Breakdown Fall League Top Performers Week 2

Every week I'll be recognizing some of the top performers that I was able to watch at the Breakdown Sports Fall League. A lot of the top schools and players participate, making it one of the top fall leagues in the Midwest! Check out some of the players who played well in week two below.

Matthew Hurt (Rochester John Marshall 2019)- One of the top players in the country put in a performance proving worthy of his five-star status. Against Hopkins he scored his team's first 15 points, including going on a 9-0 run to start the game. Matt put in his usual display of high arcing threes, inside scores off the dribble, and threw down three big dunks in the game despite garnering constant attention from the Hopkins' defense. Check out his highlights from that game below.

Andy Stafford (Hopkins 2019)- Once again returning to this list is 6'4 wing Andy Stafford. With Zeke Nnaji and Kerwin Walton both missing, Andy took over on offense against two top 10 AAAA teams in Prior Lake and Rochester John Marshall. He put in his usual display of strong finishing around the rim, and showed great footwork to get off his shots against Prior Lake's big men. To cap off his great performances, Andy threw down a couple of nice dunks, including one off the drive in a half court set. Keep an eye out for his highlights dropping soon on YouTube.

Robert Jones (Prior Lake 2019)- The 6'10 Denver commit put in a nice performance against Hopkins in his opening game. He displayed his usual soft touch in the post, as well as his ability to run the floor to create fast break dunks. Robert has developed good patience down low, with a good step-through move to get off easy lay ups. He looks much improved going into his senior year, and should be very productive for this loaded Prior Lake squad.

Jalen Dearring (Hopkins 2019)- As a newly transferred in point guard, Jalen has transitioned well into his role as Hopkins' floor general. He pushed the ball up the floor a lot to create good looks for his teammates, and created a lot of open layups with his ability to throw deep passes to teammates running the floor in transition. On offense, Jalen was hard to guard due to his quickness and handling, and created some good looks for himself off the dribble. He even showed the ability to finish inside over opposing forwards. Highlights of Jalen coming soon.

Dain Dainja (Park Center 2020)- The junior big man continues to dominate down low in fall league play, showing why he's one of the most recruited forwards in the 2020 class nationally. His footwork in the low post matched up against Wisconsin commit Tyler Wahl was fantastic, showcasing a variety of moves to get off a clean shot. He hit a few nice fadeaways, threw down a monster dunk on the first possession, and showcased his handles by driving from the wing for some lay-ins. On defense Dain was an imposing presence, blocking a few shots and altering others.

Breakdown Fall League Top Performers Week 1

Every week I'll be recognizing some of the top performers that I was able to watch at the Breakdown Sports Fall League. A lot of the top schools and players participate, making it one of the top fall leagues in the Midwest! Check out some of the players who played well in week one below.

Jaeden King (Cretin-Derham Hall)- The 6'5 Western Illinois commit came ready to play versus one of the top teams in the state in Eden Prairie. He started off with a few buckets and an assist to force an early timeout, and kept that pressure on the whole game. Since last season he has gotten even more athletic, with a noticeably improved vertical. He used this to throw down a couple of huge dunks on his way to a win over Eden Prairie.

Andy Stafford (Hopkins)- The new transfer to Hopkins is already making his presence felt on his new team, as he had a strong offensive outing against East Ridge. He had a few nice reverse layups and a dunk to cap off the game. His off-ball movement created a lot of good looks for him. He helped lead Hopkins to a win over highly talented East Ridge.

Kerwin Walton (Hopkins)- Kerwin comes back for his junior season a more complete and aggressive player. With his team losing three starters, Kerwin was looking for his shot more than I had seen him do last season. He is more than just a catch and shoot player, Kerwin showed the ability to create his shot off the dribble and get the rack as well. His shot wasn't falling much in the first half, but he took over in the second to help his team get the win over East Ridge.

Tyree Ihenacho (Prior Lake)- More of an under the radar player in Minnesota, Tyree proved to be a very productive wing for Prior Lake. He excelled at slashing to the rim off the dribble, and with some off ball cuts that got him some easy looks to score. His speed and athleticism is a good compliment to the size that Prior Lake brings to the post. He capped off the day with a posterizing dunk that I'm sure many have seen on social media already.

Detavius Frierson (Park Center)- I knew that Detavius could be in for a productive season after seeing some action off the bench last year, but he had a huge impact against Wayzata. His athleticism combined with Park Center's ability to create turnovers will be special to watch this year. He had a handful of breakaway dunks in the second half, and was a dangerous weapon among an already talented team.

