A and AA All-Tournament

For the first time in the 4-class era, dating back to 1997, the MSHSL is holding a consolation bracket, so every team has at least 2 games. Every coach I asked loves the idea. OK, likes the idea. Some love it as long as they’re not playing in it. But, anyway, the consolation bracket changes the dynamics for the all-tournament team, particularly in view of the fact that the all-tournament teams still consist of the same 10 players as before. Based on the 1st 2 all-tournament teams this year in A and AA, the formula is this: 1st and 2nd place split 6 choices, 3rd and 4th get 3, 5th place gets 1. In the past the formula almost always was 3-3-2-2. Now it’s 3-3-2-1-1. So 1 all-tournament selection has shifted from the 4th place team to the 5th. I would have liked an increase from 10 to 12 now that all 8 teams in each class are playing at least 2 games and 6 of them are playing 3. Here are the all-tournament teams plus a couple additional worthy choices in each class. Class A Official All-Tournament Emily Benrud, Goodhue, 5-6, junior, guard, 13 points per game-9 rebounds per game. Surely the top previously under-the-radar performance of the tournament, certainly of the class. I'm glad she's a junior. Sydney Lodermeier, Goodhue, 6-0, junior, guard, 12 ppg-11 reb-2 assists Maddy Miller, Goodhue, 5-10, senior, forward, 22 ppg Mckenzie Ryan, Goodhue, 5-5, senior, guard, 13ppg-3 reb-2 assists. Also a big stock raiser. Mya Buffetta, Mountain Iron-Buhl, 5-3, senior, guard, 12 ppg-3 reb-2 assists Chelsea Mason, Mountain Iron-Buhl, 5-8, senior, guard, 16 ppg-6 reb-5 assists-5 steals Bailey Gronner, Cromwell-Wright, 5-11, senior, forward, 14 ppg-7 reb Chelsea Swatek, Cromwell-Wright, 5-8, senior, forward, 17 ppg-10 reb Sami Payne, Maranatha Christian, 6-0, senior, forward, 16 ppg-5 reb-3 asists Brooklyn DeKam, Southwest Minnesota Christian, 5-10, junior, forward, 17 ppg-5 reb. Stock raiser. Players We Might Add If the list was a little longer, we might add the following.Or, maybe, even if it wasn't. Hanna Geistfeld, GHEC/T/ML, 6-1, senior, post, 20 ppg-10 reb Jaclyn Jarnot, Maranatha Christian, 6-1, junior, forward, 14 ppg-12 reb Emily Nerem, Southwest Minnesota Christian, 5-9, junior, guard, 15 ppg-6 reb. Stock raiser. Kiley Post, Maranatha Christian, 5-7, junior, guard, 14 ppg-4 assists. Stock raiser. Grace White, Red Lake, 5-10, senior, guard, 20 ppg-8 reb-2 assists-4 steals (2 games) Of course, Maranatha can’t have 3, they only won 1 game. What if you got 1 player for each win? Then Goodhue loses one, SWC gains 1 (Emily Nerem) and GHEC gains 1 (Geistfeld). Or if you go with 12, you add Nerem and Geistfeld and keep Goodhue’s 4. To me that’s a fair compromise. But even then, I might want to argue Jarnot, Post and White, too, even among the top 12. Class AA Official All-Tournament Kacie Borowicz, Roseau, 5-10, sophomore, guard, 20 ppg-5 reb-4 assists-3 steals Kylie Borowicz, Roseau, 5-9, senior, forward, 30 ppg-12 reb-6 assists-6 steals Victoria Johnson, Roseau, 6-2, junior, post, 8 ppg-10 reb Jill Klaphake, Sauk Centre, 5-7, senior, guard, 18 ppg-5 reb Tori Peschel, Sauk Centre, 5-8, freshman, forward, 15 ppg-11 reb-3 assist-2 steals. Not really under-the-radar, nobody at Sauk is under the radar, but Tori still raised her stock a good bit. Maesyn Thiesen, Sauk Centre, 5-8, junior, guard, 16 ppg-4 assists Claire Killian, Watertown-Mayer, 5-9, senior, guard, 20 ppg-5 reb-4 steals Kirstin Klitzke, Watertown-Mayer, 5-7, senior, guard, 13 ppg-6 reb-3 assists-2 steals Shea Oman, New London-Spicer, 5-8, junior, guard, 22 ppg-2 assists-4 steals Marnie Wagner, New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva, 5-7, senior, wing, 15 ppg-7 reb-4 assist-4 steals Possible Additions Monika Czinano, Watertown-Mayer, 6-2, junior, post, 13 ppg-10 reb-3 blocks Betsy Schoenrock, New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva, 6-3, junior, post, 17 ppg-11 reb-4 blocks. Stock raiser. Maddie Wagner, New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva, 5-7, senior, wing, 12 ppg-9 reb-4 assists-2 steals Alyssa Ustby, Rochester Lourdes, 5-11, freshman, wing, 18 ppg-10 reb-5 assists. Already highly rated for her age group but still raisd her stock. Taytum Rhoades, Minnehaha, 5-9, sophomore, guard, 20 ppg-2 reb-4 assists-3 steals. Another who is not exactly under the radar, but still raised her stock. Interesting that historically people from NRHEG always said Maddie was a little better than Marnie. Even now it’s hair-splitting, but the committee split that hair. Maddie made all-tournament in 2013, and they both made it in 2014. Imagine that. They have each made it twice now, 5 years from 1st to last. But, it’s hard to see how they split that hair on the far side of Schoenrock, who is a newcomer to the game at this level but had a better tournament than either of her teammates or opposing post Victoria Johnson. In the cases of Rhoades and Ustby, well, I guess they’ll get more chances, maybe soon enough. High Five If I can just have 5 players from A or AA. 1. Kiley Borowicz. Duh. 2. Maesyn Thiesen. 3. Sydney Lodermeier. 4. Monika Czinano. 5. Claire Killian. And if you'll let me have a little bench, then I'll add Chelsea Mason.