Recruiting Report: Charlie Katona (2020)
Shakopee forward Charlie Katona was an all state 16U player last summer plus he led the Sabers into the top ten of Class AAAA as the team’s leading scorer and rebounder. Now Katona has helped push the Fury Zurn squad…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingShakopee forward Charlie Katona was an all state 16U player last summer plus he led the Sabers into the top ten of Class AAAA as the team’s leading scorer and rebounder.
Now Katona has helped push the Fury Zurn squad to a 10-2 start coming off a strong five game run.
“So far we are doing pretty good,” Katona said in Madison at Hard Work Live, an event the Fury went 4-0 in. “We picked up the defense this weekend which I’m really proud of because everybody on our team felt we were lacking in defense a little bit. It’s nice to come out, play some defense, and go run some teams.”
The Fury has a line-up that consists of Katona, Nathan Heise (one of the hottest names among 2020 guards in the Midwest), Brady Williams (earning D2 offers with his all around play), Cameron Steele (D2 offers to his name), Jacob Hutson (had Loyola Chicago in to see him this week),and several other talented players. It’s a collection of talent with high expectations.
“For me my goal is to get better and to see where things take me,” Katona explained. “Team wise we are always looking to be on the top. Our goal is top be number one in the nation. So if we can get up there, that is where we are aiming.”
The Fury lost their second game of the season in Council Bluffs (IA) against the South Dakota Attack. In that game Katona scored 25 points and he hasn’t slowed since. The approach has been aggressive and the results have been strong.
“I feel I’m kind of more of a downhill type, that’s when I attack harder. If I can get somebody leaning and then take away their high hip and really attack that, force them to flip their hips, I can beat them in a foot race to get by them and then finish at the rim.”
Charlie is attacking wings offensively – scored 73/75 points in four Hard Work Live games – but he’s also going at players in several ways on the defensive end.
“My goal is to hold them to zero points,” Katona explained. “I take a pride in my defense, so if I let them score I am letting my team down. So if I can keep my guy from not scoring it’s going to boost everybody else around me and help everybody play better on the defensive end.”
At Shakopee High School the Sabers play in Section 2AAAA, the Minnesota High School Basketball group of death. Shakopee, Eden Prairie, Minnetonka, Chaska, Prior Lake, and Edina were all ranked at some point this year, and they are all in the same section.
Trying to win three games against the teams in this group can either drive you mad, or prepare you for big success. Charlie likes the second way of thinking.
“I don’t think it affects our mindset that much as we know we are playing the top teams in the state,” Katona said in reference to the depth of 2AAAA. “We look at it as if that’s our state tournament. So if we can win that, then we know we have a pretty good shot at winning state.”
The Sabers have been building for the two year run (2018-19 and 2019-20) for several seasons. Charlie, Will Cordes, Caleb Druvenga, Bruce Lockwood, and Aaron Bosley, these are seniors-to-be that have grown together for several years of their young lives.
“I think we are going to be looking pretty good,” Katona said. “Most of our team is returning. We all have a lot of court time. We have seen it, we know how to play, we have played with one another all the way up. We really know each other, we are used to winning, and knowing what it takes to win.”
The senior year is coming quick and after that, college. Charlie Katona is without a doubt a full ride basketball scholarship talent. To what level is still to be determined as colleges slowly move their way through this new NCAA recruiting process, but Katona is already hearing from different programs.
“I want to first look at getting a good education. Say I don’t make it to the NBA then I need something to go back on and making a living off of. The NBA is the goal for everybody but if that doesn’t happen you need a good education plus you want to have a school where you can build relationships with guys on the team, relationships that you will have for the rest of your life. And have fun, win a national championship.
“I’m looking at econ, accounting, finance, working with money pretty much. That’s what I’ve been thinking about.”
Last weekend representatives of over half of the Northern Sun – including Winona State, Minnesota-Duluth, Southwest Minnesota State, Minnesota State-Moorhead, St. Cloud State, Augustana, Sioux Falls, Northern State, and others – were in Madison watching the Fury. Also in the crowd was Northern Iowa, Drake, UWGB, North Dakota State, South Dakota State, North Dakota, and others from the D1 level. Katona is hearing from several of those programs.
“UMD is who I am hearing a lot from,” Katona said. “A lot of the high major level D2s. And then I hear occasionally from some division one programs.”
When he’s not working in the gym or in the classroom Katona enjoys the NBA. Who is his favorite player?
“Durant. I try to take most of my stuff and lay it out to be like that (KD) because he is one of the best shooters in the NBA and he can score at will. He had 50 last night and I was thinking, man if I could come down and hit shots like that, that would really boost me.”
Katona and the Fury are in the middle of a six weekend run of events. They finished in the Comets Shootout final four, the Hard Work Kickoff final four, and went 4-0 in Madison. Next up is two SPTS events followed by the Fury Shootout which of course the Minnesota Fury hosts.