Tuesday Night Match-Up and Predictions!
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It’s the first Tuesday night of the new year and time for basketball! Here is our list of match-ups to see and the match-ups within those match-ups you should know about! Not to mention a prediction. 9AAAA Farmington at 3AAAA…
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Continue ReadingIt’s the first Tuesday night of the new year and time for basketball! Here is our list of match-ups to see and the match-ups within those match-ups you should know about! Not to mention a prediction.
9AAAA Farmington at 3AAAA Lakeville North
PG: Jonah Ask Jonah Ask 5'11" | PG Farmington | 2025 MN vs Matt Drake Matt Drake 5'11" | PG Lakeville North | 2024 State MN . Ask is a junior coming off an injury. He’s the purest ball handler Farmington will put out there and his job is to run the offense and get all the frontcourt talent the ball. Drake will have the edge of experience and of course he is one of the best guards in the state scoring 19 a game while running the team.
SG: Ryan Beckwith Ryan Beckwith 6'2" | SG Farmington | 2025 State MN vs James Fager. Ryan Beckwith Ryan Beckwith 6'2" | SG Farmington | 2025 State MN led the Tiger JV in scoring last year and now he is scoring 11 a game as the top Farmington backcourt scoring option. Fager is a junior (like Beckwith) and he’s come up from the JV to score 12.6 points a game. Great junior guard match-up.
F1: Tyler Beckwith Tyler Beckwith 6'5" | SF Farmington | 2024 State MN vs Grant Ryan Grant Ryan 6'6" | SG Lakeville North | 2024 State MN . This is a pair of workers at forward. Beckwith is an active player that will get 4-5 buckets a night, Ryan is a smart skilled player that will get 3-4 buckets a night.
F2: Brandon Hrncir Brandon Hrncir 6'8" | PF Farmington | 2024 State MN vs Jack Robison Jack Robison 6'7" | SF Lakeville North | 2024 State #158 Nation MN . Hrncir and Robison are the scholarship signed pair that lead their teams in scoring at 21.3 points and 26.3 points a game respectively. Hrncir, headed to USF, is a bit stronger, Robison, headed to Wisconsin, is more skilled at the perimeter. Hrncir is likely a half inch taller, Robison more comfortable away from the rim, both are agile talents at their size. I could see the Tigers putting Beckwith on Robison too as Tyler moves pretty well.
F3: Nik Domier/ Cole Wilcek Cole Wilcek 6'5" | PF Farmington | 2025 State MN vs Andrew Quam Andrew Quam 6'5" | SF Lakeville North | 2024 State MN . Quam is the ultimate mismatch this year with his back to the basket feel, his stretch forward shooting, and his confidence. Farmington might have the best defense for Quam, an unlimited amount of guys that can move with him and be physical with him. Guys that Quam has to defend. Domier and Wilcek are both scoring eight, nine a game and then Tyler Beckwith Tyler Beckwith 6'5" | SF Farmington | 2024 State MN might come at Quam too. And maybe Liam Roche Liam Roche 6'6" | C Farmington | 2024 State MN who is 6’6 as a senior if he’s healthy (has not played since the 22nd).
Prediction: Remember, two years ago, Farmington beat Lakeville North twice during the regular season. The Tigers have the best frontcourt in the state plus they have had a nice surprise with 6’4 Marshall Gordon, Tyler Beckwith Tyler Beckwith 6'5" | SF Farmington | 2024 State MN and Jonah Ask Jonah Ask 5'11" | PG Farmington | 2025 MN all likely doing more at this point than one expected. That said, I think Matt Drake Matt Drake 5'11" | PG Lakeville North | 2024 State MN will be the difference and I think that Robison will win his match-up. Panthers by six.
Blake at 1AA Breck.
Carson McMichael Carson McMichael 6'1" | PG Blake | 2026 State MN vs Hanif Muhammad. Carson is a young scorer that puts up 16 a game and is looking at a big number future. Carson is a sophomore that will have to deal with Hanif Muhammad and likely Muaaf Muhammad the sophomore meaning pressure will come at him all game. Hanif is scoring 13 a game.
Grayson Okoronkwo Grayson Okoronkwo 6'2" | SG Blake | 2024 State MN vs Daniel Freitag Daniel Freitag 6'1" | PG Breck | 2024 State #142 Nation MN . Daniel is the most physically ready college athlete in Minnesota. You can’t just defend him with some guard even though Daniel handles because Daniel is too strong and too explosive. Okoronkwo is about the same height and also strong. He will need to have his best defensive game (in whatever defense Blake throws at Breck) plus score his 19, 20 a game.
