Breakdown Fall League: 5 takeaways

Grant McGinnis November 10, 2021 @ 10:53 AM

The exhibition games are over, and another season of the Breakdown Sports Fall League is in the books. From the two-week preseason league to the four-week regular league, we have seen a lot of fresh faces, some teams in transition and a whole lot of intrigue heading into the real thing. Minnesota State High School League practice officially begins next week with games tipping off for real just before Thanksgiving. Here are 5 takeaways from the Breakdown event. #1: THE BEST ARE STILL THE BEST IN 4A Class 4A is all about the ‘haves’ and ‘have-nots,’ Right now the ‘haves’ have not changed. It’s still Hopkins, Chaska, Wayzata, Minnetonka and Eden Prairie at the top of the heap. To that list you can add perennial powers like Maple Grove, St. Michael-Albertville and Stillwater. If you are looking for a sleeper team in 4A you might want to examine the roster at East Ridge. The Raptors could be for real. Given that so many of the top teams are in the same sections, the State Tournament lineup in March could include any of the aforementioned programs in addition to Lakeville North or Farmington, Eastview or Rosemount, Andover or Cambridge-Isanti, and perhaps Elk River. Let the debating begin! #2: THE DOOR IS WIDE OPEN IN 3A We watched a lot of good 3A teams throughout the Breakdown Fall League but nothing we saw changed our mind about 3A: It’s wide open. The three favorite teams in my opinion would have to be uber-talented Benilde-St. Margaret’s, the defending champions from Becker, and the feisty squad from St. Paul Como Park. If 2024 #1 , 2025 #2 and a gifted supporting cast mesh well, BSM will be difficult to beat. Becker graduated four key pieces but still have the strength and cohesion to get the job done. And Como, with a senior-laden lineup led by and and the expected return of junior , will be tough. I’d look for Austin, Mankato East, Hill-Murray, Grand Rapids and Alexandria to join the March party in Minneapolis. #3: YOUNG, YOUNGER, YOUNGEST The talent level in the classes of 2025, 2026 and 2027 is off the charts, not so much because of the best of the best but just the overall depth. These kids can do stuff with the basketball that precious few in their age group could do a decade ago. That will have a huge impact on rosters throughout the state of Minnesota this winter. No, you won’t see a lot of youngsters get substantial playing time in the big 4A programs, but there will be some. You can expect 8th grader guard Lanelle Wright to be in the mix at Minnetonka. Her 9th grade teammate , the #1-rated prospect in the Prep Girls Hoops Class of 2025, will start. Other 4A freshmen who’ll make an impact include #3 at Maple Grove, #4 at Prior Lake, #8 at Eden Prairie, #9 at Wayzata, and #11 at STMA. Beyond 4A, keep an eye on 7th graders Ava Cupito (Minnehaha Academy), Mya Wilson (Mahtomedi) and Addy Bjorklund (Brainerd.) #4: EXPERIENCE STILL MATTERS You can have all the middle school prodigies you want but experience still wins. Teams heavily-laden with juniors and seniors are in good shape, even if their opponents might have more up-and-coming talent. Teams that have been to war on the big stage before retain an edge that’s difficult to measure. The impact of individual experience cannot be overstated, either. The return of senior post , for example, will make a huge difference in Eagan even if the team doesn’t have much high-level experience. She looked great on Sunday in Bloomington and will be back on the recruiting radar before you know it. Holy Angels lost a ton to graduation but the addition of junior transfer from Cristo Rey is huge. A starting lineup that includes Ella and seniors (Missouri Western) and will be tough. Maybe I should have given the AHA Stars more love in item 2? #5: THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT Every week we watched fresh faces at the Breakdown Fall League. There are no rosters at these events, and there are a lot of kids who don’t play summer basketball, so that makes for plenty of ‘Who is that?’ queries throughout the day. Last Sunday, on the final day of preseason, it happened again. The latest fresh face is one you’ll definitely want to remember – 6’1 forward Kyleigh Noble of Princeton, an 8th grader just oozing with potential. We saw Kyleigh playing with FBC Real 2026, a collection of kids from all over who either aren’t playing high school ball yet or whose teams weren’t participating this fall. You can be pretty sure that Nobel will work her way into the Princeton varsity in short order. She’s super long and lean, with an incredible wingspan and reach, a terrific sense of anticipation and timing, and an ease of movement you don’t often find in girls that age who are still growing rapidly. She’s a good passer, can think and do things quickly on the court, hustled from start to finish, and defended very, very well. Her shot blocking is already top notch. As for rebounding, well over the past eight games of the fall she averaged 14 per game! Welcome to the party Kyleigh. Your future is bright.