Tip Off Classic – Top Ten Individual Match-Ups to See

Basketball is obviously a team game but fans also want to get a look the top players facing off with one another.  Here are ten top individual match-ups to see this Saturday!

Tre Holloman (CDH) vs Jalen Suggs (Minnehaha Academy).  While Tre and Jalen may not guard either other that often, both are rapid playmakers that will see plenty of one another throughout the game.  Tre may actually have Terry Lockett on him at times while any number of Raiders could be on the five star top 5-10 level Minnehaha guard. 

Dain Dainja (Park Center) vs Ben Carlson (East Ridge). This summer Dainja and Carlson had an excellent battle that saw the Pirates win behind Dain's nearly unstoppable 31 but Carlson had 27 and was definitely the more locked in rebounder and defender.  It was a fantastic heavyweight battle that we get to see again this weekend.  

Kerwin Walton (Hopkins) vs Charlie Katona (Shakopee). Both Walton and Katona are coming off outstanding summers.  Both players really caught fire in May and didn't let up through July.  Now their teams have high expectations with each senior leading the way, but in different styles.  Styles that will clash Saturday. 

J'Vonne Hadley (CDH) vs Prince Aligbe (Minnehaha Academy).  The Redhawks are so talented that it's tough to know exactly who will be on who, but both Hadley and Aligbe are strong and athletic wings at 6-foot-6 with big ability.  Hadley is coming off a 29 point per game year at Mahtomedi while Aligbe had a massive summer netting many high major offers. 

Andrew Morgan (Waseca) vs Francis Nwaokorie (Champlin Park). Morgan is one of the elite rebounders in the state and had 24 points in the Big 12 Classic last weekend versus DeLaSalle.  He's a physical force that is getting more skilled each day.  Nwaokorie is a low post throwback with great hands and feet. 

Dawson Garcia (Prior Lake) vs Connor Christensen (Eden Prairie).  I'm going to guess that EP will throw a couple defenders at Dawson but Christensen, one of the elite defenders in the state, is the man that should have the best chance.  Limiting Dawson is a near impossible task so it's small victories of where the shots come from and how much space Dawson has, but if there is a guy that can make the 5-star's day tougher it's Connor. 

Nathan Heise (Lake City) vs Willie Wilson (Minneapolis North).  A senior from the outstate and a sophomore from Minneapolis.  A Northern Iowa signed guard that many think may have got some high major looks and a future D1 talent that is starting to show high major potential.  

Tyree Ihenacho (Prior Lake) vs John Henry (Eden Prairie). Tyree and John both had great summers with Select and Fury respectively that led to division one scholarship offers.  Tyree has become more skilled, Henry has shown more versatility and both have improved a great deal as D1 wings. 

Camden Heide (Wayzata) vs Ryan Thissen (Eastview). Right now the feeling is that Camden Heide is going to have an explosive sophomore season.  With size, perimeter skill, and more explosion than some seem to expect, Heide is a weapon teams have to gameplan for.  Thissen is of similar height and has the best combo of size and agility to limit Camden. 

Joich Gong (Mankato East) vs Keijuan White (DeLaSalle).  Both East and the Islanders will play 2-3 three guards in that 6-1/6-2 range who will battle in a fun way.  Gong is a combo guard with the ability to change a game while White is one of the state's best athletes that's learning rapidly.