Tag: Hoops

The Twin Cities has long been home to high quality pro-am basketball but the current version of the Twin Cities Pro-Am League has taken things to a new level – creating an environment for fans and players that is truly a summer celebration of Minnesota hoops. The league will kick off its 2025 season on July 7 and culminate with a championship game on August 6 – the pro-am is returning to DeLaSalle High School after several years at Minnehaha Academy.

The First Pro-Am

While there have been a number of prominent summer basketball leagues in the Twin Cities over the years, (Augsburg, Pillsbury, Brothers Keepers, and JCC to name a few), the first true iteration of a pro-am league happened in 1988 with the introduction of the Minnesota NBA Pro-Am League that was held at the Salvation Army in St. Paul.

The league was run by longtime local referee and veteran Minnesota Timberwolves statistician, Bob Schoewe. The premise for the league was to build excitement and enthusiasm for professional basketball in the metro area, following the announcement that Minnesota would be awarded an NBA franchise that would begin play in 1989. The league featured 8 teams primarily made up of former college stars who worked in the Twin Cities area.

A few players of note include:

• Timo Saarelainen – unquestionably the best player in the league who averaged nearly 40 ppg. He was an athletic, 6’6 forward from BYU who was the WAC Player of the Year in 1985 and a 5^th round draft choice of the Los Angeles Lakers. He was also a member of the Finnish National Team for 7 years.
• Darryl Mitchell – a former Parade High School All-American and All-Big Ten guard for the Gophers’ 1982 Big Ten Championship team
• Kevin Smith – former Gopher and McDonald’s All-American from Lansing, Michigan
• Keith French – a spectacular dunker who helped lead North Park, Illinois to two NCAA Division 3 titles and was a 9^th round draft choice of the Phoenix Suns.
• Steve Lingenfelter and Chris Engler – two big men that were local high school standouts at Bloomington Jefferson and Stillwater, respectively, who went on to outstanding college careers as well as brief stints in the NBA.

While regular season crowds were modest, select games were televised on local Cable TV and the mid-season All-Star Game (with Slam Dunk and 3-Point Contests) was well attended and drew local media coverage.

The Pulley Era

The next version of the pro-am was the Howard Pulley Pro City League which launched in 1989 and ran for more than 20 years. The league was founded by Rene Pulley, one of Minnesota’s basketball icons. It’s fair to say that no one has done more to promote and elevate the game of basketball in Minnesota than Pulley. In addition to the Pro City League, he also founded the Howard Pulley Panthers AAU program which has allowed many of Minnesota’s top high school players to showcase their talents on the national stage as part of Nike’s EYBL program.

The Pulley era of the pro-am spent time at several locations, including the Salvation Army, the former Minneapolis Central High School and the High-Performance Academy in Eagan. In addition, the league hosted its 1997 All-Star Game at the Target Center.

The talent and competition continued to improve as the league featured an increasing number of NBA and overseas professionals. Headliners included local legends like Khalid El-Amin and Troy Bell, former Timberwolves players Chris Carr, Trenton Hassell, Troy Hudson and Ndudi Ebi (editor’s note – perhaps worst draft pick in Wolves history) as well as former Gopher standouts Quincy Lewis, Vincent Grier, Voshon Lenard, Bobby Jackson, Melvin Newbern, Randy Carter, Arriel McDonald and Richard Coffey. Based on NCAA and school rules, Gopher players weren’t always allowed to play in the pro-am league but when they did it certainly led to a spike in attendance and fan interest.

For those interested in a tour down memory lane you can still find some of the Howard Pulley Pro City All-Star games on YouTube.

Enter Jamar Diggs

In 2016, former DeLaSalle and Wofford star Jamar Diggs returned home after playing overseas and was looking for some high- level competition to stay in shape during the summer offseason. While pick-up ball was certainly an option, he concluded that it was time to resurrect the summer pro-am, like the Howard Pulley league he had played in when he was younger. Under his leadership, and with the managerial assistance of JW Person, he launched the Twin Cities Pro-Am League at DelaSalle High School.

The first year established a solid foundation for the league then it got a welcome bump in interest the following year when Gopher coach, Richard Pitino allowed his players to participate – including standouts like Amir Coffey and Jordan Murphy as well as prized recruit and internet sensation, Isaiah Washington of New York City Jelly Fam fame. This led to greater interest and bigger crowds.

The league continued to grow and became a must-see attraction when it moved to Minnehaha Academy several years ago. The talent on display is at a level never seen before in Minnesota.

Rosters filled with:

• NBA veterans like Mike Muscala, David Roddy, Jalen Suggs, Tyus Jones, Tre Jones, Daniel Oturu, Rashad Vaughn, McKinley Wright and Jamison Battle.
• Overseas pros including Zach Lofton, Anthony Tucker, Jordan Taylor, Geno Crandall, Quinton Hooker, Calvin Wishart, Anders Nelson, Taylor Braun, and Booker Coplin.
• Local high school standouts like Jackson McAndrew, Tre Holloman, Daniel Freitag, Jack Robison, Cash Chavis and Jayden Moore.

In addition, there have been regular guest appearances by Timberwolves players like Josh Minott, Nathan Knight, Wendell Moore Jr., Jaden McDaniels, and Luka Garza, who electrified the crowd last year with a league record 59- point performance. Current Wolves guard, Jaylen Clark, has already teased on social media that he and potentially some of his teammates will be making appearances this summer.

While the opportunity to see high level basketball is the main draw, the Twin Cities Pro-Am has done an excellent job of creating a fun, family-friendly atmosphere. There is a DJ hype man, contests, concessions and special promotions, like two years ago when former Hopkins legends, Paige Bueckers and Amaya Battle served as guest coaches. In addition, the players are very approachable and spend considerable time signing autographs or taking photos. And did I mention that admission is FREE!!!!

Minnesota basketball has never been better so I would strongly encourage you to take a trip to the Island this summer and see some great hoops. You can find the schedule at www.twincitiesproam.com and be sure to follow the league on Instagram at @twincitiesproam.

About the Author

As Hoop Habits’ media contributor, Roger Johnson brings decades of basketball expertise to his articles. Having served as a marketing executive at Wells Fargo & Company and a content writer for Ultimate Hoops, Roger’s true passion has always been basketball. With experience as a collegiate player at Moorhead State University, coach, and parent of successful players, Roger offers unique insights into the game. His dedication shows through his Minnesota Timberwolves season tickets, University of Minnesota basketball support, and attendance at over 3,000 basketball games throughout his lifetime.

With summer upon us and the official start of the basketball off-season (is that even a thing?) many of you will turn to pick-up hoops to get your basketball fix. Pick-up ball has many redeeming qualities – great exercise, keeps your game sharp, friendly competition – but it can also serve as a job fair. Let’s look at the profiles aka resumes of these hoopers you frequently see on the hardwood.

Banker – looks a little nerdy, not very athletic, might be wearing black dress socks. You fall victim to one of the cardinal sins of pick-up basketball – “the game of first impressions” – he doesn’t look like he has game so you sag off him and then he’s cash money from the outside. He drills 3 straight threes and you’re heading to the loser’s court.

Coach – the guy who is constantly providing instructions, probably coached 3^rd grade in-house basketball, so he wants to tell you about defensive rotations, when to cut, etc. Ultimately you lose your cool and remind him to chill this is pick-up basketball not the NBA Finals.

Referee – calls everything, never misses a shot where he doesn’t get fouled and can be counted on to call the all too predictable foul on “game point.”

Doctor – not to be confused with Julius Erving, this is the person who comes up with the immediate diagnosis on every sprain, cut, and injury – “that will require 10 stitches, that’s a torn ACL, lots of blood – broken nose.”

Park Ranger – yes, somebody that feels entitled to camp in the paint – granted its pick-up ball so you don’t want to be a stickler to the 3-second rule but at least pass through the lane when the smores are done.

Actuary – the person who systematically cheats on the score – yells it out each time down the court, figuring that his voice of confidence will discourage others from challenging him. When you do challenge him, he says I yelled it out last time – bottom line if the score was wrong then, it is still wrong.

Optometrist – the player with laser vision – even without the benefit of night goggles. Can stand on the opposite side of the floor at mid-court and clearly see that the ball bounced out on the baseline.

