The highschool basketball season is over, until your group was fortunate sufficient to get invited to play at GEICO Nationals or the State Champions invitational. States corresponding to Michigan, Pennsylvania, New York, Indiana, and Minnesota have been amongst the final to place the ultimate stamps on their highschool seasons. Residing in downtown Minneapolis myself, I spent the week testing the highest expertise that the Land of 10,000 Lakes has to supply to wrap up my closing scouting studies on prospects in a highschool setting earlier than the journey ball season hits.
Held on the Goal Middle and College of Minnesota, the MSHSL State Event runs Tuesday by way of Saturday with eight groups enjoying in every of the 4 divisions (A-AAAA). This format gave scouts, coaches, and followers alike the flexibility to observe lots of the groups 3 times all through the week, no matter how they fared initially. There have been no scarcity of upsets, over 20 eventual D-1 prospects enjoying, and Totino Grace (Fridley, Minn.) walked away as the one group in a position to repeat as state champs.
Listed here are a few of the standouts from the MSHSL State Event:
Jackson McAndrew, 6’9, PF/SF, Wayzata (Plymouth, Minn.), 2024No participant helped themselves extra within the MSHSL State Event than McAndrew. Not solely did he stroll away with the AAAA state title, however he additionally confirmed why he’s proper within the dialog as a High 100 participant nationally in 2024. He dropped 25 factors and 9 rebounds towards defending state champion Park Middle through an array of easy deep threes and straight line assaults to the rim towards probably the most athletic group in Minnesota. McAndrew went viral together with his coast to coast take (has over one million views), and has taken officers to each Wisconsin and Creighton already at this level.
Taison Chatman, 6’3, PG, Totino-Grace (Fridley, Minn.), 2023Chatman capped off his extraordinary highschool profession together with his second consecutive state title for Totino-Grace in Minnesota’s AAA division. The heady lead guard is excellent at regularly altering paces all through the sport, makes use of his dimension to punish defenses and has made enhancements as a 3-point shooter. Heading to Ohio State subsequent 12 months, Chatman could have loads of alternative in Columbus with Brice Sensabaugh already asserting that he’ll be taking his skills to the NBA.
Nolan Winter, 6’10, PF/C, Lakeville North (Lakeville, Minn.), 2023Winter is a participant who regularly made strides in his recreation and added to his bag all through his highschool profession with the ultimate piece being a 3rd place end in AAAA. Winter has made enormous strides together with his footwork and confidence together with his again to the basket, is a dependable shooter past the 3-point arc, and has actually utilized size as a defender. The son of former Minnesota Timberwolves heart Trevor Winter will carve out his personal legacy at Wisconsin subsequent season.
Boden Kapke, 6’10, C, Holy Household (Victoria, Minn.), 2023An extraordinarily expert huge man, Kapke ended his highschool profession wanting the last word aim, but it surely wasn’t attributable to his lack of manufacturing. He confronted fixed double groups attributable to his fixed menace as a scorer, was an excellent facilitator from the middle spot, and stored the ground open together with his presence as 3-point shooter. Kapke is headed to Broad Ripple to play for esteemed coach Thad Matta at Butler subsequent season.
Casmir Chavis, 6’3, PG, Park Middle (Brooklyn Park, Minn.), 2024One of probably the most promising long run prospects in Minnesota, “Money” Chavis and beforehand FAB 50 ranked Park Middle fell brief within the state title recreation, but it surely wasn’t attributable to his efficiency. Chavis performed excellent on ball protection, is a remarkably gifted finisher on the rack with both hand, and regularly put strain on defenders together with his capacity to get within the paint. Chavis already owns excessive main gives and can assuredly add extra on the AAU circuit in the course of the dwell interval.
Jonathan Mekonnen, 6’8, PF/SF, Eastview (Apple Valley, Minn.), 2024A participant who has been recognized all through Minnesota for a minute, however not recognized a lot exterior of the state, Mekonnen continues to carve himself out as one of many state’s prime prospects. The versatile lefty is an explosive straight line driver, has developed right into a dependable 3-point shooter, and is simply beginning to scratch the floor of his potential. Having by no means performed on a shoe circuit, Mekonnen will likely be working with D1 Minnesota on the Adidas 3SSB Circuit.
Collin Mulholland, 6’10, PF/C, (Victoria, Minn.), 2023Mulholland is without doubt one of the gamers who quietly moved into Minnesota, however these within the know within the basketball group knew that there was one thing particular coming from north of the border. Having performed at Southwest Academy (CAN) after which briefly with the Minnesota Warmth, the stretch huge went underneath the radar for a bit then Chatanooga coach Dan Earl signed him within the early signing interval. Within the state event, Mulholland had a merely dominant displaying with 25 factors (together with three 3-pointers), 11 rebounds, 13 blocks, and 5 steals. Whereas Holy Household didn’t obtain the last word aim of a state title, Mulholland left an enduring impression together with his skills as a stretch huge and intensely versatile defender.
