Postponed: IMG Academy pulls out of Minnesota event
In this article:
UPDATE, 3:45 p.m. Dec. 15
SUPER GAMES AT THE LAKES HAS BEEN POSTPONED UNTIL THE NEW YEAR
Due to COVID protocol IMG Academy has withdrawn from the Super Games at the Lakes this weekend.
As a result, Minnehaha Academy will play at Hopkins Friday at 6:30 p.m. as a regularly sanctioned high school game. The Redhawks’ Saturday game with Chaska has been postponed until the teams can find a date and location that works for both teams.
————————————-
We’ve seen a ton of great basketball in Minnesota of late, from the Thanksgiving tournaments to the Breakdown Tip Off, and some terrific single games during the first few weeks of the season. This weekend we’ll see even more as one of the top high school teams in the country will be in town for a new event: the Super Games at the Lakes. It’s rare when high schools from beyond the borders of Minnesota pay a visit so seeing IMG Academy of Bradenton, Florida go against a couple of this state’s best programs promises to be entertaining.
IMG will face Minnetonka on Friday night and Hopkins on Saturday, two games that will bring together some of the top college prospects in the country. We’re well aware of what the local squads have to offer – the star-studded starting lineups for both the Royals and Skippers are formidable to be sure – but we know a lot less about IMG. What we do know is they have a Harvard commit, two of the best seniors in the country, and one of the most highly recruited juniors.
It’s not easy to prepare for a high-level opponent you’ve never seen before, but you can be sure Minnetonka coach Leah Dasovich has done her homework. “In a lot of ways we will prep for this team like we prep for Hopkins: manage pace, change defensive looks and value possessions,” Dasovich said. “IMG has games on YouTube. While film isn’t perfect, it at least lets us know tendencies and matchups. They are fast and athletic. The big girl going to Oregon looks incredible.”
- That big girl would be Grace Van Slooten, a 6’3 forward from Toledo, Ohio ranked #13 in the country by ESPN. The 5-star prospect was recruited by pretty much every top collegiate program in the country and the senior has committed to play at Oregon.
- Kailyn Gilbert, ranked #31 by ESPN, is a 5’8 point guard known as a prolific scorer. From Tampa, the 4-star recruit had offers from Louisville, Mississippi State, Georgia and others but settled on the University of Arizona where she’ll be a teammate of Maya Nnaji Maya Nnaji 6'4" | PF Hopkins | 2022 State #7 Nation MN from Hopkins.
- T’yana Todd has yet to make a college commitment but among the junior’s options are UConn, Mississippi State, Louisville and South Carolina – pretty much a Who’s Who of the women’s game. The 6’0 guard is originally from Toronto.
- Harvard commit Gabby Anderson is a 5’10 guard who is known for her artwork (graffitibygabby.com/) as well as her rather impressive basketball skills. She is originally from Columbus, Ohio.
Dasovich sees this event as a great opportunity for her program and Minnesota girls basketball as a whole. “It’s awesome. I feel lucky to be in this position at this time, especially for my kids,” she said. “Kiani ( Kiani Lockett Kiani Lockett 5'9" | PG Minnetonka | 2022 State MN ) deserves to play against the best. They all do. Minnesota women’s basketball is quite strong so I’m eager to see how we stack up.”
The event is hosted by She Got Game, an organization similar to Minnesota’s Breakdown Sports that has hosted big tournaments and showcases on the East Coast for more than a decade. Their goal was to see Minnesota’s nationally ranked programs face off against some of the best in the country. Because Minnesota State High School League rules prohibit teams from travelling beyond the contiguous states, that meant having teams come to Minnesota. The weekend schedule looks like this:
FRIDAY
- 6:00 p.m. – Minnetonka vs IMG Academy
- 7:30 p.m. – Minnehaha Academy vs Hopkins
SATURDAY
- 12:00 p.m. – Chaska vs Minnehaha Academy
- 1:40 p.m. – Hopkins vs IMG Academy
The games will be played at the Lindbergh Center on the campus of Hopkins High School. Tickets are $10 for adults, $7 for students and free for ages 5 and under. They are available for purchase online in advance (https://www.shegotgameclassic.com/game-day-admissions/) or at the door. There will be no cash sales.