Judge – the wily veteran on the court who has played there the longest – everyone defers to this person on a wide range of topics from how the sign-up list works, who gets the ball in OT and how to handle disputes that can’t be resolved.

Inventor – aka Thomas Edison, this is the guy who invents new moves (some legal, most illegal) – the euro two step with the hop at the end, the 15-foot runner, the dramatic hesi that would make Allen Iverson blush, or the double step back ala James Harden.

Butcher – the guy who literally carves you up by hacking you to death – treats your arms like a slab of bacon. Relies on the fact that even though he will foul you on every possession, he knows that you won’t call it every time – giving him the advantage. And he has clearly adopted the “no layup rule” even if that means sending someone to the emergency room.

Pro Basketball Player – likely one of the better players but convinces everyone that he’s a pro or has an upcoming G-League tryout. Often seen working on cone dribbling drills when everyone arrives – also has a shirt or shorts from some G-League team to perpetuate the legend.

Retiree – aka the Fossil, passes up on his weekly AARP meeting and sure enough gets stuck on your squad and you have no chance of winning. Can’t guard his own shadow and probably was a good shooter back in the day but when he starts mentioning that they didn’t have a 3-point line when he played and he use to play pick-up ball with James Naismith, you know you are in trouble. Likely wearing a pair of Nike Air Monarchs with fresh grass stains from mowing the yard.

Tailor – neatly dressed with the latest gear – shoes, shorts, and t-shirt all match and the shirt is tucked in, of course.

About the Author

As Hoop Habits’ media contributor, Roger Johnson brings decades of basketball expertise to his articles. Having served as a marketing executive at Wells Fargo & Company and a content writer for Ultimate Hoops, Roger’s true passion has always been basketball. With experience as a collegiate player at Moorhead State University, coach, and parent of successful players, Roger offers unique insights into the game. His dedication shows through his Minnesota Timberwolves season tickets, University of Minnesota basketball support, and attendance at over 3,000 basketball games throughout his lifetime.

With the Transfer Portal overflowing with players looking for a new school and the AAU season in full swing, college coaches are in a sprint to fill out their rosters for the coming year, including the University of Minnesota’s new head coach, Niko Medved. Medved is off to a promising start, landing several outstanding players via the portal and recently receiving a commitment from East Ridge standout Cedric Tomes, one of the top Minnesota prospects in the class of 2026. To his credit, he also made last ditch efforts to recruit Nolan Groves, Minnesota’s Gatorade Player of the Year,  who signed with Texas Tech as well as Wayzata’s Christian Wiggins,  who recently committed to Iowa State.

Many, maybe even most, Minnesota basketball fans, will expect Medved to “close the borders” and convince all the great local talent to stay home. They have grown frustrated with previous coaches that were unable to sign high profile players like Jalen Suggs, Chet Holmgren, Tyus and Tre Jones, and Khalid El-Amin or watching the neighboring Badgers consistently fill their roster with Minnesota talent. But is this “homer” viewpoint a fair or even realistic expectation for Medved? Sorry Gopher fans but the answer is NO. While Medved should aggressively pursue the top prospects in Minnesota (which, to be honest, hasn’t always been the case with prior coaches) he also needs to establish a national recruiting base because it is simply not feasible to land all the best Minnesota talent.  The Gophers are literally competing with more than 300 other Division 1 schools, including Blue Blood programs with a history of success and unparalleled resources.

There are a lot of factors that go into a player’s college choice – relationship with coaching staff, potential for personal and team success, quality of facilities, school community, prospects for playing professionally, and increasingly in the new NIL era – how much will they be paid. Editor’s Note: It’s pretty sad that one of the criteria that should be extremely important in selecting a college is rarely, if ever, mentioned in today’s environment –  academics.

The bottom line for the University of Minnesota is that in order to compete at the upper levels of the Big Ten Conference it must recruit high quality players regardless of where they are from. Have never heard a Gopher fan complain about Lou Hudson, Mychal Thompson, Ray Williams, Vincent Grier, Voshon Lenard, Jordan Murphy or Bobby Jackson. And I’m sure their home state fans don’t have the same consternation about them leaving as the Gopher faithful would.

Contrary to popular opinion, historically, the Gophers have done pretty well in landing the top local talent. While certainly not an exhaustive list of the state’s top prospects, I identified more than 80 individuals who were recognized with one or more of the following awards: Mr. Basketball, Gatorade Player of the Year, Metro Player of the Year, Parade All American, and McDonald’s All American – perhaps the most prestigious award for a high school player. Nearly 1/3 of these individuals played for the Gophers (including bounce backs). 17% committed to Blue Bloods, 20% to other high major schools, 24% to low/mid majors, and 8% to D2 schools/other. Let’s take a closer look at each group.

Minnesota Gophers

Of the 26 players that have played for the Gophers the most notable are:

• Dawson Garcia
• Amir Coffey
• Blake Hoffarber
• Kris Humphries
• Royce White
• Rick Rickert
• Joel Przybilla
• Sam Jacobson
• Kevin Lynch
• Jim Petersen
• Randy Breuer
• Kevin McHale
• Mark Olberding

McDonald’s All Americans – Garcia, Humphries, Rickert, Przybilla, and Petersen

College – Seven players scored more than 1,200 points in their Gopher careers – Breuer, Jacobson, McHale, Lynch, Hoffarber, Coffey, and Garcia. Breuer and Humphries earned Honorable Mention All American honors. While nobody won an NCAA title, Jacobson did play in the 1997 Final Four (enough with the NCAA erasing this team from the record book, time for Medved to hang the banner in Williams Arena) and McHale was part of a 24-3 Gopher team that was ineligible for post season play (thanks to the NCAA, of course) but certainly good enough to win a national title, as evidenced by the fact that they had a road victory over Marquette, the eventual champion.

NBA – Ten went on to play in the NBA – Coffey, White, Humphries, Przybilla, Jacobson, Lynch, Petersen, Breuer, McHale and Olberding. Olberding earned All-Rookie team honors and McHale is a Naismith Hall of Famer, 7x All Star, 3x Champion, 6x All Defense, 2x 6^th Man of the Year and a member of the NBA’s 75^th Anniversary Team.

Blue Bloods

Here are the Minnesota natives that left to play for one of the Blue Blood programs. These are schools that have won a national championship or are consistently a top ranked team in the country – Duke, Michigan State, UConn, Arizona, Kansas, Baylor and Gonzaga – yes, the Zags are a Blue Blood and no longer the Cinderella mid-major.

• Chet Holmgren (Gonzaga)
• Jalen Suggs (Gonzaga)
• Matthew Hurt (Duke)
• Tre Jones (Duke)
• Tyus Jones (Duke)
• Isaiah Dahlman (Michigan State)
• Nick Horvath (Duke)
• Khalid El-Amin (UConn)
• Tre Holloman (Michigan State)
• Zeke Nnaji (Arizona)
• Cole Aldrich (Kansas)
• Alan Anderson (Michigan State)
• Kendall Brown (Baylor)
• Gary Trent Jr. (Duke)

McDonald’s All Americans – 9 of the 14 were McDonald’s All Americans, all but Dahlman, Horvath, Holloman, Nnaji and Anderson.

College – 6 earned All American honors – Holmgren, Suggs, Tre Jones, Tyus Jones, El-Amin, and Aldrich. 4 played on NCAA championship teams – Tyus Jones, Horvath, El-Amin, and Aldrich.

NBA – 11 went on to play in the NBA, all but Dahlman, Horvath, and Holloman (who is still in college). Holmgren earned All-Rookie honors and Suggs was named to the All-Defensive team last season. Nnaji was a member of the 2023 Denver Nuggets championship team.

Without question, this is an impressive group and I’m sure “losing” these players has caused the most angst among Gopher fans. Clearly, it’s a tough sell competing against the Blue Bloods and the Gophers aren’t the only program that has seen home grown talent head to the greener or should I say bluer pastures.  That being said, it is still critically important to recruit the elite players in your home state. Rick Rickert and Kris Humphries are perfect examples. Rickert originally committed to Arizona before flipping to the Gophers and Humphries had committed to Duke before ending up at Minnesota.