Team Preview: Hopkins

The Hopkins Royals are a consistent force in the state of Minnesota. They always seem to be loaded with college talent all the way down the roster, and are usually one of the favorites to win state. Last year the Royals ultimately fell short of accomplishing their goal of a state title, and lost some key players to graduation. Joe Hedstrom is now playing for the Wisconsin Badgers, Anthony Davis is at Williston State, and key bench players DJ Davis and Akeen Woods are both gone as well. Highly rated 2020 Blaise Beauchamp has also been lost due to transferring. With all of these losses, how will coach Ken Novak Jr. and the Royals respond?

It starts down low with top 35 national recruit Zeke Nnaji. Zeke is an athletic 6'11 forward, who has the ability to stretch the floor with his shooting. He has an offer from Kentucky, which is enough to let anyone know just how talented of a player he is. As a junior Zeke averaged 19.4 ppg, a number which could increase as a senior. Zeke is a force on the glass on both ends of the floor, which leads to a lot of putback buckets for the Royals. Any team contending for a state title typically has a star player that can take over a game, and Zeke has the potential to do so as a senior. With Zeke drawing a lot of focus inside, it will open up a lot of space for the talented guards of Hopkins.

The success of Zeke Nnaji will be assisted by junior guard Kerwin Walton. Kerwin is one of the top shooters in the state, and can catch fire on any given night. His shooting will be used to stretch the floor, creating space inside for Nnaji to work with. Kerwin was a double figure scorer last season, and could push his numbers up towards the 18-20 ppg mark as a junior. After a strong AAU season, he could come back with a more complete game, becoming a threat off the dribble and not just a shooter. He will play a crucial role in replacing the numbers lost from Anthony Davis and Beauchamp.
With the two previously mentioned players being the only returning starters for Hopkins, who will step into the other three spots? Insert senior Dane Zimmer. The 6'7 forward will step into the lineup to replace Joe Hedstrom's production, after being the Royal's sixth man last year. Dane brings heart, hustle, and intelligence to the floor, and will take on a leadership role as a senior. After averaging 9 ppg and 6 rpg last season, Dane will be a workhorse down low, pulling in rebounds and scoring off of putbacks. Dane's presence will help keep opposing defenses honest when focusing on Nnaji, and will ultimately play a big role in Hopkin's success overall.

A couple of newcomers to watch for include newly transferred Andy Stafford and sophomore Andre Gray. Andy arrives from Minnetonka, after previously attending Hopkins. He is a legit D2 prospect who averaged 9 ppg last season. Stafford brings a solid 6'4/6'5 frame to the lineup, and will compete for a starting spot. He will combine with sophomore Andre Gray to make up for the loss of Anthony Davis at the shooting guard spot. Andre played at the lower levels for Hopkins last season, developing his game with his classmates. He is a skilled guard with good athleticism and size, and is considered a top 10 player in the state for his class. Unknown as to what his immediate role will be on varsity, he has the potential to be yet another scoring threat for this talented squad.

Replacing Blaise Beauchamp at the point guard spot will likely be incoming transfer Jalen Dearring. Jalen is one of the top senior guards in the state, and comes to Hopkins after a strong junior year at Minnetonka which saw him average 16.6 ppg as the lead guard. Also competing for minutes at the point guard spot will be sophomore Jaelen Treml. Like classmate Andre Gray, Jaelen is one of the top guards in the state for the 2021 class, and could be an instant impact player in his first year on varsity.

Quick guard Josh Fogel and and the athletic Calvin Harris will likely contribute solid minutes off the bench for Novak's squad. Fogel is a lightning quick 5'6 point guard who can play a major role on defense. He can be a pest on opposing guards, picking them up full court and disrupting the flow of their offense. Harris is a long and and bouncy forward, with potential to be an energizer off the bench. He is capable of throwing down powerful dunks, and is a shot blocking presence on defense. Both split time on JV and Varsity last year, and will look to be solid contributors as seniors. 

Hopkins will sport a fresh but talented starting lineup, filled with scholarship level college prospects. They have a combination of size and skill, and are able to stretch the floor with great three point shooting. But relying on a starting lineup alone would make it extremely challenging to make a state title run. I believe that Hopkin's success as a team will largely depend on the impacts that their bench players can have. Will they contribute consistent defense? Will they pick up scoring when the starters are struggling? Will they provide energy and communication both on the floor and on the bench? If they can do all of these things, the Hopkins Royals will be hard to bring down come March.

Predicted Regular Season Record: 24-2

Predicted Scoring Leaders: Zeke Nnaji 22 ppg
                                                Kerwin Walton 16 ppg
                                                Jalen Dearring 14 ppg
                                                Dane Zimmer 12 ppg

Team Preview: Racine Park (WI)

After a successful campaign last year that saw them come up one game short of the state tournament, Racine Park returns with high hopes of bringing a state title back to Racine. Though they lost a few talented players due to graduation and transfer, Park returns a highly talented lineup with a lot of length and experience.

