Underrated Class AA Duos

With fall leagues just about to start and the high school season just months away, I’ll be taking a look at some of the lesser known duos to keep an eye on at the AA level! [player_tooltip player_id="796956" first="Justin" last="Wohlers"] and Hunter Lorenson (Lake City)- You could very well have [player_tooltip player_id="1225623" first="Ryan" last="Heise"] in this and make it a trio, but for the sake of the article I’ll use Justin and Hunter as last season’s two leading scorers. [player_tooltip player_id="796956" first="Justin" last="Wohlers"] features size and strength with a bit of versatility on both ends of the floor. He’s a floor stretcher on offense who can light a team up for 4-5 threes on any given night, but he also knows how to use his body down low to pull in boards and finish through contact. Lorenson is the floor general with a quick handle and the court vision to make smart reads/passes when he gets into the paint. Fearless attacking against size and has the shooting touch to stretch the floor from three. He’ll have the ball in his hands a lot this year, and after earning a starting spot last year he’ll be a trusted option at the 1. [player_tooltip player_id="1268458" first="Miles" last="Hettinger"] and [player_tooltip player_id="1139594" first="Henry" last="Tschetter"] (Stewartville)- Sticking to the Hiawatha Valley Conference, we’ll take a look at an up-and-coming duo from Stewartville. They have a lot of production to replace after graduating [player_tooltip player_id="567035" first="Will" last="Tschetter"], and [player_tooltip player_id="1268458" first="Miles" last="Hettinger"] will be the man down low picking up the lost rebounding and inside scoring. He has solid mobility at around 6’8 to rebound out of his area and slide his feet to provide a help-side shot blocking presence. Can score with his back to the basket and runs the floor hard for transition buckets. [player_tooltip player_id="1139594" first="Henry" last="Tschetter"] heads into his sophomore year as one of the top guard options for this team having averaged 4.9 ppg last season. He’s a threat from beyond the arc with a quick and confident release, and may also see some time handling the ball when needed. Be on the lookout for freshman [player_tooltip player_id="1198613" first="Parker" last="Wangen"] with this group as well. [player_tooltip player_id="962222" first="Jessye" last="Lewis Jr"]. and Romelle Bell (Hiawatha Collegiate)- [player_tooltip player_id="962222" first="Jessye" last="Lewis Jr"]. has been putting up video game numbers the past couple of seasons, averaging 21.2 points, 7.2 assists, and 6 rebounds per game last year as a sophomore. We can expect that level of production to continue as he’s so dangerous creating off the dribble. He has a shifty handle and is a capable scorer just about anywhere in the half-court, meaning if he gets just a bit of space he can pull up and shoot at a moments notice. Also excels at drawing in a help defender and quickly locating the open man. Romelle Bell averaged a double-double of 15.6 points and 10.8 rebounds per game last year, and is a bruiser of a guard/wing who competes with physicality around the rim. Able to attack off the dribble and maintain his balance through contact for some tough finishes. [player_tooltip player_id="958832" first="Kollin" last="Kaemingk"] and [player_tooltip player_id="1225651" first="Erick" last="Reader"] (New Life Academy)- This inside-out duo has the ability to lead New Life Academy to an improved record this winter. [player_tooltip player_id="958832" first="Kollin" last="Kaemingk"] returns as last year’s leading scorer, with an absolute torch from beyond the arc. He lit teams up for single game totals of 35, 29, 28, and 24 (3x) as someone with plenty of confidence in his shooting. He adds in some length at the guard spot listed at 6’2 last year. [player_tooltip player_id="1225651" first="Erick" last="Reader"] will man the middle as a developing 6’8 big man with some mobility. He can run the floor hard and finish above the rim, and will also be relied upon to dominate the glass on both ends of the floor. [player_tooltip player_id="960335" first="Liam" last="Carney"] and [player_tooltip player_id="958833" first="Jimmy" last="Fafinski"] (Providence Academy)- [player_tooltip player_id="960335" first="Liam" last="Carney"] really started to emerge last season, and followed that up with a strong summer for Minnesota Heat Grow. He has some nice length as a guard and the ability to handle the ball or play on the wings. Liam averaged 12.3 ppg last season and with his size at 6’3 he’s able to manuever his way to the rim to finish or knock down outside shots. He’ll be relied upon to put points on the board both himself and with assists to his teammates. [player_tooltip player_id="958833" first="Jimmy" last="Fafinski"] may be better known as a baseball prospect, but he still managed to average 12.4 ppg last season as a talented all-around athlete. Won’t impress you with anything flashy but simply gets the job done and produces on a nightly basis including a season high of 27 last season. [player_tooltip player_id="958671" first="Theo" last="Liu"] and Grayson Okoronkwo (Blake)- Blake loses a strong 2021 class to graduation, but returns with a solid group to work around. That group includes [player_tooltip player_id="958671" first="Theo" last="Liu"], a roughly 6’5 wing who can play a little inside or out for this team. He has plenty of length and showed he’s dangerous getting into the mid-range and elevating for a 10-15 foot jumper. Crafty footwork to create a clean look when he gets into the paint, and with his length and mobility he can guard most positions at the high school level. Grayson last year as a freshman managed to lead an experienced team in scoring at 16.2 ppg, while also providing 2.8 assists per contest. He’s a tough finisher around the rim but can also knock down jumpers off the dribble. Okoronkwo may see additional time as a lead ball-handler while also continuing to provide a scoring punch from the wing.