Other Major Colleges

Players of note in this group include:

• Chase Thompson (Clemson)
• Nolan Groves (Texas Tech)
• Jackson McAndrew (Creighton)
• Nolan Winter (Wisconsin)
• McKinley Wright (Colorado)
• Jordan Taylor (Wisconsin)
• Tom Copa (Marquette)
• Reid Travis (Stanford)
• Rashad Vaughn (UNLV)
• Anthony Tucker (Iowa)
• Darius Lane (Seton Hall)
• Bob Zender (Kansas State)

McDonald’s All Americans – Travis and Vaughn

College – Wright and Taylor earned All American honors

NBA – 3 played in the NBA – Wright, Copa, and Vaughn, who was a 1^st round pick

Low to Mid Major/D2/Other

The players of note here include:

• Quinton Hooker (UND)
• Brett McNeal (Western Kentucky)
• Nate Holmstadt (Montana State)
• Mike VandeGarde (Illinois State)
• Siyani Chambers (Harvard)
• Rob Mestas (Miami of Ohio)
• Jared Nuness (Valparaiso)

College – Hooker, McNeal, Holmstadt, VandeGarde and Chambers had outstanding careers, earning multiple All-Conference honors. Mestas and Nuness were part of some special March Madness magic – Mestas was part of Wally’s World – led by former Timberwolf, Wally Sczerbiak and Nuness was a first-hand witness to Bryce Drew’s miracle buzzer beater against Ole Miss.

Who have the Gophers missed on?

It is evident that the Gophers have done well in retaining the top local talent. Nearly 1/3 stayed home, including 5 of the state’s 16 McDonald’s All Americans, and only 2 of those went to non-Blue Blood schools. Nearly 40% of those who became Gophers went on to the NBA, compared to just 24% for those who went to school elsewhere. Perhaps not at the “Close the Borders” level some fans might want but impressive none the less.

So who did the Gophers miss out on, players that they should have had a reasonable chance of signing but didn’t. It’s tough to argue that they should have landed any of the players that went to the Blue Blood schools, so the focus is on the next tiers – other major colleges and low/mid-major schools. Here is my take on the biggest misses for the maroon and gold:

• Jordan Taylor (Wisconsin)
• McKinley Wright (Colorado)
• Anthony Tucker (Iowa)
• Jackson McAndrew (Creighton)
• Quentin Hooker (UND)
• Brett McNeal (Western Kentucky)
• Nate Holmstadt (Montana State)
• Reid Travis (Stanford)
• Rashad Vaughn (UNLV)
• Nolan Winter (Wisconsin)
• Tom Copa (Marquette)
• Darius Lane (Seton Hall)

But of course, the universe of talented players in Minnesota is not limited to the award winners I’ve included in my analysis – this is where the Gophers should have the advantage. Everyone will be pursuing the 4 and 5 star prospects, the Gophers need to identify and pursue the 3 star prospects and the other under the radar guys that can develop into outstanding college players, and potentially even pros – think of names like Nate Wolters (South Dakota State), Devean George (Augsburg ), JP Macura (Xavier ), Jon Leuer (Wisconsin ) Mike Muscala (Bucknell) and David Roddy (Colorado State). Roddy is particularly noteworthy in that he was recruited and coached by none other than Niko Medved. He developed into an All American at Colorado State and eventually became a 1^st round draft choice of the Philadelphia 76ers. Hopefully, this is a harbinger of things to come as we begin the Medved era of Gopher hoops.

Special thanks to avid Blog reader and fellow Crookston Pirate, Don Beiswenger, for suggesting the topic for this article.

About the Author

As Hoop Habits’ media contributor, Roger Johnson brings decades of basketball expertise to his articles. Having served as a marketing executive at Wells Fargo & Company and a content writer for Ultimate Hoops, Roger’s true passion has always been basketball. With experience as a collegiate player at Moorhead State University, coach, and parent of successful players, Roger offers unique insights into the game. His dedication shows through his Minnesota Timberwolves season tickets, University of Minnesota basketball support, and attendance at over 3,000 basketball games throughout his lifetime.

With the NBA regular season complete and post-season play beginning this week, now is a good time to share my picks for this season’s major awards. First, it’s important to note that as part of its new collective bargaining agreement, the NBA now requires a player to appear in a minimum of 65 games to be eligible for most of the awards. This was done in the hopes of curbing load management and ensuring that stars are on the court more often. As an added incentive, many stars have significant contract incentives or bonuses tied to winning certain awards. The bottom line is that NBA tickets are expensive and, barring injury, the fans deserve to see the stars play.

It’s an understatement to say that the 65-game requirement has had a dramatic impact on the pool of players who qualify for this year’s awards. Nearly half of the top 50 scorers in the league did not meet the minimum threshold, including big name stars like Luka Doncic, Victor Wembanyama, Ja Morant, Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant and Joel Embiid, to name a few. So, with the stage set……here are my picks.

MVP – Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets)

Many NBA pundits are lobbying for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Thunder to be the MVP, based on the argument that he’s the best player on the best team. While certainly SGA has had a phenomenal season and is a worthy candidate, the Joker is the clear-cut choice. He is unquestionably the best player in the league (world) who had a career year – a pretty remarkable achievement given that he’s a 3-time MVP winner. He is just the 3^rd player in NBA history to average a triple double for an entire season, joining Oscar Robertson and his current Nuggets teammate, Russell Westbook. He ranked 3^rd in the league in scoring (29.6 ppg), 3^rd in rebounding (12.7 rpg), 2^nd in assists (10.2 apg), and 2^nd in steals (1.8 spg). He shot nearly 60% from the floor and 42% behind the arc. For the current generation of fans, perhaps the most compelling case for Jokic is the fact that he generated an astonishing 64.3 fantasy points per game, 10.2 points more than SGA. Jokic had one of the greatest statistical seasons of any player in NBA history (with the possible exception of Wilt Chamberlain) – he is the MVP. Sorry SGA but even Batman is endorsing the Joker.

All-NBA

1^st Team:

Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets)

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder)

Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)

Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics)

Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves)

The only tough call on the first team was selecting Edwards over Donovan Mitchell of the Cavaliers. While Mitchell has enjoyed greater team success, Edwards’ statistics are superior in almost every category – he was the league’s 4^th leading scorer at nearly 28 ppg, led the league in 3-pointers made while becoming just one of 5 players in NBA history to make 300 or more 3s in a season, and  became the third youngest player to reach 9,000 career points, trailing only LeBron James and Kevin Durant – that’s Hall of Fame company. Edwards is also a better defensive player and as an added plus, he gets along with Rudy Gobert a lot better than Mitchell did.

2^nd Team:

Donovan Mitchell (Cleveland Cavaliers)

Cade Cunningham (Detroit Pistons)

Jalen Brunson (New York Knicks)

LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers)

Steph Curry (Golden State Warriors)

LeBron and Steph are two of the all-time greats (sorry no GOAT conversation today – save that for another time) and continue to amaze with their ability to play at an All-NBA level at age 40 and 37, respectively.

3^rd Team:

Jalen Williams (Oklahoma City Thunder)

Evan Mobley (Cleveland Cavaliers)

Karl-Anthony Towns (New York Knicks)

Domantas Sabonis (Sacramento Kings)

Trae Young (Atlanta Hawks)

Here is a chance to recognize the stellar play of some of the NBA’s under appreciated stars including the league leaders in rebounding (Sabonis) and assists (Young).

Rookie of the Year – Stephon Castle (San Antonio Spurs)

Philadelphia’s Jared McCain was the clear front-runner for this award before suffering a season-ending injury just 23 games into the season. He was averaging more than 15 ppg and had been named the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for both October and November. In his absence, Stephon Castle seized the opportunity and enjoyed a stellar rookie season for the Spurs and should run away with this award. He averaged 14.7 ppg and is part of a new big three, along with Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox, that is poised to lead the Spurs back to championship contention.

