No. 23 Apple Valley (Minn.)Head coach: Zach Goring
2012-13 record: 30-1, Class AAAA state champions
Players to watch: Dennis Austin (6-3, Sr., F),
Brock Bertram (6-9, So., F),
Tyus Jones (6-0, Sr., G),
Robert Tobroxen (6-6, Sr., F)
Breaking down the EaglesThough the Eagles return plenty of complimentary pieces from last year's state championship run, 2013-14 will be best known as the high school curtain call for one of Minnesota's most beloved prep athletes ever in Jones.
Tyus Jones and Apple Valley enter the season riding a 30-game win streak.
Photo by Nick Koza
The point guard prodigy was named to the MaxPreps All-American second team as a junior after averaging 20 points and seven assists per game. His scoring dipped from 28 points per outing as a sophomore but Apple Valley benefited from his willingness to dial back the scoring.
Jones is pegged as the
No. 5 overall senior prospect by 247Sports.com and is nearing a decision between Baylor, Duke and Kansas.
Apple Valley was dominant down the stretch in 2012-13, winning its last six postseason contests by an average margin of more than 26 points per game. The Eagles avenged their only loss of the season in the AAAA final, beating Park Center (Brooklyn Park) by 17.
That late surge bodes well for this winter with Austin (13.3 points per game), Bertram (11) and Tobroxen (6.1) also returning to join the quest for back-to-back titles.
Key datesDec. 7 – vs.
DeLaSalle (Minneapolis)Dec. 10 – vs.
Hopkins (Minnetonka, Minn.)Dec. 12 – vs.
Whitney Young (Chicago)Jan. 4 – vs.
Blue Valley Northwest (Overland Park, Kan.) at Timberwolves Shootout
