2024-25 Season Mid-Point Surprises and More

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Cannon Falls is 13-1</h2>   <p>The Bombers have been Byron, Lake City, and Goodhue while amassing a 13-1 record. Cannon Falls led by 2025 UW-Stout recently committed guard [player_tooltip player_id='1874846' first='Gavin' last='Johnson'] who's averaging 22.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks a game. 2027 Miles Rechjtzigel is averaging 18 points per game for The Rockets too.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://youtu.be/oEQft-jPPsk?si=nwckvYCFTfeqjomi </div></figure>   <p>Cannon Falls has Byron rematch and Stewartville up next at home, a Goodhue rematch January 31st, at Caledonia in February, home versus Lake City and at Stewartville in the last regular season game. We'll see if they can continue their surprising run.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Hopkins Has Won Every Game By 10 points or More</h2>   <p>Hopkins is 13-0, not a huge surprise but the way they are winning is somewhat. They've beaten 10 of 13 opponents by more than 20 points, and all 13 by at least least 11 points while their trio of [player_tooltip player_id='1550877' first='Jayden' last='Moore'], [player_tooltip player_id='1574212' first='Anthony' last='Smith'], and [player_tooltip player_id='1595734' first='JJ' last='Semanko'] are putting up 56 points per game.</p>   <p>Not much of a surprise that they're getting contributions from [player_tooltip player_id='2175446' first='Daveion' last='Hart'] at 11 points per game. Surprise a little, [player_tooltip player_id='2420169' first='Ahmed' last='Nur'] they're six-foot-nine-inch 2027 wing. Nur is a long athlete with ball skills and shot making ability that popped in Fall League and has just been surging this winter for the Royals.</p>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://youtu.be/Imymk3z8N00?si=e-kzZAd6XdXI6O61 </div></figure>   <p>Hopkins may have their biggest test yet Tuesday versus Wayzata trio [player_tooltip player_id='1560867' first='Christian' last='Wiggins'], [player_tooltip player_id='1560807' first='Isaac' last='Olmstead'], and [player_tooltip player_id='1560778' first='Nolen' last='Anderson'], their section rival, and then DeLaSalle Saturday.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Prior Lake is 12-3</h2>   <p>The Lakers have NINE players who've recorded 11 games or more that are scoring more than 5 points per game, and they're led by [player_tooltip player_id='1434127' first='Norbu' last='Jenpa']. The six-foot-four-inch 2025 forward is having a fantastic senior year for the Lakers averaging 20.7 points per game. </p>   <p>The Lakers three losses are to 4A favorite Wayzata, and two games by 4 and 3 points versus Lakeville South and Apple Valley respectively. They've been Minnetonka, STMA, Lakeville North, Shakopee, Eden Prairie, and Thursday held off Eagan in 58-52 victory.</p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Tartan is 13-0, the Tornados led by [player_tooltip player_id='1574226' first='Peyton' last='Podany'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1288713' first='Trey' last='Borchers'] are 11-3, Eagan is 10-3, and Apple Valley is 11-1</h2>   <p>All four teams are led by surging prospects except Anoka. As Anoka is led by two 2025 seniors that have been tearing up on the football field together, Tartan has one senior, CJ Banks, and a 2028 freshman, [player_tooltip player_id='2560499' first='Kevin' last='Wilson Jr.']</p>   <p>Eagan's 2026 junior pairing of [player_tooltip player_id='1560747' first='Alex' last='Schroepfer'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1552751' first='Michael' last='McKenzie'] are carrying them in the scoring department with help from fellow juniors six-foot-eight-inch [player_tooltip player_id='2118833' first='Kevin' last='Kemp'] and guard Will Berran. Lone senior in the top 5 scorers [player_tooltip player_id='2447719' first='Wesley' last='Hoke'], a six-foot-three-inch guard, has given them 9 points per game with a season high of 19 points versus Eastview.</p>    <p>Apple Valley led by 2026 juniors <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/camare-young/">Camare' Young</a> and [player_tooltip player_id='2271330' first='Trey' last='Parker'] scoring over 40 points per game has been huge for the Eagles. Young has been on our radar for a bit as he's an athletic six-foot-four-inch wing who can handle the ball and muscle inside. Parker has really come on this season however for the Eagles. Good athlete at the point guard position has really blossomed hitting 37% of his 3-pointers and being the lead attack guard.</p>   <p>We sure can't leave out six-foot-two-inch 2025 senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2760107' first='Justin' last='Cowan'] however. Cowan is scoring 16 points per game and almost entirely of the 2-point variety.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Waseca is 16-0</h2>   <p>Of Waseca's 16 wins only one game has been by less than 16 points and it was their 9 point win Friday at St. Peter, a re-match to a team they beat by 16, their 2nd lowest win margin of the year. 3A Marshall for example is 12-3 and borderline top 10 team lost to Waseca 71-52 beginning of January.</p>   <p>Led by brothers [player_tooltip player_id='2121332' first='Deron' last='Russell'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2103355' first='Damarius' last='Russell'] Waseca seems to be on a path to face 2A recent power Albany who's led by seniors [player_tooltip player_id='1575328' first='Ezekial' last='Austin'], [player_tooltip player_id='1286547' first='Sam' last='Hondl'], and [player_tooltip player_id='1579919' first='Elliott' last='Burnett'].</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Cherry Looks to Repeat Class A</h2>   <p>Friday night at Deer River two undefeated teams faced-off, Cherry the defending Single A champions and Deer River led by heavy 3-point shooting duo of [player_tooltip player_id='2103407' first='Caiden' last='Schjenken']. Cherry proved their might in a 95-63 victory. Cherry moved to 17-0 while Deer River is 12-1.</p>   <p>2027 sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2126128' first='Isaiah' last='Asuma'] seems to be following Isaac Asuma's path of doing just about everything to help his team win. Versus Deer River he had 29 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 assists to lead the Tigers while cousin and Minnesota Gophers baseball commit [player_tooltip player_id='1601068' first='Noah' last='Asuma'] had 24 points. 2025 senior six-foot-three-inch wing baseball commit [player_tooltip player_id='1579910' first='Noah' last='Sundquist'] had 21 points and fellow senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1579911' first='Carson' last='Brown'] had 15 points and gathered 7 rebounds.</p>   <p>Keep eyes on Henning who's 13-2 without [player_tooltip player_id='1560827' first='Kale' last='Misegades'] who's injured, Springfield who's 12-1, and Cedar Mountain who are 12-0.</p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Class 3A Much of What We're Used To</h2>   <p>Nothing very surprising as Benilde-St. Margaret's is led by seniors [player_tooltip player_id='1572689' first='Jalen' last='Wilson'], [player_tooltip player_id='1572691' first='Jaleel' last='Donley'], and transfer TJ Stuttley at 10-0 and section rival Orono is 9-3 behind [player_tooltip player_id='1579885' first='Nolan' last='Groves'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1484016' first='Brady' last='Wooley']. Mankato East is 12-1 behind [player_tooltip player_id='1437303' first='Brogan' last='Madson']. DeLasSale is 12-1 and they're only loss was by 2 points to BSM. </p>   <p>Otherwise 3A is all the usual suspects of recent years, Alexandria, Bryon, Stewartville, and Richfield.</p>