By Matt Krumrie
MaxPreps.com
The Fab Five
- It's the Holiday season, and it's time for some great holiday tournaments throughout the state of Minnesota. One of the top tournaments in the Twin Cities is the Bethel Holiday classic at Bethel University in St. Paul, with Mounds View, Eden Prairie, Maple Grove, Henry Sibley, St. Anthony, Fairmont, Minneapolis North and North St. Paul. Mounds View, Henry Sibley and Eden Prairie are among the tournament favorites. Mounds View's Mike Schramm averages 19 points per game, while teammate Matt Harris averages 12.3 ppg. Henry Sibley, led by Peter Leslie, Mike Bruesewitz and Chris Halvorson has height and depth, as does Eden Prairie, led by Ethan Wragge and Ryan Grant, among others.
- Another great Twin Cities tournament is the Joe Hutton Classic at Hamline University in St. Paul. This tournament features defending AAA state champion St. Thomas Academy, Park (Cottage Grove), Minneapolis Washburn, Como Park, St. Paul Central, Montevideo, Blaine and Hopkins, the No. 2 ranked team in the state in AAAA. St. Thomas and Hopkins are the tournament favorites. Central and Como are among favorites in the St. Paul City Conference.
- Speaking of Sibley: The Classic Suburban Conference features some of the top teams in the Twin Cities in St. Thomas Academy and Henry Sibley. That race won't heat up until after the New Year, but Sibley certainly isn't dodging top competition in preparation for the tough conference slate. Sibley has already played Minnetonka and Hopkins, the No.1 and No. 2 teams in the state. And although Sibley lost both games - 89-61 to Hopkins and 78-74 to Minnetonka, coach Tom Dasovich's team is still set for a great season. The Warriors also lost to highly-ranked Osseo earlier this season, but with players like Bruesewitz - who had 22 points against Hopkins and 13 against Minnetonka, Halvorson, Leslie and a cast of others, the tough early season non-conference games will hopefully payoff come tournament time - postseason tournament time, that is.
- Catholic Spirit: The Catholic Spirit Tournament at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul features defending Section 3AAAA champion Woodbury, defending Section 4AAAA champion St. Paul Johnson, and Robbinsdale Armstrong, the 2007 Class AAAA state runner-up. Oh yeah, the tournament also features a talented and deep Cretin-Derham Hall team, ranked No. 5 in the Twin Cities. Also competing is Hill-Murray, Roseville, and St. Augustine High, a Catholic school from New Orleans, La.
- Battle of Bloomington: There is no love loss when Bloomington Kennedy and Bloomington Jefferson square off in any sport, especially basketball. The edge in the first game of the year between the rivals and Lake Conference foes goes to Kennedy, who defeated Jefferson 55-53 Friday, Dec. 21. Hakeem Bourne-McFarlane, who was one of three Kennedy players in double figures and led the team with 14 points, scored on a layup with one seconds left to give Kennedy the win.
Three to Watch
- Jake Lindstrom, Park (Cottage Grove): Park was off to a 3-2 start, and Lindstrom was a big part of the team's success. The 6-foot senior is averaging 26.4 points per game and has scored 20, 30, 28, 25, and 29 points in those five games.
- Seantrel Henderson, Cretin-Derham Hall: The 6-7, 300 pound sophomore is already well-known for his talents on the football field, but the nimble big man is also an imposing presence and force on the Cretin basketball team. He is averaging just over 12 points a game for the Raiders through the team's first three games, all wins.
- Theo Rothstein, St. Michael-Albertville: STMA is off to a 5-0 start, and Rothstein has played a key role in that success. Rothstein is averaging 15.8 points per game to lead the Knights.
Two Hot Too Handle
1. Erik Jacobs, Lake Crystal Wellcome Memorial: Jacobs scored a career-high 30 points to lead LCWM to a 76-71 win over New Ulmin a non-conference game last week. He also added nine rebounds, six steals and four blocked shots in the win.
2. Johnnie Sanders, Eastview: The 6-3 senior guard scored 47points in his past two games. Sanders scored 31 points in a 79-61 win overcrosstown rival Apple Valley, and had 16 in atough 53-52 loss to Eden Prairie.That was the first loss of the season for Eastview, who won four of its firstfive games. Sanders is averaging 18.4 ppg.
Inside The Numbers
94 - The number of points scored by Minnetonka, the state's top-ranked team, in a 94-62 win over Chaska.
85 - The number of points Minnetonka is averaging per game through five games this season.
54 - The total number of blocks by B.J. Coleman, a 6-7 senior center for the International School of Minnesota/Eagle Ridge Academy, through seven games, an average of over 7 blocks per game. Coleman is also averaging 21.6 ppg and 17.9 rebounds per game.
27.3 - The average points per game by Evan McMillan of St. Paul Academy.
12.6 - The average rebounds per game by McMillan
6 - The number of Minnetonka players who scored in double figures in that win over Chaska. Tyler Schilling led the way that game with 21 points and Anthony Tucker, who will play at Iowa next year, added 20.
4 - The number of players averaging double figures for St. Michael Albertville. In addition to Rothstein's 15.8 ppg, Kevin Nelson isaveraging 14.2, Jason Dehmer 11.2 and John Arms 10.6.