Wayzata (F)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>St. Cloud Tech at Detroit Lakes (F)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Tartan at 10AAAA East Ridge (S)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>New Ulm vs 8AAA Mankato West at Gustavus (S)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Mounds View at 2AAAA Park Center (F)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>St. Paul Central at 6AAAA Cretin-Derham Hall (S)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Richfield at 7AAA Benidle-St. Margaret's (S)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>St. Paul Johnson at Columbia Heights (S)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Maranatha Christian at Holy Family (S)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Spectrum vs Legacy Christian at St. John's (S)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Osseo at Maple Grove (F)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Eastview at Appley Valley (F)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Minneota vs Central Minnesota Christian at SMSU (S)</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ol> <!-- /wp:list -->