1^st Team:

Stephon Castle (San Antonio Spurs)

Jaylen Wells (Memphis Grizzlies)

Zaccharie Risacher  (Atlanta Hawks)

Yves Missi (New Orleans Pelicans)

Alex Sarr (Washington Wizards)

2^nd Team:

Zach Edey  (Memphis Grizzlie)

Kel’el Ware (Miami Heat)

Donovan Clingan (Portland Trailblazers)

Bub Carrington (Washington Wizards)

Matas Buzelis (Chicago Bulls)

Defensive Player of the Year – Evan Mobley (Cleveland Cavaliers)

Victor Wembanyama was a virtual lock for this award before he was shut down for the season with a blood clot in his shoulder and thus failed to meet the 65-game requirement. In his absence, I am going with Evan Mobley. He is a versatile big man who has been a defensive mainstay for one of the three 60-win teams in the NBA and ranked 2nd in the league in field goal percentage on shots defended within five feet of the hoop and tied for 5^th in contested three-point shots per game.  Other worthy candidates included last year’s winner, Rudy Gobert of the Timberwolves, Ivica Zubac of the Clippers, Dyson Daniels of the Hawks, and Draymond Green of the Warriors. In fact, with Wembanyama out of the equation, Green has been openly lobbying for the award. He didn’t win me over though. While he is an excellent defender, I gave Mobley the edge because he is a superior rim protector.

Now let me take you down a bit of a rabbit hole regarding this award. The Defensive Player of the Year is an award that seems to draw a disproportionate share of scrutiny and criticism. It brings the second guessers and haters out of the woodwork.

For example, Rudy Gobert has been a lightning rod for this criticism. He has won the award 4 times, including last season when he anchored the #1 defense in the league. However, everyone remembers Game 2 of last year’s Western Conference Finals when Gobert switched on to Luka Doncic and Doncic hit a step-back, game-winning three. Many NBA insiders mocked Gobert, including the aforementioned Draymond Green, implying that Gobert wasn’t deserving of the award because he got cooked by Doncic.

This criticism is unjustified on a couple of fronts – first, Doncic is an elite offensive player and has hit tough shots over many premier defenders, including Green himself, and secondly the actual criteria for the award is unclear and over time it appears to have evolved into an award that recognizes centers/forwards responsible for team defensive success and not necessarily the best individual defensive player.

In the first 6 years of the award, 5 of the winners were guards/wings – Sidney Moncreif (2), Alvin Robertson, Michael Jordan, and Michael Cooper – coincidentally all elite individual defenders. In the last 37 years only 5 perimeter players have won the award – Kawhi Leonard (2), Gary Payton, Metta World Peace and Marcus Smart – again elite individual defenders. If the award is really intended to recognize the best individual defender in the NBA, the pool of players under consideration would look markedly different – names like Lou Dort, Amen Thompson, Dillon Brooks, Jalen Williams, Toumani Camara, Derrick White, and Jaden McDaniels would be strong candidates.

Let’s look at McDaniels for example, he is one of the few (probably less than 5) players in the league that can legitimately guard 1-4. On a nightly basis he is asked to defend great offensive talents ranging from Steph Curry to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to Luka Doncic to Kevin Durant to LeBron James. And he does it an elite level. According to analysis by BBALL INDEX, McDaniels is just one of two players in their index, dating back to 2013, that has an A or A+ grade in matchup difficulty, defensive positional versatility, on-ball defense, ball screen navigation, and rim defensive FG% vs. expectations.

All Defense

1^st Team:

Evan Mobley (Cleveland Cavaliers)

Draymond Green (Golden State Warriors)

Ivica Zubac (Los Angeles Clippers)

Jaden McDaniels (Minnesota Timberwolves)

Lou Dort (Oklahoma City Thunder)

2^nd Team:

Rudy Gobert (Minnesota Timberwolves)

Amen Thompson (Houston Rockets)

Jalen Williams (Oklahoma City Thunder)

Dyson Daniels (Atlanta Hawks)

Derrick White (Boston Celtics)

Most Improved Player – Ivica Zubac (Los Angeles Clippers)

Zubac is the choice here over two of the other prominently mentioned candidates Dyson Daniels and Cade Cunningham – while both showed significant improvement year-over-year, Daniels’ numbers were primarily the result of a significant increase in playing time and a more prominent role in Atlanta than he had in New Orleans and Cunningham’s can be attributed to staying healthy – as the first overall pick in the 2021 draft he’s always had incredible talent. Zubac has a legitimate case to be the Defensive Player of the Year and his scoring and rebounding numbers made significant jumps – scoring went from 11.7 ppg to almost 17 and his rebounding went from 9.2 per game to 12.6, ranking 4^th in the league.

6^th Man of the Year – Malik Beasley (Detroit Pistons)

Payton Pritchard of the Celtics has been the favorite for this award most of the year, but it is hard to pass on Beasley, he is the second leading scorer for the Pistons at 16.3 ppg and became just one of 5 players in league history to hit more than 300 threes in a season while shooting nearly 42% from behind the arc. He is one of the key reasons that the Pistons have been the surprise team of the NBA this season. In addition to Pritchard, other candidates under consideration were Deandre Hunter (Hawks/Cavs) and Ty Jerome of the Cavs. Jerome’s season is particularly noteworthy in that he was close to becoming the rare reserve to join the 40/50/90 club – falling just short by “only” making 87% of his free throw attempts.

Coach of the Year – Mark Daigneault (Oklahoma City Thunder)

This was a very difficult choice with JB Bickerstaff of Detroit, Kenny Atkinson of Cleveland, and JJ Redick of the Lakers also strong contenders but Daigneault led the Thunder to 68 wins and the best record in the league while playing much of the season without one of the NBA’s rising stars, Chet Holmgren. The Thunder have been the best team in the league from day 1 and finished the season with an amazing plus 12.9-point differential.

These are my picks for this season’s major awards. As we head into the NBA 2025 playoffs beginning April 19, I’m curious to hear your picks. Who is the MVP? Rookie of the Year? All-NBA?

About the Author

As Hoop Habits’ media contributor, Roger Johnson brings decades of basketball expertise to his articles. Having served as a marketing executive at Wells Fargo & Company and a content writer for Ultimate Hoops, Roger’s true passion has always been basketball. With experience as a collegiate player at Moorhead State University, coach, and parent of successful players, Roger offers unique insights into the game. His dedication shows through his Minnesota Timberwolves season tickets, University of Minnesota basketball support, and attendance at over 3,000 basketball games throughout his lifetime.

Minnesota has long been known as the state of hockey and rightfully so but it is also rapidly gaining a reputation as a hotbed for hoops. Perhaps this is best evidenced by the fact that there are nearly 220 Minnesota natives currently playing Division 1 men’s and women’s basketball – this would have been unheard of even just 10 years ago. This is proof positive that Minnesota players are benefiting from some of the best high school coaches, AAU programs and skills trainers in the country. With March Madness officially underway, nearly one-third of these players are representing NCAA tournament teams. Here’s a look at the best-of-the best from this season – a Minnesota All-American list, if you will.

Women

It is not a stretch to say that if you created a college team of just Minnesotans you would have a realistic chance of winning a national title. The talent is simply amazing – two of the headliners Paige Bueckers of UConn and Gianna Kneepkens of Utah are razor close to joining the exclusive 40/50/90 club. Bueckers is shooting 53.6% from the floor, 40.6% from three, and 89.9% from the free throw line. Kneepkens is 50.4% from the floor, 45% from three, and 89.5% from the free throw line. I will guarantee there is not another state in the country that can claim two shooters of this caliber.

1^st Team:

Paige Bueckers – UConn (Hopkins) – the likely #1 pick in the 2025 WNBA draft had another amazing season. Named an AP 1^st team All-American, becoming just the 12^th player in history to earn All-American honors 3 times. Big East Player of the Year after finishing 3^rd in the league in scoring at 19 ppg and leading the conference in assists with 4.9 per game. Also named Most Outstanding Player in the conference tournament won by the Huskies. Will this be the year that she finally gets to cut down the nets after winning a national championship?

Gianna Kneepkens – Utah (Duluth Marshall) – the 6’0 junior guard averaged 19.2 ppg, 5.1 rpg, and 3.1 apg on her way to earning 1^st team All-Big 12 honors. Was also named the Big 12 Scholar Athlete of the Year.

