2020 State Tournament: Class A preview
The Minnesota class A girls basketball season began with an outstanding match-up at the Breakdown Tipoff between the Minneota Vikings and the Cardinals of Cromwell-Wright. The state championship game could very well be decided with the same two teams on…
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Continue ReadingThe Minnesota class A girls basketball season began with an outstanding match-up at the Breakdown Tipoff between the Minneota Vikings and the Cardinals of Cromwell-Wright. The state championship game could very well be decided with the same two teams on the court Saturday afternoon at Williams Arena in Minneapolis. The defending state champs from Minneota, who prevailed by a margin of just two points in that November encounter, earned the #1 seed for the event; Cromwell is the #2.
While it looks very much like those two teams are in the driver’s seat, who is to say that #3 Henning can’t ride the superior skills of junior guard Ellie Dague Ellie Dague 5'10" | CG Henning | 2021 State MN to the trophy ceremony on Saturday? Henning is one of four teams in the class A tournament that is making its first appearance at state. Waterville-Elysian-Morristown, Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa and Fillmore Central are the others.
Here’s a look at the teams and players of class A, which features 11 athletes who are included in the Prep Girls Hoops prospect rankings. All quarter final games will be played Thursday at the Maturi Pavilion on the campus of the University of Minnesota.
11 a.m. – #1 MINNEOTA vs RED LAKE
Minneota Vikings (30-1)
Minneota won the class A state title in 2014, 2015, 2018 and again last season. It would not at all be surprising if the Vikings won it all again in 2020. Minneota has just one loss this season, a 20-point shocker at the hands of Goodhue in the Kasson-Mantorville Showcase. If I hadn’t seen it myself I would swear the score must have been a misprint because the Vikings pretty much rolled over everyone else all season. Minneota, which is located about 15 minutes northwest of Marshall in Southwest Minnesota, is led by an oustanding trio that includes senior Morgan Hennen Morgan Hennen 5'8" | CG Minneota | 2020 State MN , junior Abby Hennen Abby Hennen 5'9" | CG Minneota | 2021 State MN and sophomore Natalie Rolbiecki Natalie Rolbiecki 5'10" | CG Minneota | 2022 State MN . Morgan is a 5’8 combo guard, ranked #115 in the 2020 class, who scores 13 points per game. Abby, ranked 63rd among Minnesota juniors, is a gifted guard who shoots it at better than 50% from the field and can handle the basketball. She averages 15 ppg. And then there’s Rolbiecki, who is #65 in 2022. The 5’10 combo guard is long, athletic and versatile. All three will be hard to handle.
Red Lake Warriors (21-9)
Red Lake is one of two teams among the 32 who will participate in this week’s festivities that I have not seen this year. With that said we can be pretty certain that they’ll be fast, they’ll move the ball well and they’ll shoot threes. Lots of threes. That’s how they generally play the game an hour north of Bemidji on the Red Lake Nation, where there is a long tradition of high-level basketball. The Warriors gave us top 10 talent and Division 1 standout Grace White, who was just named Missouri Valley Conference Newcomer of the Year. This year’s team has no ranked players on their roster but offers a solid core led by seniors Autumn Holthusen and Gerika Kingbird. Autumn averages over 20 points per game while Gerika has put up 23 ppg with a high game of 36. Junior Kelanna Mclain, the latest in a line of Mclain’s to excel at Red Lake, chips in a dozen or more on a regular basis. Perhaps Red Lake’s biggest asset, however, is its fanbase which is large and loud and loyal and always makes its presence felt come state tournament time. This is a tough match-up for the Warriors but they’ll no doubt be up for the fight.
1 p.m. – #4 WATERVILLE-ELYSIAN-MORRISTOWN vs #5 HERITAGE CHRISTIAN
W-E-M Buccaneers (26-4)
The section 2A championship game featured two of the state’s most dynamic young players in Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s sophomore Madison Mathiowetz Madison Mathiowetz 5'10" | CG Sleepy Eye St. Mary's | 2022 State MN and Waterville-Elysian-Morristown junior Brielle Bartelt Brielle Bartelt 5'6" | PG Waterville-E-M | 2021 State MN . I would never bet against Mathiowetz, who scored 42 points in the game and is a dominant force. But it was Bartelt who came away with the trophy after putting up 29 to earn a berth in the class A state tournament. Brielle is, plain and simple, a street baller. She’s got big-time handles and plenty of swagger. Sometimes in the past all of that flash-and-dash may have hampered Brielle’s productivity, but she certainly got the job done over the past few weeks. Now the top 150 prospect will bring her game to the big stage. Brielle averages 15 points, 3.7 assists and 2.8 steals per game. 5’10 junior forward Toryn Richards, a 15 ppg scorer, is the other key piece for W-E-M which brings an 8-game winning streak into the tournament. Richard is a versatile, athletic player who attacks the basket and can step outside to knock down shots. The Bucs will also need plenty from junior guards Ellie Ready and Kylie Pittmann, along with senior forward Trista Hering.
