Tuesday Night Match-Up
What are the key games to keep an eye on this evening across Minnesota? We run you through the important games and give you the key players/match-ups to watch. Lake City at St. Charles The Skinny: St. Charles…
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Continue ReadingWhat are the key games to keep an eye on this evening across Minnesota? We run you through the important games and give you the key players/match-ups to watch.
Lake City at St. Charles
The Skinny: St. Charles has hit the toughest part of their schedule and hasn’t handled it well. Three straight in competitive games to strong opponents. Now the Saints have to play Lake City, one of the top Class AA challengers to Minnehaha Academy for state this year and Lake City is playing some of their best basketball ever.
Top Match-Up: Reid Gastner vs ?. Reid is an inside/out skilled bruiser. St. Charles is mostly guards – and talented guards at that. Kooper Vaughn and Drew Maloney are sophomores scoring a combined 38 a night. But I just don’t see a guy that is going to do anything with Reid.
Top Prospect to See: Nathan Heise. Nate is a 6-foot-4 guard that can play both spots (shoots the ball at high percentages and is a very creative, efficient lead guard). One of those players that we expect to be talking about in the scholarship offer category often very soon.
Prediction: St. Charles may be at home and with their back against the wall they are likely to play better but I just can’t see them having an answer for Reid Gastner, Heise, and the Lake City bench mob.
Mankato East at Northfield
The Skinny: East won the first game by 13 points to 10th ranked Northfield. The Raiders (who’ve been swept by Rochester Century this year including a recent loss) are a mix of a young guard pair and a veteran frontcourt. The Cougars have established themselves as a legit Class AAA title contender playing as well as anybody in Class AAA.
Top Match-Up: Mason Zick/Mitch Stanchina vs Jordan Merseth/Ryan Kuechle. Merseth and Stanchina will likely fight inside (both 11/12 points per game guys) while Kuechle – a St. Cloud State football signed talent – could be working against Zick.
Top Prospect to See: Jax Madson and Joich Gong. The East guard pair are both being looked at by NSIC schools for their differing but very talented skills as guards.
Prediction: My gut says this is upset watch territory because East has been on the road a lot lately against a tough schedule. That said, East is more talented and playing great team bal. Cougars by six.
Rochester JM at Austin
The Skinny: The Big Nine title in recent years has gone through Austin and JM. The Rockets don’t have much guard play but they do have the best player in the state of Minnesota (Matthew Hurt). Austin beat JM by 11 in December with Medi Obang scoring 20 and the Austin defense holding JM to 59 points. Hurt had 39 but there was little production from others.
Top Match-Up: Medi Obang vs Simon Werven. I’m not saying that Simon will be on Medi (who scores 23 points a night) but JM really needs a solid game from Werven and other guards to try and slow the Packer numbers.
Top Prospect to See: Matthew Hurt. Of course Matthew Hurt is the attraction and when he’s playing you never know which big name coach will show up in the crowd. Will it be John Calipari? Roy Williams? Coach K? Bill Self? It’s often somebody.
Prediction: Austin won’t a player that can limit Hurt but JM’s guards will have heads spinning with Packers flying around. Home team by seven.
White Bear Lake vs Edina
The Skinny: Both the Hornets and the Bears are coming off a tough stretch. Edina has lost three of four, White Bear Lake has lost two of four. The losses these teams suffered were to the best teams in the state of Minnesota but they are losses nonetheless. The winner puts a top ten level victory on their resume while the team that falls continues the recent struggle.
Top Match-Up: Sam Schwartz vs Jack Middleton. Sam is headed to SMSU and Jack to UMD. Both efficient offensive players, hard working defenders, and team guys that will do whatever their team needs them to.
Top Prospect to See: Jacob Hutson. There are many good players in this game (Jeremy Beckler will battle in Hutson in an excellent match-up of bigs) but Hutson likely has the highest ceiling prospect wise. Hutson is scoring 19.2 points per game as a junior in the post against a very tough schedule.
Prediction: I think this game matches very similar talents and teams. Edina is the pick by a score as I feel the home edge and the daily grind of a schedule will get them the victory.
Providence Academy at Breck
The Skinny: Providence Academy has put together a nice year going 12-5 earning nice wins over Rockford, Spectrum, Breck two weeks ago, and others. David Roddy and his Breck team are 15-3 and the word “revenge” is on their mind this evening.
Top Match-Up: Mark Richelson vs David Roddy. Mark is somewhat of a rolling thunder senior that uses his 6-foot-4 size and skill to score 18 plus a night. David Roddy is the ultimate rolling thunder who also bounces and explodes on people.
Top Prospect to See: David Roddy. Roddy is a lead Mr. Basketball candidate ranked in the top 200 nationally and headed to Colorado State. David is averaging 29.5 points and 17 boards a game.
Prediction: An angry David Roddy with revenge on his mind? Breck by five.
Armstrong at Maple Grove
The Skinny: Armstrong’s wins over Park Center, Spring Lake Park (twice), and Totino-Grace (twice) have them in consideration to be a ranked team and a complete thorn in the side of whichever team they play in sections (will it be Wayzata or Hopkins?). A win over Maple Grove would make them even more dangerous. Maple Grove won the first game 47-42 with Kyle Dreyer scoring 18.
Top Match-Up: Cole Priem vs Kyle Dreyer. It was Dreyer who had a big game the first time around and it will be no Priem and other Armstrong backcourt players to stop Kyle and Jared Rainey.
Top Prospect to See: Jared Rainey or Adam Biewen. Jared is a senior guard giving the Crimson 13.8 points and team leading numbers in boards (4.5), assists (5.2), and steals (two). Adam is a 6-foot-3 wing junior leading Armstrong in scoring.
Prediction: The edge goes to the Crimson because they have the more veteran team. Close game, Crimson win by eight.
Mahnomen/Waubun at Cass Lake Bena
The Skinny: Cass Lake-Bena is one of the few remaining undefeated teams in the state while the Thunderbirds are 10-5 slipping under the pressure a bit after going to state last year. Mahnomen/Waubun has challenged themselves heavily so that is part of the reason for their record but they need a big win.
Top Match-Up: Ethan Brown vs Jayden Heisler. The two players that run the show for their respective teams, Brown is a double-double point/assist game for the Panthers while Heisler is a multi-sport standout.
Top Prospect to See: Jarell Jacobs, a 6-foot-2 junior from Cass Lake-Bena that is one of the top scorers in Class A basketball.
Prediction: The Panthers are flying by nearly everyone on their schedule (remember they beat North Woods by 17). Cass Lake-Bena has been tested lately (Nevis and Deer River) but was able to slip by. A loss could be coming and this game has the feel as the upset as Thunderbirds have the experience to do it. Calling upset, MW wins.