Olivia Olson – Michigan (Benilde-St. Margaret’s) – last year’s Minnesota Ms. Basketball made an immediate impact leading the Wolverines in scoring at more than 16 ppg and earning 2^nd team All-Big Ten honors and being named the Co-Freshman of the Year in the conference.

Lauren Jensen – Creighton (Lakeville North) – senior guard led the Bluejays to a second-place finish in the Big East Conference averaging nearly 18 ppg and shooting a remarkable 91% from the free throw line. Earned honorable mention All-American honors and was a 1^st team all-conference selection.

Alyssa Ustby – North Carolina (Rochester Lourdes) – 6’1 senior guard/ forward was a double-double machine for the nationally ranked Tar Heels, averaging 10.6 ppg and nearly 10 rpg. Earned 1^st team All-ACC honors as well as a spot on the league’s all-defensive team. Will finish her career with more than 1,800 points and 1200 rebounds.

2^nd Team:

Liv McGill – Florida (Hopkins) – playing in the SEC, unquestionably the nation’s toughest conference, this electric point guard earned All-Freshman Team honors after finishing 12^th in the league in scoring at 16.4 ppg and 4^th in assists at 5.1 per game.

Ayoka Lee – Kansas State (Byron) – 6’6 senior center was limited to just 19 games because of injuries but was still recognized as an honorable mention All-American and earned 2^nd team All-Big 12 honors after averaging 15.5 ppg and 6.1 rpg. Became first player in school history with more than 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds, and 300 blocks. If she returns healthy for the tournament, the Wildcats will be a force to be reckoned with.

Nunu Agara – Stanford (Hopkins) – another player limited by injuries this season but was able to earn 2^nd team All-ACC honors after leading the Cardinal in scoring 15.5 ppg and rebounding 7.4 rpg.

Paige Meyer – South Dakota State (Albany) – the 5’6 senior guard is the experienced leader driving the Summit League champions who enter tournament play with a 29-3 record. Averaged 12 ppg and led the team in assists and steals. Earned 1^st team All-Summit league honors and was named to the all-defensive team as well.

Tessa Johnson – South Carolina (STMA) – the hero from last season’s championship game victory over Caitlin Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes doesn’t put up eye-popping numbers but no one at South Carolina does. In a testament to the coaching genius of Dawn Staley, she has made South Carolina the preeminent program in women’s college basketball by getting highly ranked, incredibly talented players to sacrifice for the greater good of the team – whether that be minutes, stats, individual accolades, etc. Johnson is one of those players, the 6’0 sophomore is a pure shooter who averages 8.5 ppg while playing just 21 minutes a game.

3^rd Team:

Anna Miller – Drake (Rochester Mayo) – the 6’3 senior forward averaged 13.8 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game on the way to earning second team All-Missouri Valley Conference honors as well as a spot on the all-defensive team. She was also named the conference’s Scholar Athlete of the Year for the second consecutive season.

Kierra Wheeler – Norfolk State (Robbinsdale Cooper) – senior center capped off an outstanding career leading the Spartans to the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Championship and an NCAA tournament berth. Earned 1^st team All-MEAC honors after finishing 3^rd in the league in scoring at 15.6 ppg and second in rebounding at 9.0 rpg.

Avery Koenen – NDSU (Montevideo) – 6’2 post player had an outstanding season for the Bison, earning 1^st team All-Summit league honors after averaging 13.9 ppg and 7.6 rpg.

Adalia McKenzie – Illinois (Park Center) – senior guard earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors after averaging 13.5 ppg, 4.9 rpg, and 3.4 apg for the Fighting Illini.

Amaya Battle – Minnesota (Hopkins) – helped lead the Gophers to their second consecutive 20 win season and earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors. Led the team in assists – 4.1 apg and was second in scoring – 11.8 ppg and rebounding 5.0 rpg.

Honorable Mention:

Jenna Johnson – Utah (Wayzata); Paige Kindseth – Presbyterian (Farmington); Molly Lenz – NDSU (Eden Prairie); Marisa Frost – NDSU (Centennial); Shania Nichols-Vannett – IU Indianapolis (Como Park); Madison Mathiowetz – South Dakota State (Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s) Anna Olson – Vermont (Monticello); Molly Mogensen – Creighton (Farmington); Piper Carlson – Idaho St. (STMA); Sophie Hart – Minnesota (Farmington); Mallory Heyer – Minnesota (Chaska); Tori McKinney – Minnesota (Minnetonka); Annika Stewart – Minnesota (Wayzata); Ronnie Porter – Wisconsin (Como Park); Ivane Tensaie – UTEP (Concordia Academy); Macy Smith – Oakland (Spring Lake Park); Somah Kamara – Tennessee St. (Robinsdale Cooper); Lily Fandre – Lehigh (Eagan); Nora Francois – New Orleans (Minnetonka); Alayna Contreras – Kansas City (Hopkins); Jade Hill – St. Thomas (Minneapolis South); Jo Langbehn – St. Thomas (Elk River); Amber Scalia – St. Thomas (Stillwater)

Men

While the men don’t have the depth of star power that the women do, there are plenty of players who have had outstanding seasons and will be playing key roles for highly ranked teams, poised to make deep runs in this year’s NCAA tournament.

1^st Team:

Curtis Jones – Iowa St. (Cretin-Derham Hall) – 6’4 senior guard earned honorable mention All-American honors after leading the Cyclones in scoring at more than 17 ppg. Was named 1^st team All-Big 12 as well as the league’s 6^th Man of the Year, becoming the only player in conference history to accomplish this feat.

Dain Dainja – Memphis (Park Center) – redshirt senior was a dominating presence in the paint for the American Athletic Conference champions. Was named 1^st team all-conference and the league’s Newcomer of the Year. One of only 5 players in the country to average at least 13.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and shoot 60% or better from the floor with 30 or more blocks.

Dawson Garcia – Minnesota (Prior Lake) – finished an outstanding career by earning 2^nd team All-Big Ten honors after finishing 5^th in the league in scoring at 19.2 ppg and 7^th in rebounding at 7.5 rpg. During the season he moved into the top 10 in scoring in Gopher history with more than 1500 career points.

Terrence Brown – FDU (Columbia Heights) – 6’1 guard had a breakout sophomore season for the Knights finishing in the top 10 nationally in scoring at more than 20 ppg. Was named 1^st team all NEC as well as the league’s Most Improved Player.

Drake Dobbs – St. Thomas (Eden Prairie) – graduate point guard had an outstanding final season for the Tommies, averaging nearly 12 ppg, leading the team in assists with 4 apg, while shooting 43% from three and 86% from the free throw line. Earned 2^nd team All-Summit League honors and was a member of the all-defensive team as well.

2^nd Team:

Gabe Madsen – Utah (Rochester Mayo) – 6’6 guard led the Utes in scoring at more than 15 ppg and earned honorable mention all-conference in the Big 12. He also broke the school record for 3-point field goals made.

Steven Crowl – Wisconsin (Eastview) – 7’0 center has been a fixture in the Badgers lineup since he arrived on campus. Finished his final season by averaging nearly 10 ppg, 5.4 rpg while shooting over 40% from three. Is a 3-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree in his career.

Nolan Winter – Wisconsin (Lakeville North) – 7’0 sophomore had remarkably similar stats to his fellow Minnesotan, Crowl, on the Badgers’ frontline. Led the team in rebounding at nearly 6 per game, while averaging nearly 10 ppg while shooting 36% from behind the arc.

J’Vonne Hadley – Louisville (Cretin-Derham Hall) – 6’6 senor wing is one of the key players for the highly-ranked Cardinals. Averaged more than 12 ppg and led the team in rebounding at 7.4 rbg.

Tre Holloman – Michigan State (Cretin-Derham Hall) – junior captain is one of the leaders for the Big Ten regular season champions. On a deep and balanced team, he was 3^rd in scoring at 9 ppg and 2^nd in assists at nearly 4 per game. And if you need someone to protect your logo on Senior Night he’s your guy. You know that drew a huge smile from Spartan legend Draymond Green.

3^rd Team:

Pharrel Payne – Texas A&M (Park of Cottage Grove) – former Gopher post player had a solid first year with the tournament-bound Aggies. As a part-time starter, he averaged nearly 10 ppg and 5 rpg while shooting a team-leading 62% from the floor.