Heritage Christian Eagles (22-7)
Coach Lori Crellin has Heritage Christian back in the state tournament for the third year in a row. There were many observers who thought the graduation of the great Taylie Scott Taylie Scott 5'7" | PG Heritage Christian | 2019 State MN might mean the end of a nice run for Heritage. They were wrong. Heritage, which is located in Maple Grove just west of Interstate 494, has had an excellent season thanks to a core that features three solid college prospects. Jordyn Allen Jordyn Allen 6'1" | PF Heritage | 2020 State MN is a 6’1 senior forward who has committed to play at Bethel University. The #39-ranked senior averages 14.6 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. 5’10 combo guard Kirstin Robbins Kirstin Robbins 5'10" | CG Heritage | 2020 State MN , ranked #64 and rising, has had an outstanding final season, leading her team in scoring at nearly 20 ppg. Exciting 5’7 junior point guard Taylor Schuck Taylor Schuck 5'7" | CG Heritage | 2021 State MN runs the show for Heritage. The top 100 prospect averages 14 points, 4 assists and 4 steals per game. Watch for 6’0 junior forward Anika Miller to play a key role as well. She’s averaging about 9 and 9. Heritage, which scored a 38-point win over AAA Orono this year and defeated AA tournament team Providence Academy, knocked off a strong Mayer Lutheran squad to advance to the tournament where they have drawn the #5 seed.
3 p.m. – #2 CROMWELL-WRIGHT vs BELGRADE-BROOTEN-ELROSA
Cromwell-Wright Cardinals (28-2)
Any team that returns five starters coming off a 24-2 campaign is a team that has to be taken seriously. That’s why I made the Cardinals my pick to win class A way back in October when asked to make some way-too-early state tournament predictions. Cromwell-Wright, which is located 40 miles west of Duluth, is led by three outstanding Hakamakis. Taya Hakamaki Taya Hakamaki 5'7" | CG Cromwell | 2020 State MN is a 5’7 senior guard who is ranked #29 in the 2020 class and has committed to UM-Duluth. She averages 26 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals per game and could be a starter on any team in Minnesota. Shaily Hakamaki Shaily Hakamaki 5'8" | CG Cromwell | 2020 State MN is a 5’8 senior guard who is also going to be a Duluth Bulldog. The #76-rated senior averages 18 points and 6 rebounds per game. Natalee Hakamaki Natalee Hakamaki 5'10" | SF Cromwell | 2022 State MN (averaging 8 & 8) is a big, powerful 5’10 sophomore forward ranked #64 in the class of 2022. Cromwell-Wright knocked off their rivals from Mountain Iron-Buhl in convincing fashion a month ago and again in last week’s section final to earn another shot at the big one.
B-B-E Jaguars (19-10)
The Jaguars are led by 6’0 junior Alissa Knight, who we covered in AAU basketball last summer as a member of the Minnesota Comets Elite 2021 squad that features Paige Meyer Paige Meyer 5'6" | PG Albany | 2021 State MN of Albany along with Julia Bengtson Julia Bengtson 5'10" | PG Becker | 2021 State MN and the rest of the star attractions from Becker. Knight is a lengthy forward with good mobility who is averaging 14 points per game. Twice she put up 27 this season so we know she can score, but scoring against a team like the Cardinals is a whole new animal. Located on Highway 55, about halfway between Sauk Centre to the north and Willmar to the south, B-B-E started their season by losing six of their first nine games. The Jags then turned things around by winning 12 of their next 14 before dropping a couple to close out the regular season. Their record includes wins over Parkers Prairie, Eden Valley-Watkins and Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted (twice). Coach Kristina Anderson’s Jaguars have lost to tournament teams Sauk Centre and Minneota. In addition to Knight, B-B-E’s key players are 5’8 senior Jenna Dingman, who averages 9.2 ppg, 5’9 junior Karissa Jones (8.4 ppg) and 5’9 senior Grace Illies (6.1).
5 p.m. – #3 HENNING vs FILLMORE CENTRAL
Henning Hornets (28-2)
When you talk about Henning girls basketball, you’re talking about Ellie Dague Ellie Dague 5'10" | CG Henning | 2021 State MN . At #11 in the class of 2021, Dague is the highest-rated prospect in the class A tournament. After missing a year and a half’s worth of injuries over the past two campaigns Dague has made a triumphant return this season to lead the Hornets to state for the first time. The 5’11 guard is a multi-skilled athlete who has all the tools to be successful at the highest levels of college basketball. Ellie averaged over 20 points per game this season, a half dozen more than that in section play, and has rewritten the Hornets’ record books. In reality she isn’t the only important piece for Henning, which is located about 35 miles north of Alexandria. 5’7 junior guard Megan Weber averages 11 ppg. 5’10 senior forward Abbie Eckhoff contributed nearly 8 ppg this season while 5’9 junior guard Kylie Frederick (7.3) and 5’11 senior Sydney Eckhoff (5.8) also play key roles.
Fillmore Falcons (22-8)
If there is one team whose appearance in the state tournament has to be considered a surprise it is coach Levi Olstad’s Falcons. I saw them at the HVL-TRC Showcase in Rochester and, to be honest, they looked nothing like a tournament team in a 20-point loss to Zumbrota-Mazeppa. Located about an hour south of Rochester in the town of Harmony, Fillmore Central hasn’t beaten a marquee team and doesn’t have a ranked prospect, but neither of those measuring sticks is required to get into the state tournament. You simply have to beat out your opponents in section play. That’s exactly what Fillmore did with wins over Bethlehem Academy, Southland, Grand Meadow and heavily favored Blooming Prairie. They’ll take the floor Thursday led by senior forward Kandace Sikkink, who averages nearly 20 points per game with a high of 32. Senior guard Kassidy Broadwater is second in scoring at 10.6 ppg. The third key piece to the Falcons’ puzzle is 5’10 senior forward Emma Breitsprecher, a strong defender with plenty of length who racked up 16 points and 10 rebounds in the win over the Blossoms.
Top photo: Fillmore County Central had plenty to celebrate after earning their way into the class A state tournament.