Week 1 Individual Matchups To Watch

<p>Boy’s basketball games will be getting underway throughout Minnesota this week, and NHR takes a look ahead at some of the top individual player matchups to keep an eye on!</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1143863" first="Jamal" last="Ambrose"] (Eastview) vs [player_tooltip player_id="850714" first="Brady" last="Nicholson"] (Chaska)</strong></p> <p>Plenty of talent on the floor for this one, and it’s also a chance to see two of the top senior post players in the state face off! Jamal will have a bigger role this season after Eastview graduated some talented seniors, and his size and scoring touch will be key for his team. At about 6’10 he can step out and hit threes, score with his back to the basket, and this fall he also showed he can elevate and throw down in traffic. [player_tooltip player_id="850714" first="Brady" last="Nicholson"] is a polished big for Chaska who can do a bit of everything. Like Jamal he can stretch the floor from deep, and he also has the physicality to back defenders into deep position and score over the top using his length. An exciting way to get things kicked off for these two teams on Friday night!</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1221176" first="Owen" last="Carlson"] (Mahtomedi) vs [player_tooltip player_id="850723" first="Dylan" last="Wheeler"] (Mounds View)</strong></p> <p>High level guard play in Mounds View on Friday night, and these two should be making plenty of plays throughout the game. Owen broke onto the scene last year as a sophomore and established himself as a double figure scoring threat. He has nice length as a guard, and is an explosive athlete who can elevate in the lane and throw down with authority. Dylan may not always put up huge scoring numbers, but he’s a well rounded player who can hurt teams in a different way every night. Some days it’s with his three point shooting, others it’s with his ability to get into the paint and kick it out to an open teammate for easy shots. He’s a poised, skilled, and experienced player for Mounds View.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="962297" first="Pal" last="Wal"] (Albert Lea) vs [player_tooltip player_id="1268458" first="Miles" last="Hettinger"] (Stewartville)</strong></p> <p>In this year’s season opener on Thursday night, Albert Lea travels to take on Stewartville. Albert Lea is led by the uber productive [player_tooltip player_id="962297" first="Pal" last="Wal"], who’s a walking double-double with his length and skill-set. At 6’5 he’s a handful to keep off the glass, and is a versatile defender who can move his feet on the perimeter or stuff shots in the paint. With the graduation of Will Tschetter, it leaves a lot of production to be made up for in Stewartville. [player_tooltip player_id="1268458" first="Miles" last="Hettinger"] looks ready to carry some of that load in the paint as a 6’7 senior. He moves pretty well for his size, and is a grinder who will fight for everything on the glass and will run the floor hard for transition buckets. Expect him to do the dirty work down low and produce at a consistent level all season.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="958675" first="Hakeem" last="Ford"] (Minneapolis Southwest) vs [player_tooltip player_id="958660" first="Jaden" last="Wollmuth"] (Richfield)</strong></p> <p>Not 100% sure who Southwest is going to throw at Wollmuth, but [player_tooltip player_id="958675" first="Hakeem" last="Ford"] showed over the summer that he can defend on the block, so I’ll go with him. At 6’5 with mobility and explosive athleticism, Ford is a nightmare in transition. He can weave in and out of players as he goes coast-to-coast and finishes above the rim with authority. Ford also looked improved in the half-court in some fall league action. He’s also extremely versatile defensively. Wollmuth stands at 6’7 and is a strong and physical post presence. He can score with his back to the basket as he uses his strength to establish deep position before receiving an entry pass. He’ll look to take a step forward this season after Richfield graduated some talent from last year.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1142942" first="Micah" last="Young"] (Minneapolis Edison) vs Rob Issa (Holy Angels)</strong></p> <p>Intriguing wing battle on Thursday as Holy Angels hosts Edison in their season opener. [player_tooltip player_id="1142942" first="Micah" last="Young"] will look to take over as the go-to player for Edison after they graduated a talented senior duo. In fall league he showed he can hit some deep shots, create a bit off the dribble, and finish with explosiveness in transition. The 2023 prospect will look to emerge as one of the top players in the Minneapolis City Conference this year. On the other side will be Rob Issa, a wing who’s a bit under the radar. He started to get better towards the end of his junior year, and will look to keep that form going as a senior. He’s an explosive athlete at about 6’3 with the ability to finish above the rim and rebound in bulk. His off ball movement will be key as he looks to gain scoring opportunities for himself.</p>