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