As we head into the holiday season, here is a wish list for Minnesota basketball fans.
▪ An elite point guard for the Timberwolves to help prevent the late game meltdowns that have plagued the team this year. The rumor mill has the Wolves interested in players like Ja Morant, Coby White, and James Harden. While these are intriguing options, it’s important to find someone that complements Anthony Edwards. In my view, the best fit and the trade that would create a happy “Holiday” for Wolves’ fans would be acquiring Jrue from Portland. He is a proven winner that could help “Anta Claus” lead Minnesota to its first ever NBA title. If the Timberwolves decide to go “big” instead, Giannis Antetokounmpo would be an excellent “stocking stuffer” to pair with Edwards, creating the modern-day version of Shaq and Kobe.
▪ The retirement of Wolves jersey #21 to recognize the greatest player in team history. With the recent announcement that Kevin Garnett will be joining the Timberwolves as Team Ambassador it looks like his jersey will finally be raised to the rafters of the Target Center.
▪ An instant impact player for the Minnesota Lynx with the second pick in the 2026 WNBA draft. The Lynx have an outstanding nucleus led by Napheesa Collier and if they can make the right pick, they have a great opportunity to win their 5th league title. Azzi Fudd is likely headed to Dallas with the 1st pick, so the Lynx will be choosing among Spanish sensation, Awa Fam, UCLA center Lauren Betts, or TCU point guard Olivia Miles. The first order of business, however, is for the WNBA to avoid a work stoppage by providing the players with a contract commensurate with the impact they have had on the growth and popularity of the league.
▪ Good health and larger Williams Arena crowds for the Gopher men’s basketball program. A thin roster has been decimated by injuries to three of its top seven players – BJ Omot, Chansey Willis Jr., and Robert Vaihola. Despite being short-handed, the Gophers, led by the Big Ten’s leading scorer, Cade Tyson, have had some impressive moments, including a recent upset of #22 Indiana. That game featured the largest crowd of the season and evoked memories of the past when sell-outs were the norm and Williams Arena was one of the most electric atmospheres in all of college basketball.
▪ A return to form for Mara Braun of the Gopher women’s team. After missing most of the past two seasons with foot injuries, Braun has struggled to regain the form that had her on pace to become one of the Big Ten’s elite players. She led the Gophers in scoring as a freshman (15.6 ppg) and a sophomore (17.0 ppg) while shooting greater than 35% from 3. She was named to the Big Ten’s All-Freshman team and earned Honorable Mention All-Conference honors as a sophomore. This year she is averaging 10.8 ppg and shooting just 26% from behind the arc. If the Gophers hope to reach the NCAA tournament for the first time since the 2017-18 season, they will need Braun to be the dynamic shooter/scorer that she has been in the past. This would certainly provide Gopher coach Dawn Plitzuweit with “tidings of comfort and joy.”
▪ The St. Thomas men “decorating” their new Lee & Penny Anderson Arena with a Summit League post season championship trophy and a first ever NCAA D1 Tournament berth. The Tommies were the preseason favorite to win the league and are currently riding a 23-game home winning streak.
▪ Move future NSIC men’s and women’s conference tournaments from Sioux Falls to the Lee & Penny Anderson Arena at St. Thomas. 9 of the 16 conference teams are based in Minnesota, some within distance of the North Pole so even without a reindeer-powered sleigh, the trip to St. Paul would be significantly more convenient. With many alumni residing in the Twin Cities this should lead to bigger crowds and increased visibility for one of the best D2 conferences in the country.
▪ In the “spirit of giving” let’s give more media coverage to the outstanding small college programs in our state (D2, D3, and Juco). While local media organizations cover their respective teams well, it would be nice to see the larger media outlets in the Twin Cities pay greater attention to these schools, many who have national reputations for basketball excellence.
▪ More upsets in high school boys’ basketball. Results have become all too predictable, especially at the 3A and 4A levels. Upsets help capture fan interest, inspire hope and optimism for the underdog and, ultimately, are great for the game. Just last week, St. Louis Park put a “bow” on one of the greatest upsets in recent memory with an 81-68 victory over highly ranked and traditional power Hopkins. Some say this is the first time that the Orioles have beaten the Royals since the “Grinch Stole Christmas.”
▪ A rematch of last year’s 2A Girls’ State Championship game with not only a state title on the line but a head-to-head match-up between Maddyn Greenway of Providence (a Kentucky commit) and Tori Oehrlein of Crosby-Ironton (a Gopher commit) to see who will claim the crown as Minnesota’s career scoring leader. Both are on a pace to pass the current record of 5,060 held by Braham’s Rebekah Dahlman.
▪ Well-behaved fans at every level of play but particularly high school. All too often fans are making the “Naughty List” for inappropriate behavior directed to other fans, players, coaches and referees. It’s time for everyone to grab an egg nog and chill out. Recently a fight broke out in the stands at a high–profile event at Hopkins High School that resulted in the suspension of play and subsequently the cancellation of another event the following week due to security concerns. The misdeeds of a few denied true basketball fans the opportunity to see some of the state’s best teams and players showcase their talents.
▪ With all due respect to the 15-30 second highlight videos that go viral on social media could we ask Santa to bring back the “box score” for high school basketball games. This is the only true way to track the progress and success of your favorite teams and players. In this high tech, data driven era it’s hard to believe that you have a greater chance of finding the Abominable Snowman than a high school box score.
From all of us at Hoop Habits may your Holidays be “nothing but net.”