The 2021-22 Season: The RJ Superlatives
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What am I looking forward to this Minnesota High School Basketball season? Here are my Superlatives for the 2021-22 year. Event I am Most Looking Forward to….. The Breakdown Tip Off Classic on December 11th Match-Up I am Most Looking…
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Continue ReadingWhat am I looking forward to this Minnesota High School Basketball season? Here are my Superlatives for the 2021-22 year.
Event I am Most Looking Forward to….. The Breakdown Tip Off Classic on December 11th
Match-Up I am Most Looking Forward to…. Park Center vs Totino-Grace
Trip I am Most Looking Forward to... A Northern Swing over a week (something I couldn’t do as a teacher)
Players I Will See Most…. Gopher signed Braeden Carrington Braeden Carrington 6'4" | SG Park Center | 2022 State #141 Nation MN and Pharrell Payne, Gopher targets Nolan Winter Nolan Winter 7'0" | PF Lakeville North | 2023 State #98 Nation MN , Taison Chatman Taison Chatman 6'4" | PG Totino Grace | 2023 State #35 Nation MN , Boden Kapke Boden Kapke 6'11" | C Holy Family | 2023 State #153 Nation MN , Daniel Fretaig, and Jack Robison Jack Robison 6'7" | SF Lakeville North | 2024 State #158 Nation MN . This needs to be out in the open. I work for Gopher Illustrated as well so I will see these players a bit more.
2022 Mr Basketball Favorite….. Tre Holloman Tre Holloman 6'2" | PG Cretin-Derham Hall | 2022 State #57 Nation MN
2023 Mr Basketball Favorites….. Taison Chatman Taison Chatman 6'4" | PG Totino Grace | 2023 State #35 Nation MN and Nolan Winter Nolan Winter 7'0" | PF Lakeville North | 2023 State #98 Nation MN
2024 Mr Basketball Favorite….. Mercy Miller Mercy Miller 6'4" | SG Minnehaha Academy | 2024 VA
2025 Mr Basketball Favorites….. Just kidding, it’s too early
Team I am Most Looking Forward to Seeing….. I will say Hopkins as I look forward to a year where the team honors Ken Novak Sr who impacted so many people
Weekends I am Most Looking Forward to….. All of the Breakdown weekend events. Tip Off Classic, Big 12 Classic, Hoops Challenge, Winter Lakes Classic, Border Battle, Crossover Classic, Community Clash. These are full days of games where we get to see a ton of teams on one day. Nothing better than that.
The Challenge….. Stay at home and watch online or go to the gym? It will be a nightly decision. When you have four kids and a wife it’s so much easier to help feed the kids and clean the kitchen, walk downstairs and watch a game, go up and put the kids to bed, and then write a game story when they are snoring. Traveling to a single game at night is a four hour time commitment that is often worth it, nothing like being in the gym, but the online option is such a time saver. It will be a nightly decision
Holiday Event I am Most Looking Forward to….. The Capital City Classic is the new name for the UST tournament and the list of teams is quite impressive: Park of Cottage Grove, South St. Paul, Wayzata, Richfield, Osseo, Minneapolis South, Owatonna, Mound-Westonka, BSM
Concession Food I am Most Looking Forward to Eating….. Walking Taco! I didn’t go to high school games last season. I haven’t had a walking taco since 2020!
Concession Drink I am Most Looking Forward to Sipping…..A Coke! Are you kidding? Any concession stand that has a Pepsi will not get my dollars. You are instantly losing 400 dollars a night by serving a Pepsi over a Coke. Make the right decision!
What I’m Most Excited to See…..A state that has a better reception for officials. We are running out of them. Parents, YOU MUST LEARN TO CLAP AND SUPPORT OVER YELLING AT OFFICIALS. Twice last year I complained about officials on twitter, and I can’t do that. Even though it was only twice, it opens the door for everybody to say “I only said two things”. If fans don’t stop yelling at refs the quality will get worse and after that there won’t be many. Coaches and players have to do better as well but most refs will tell you it’s the fans. Cheer your child, cheer their friends, contain your wild statements blaming officials.