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