2022-2023 Week That Was & Seeding the State #2

2022 2023 WEEK THAT WAS 2

The second week, and second multiple event week, ended with 14 games charted over the course of the last six days. Power teams featuring power players ruled the weekend showcase event: the Breakdown Tip Off at Hopkins. The week was spent mostly charting the big schools (AAAA variety) from the northwest corner of the state (section 8). The week also featured the first postponements of the year with a weather event on Tuesday forcing cancellations and postponements in the metro.

BREAKDOWN TIP OFF

For the second straight weekend a showcase event took center stage again with teams from Minnesota and points beyond joining the fray. Thanksgiving weekend was spent at St. Thomas. So how do the two events compare? The Breakdown had an average of 90.2 pp100 in the two days, St. Thomas was at 84.6. Separating Saturday’s eight games the pp100 pops to 95.2. Last Saturday at St. Thomas the seven game average was only 82.9. Friday was better with an 86.6. Clearly the Saturday match ups were the best day of games so far. Seven of the sweet 16 teams there were over 100 with three more knocking on the door with 95s or better. Of the 16 teams to crack the century mark this year seven came on Saturday. One reason the pp100s were elevated was NOT the lack of defense, but of skilled offensive performances. The premier conference in the state, the Lake, has provided three entries. But private schools so far have ruled this field. Half of the entries have students paying tuition. Providence has been charted three times and all three times they have made the century club. Oddly enough, they are 1-2. It is rare indeed when a team cracks the code and loses. Providence trusts six on the floor. Their bench has not really been tested after Ari Peterson. One reason for the high pp100s is the skill level. To get to that skill level requires quickness. I am not only speaking of the physical quickness, but of mental decision making quickness. Several times I observed on teams that excelled, a player or two that just did not make correct offensive choices with the same rapidity. It seems they were processing, evaluating their options. By that time, it was too late, the defense had adjusted and the window to strike/move the ball/shoot the ball was closed. That is a difference maker, a separator. Fractions of seconds matter.

SECTION 8AAAA & LAKE

During the week, I dialed into section 8AAAA starting off Monday with Bemidji traveling down to Sartell. I kept that theme on Tuesday going to Buffalo to see Brainerd and then again on Thursday with Moorhead visiting St. Cloud. Add in St. Michael-Albertville on Friday that gives me seven of the nine teams charted. All that is left to see from that section is Elk River and Rogers. I took advantage of knocking off all the long distance teams with closer in options rather that wait at the mercy of the later calendar and weather events. I will evaluate the entire section when the Elks and Royals are charted.

The Lake Conference, thanks to the Saturday Breakdown, is also one step away from completion. The only missing piece is now Edina. Clearly there is a sharp distinction with the five teams I charted Saturday and Buffalo. Again, I will examine in dept that conference when the Hornets have buzzed by my computer. Needless to say the Lake has some lofty numbers the rest of the conferences aspire to.

WEATHER

The first postponements halted my scheduled game on Tuesday, but I was not slowed by the weather. So instead of sitting by the fire warming my toes I was off on the highways. White Bear Lake could not get to Mahtomedi (distance 3.7 miles or eight minutes on dry pavement). Brainerd could get to Buffalo (99 miles or one hour and 39 minutes on dry pavement). I know the roads from Brainerd were “green” to St. Cloud according to MN511 which I consulted along with the conference websites several times during the day. I do not know the severity of the roads in the east metro. I know travel times increased. Indeed, getting to Buffalo was a 42 minute journey, not the usual 34 minute variety.

WHO WORE IT WELL

By no means am I a fashion maven, but I do have a couple of comments on uniforms and hair. #1 on uniforms: there are still several teams with terrible dark numbers on dark uniforms which make it extremely difficult to chart. Thank goodness the NFHS is mandating clear uniform markings starting next year. I am tired of having to guess the number. I must go with some other distinguishing mark, like color of shoe or hair style to get the right number. #2 on hair: it seems extremely long hair is the thing to have right now. However, that hair is blocking vision on the back for most players. Not a good idea if you want to be noticed. Some have decided to slip that luxurious strand of hair under their uniform only to have it pop out under the jersey. Unfortunately, that makes it looks like a tail. Not exactly the look one wants to achieve.

WEEK AHEAD

The mega event calendar is taking a relative breather until the holiday tournament season. There are some conference and regional events in the meantime. Two are being held next Saturday, both out of state. In Wisconsin the Lake Superior Conference event will be hosted by Superior. Luther College in Decorah, Iowa will have seven southeast MN teams playing Iowa counterparts.

31 CLUB

This week we had 22 entries into the 31 Club, three lower than the week before: four entered during the week, three came aboard Friday, while 15 joined the party on Saturday. All of Friday’s entrants came from the same game. The biggest haul of 31 Clubbers came on game seven on Saturday between Becker and Providence. Both by the way #1 ranked in their respective class. No one reached the 61 Club like last week, but Duluth Marshall’s sophomore guard Regan Jueneann just missed by one. The Hilltoppers also had the youngest member of the Club in seventh grader Chloe Johnson with a 35. Becker, Providence and St. Michael-Albertville all had two members. Providence has had the advantage of being charted three times so far this year. Freshman Maddyn Greenway has made this list all three times. Saturday, she had a 55 in the loss to Becker, the second time she has been over 51. Senior teammate Grace Counts made the 31 Club for the second time with a 31 on the nose. The average 31 Club score was 37 for the week with a pp100 of 118.4. Most of the entrants were from AAAA with 13. There were five from AA, two from AAA and two from other states. The best pp100 of any of the members came from Tori Schlagel of Eden Prairie with a 166.7 hitting the average of 37 this week in the 31 Club. Three players did not reach the gold standard of 100, with the lowest checking in at 75 pp100.

SEARCH FOR 100

It is still way to early in the game for the QRF to list teams 1 to 400. My hope is to chart the top 100. Time, weather, gas money will determine if that goal can be reached.

SEEDING THE STATE

Week two sees many changes, with new teams moving to the forefront in their section and several teams moving up or down the ladder. More fall outs and shake outs are bound to occur in the coming weeks. So far, I have seen all eight of the AAAA teams, six of the AAA, only one AA, and two in A. As the weeks go by that will change. There were no changes at the top spots, but the number 2s flipped in AAAA and AA.

AAAA

  1. Hopkins (6)
  2. Michael-Albertville (8)
  3. Chaska (2)
  4. East Ridge (4)
  5. Lakeville North (1)
  6. Rosemount (3)
  7. Maple Grove (5)
  8. Anoka (7)

AAA

  1. Becker (5)
  2. Benilde-St. Margaret’s (6)
  3. Stewartville (1)
  4. Grand Rapids (7)
  5. Jordan (2)
  6. Alexandria (8)
  7. Visitation (3)
  8. Hill-Murray (4)

AA

  1. Providence (5)
  2. Minnehaha (4)
  3. Goodhue (1)
  4. Sauk Centre (6)
  5. Pequot Lakes (7)
  6. Perham (8)
  7. Montevideo (3)
  8. Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial (2)

A

  1. Hancock (6)
  2. Mountain Iron-Buhl (7)
  3. Mayer Lutheran (2)
  4. Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa (5)
  5. Lac Qui Parle Valley (3)
  6. Hayfield (1)
  7. Fosston (8)
  8. Legacy Christian (4)

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