Omar Kaba Omar Kaba 6'8" | C Blake | 2025 State MN vs Carter Steinbeck Carter Steinbeck 6'7" | C Breck | 2026 State MN . The battle inside. Blake needs Kaba to score and he’s been doing that. At 6’7 as a junior Kaba is scoring 16 a game. Carter will be on the floor to bang with the posts and he does that well.
Ian Schnabel Ian Schnabel 6'7" | C Blake | 2025 State MN vs Miles Newton Miles Newton 6'5" | SF Breck | 2025 State MN / JP Musoke JP Musoke 6'6" | SF Breck | 2026 State MN . Here is the difference in the teams: another Blake big (or smaller guards) where as Breck will throw Newton and Musoke out there to each get seven or eight buckets each with five or six boards each. Blake can try and put Okoronkwo on one of them but then who is on Freitag? This is the match-up problems that Breck sends at you.
Prediction: I like Blake (who is 6-2). They do a really nice job there. But they don’t have the depth of size or athletes that Breck does (and to be fair, next to nobody does). They will have to get crafty though as they try and figure out a way to defend this Mustangs team. Breck by 15.
Zumbrota-Mazeppa at Byron
Preston Ohm vs Zach Vanderpool Zach Vanderpool 6'6" | PF Byron | 2024 State MN . Preston is a 6’4 forward that has had a good year, Vanderpool is a 6’5 230 pound worker that gets double doubles. Vanderpool is headed to NDSU for football.
Hunter Streit vs Tyler Connelly Tyler Connelly 6'1" | PG Byron | 2024 State MN . Streit is the vocal leader and a regular do anything it takes type. Connelly is a skilled guard with some size, he is headed to play football at UWEC.
Carter Christopherson Carter Christopherson 6'3" | SG Zumbrota-Mazeppa | 2024 State MN vs Max Dearborn Max Dearborn 6'4" | SG Byron | 2025 State MN . These are shooters, these two are scorers, these two are skilled. Max is about three inches taller though averaging 18 points, five boards, five assists and three steals a game.
Prediction: This is a sneak good match-up. ZM is 6-2, Byron is 5-1. Byron has five guys averaging double figures, Zumbroa-Mazeppa has five guys that are capable of scoring in double digits. Both are balanced teams. Byron just seems a little bigger, a little faster, a little stronger, and a little deeper. Bears by eight.
New Ulm Cathedral at Sleepy Eye
Jake Finstad vs Brayden Heiderscheidt Brayden Heiderscheidt 6'3" | SG Sleepy Eye Public | 2027 MN . This is a 5’11 junior guard in Finstad facing one of the most productive freshmen in the state in Brayden Heiderscheidt Brayden Heiderscheidt 6'3" | SG Sleepy Eye Public | 2027 MN . Heiderscheidt scores, playmakes, and is a theft artist on the defensive end. Finstad is a returning all league player.
Jevan Wilfahrt Jevan Wilfahrt 6'3" | SG New Ulm Cathedral | 2024 State MN vs Landon Wendinger. Landon is a 6’6 junior that has been putting up 15 & 11s, 17 &12s, and a recent 18 and 18 in a big game. Landon will do a lot but Wilfahrt is scoring 22 points a game this season.
Prediction: This is 6-2 (Greyhounds) against 6-1. Best Class A match-up of the night, with a steady senior name in Wilfahrt and a couple up and comers in Heiderscheidt and Wendinger, this would be a fun game to watch. I say Sleepy Eye by a score because they are at home.
Osseo at Roseville
Kellen Little Kellen Little 6'3" | SG Roseville | 2025 State MN vs Ty Swanson. How about Kellen Little Kellen Little 6'3" | SG Roseville | 2025 State MN surprising everybody with his 15-16 a game as a 6’3 junior! He’s joined seniors Nathan Hatteberg and Ataa-Adjetey Mensah Ataa-Adjetey Mensah 6'1" | PG Roseville | 2024 State MN in leading a hard working team with some depth. Ty could be the guy on Little pending on how Roseville plays in terms of big or small. Swanson is scoring 13 a game.
Prediction: Osseo is 6-3 but those losses are to some of the elite teams in the state. Roseville is off to a nice start but their losses are to Moorhead and Woodbury. I see Osseo by 11.