Friday Night Preview and Predictions: CDH vs TG

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The headliner is the Eagles and the Raiders. The student and the teacher. The top ranked team in Class AAA against a top team in Class AAAA.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>5AAAA Cretin-Derham Hall at 1AAA Totino-Grace</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2419839' first='Dre' last='Frierson-Hollie'] vs [player_tooltip player_id='1895712' first='Daniel' last='Zoa']. These are the 5th leading scorers for these teams. Zoa is four or five score a game forward that has shown has ability to defend this year (and will likely spend time on [player_tooltip player_id='2126094' first='Ty' last='Schlagel'] at some point) while Frierson-Hollie is a big and athletic similar sized talent that is a football prospect. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2120499' first='Isaiah' last='Thom'] vs [player_tooltip player_id='2126113' first='AJ' last='Taban']. Taban is a 6'5 frontcout skilled guy, Thom is a 6'4 senior veteran with skill that is also a forward. Both are scoring three or four times a night, and they are about the 5th/6th Men for these teams right now. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Prediction. Totino-Grace 76 Cretin-Derham Hall 68. TG has been in a bunch of slugfests with Class AAAA top ten teams and came out on top of all of them. CDH has not played in a close game yet: they've blown out four AAAA locals and got blown out by Wayzata. I think this is finally their first close game but TG wins by three or four scores as they are deeper and they have been in four of these tests already. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>9AAAA Eagan at Lakeville North&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1560747' first='Alex' last='Schroepfer'] vs [player_tooltip player_id='1437598' first='Dane' last='Danielson']. These two players are shouldering a good load for their teams as both have a number of good players but really no true point guard playmaker. These are also rivals from AAU basketball and of course high school basketball as they are at a similar position with similar abilities. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Prediction. Eagan is deeper and bigger. And I think better. Lakeville North has played tougher teams and has had more players stepping into varsity roles for the first time. North has also been hurt badly by playmaking guards and while Eagan has a ton of strengths, they really don't have that. I say Eagan by two points. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>8AAA St. Peter at Moorhead</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2815371' first='Owen' last='Potts'] vs [player_tooltip player_id='2451500' first='David' last='Mack']. [player_tooltip player_id='2451500' first='David' last='Mack'] is going to be playing on Sundays at some point but that is a long ways off. We are talking juniors in high school basketball and this is one of my favorite unsung match-ups. These are top 50 level junior guards at the very least going at it. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Prediction. Moorhead 73 St. Peter 65. I like the depth of Moorhead more here, they are more athletic and deeper. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>9AAA Mankato East at Austin&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1560798' first='Lucas' last='Gustafson'] vs [player_tooltip player_id='2381757' first='Cole' last='Hebrink']. First off, I would love these two to get to the gym early and have a skills contest. That three point shoot out would be so fun. They are the shooters/scorers of these teams and they might duel in a big way. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Prediction. I'm...... trying.......to resist.....the hometown urge here......... It is going to be a close game for a big but Austin has struggled as of late. Have to say Mankato East 84 Austin 68</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>4A Red Lake County at Ada Borup&nbsp;</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1628768' first='Connor' last='Duden'] vs [player_tooltip player_id='2983036' first='Anders' last='Tinjum']. I don't know that Connor will defend Anders who is a 6'4/6'5 scoring wing forward but I wouldn't surprise. Tinjum, a junior, is scoring 28 points a game shooting over 60 percent from the field. Cuden is a guard but one of the toughest in the state.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Prediction. Red Lake County 78 Ada Borup 70. After two early losses I think Ada Borup will play tougher at home, but fall to the top five ranked RLC team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Prior Lake at Farmington</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2433515' first='Kolby' last='Thompson'] vs [player_tooltip player_id='2401364' first='Benny' last='Fenske']. These are lead guard scorers that are scoring around 14 a contest. They need to score and they need to feed all their teammates in the right spots. The Tigers have been getting that done, the Lakers have not. Tonight that could change.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Prediction. Farmington 73 Prior Lake 70. Prior Lake's back is against the wall and it's not their wall, they are on the road for the third straight game in a run of six straight games away from their building (where they lost their first three games). Farmington has figured out a way to balance things which is why they beat good teams from Edina and Lakeville South. We think the Tigers come out on top. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Apollo at 6AAAA Alexandria</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2569233' first='De'Anthony' last='Sells'] vs [player_tooltip player_id='2115657' first='Gavin' last='Roderick']. Sells is one of the best stories of the young season. Roderick is scoring in bulk with [player_tooltip player_id='2118495' first='Talan' last='Witt'] out. They are 6'4/6'5 forward scorers. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Alexandria 83 Apollo 71. I think Apollo hits the wall against their toughest test tonight. That said, if Alex has two guys gunning all game while good high school players are just screening and not looking at the rim again, they could get upset. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->