The headliner for Park will be their do-it-all forward Nobal Days. The 6'9 big man has been a mainstay in the Panther lineup since he was a freshman, and will be hungry for a state birth after coming up just short multiple times. Nobal is one of the best interior defenders and rebounders in the state, and makes things extremely difficult for opposing offenses with his ability to block and alter shots inside. Unique for his height, Nobal also has the ability to run the fast break after getting a defensive rebound, while also having the vision to throw long outlet passes to streaking teammates. Though he won't put up huge scoring numbers, Nobal does have a versatile offensive game, which requires defenses to focus on him from beyond the arc and inside the paint. His most dangerous attribute is his passing, where he has the ability to drop dimes from the low or high post areas to cutting teammates. Nobal's ability to contribute in all areas on the court makes Park a dangerous team.

The top scorer for Park the past two seasons has been Larry Canady, and he will likely make that three straight years as a senior. The dangerous offensive talent has averaged double figures his entire career with Park, and will lead the offensive charge for the Panthers once again. He has solid length at the guard spot standing at 6'2 with long arms, which gives him the ability to finish at the rim or pull up over defenders from the mid-range. Laryy doesn't force anything offensively, and when he gets going he is near impossible to stop without double teaming him. On the flip side, Larry is one of the top on-ball defenders in the state, always taking the challenge of guarding the opposing team's top guard/wing. Look for him to push 20 ppg as a senior.

Providing even more length for Park will be senior forward Richie Warren. Standing 6'5 and long, Richie is a good compliment alongside Nobal in the post. He is a solid finisher and rebounder, having averaged 7.1 ppg and 4.5 rpg while shooting over 70% from the field. Ricky Canady also returns for his third year on the varsity squad, and will likely step in to a full time starting role. He is very strong and physical, and uses his body well to defend and finish through contact. He is a good piece who can do a bit of everything for Park. Zyiere Carey will look to round out the starting lineup. The senior guard is a big time offensive threat with his athleticism and shooting. He returns after averaging 8 ppg as a junior while shooting 44% from deep. Zyiere is a spark who can provide instant offense when he gets going.

Stevie Henderson is another talented junior on this Panther squad. At 6'2 he brings some length and athleticism to the rotation, and will contribute heavy minutes after averaging 2.3 ppg as a sophomore. Other than the six mentioned, Park doesn't return any players that saw many minutes on varsity. They will have to rely on junior varsity call-ups or some freshmen talent to provide quality minutes off the bench. If they can find that depth, they will be an extremely hard team to beat come the playoffs.

Predicted Regular Season Record: 18-4

Predicted Scoring Leaders: Larry Canady 20 ppg
                                                Zyiere Carey 11 ppg
                                                Nobal Days 10 ppg

Team Preview: Cretin-Derham Hall

     In 2018, the Cretin-Derham Hall "Showtime Raiders" team put together one of the most exciting seasons in Minnesota High School history. With Daniel Oturu swatting shots into the bleachers, Sy Chatman putting defenders on a poster seemingly every game, Ryan Larson dropping enough dimes to fill a piggy bank, and Jaeden King draining threes from NBA range, the Raiders went on to win the AAAA state championship in historic fashion. Although going into the season as one of the favorites to win the title, no one would have expected it to come off of an alley-oop dunk at the buzzer (a play which would go viral after making Sports Center's Top 10 Plays).

     With a senior dominated lineup last season, many thought that the Raiders would go through a bit of a rebuilding stage this upcoming season. But Jerry Kline has a reloaded lineup ready to prove that they are once again state contenders. With a lot of new faces to the team, it will be interesting to see if they can emulate some of last season's chemistry.

     The lineup will start with lone returning starter Jaeden King. The 6'5 sharpshooting guard will be crucial in providing leadership and experience for an otherwise unfamiliar team. After averaging 14 ppg as a junior, Jaeden will once again be a top scoring threat for the Raiders, and will be useful at opening up space for his teammates due to his ability to spread the defense with his shooting range.

     New to the lineup will be incoming transfer Trejuan Holloman, the talented 2022 point guard. Tre has the talent, athleticism, and size to follow in the footsteps of Tre Jones, Jalen Suggs, and Kendall Brown as Minnesota's recent 5-star point guards. Coach Jerry Kline will likely be putting a lot of trust into the talented freshman to run the point for Raiders, as he has the ability to make plays for himself and his teammates on both ends of the court. As just an 8th grader Trejuan averaged 10.7 ppg at Minneapolis North, a number that will likely go up as he handles the ball for the fast paced Raiders.