Jackson McAndrew – Creighton (Wayzata) – 6’10 sharpshooter arrived in Omaha as the highest ranked recruit in Bluejay history and he didn’t disappoint. Was named to the Big East All-Freshman team after averaging nearly 8 ppg and 4 rpg, and making more than 60 3-pointers, good for second on the team.

Lu’Cye Patterson – Minnesota (Minnesota Prep Academy) – 6’2 senior guard was one of the most reliable Gophers, finishing second on the team in scoring at 11.6 ppg and assists at 3.3 apg.

Kendall Blue – St. Thomas (East Ridge) – 6’6 junior guard was the Tommie’s 2^nd leading scorer at 12.3 ppg while shooting over 40% from three. Was named to the Summit League’s all-tournament team. Became just the 2^nd Tommie to surpass 1,000 career points in the Division 1 era.

Brody Fox – The Citadel (Mahtomedi) – the younger brother of Gopher big man Parker Fox, he made the jump from Division 3 UW-Stout and had an outstanding season for the Bulldogs. He averaged 16.7 points per game to finish as the 4^th leading scorer in the Southern Conference.

Honorable Mention:

Jacob Hutson – UNI (Edina); Braeden Carrington – Tulsa (Park Center); Nate Heise – Iowa St. (Lake City); Kerwin Walton – Texas Tech (Hopkins); Prince Aligbe – Seton Hall (Minnehaha Academy); Will Tschetter – Michigan (Stewartville); Andrew Morgan – Nebraska (Waseca); Cade Haskins – Dartmouth (DeLaSalle); Nasir Whitlock – Lehigh (DeLaSalle); Eli King – UND (Caledonia); Carter Bjerke – St. Thomas (Wayzata)

As the announcer at the Xcel Center would say: let’s play hockey basketball!

About the Author

As Hoop Habits’ media contributor, Roger Johnson brings decades of basketball expertise to his articles. Having served as a marketing executive at Wells Fargo & Company and a content writer for Ultimate Hoops, Roger’s true passion has always been basketball. With experience as a collegiate player at Moorhead State University, coach, and parent of successful players, Roger offers unique insights into the game. His dedication shows through his Minnesota Timberwolves season tickets, University of Minnesota basketball support, and attendance at over 3,000 basketball games throughout his lifetime.

This winter I had the opportunity to attend nearly 50 high school boys’ basketball games, including many of the state’s premier teams and players. Here are my observations from a season in the bleachers.

First, an important caveat – obviously, I didn’t see every team play and I must confess to a Twin Cities metro bias (it’s where I live) so please know there is no intent to slight or diminish the accomplishments of all the other great teams and players throughout the state. It is particularly painful for me to admit to a metro bias given that I grew up in northwestern Minnesota and was part of some outstanding high school teams that never got the credit or recognition we thought we deserved.

Mr. Basketball Candidates

Last week, the Mr. Basketball of Minnesota Committee announced its top 10 candidates for the 2025 Mr. Basketball award – CJ Armstrong (Richfield), Micah Curtis (St. Louis Park), Isa El-Amin (Minnetonka), Nolan Groves (Orono), Brogan Madson (Mankato East), Anthony Smith III (Hopkins), Chase Thompson (Alexandria), Tyler Wagner (Champlin Park), Chace Whatley (Totino-Grace), and Jalen Wilson (Benilde-St. Margaret’s). The 5 finalists will be announced on March 17 and the winner named after the state tournament. I had the privilege of seeing all but 3 of the top 10 candidates play this season and here is a brief take on each:

Micah Curtis – the most physically gifted player in the 2025 class (his twin brother Marley might disagree with me) had a monster year, averaging almost 29 ppg and 10 rpg, highlighted by a 57 point 19 rebound effort in a 106-100 victory over Chanhassen.

Isa El-Amin – the son of former Minneapolis North legend Khalid El-Amin has carved out an outstanding basketball career of his own. A key member of last year’s Minnetonka state championship team, he elevated his game to another level in his senior season. He averaged almost 25 ppg to lead the Lake Conference in scoring, an impressive feat given the Lake is undeniably the toughest conference in the state, featuring many incredibly talented players.

Nolan Groves – the Yale commit is one of the state’s leading scorers, averaging more than 34 ppg, including eight games of 40 or more. Multi-dimensional scorer – can hit the 3, create off the dribble, post-up, move without the ball and uses his excellent strength and body control to get to the free throw line at a high rate.

Anthony Smith III – a dynamic 3-level scorer who averaged more than 24 ppg for one of the state’s elite teams. Might be a little undersized at the next level but everyone is looking for shooting and he certainly can do that with the best of them.

Tyler Wagner– this 6’6 sharpshooter certainly has a resume worthy of Mr. Basketball. Played on 3 straight state championship teams at Totino-Grace before transferring back home for his senior year. And what a senior year it has been – he has helped lead Champlin Park back to prominence with a 21-4 record heading into post season play. He averaged more than 28 ppg and his 60 point outburst against Blaine ranks as the highest single game scoring total for a 4A basketball player in state history.

Chace Whatley – the Wofford commit is probably one of the most talented yet overlooked players in the state. The lefty combo guard is a crafty scorer who averaged more than 21 ppg and is the driving force behind Totino’s quest for a 4-peat.

Jalen Wilson – similar to Whatley, this UNI commit probably doesn’t get the credit and recognition he deserves even though he has consistently been ranked at or near the top of Minnesota’s 2025 class. He is the steadying force that powers one of the elite 3A teams in the state. Benilde enters post season play with an overall record of 24-2, including a perfect 14-0 mark in the Metro West Conference. Wilson averages more than 21 ppg on a series of old school post moves and an ever-improving perimeter game.

Biggest Snub: Tommy Ahneman (Cretin-Derham Hall) – unquestionably one of the 10 best seniors in the state and I’m not sure why he was not included as a Mr. Basketball finalist. This 6’11 center transferred to Cretin for his senior year after leading West Fargo Sheyenne to last year’s state title in North Dakota. He was also the North Dakota Gatorade Player of the Year. The Notre Dame commit has been a dominant force in the low post for the 25-1 Raiders, averaging more than 17 ppg and 10 rpg while shooting a remarkable 70% from the floor. He did miss several weeks with a knee injury and it is no coincidence that Cretin lost its only game of the year during his absence.

Best that I saw

Players by position:

1^st Team

Point Guard             Jayden Moore (Hopkins)

Wing                          Nolan Groves (Orono)

Wing                          Tyler Wagner (Champlin Park)

Wing                          Christian Wiggins (Wayzata)

Post                           Tommy Ahneman (Cretin-Derham Hall)

2^nd Team

Point Guard             Isa El-Amin (Minnetonka)

Wing                          Chace Whatley (Totino-Grace)

Wing                          Anthony Smith III (Hopkins)

Wing                          Micah Curtis (St. Louis Park)

Post                           Jalen Wilson (Benilde-St. Margaret’s)

3^rd Team

Point Guard             Isaac Olmstead (Wayzata)

Wing                          Sam Hondl (Albany)

Wing                          CJ Banks (Tartan)

Wing                          Cedric Tomes (East Ridge)

Post                           Brady Wooley (Orono)

Freshman: KJ Wilson (Tartan)

Shooter: Tyler Wagner (Champlin Park)

Passer:  Isaac Olmstead (Wayzata)

Shot Blocker: Jack Thelen (STMA)

Wing Defender: Christian Wiggins (Wayzata)

Dunker:  Abu Keita (Park Center)

Brother Duo: Micah and Marley Curtis (St. Louis Park)

Backcourt: Jayden Moore and Anthony Smith (Hopkins)

Frontcourt: Tommy Ahneman, Ty Schlagel, and Monteff Dixon (Cretin-Derham Hall)

Finish: Noah Slinde of Chaska hitting a buzzer-beating 3 pointer from just inside half court to beat St. Louis Park 82-80

Atmosphere: Park Center

Game: Benilde 76 Orono 72 – another classic in this great rivalry

Under the Radar Team: Tartan, finished regular season undefeated at 25-0 but who even knows

Under the Radar Player: Peyton Podany (Anoka), leading scorer at nearly 20 ppg for the top seeded team in Section 7 4A.

Lefties by position:

Point Guard                        Jaleel Donley (Benilde-St. Margaret’s)

Wing                                      Chace Whatley (Totino-Grace)

Wing                                      Wyatt McBeth (Wayzata)

Wing                                      Luke Wherley (Shakopee)

Post                                       Jack Thelen (STMA)

Who’s got next?

The class of 2027 that’s who. This is an incredibly deep and talented class that is ready to take the state by storm. The headliners, of course are Cretin- Derham Hall’s Ty Schlagel and Maple Grove’s Baboucarr Ann who are both high major talents with Minnesota Gopher offers. Schlagel is an athletic 6’7 wing who is Cretin’s leading scorer at more than 19 ppg and Ann at 6’5 is a versatile playmaker who averages 15 ppg for the Crimson. They are far from alone though, here are some of the other sophomore stalwarts – many who already are or have a chance to become D1 prospects as well.

Gavin Walter and Kwa Silikpoh (Champlin Park) – Walter is a 6’4 combo guard who is a stat sheet stuffer (points, assists, steals, rebounds and blocks) for one of the state’s best teams. Might be the most well-rounded player in the class. Silikpoh is a gifted one-on-one scorer who averaged more than 15 ppg.

Jack Thelen (STMA) – a 7’0 center who is already drawing considerable D1 interest. This skilled big man has been a difference maker for the Knights with his scoring (14 ppg), passing, rebounding, and shot blocking presence in the paint. Sky is the limit if he continues to improve and get stronger.

Malachi Hill and Jaylan Hynes (Totino-Grace) – outstanding guard tandem for the Eagles. Hill is the best point guard in the class and averages more than 13 ppg for one of the favorites in 3A. Hynes is a key reserve who has great positional size and a nice shooting stroke – look for him to have a breakout season next year.

Ahmed Nur (Hopkins) – a rarity at the high school level, a 6’9 stretch four. He averaged in double figures for the Royals, while shooting an amazing 52% from three-point range. Slightly built but look for exponential improvement as he gains weight and strength. With his size and skill, he might have the most upside potential of anyone in the class.

Matthew Johnson (St. Louis Park) – a rangy 6’4 wing player who averaged nearly 10 ppg for the Orioles. Look for a big jump next year with the departure of the Curtis twins to graduation.

Marcus Marshall Jr. (Minneapolis North) – 5’10 guard with unlimited shooting range who is the Polar’s leading scorer at nearly 23 ppg.

Peyton Gholson (Rosemount) – 6’1 combo guard who was one of the leading scorers for the Irish.

Blake Betton and Luke Schroeder (Shakopee) – key rotation players for an excellent Shakopee team who will become “go to” players on next year’s squad. Betton is a 6’3 wing and Schroeder is one of the best pure shooters in the state, regardless of class.

Tyler Forrest, Kalin Jochum, Eli Herzog. (Chaska) – these 3 have been mainstays in the Hawks’ rotation and have combined to average nearly 25 ppg. Look for that figure to be in the 40-50 range next year and the Hawks to be a much-improved team. Forrest is a 3-year starter at the point who is an excellent defensive player with an improving offensive game. Jochum is the consummate glue guy and Herzog is a long range marksman.

Briggs Sheridan and Tommy Schabert (Farmington) – while this has been somewhat of a disappointing season for the Tigers, the future looks bright with this tandem of bigs. Sheridan is an excellent perimeter shooter at 6’8 and averaged nearly 10 ppg this season. The 6’7 Schabert is a strong, athletic post player who relies on his physicality to get the job done.

Alex Olson (Robbinsdale Armstrong) – this 6’3 sneaky athletic wing has been one of the bright spots for the Falcons this season. He is a knock down shooter who averaged nearly 11 ppg while hitting 66 three pointers.

Kolby Thompson, Kobby Sam-Brew and Trey Theis (Prior Lake) – this trio have been key contributors for the 20-6 Lakers. Sam-Brew is a physical 6’6 post player who starts and averages 8 ppg and Thompson, a 5’11 point guard, and Theis, a 6’6 forward, are key reserves.

Bennett Cizadlo (Maple Grove) – will pair with Ann to form one of the top junior duos in the state next season. Cizadlo is a 6’6 forward who dominated at the JV level this year because he wasn’t eligible for varsity competition after transferring from Totino-Grace.

Milton Nuahn and Connor Watts (Benilde-St. Margaret’s) – this guard duo are key rotation players for the 24-2 Red Knights. Both are excellent on-ball defenders who will need to elevate their offensive games in the coming years.

Vinnie Cronin (Edina) – 6’7 wing player who might be the most athletic player in the class and is a highlight reel waiting to happen. Must continue to refine his offensive game – ball handling and shooting – to complement his size and athleticism to become a high major prospect.

Izayah Cook (Sauk Rapids-Rice) – strong, athletic 6’5 player who averaged more than 16 ppg for an excellent Storm team. Played primarily at the four this season and needs to hone his perimeter skills to take his game to the next level.

David Mack (Moorhead) – crafty 6’0 point guard who is one of the leading scorers for one of the most underrated teams in the state.

Xaviahn Ivey (Wayzata) – 6’1 point guard who provides instant offense off the bench for the highly ranked Trojans.

Kellen Troup (Minnehaha Academy) – rapidly improving 6’5 wing who averages 11 ppg while shooting 40% from three. Good bloodlines too – his father is Elliot Van Troup, a former all state basketball player and high jump champion from Mounds View.

Julian Smith and Dre Frierson-Hollie (Cretin-Derham Hall) – key reserves for the 25-1 Raiders. Smith is a 5’9 guard who is a gifted passer and an excellent perimeter shooter. Frierson-Hollie is a physical 6’6 post presence.

These are my observations from a season in the bleachers. After attending dozens of high school basketball games this season and witnessing incredible talent across the state, I’m excited about the passion and skill present in Minnesota’s high school basketball landscape. Who’s on your best-of boys’ basketball list? 

About the Author

As Hoop Habits’ media contributor, Roger Johnson brings decades of basketball expertise to his articles. Having served as a marketing executive at Wells Fargo & Company and a content writer for Ultimate Hoops, Roger’s true passion has always been basketball. With experience as a collegiate player at Moorhead State University, coach, and parent of successful players, Roger offers unique insights into the game. His dedication shows through his Minnesota Timberwolves season tickets, University of Minnesota basketball support, and attendance at over 3,000 basketball games throughout his lifetime.

As the girls’ basketball section tournaments get underway this week, we are in store for some incredible fun and entertainment. Minnesota is rapidly developing a reputation as one of the premier states for girls’ basketball, one that produces high level college talent. In my travels this winter, I certainly witnessed this first hand, seeing amazing teams and individual performances including Providence Academy and electric junior guard, Maddyn Greenway scoring 39 points to outduel Maple Grove and Ms. Basketball favorite and Michigan State commit Jordan Ode; Orono led by standout guard Mya Moore winning a close battle against Minnehaha Academy and high-scoring Maryland commit, Addi Mack; STMA with 51 points from D1 prospects Cail Jahnke and Abby Hoselton rallying to beat Rosemount and the 3 sharp- shooting Ramlall sisters, including Gopher commit, sophomore Amisha; super frosh, Chloe Johnson of Duluth Marshall dropping 40 points in a loss to 3A power Benilde-St. Margaret’s and their D1 duo of Kendall McGee and Pressley Watkins.

There is little doubt that the headline story going into this year’s tournament is Providence Academy – do they have a date with destiny? This 2A power can become the first team in state history to win 4 consecutive championships and in doing so would complete one of the greatest single seasons ever. Their 26-0 record heading into postseason play includes victories over 13 ranked opponents, including the top 2 ranked teams in 4A – Maple Grove and Eastview, 3 top 10 ranked teams in 3A, as well as the 2^nd ranked team in Iowa, Dowling Catholic, who has a famous alum you may have heard of – Caitlin Clark.