    Fellow transfers Karsten Broadley (Fosston) and Curtis Jones (Minneapolis South) will add varsity experience to a rather inexperienced team. Karsten is a Division 2 offered talent who will bring some size to the Raider lineup as well as double digit scoring and consistent rebounding. Curtis Jones will provide another scoring threat (16.5 ppg last season) among a talented group of guards, and may handle some of the ball handling alongside Tre Holloman. 

     2020 wing Amari Carter was a role player off the bench last season and will look to push into the starting lineup as a junior, where he has the potential to have a breakout season. Amari brings good length and athleticism to the floor, with the ability to play the 1-4 positions. Peter Udoibok and Danny McGraw will provide size off of the bench for the Raiders. Tristan Lee is an athletic 2021 guard who played well for the JV team last season, and could see solid playing time on the varsity squad this season. 2020 guard Tyson Schilling is also a new transfer who could contribute time at the guard position with his athleticism.

     The Cretin-Derham Hall Raiders will return with talent and athleticism, but the question remains about how the new team will mesh together. Will they be able to take down conference rival East Ridge on the road to state? Will the new pieces adjust to not being the main guy on their team? With all of these questions at hand, only time will tell how the Raiders will perform in the 18-19 season. Last year's "Showtime" chemistry will be tough to emulate, but many are confident that Coach Jerry Kline can push his Raiders into state contention yet again.

Predicted Regular Season Record: 21-5

Predicted Scoring Leaders: Jaeden King 20 ppg
                                                Trejuan Holloman 16 ppg
                                                Karsten Broadley 13 ppg

Team Preview: Eden Prairie

Anyone who follows Minnesota high school basketball knows that Eden Prairie heads into the 18-19 season as one of the teams to beat in Class AAAA. After making a somewhat surprising run to the state semi-finals last year, Eden Prairie returns a core of juniors stronger than perhaps any other school in the state. They will have to deal with the loss of production and leadership from Kyler Kluge and DJ Johnson, but will easily make up for that in their chemistry and talent. The Eagles also return with a talented transfer to bolster their stacked junior class.

Running the point for EP will be junior Drake Dobbs. Dobbs is one of the most competitive and tough guards in the whole state, and the energy he brings to the floor translates to his teammates. He is willing to compete with anyone in the state, and when his shot is hitting he has the chance to outplay anyone. One example of that ability is when he dropped 39 points against #2 ranked Hopkins last season, almost single-handily bringing his team back with his second half performance. (Highlights from that game will be linked on his name). Formerly known as just a shooter, Drake now brings a complete game to the point guard spot for EP, and will be a tough cover for anyone in the state.

Outside of Dobbs, the Eagles feature a plethora of talented forwards led by Austin Andrews. Andrews plays the role of an undersized center at 6'6, but what he lacks in height at the position, he makes up for with his footwork and crafty finishing. He has no fear taking on taller defenders in the post, and does well to get them in the air with pump-fakes leading to easy lay-ins. He put up 18 ppg as a sophomore, an impressive number considering the amount of talented bigs he went up against (Oturu, Nnaji, and Hedstrom to name a few). He'll continue to give EP high level production this season.

A pair of wing forwards in Connor Christensen and John Henry keep the depth flowing. Christensen at 6'6 contributes well on both ends of the floor as both a high level defender and a solid scorer. He averaged 11.6 ppg as a sophomore and had some good performances at the state tournament. His aggressive play will help contribute to a lethal Eden Prairie offense. John Henry is another dangerous offensive threat. The 6'5 lefty has a sweet stroke from outside which really helps to spread the floor. He split time both starting and coming off the bench as a sophomore, where he was an instant spark of offense. He averaged about 12 ppg including four games of 20+ points.

New to the Eagles will be junior forward Ariel Bland. Ariel was originally from Minnesota but had been going to high school and South Carolina. Transferring back for his junior year, he will add another weapon to an already dangerous team. At 6'6 he brings good height and some added athleticism to the team. He makes Eden Prairie a very long team with the potential to start four players at 6'5+ who are all mobile and skilled.

Speaking of length, junior Lukas Dunford returns at 6'7 to provide rebounding and interior defense. Brenden Donohue also saw some time at guard as a sophomore, and will provide some backcourt depth to a forward-heavy team. Other contributing roles will be up for grabs as EP will welcome in more youth and some call ups from last years JV team.

Eden Prairie made a statement last year that they can beat anyone, and could be heading into this season as the team to beat in Class AAAA. Though they don't have any true center height, they have a well rounded length to their team. They'll have a good chance to win the highly competitive Lake Conference, and roll with that momentum into a long state tournament run.

Predicted Regular Season Record: 23-3

Predicted Scoring Leaders: Drake Dobbs 20 ppg

                                                Austin Andrews 18 ppg

                                                John Henry 14 ppg