The driving force for the Lions, figuratively and literally, is Kentucky commit, Maddyn Greenway, unquestionably the best player in the state and arguably one of the best all-time. She averages nearly 33 ppg and surpassed the 4,000 career point total earlier this year. No one in recent memory plays the game at the pace and with the intensity that she does. While she is clearly a dominant scorer she is also a willing passer and that is a big reason why all of her fellow starters average in double figures – Emma Millerbernd, Hope Counts, McKenna Schaeffer and younger sister, Beckett Greenway.

The road to the 4-peat and immortality for Providence Academy won’t be easy – in their way could be a rematch with conference rival Minnehaha Academy and, ultimately, a championship game matchup against a fellow undefeated team, Crosby-Ironton and Gopher commit Tori Oehrlein, another member of the 4,000 point club.  If the stars align, that dream matchup would take place on Saturday, March 15 at 6:00 p.m. Consider it basketball fan malpractice if Williams Arena is not sold out.

About the Author

As Hoop Habits’ media contributor, Roger Johnson brings decades of basketball expertise to his articles. Having served as a marketing executive at Wells Fargo & Company and a content writer for Ultimate Hoops, Roger’s true passion has always been basketball. With experience as a collegiate player at Moorhead State University, coach, and parent of successful players, Roger offers unique insights into the game. His dedication shows through his Minnesota Timberwolves season tickets, University of Minnesota basketball support, and attendance at over 3,000 basketball games throughout his lifetime.

In honor of Black History Month, Hoop Habits would like to pay tribute to some of the African-American pioneers who have had an enormous impact on the sport of basketball in Minnesota. These individuals often faced discrimination and other significant hardships as they broke through barriers once thought impossible. Their perseverance and courage helped pave the way for current and future generations of Minnesota basketball players, coaches and officials.

Lou Hudson, Archie Clark, Don Yates 

In the early 1960’s, this trio became the first black men to be offered scholarships to play basketball at the University of Minnesota. All three had outstanding college careers and were drafted into the NBA. “Sweet Lou” Hudson earned All-Big Ten and All-American honors, was inducted into the MClub Hall of Fame in 1991 and had his #14 jersey retired by the University in 1994. Hudson enjoyed a 13-year career in the NBA, was a 6-time All-Star, and was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2022. Clark earned multiple All-Big Ten honors on the hardwood and during the off-season he played for the Gopher baseball team and was the center fielder on their 1964 national championship team. Clark had a 10-year career in the NBA, highlighted by 2 All-Star game appearances. Yates was part of the Gophers’ Uniontown, PA pipeline that also included football standouts Sandy Stephens and Bill Munsey.

Tamara Moore

This Minneapolis hoops legend has always been a trailblazer. In 1998, she became just the second African-American to be named Ms. Basketball in Minnesota after leading the Minneapolis North Lady Polars to a state title. She also participated in the Inner-City All-Star Classic for boys because there wasn’t a game for girls at that time. Moore went on to play collegiately at the University of Wisconsin and had an outstanding career – earning All-American and All-Big Ten honors while becoming the program’s all-time leader in assists and steals. In 2017, she was inducted into the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame. After a 12 year playing career in the WNBA and overseas, Moore went into coaching and in 2020, she made national headlines by becoming the first black woman to coach a men’s college team – the Mesabi Range Norsemen in Virginia, MN. She is now a scout for the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, becoming the first female scout in the organization’s history.

McRae All-Stars

This group of mostly black middle schoolers from the inner cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul became the first Minnesota basketball team to play on the national AAU circuit. The team had incredible success, winning several tournaments, including the 1^st annual Las Vegas Invitational in 1984, one of the premier youth tournaments in the country at that time. The team was founded and coached by Ralph Crowder Jr. and was named after McRae Park in South Minneapolis. While the on-court success was impressive, the story of the McRae All-Stars was so much more than that – it was about community, race, culture, and youth development.  One of the stars of the team, Derek Reuben, went on to become Mr. Basketball in 1988 following an outstanding career at Minneapolis North. In February of last year, the Minnesota History Center hosted a special conversation to tell the inspirational story of the McRae All-Stars.

On a personal note, we at Hoop Habits would like to express our thanks to this group of basketball pioneers who laid the foundation for future generations of Minnesota hoopers to flourish on the national scene, including our very own Hoop Habits Elite teams that will be debuting this season on the New Balance Circuit.

Linda Roberts

After a standout career at St. Paul Central, where she led her team to the 1976 state title, Linda Roberts became the first African-American to play for the University of Minnesota women’s basketball team. Widely considered the first superstar in program history, she was a 2-time Wade Trophy finalist, an All-American, 3-time team MVP, and graduated as the leading scorer and rebounder in school history – her 1,413 rebounds still ranks #1 all-time. Roberts also became the first black woman to have her jersey (#21) retired at the University. She played professionally briefly with the Minnesota Fillies and later became an administrator at her alma mater.

Bob Williams

Bob Williams was a 6’6 forward from Florida A&M who, in 1955, became the first black player for the Minneapolis Lakers. He was one of just 7 black players in the NBA at that time. In addition to playing for the Lakers, Williams traveled with the Harlem Globetrotters during the off season. Following his playing career, he remained in the Twin Cities and had a successful career at Pillsbury while also co-founding the Minnesota Chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. In 2015, Laker legend Kobe Bryant was in the Twin Cities to play the Timberwolves and arranged to meet Williams so that he could personally thank him for paving the way for black players in the NBA.

Larry McKenzie

In 2014, Larry McKenzie became the first African-American coach to be inducted into the Minnesota Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame. During his legendary career he won 6 state titles and posted an overall record of 481-166. He is the first coach to win 4 consecutive state titles and the only coach to lead two separate schools (Minneapolis Patrick Henry and Minneapolis North) to multiple state titles. After retiring from coaching, McKenzie has continued to be active in the Minneapolis community as a motivational speaker and through his civic engagement and volunteer efforts. He has also published a book, “Basketball: Much More Than Just a Game.” This should be recommended reading for players and parents alike.

Arianna Jones, Tamira McLemore, Camryn Speese, Kaezha Wubben, and Camille McCoy

On November 19, 2018, these women became the first all black starting five in Minnesota women’s college basketball history when they took the floor for Augsburg against the University of Wisconson-Superior. The Auggies won the game 79-63, led by 22 points from McLemore and 14 from Wubben. Not only did this group break long-standing racial barriers, they were also instrumental in the resurgence of the Augsburg women’s basketball program under head coach Ted Riverso. The 2018-19 team went 22-5 overall with a 16-2 record in the MIAC, second only to national power, the University of St. Thomas.

Jim Robinson

Robinson was an officiating pioneer who has had an incredible impact on the Minnesota basketball community. In 1971, he became the first African-American official to work the Minnesota boys state tournament and was also one of the first to officiate men’s basketball games in the Big Ten. A long- time advocate for black officials, Robinson held officiating camps and helped establish an officiating association for minorities in Minnesota. In 1991, Robinson became the Minnesota State High School League’s supervisor of basketball officials and also served on the League’s board of directors. He was inducted into the MSHL’s Hall of Fame in 1993, is a member of the Minnesota Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Honor and was named an NCAA Living Legend at the 2019 Final Four held in Minneapolis. In 2017, Robinson took over as the President of the Minnesota Mr. Basketball Committee and was a fixture at gyms across the state of Minnesota until his passing in late 2020.

What does the Future Hold?

Shining a light on the accomplishments of these courageous pioneers serves as a reminder of the progress that has been made but also the very real struggles and challenges that still exist today. It is incumbent on all of us to be actively engaged in building a more just and equitable society. While this can be a daunting task, perhaps the late civil rights icon and long-time Georgia congressman, John Lewis, said it best: “Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year, it is the struggle of a lifetime. Never ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble.”

About the Author

As Hoop Habits’ media contributor, Roger Johnson brings decades of basketball expertise to his articles. Having served as a marketing executive at Wells Fargo & Company and a content writer for Ultimate Hoops, Roger’s true passion has always been basketball. With experience as a collegiate player at Moorhead State University, coach, and parent of successful players, Roger offers unique insights into the game. His dedication shows through his Minnesota Timberwolves season tickets, University of Minnesota basketball support, and attendance at over 3,000 basketball games throughout his lifetime.