Upcoming Game of the Week: Minneapolis South at Burnsville
If you are planning to take in our Game of the Week this Tuesday when Minneapolis South travels to Burnsville, do not be late! If you dilly dally in the driveway, or get stuck in traffic, chances are you are…
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Continue ReadingIf you are planning to take in our Game of the Week this Tuesday when Minneapolis South travels to Burnsville, do not be late! If you dilly dally in the driveway, or get stuck in traffic, chances are you are going to miss the highlight of the night: Morgan Hill hitting the rarified air of 2,000 career points. The Minneapolis South star needs just a single 3-point basket, a completed 'and 1' or a pair of easy field goals to reach the milestone. There might be better basketball games among the 139 scheduled for Tuesday but none with such historic significance.
“Morgan has worked her whole life on developing her skills as a basketball player,” said South Coach Nathan McGuire. “This is another rare accomplishment for a player that continues to get better each and every season… Morgan will add this to her many other accomplishments and continue pushing hard toward the next goal.“
What she won't do is catch her older sister Tayler, who set the gold standard for 4A athletes with career point totals of 3,888. That's OK because Morgan is used to comparisons to Tayler, a star at Ohio State and in the WNBA, and younger sister Jade, a point guard at South who is the #1 player in this year's freshman class. Morgan is ranked 7th among the 2018s. Nobody gets to the rim any better than the 5'10″ guard who knows how to finish in a variety of ways. She averaged 25 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists last season. Morgan makes everything look easy. She lulls defenders into complacency before blowing their doors off. She also plays tenacious defense and takes pride in it. “Coming from such a strong basketball family, her understanding of the game is way more in-depth than most high school players,” McGuire said. “Morgan is the most versatile player I have coached. We literally have her playing point guard and post in the same game depending on game situations. Her quickness and size allow her to guard anyone on the court.”
One thing is for certain: When they stop the game to take note of Morgan's accomplishments, there will be plenty of people in the gym and throughout the basketball community who will be genuinely happy she has become one of fewer than 20 big-school players to reach the milestone. “Morgan is an extremely genuine, easy-going, and humble young woman,” McGuire said. “It’s evident that all of her teammates, especially the younger ones, look up to her as a person and as a basketball player. She is such a pleasure to coach.”
Hill is the highest-ranked player in the senior class who has yet to announce her college decision. Chances are there may be a few of the remaining suitors in the gym on Tuesday, as well. As for the game itself, Burnsville comes in with a record of 1-2, the single victory coming at the expense of Henry Sibley. South dropped a 19-point decision to #7 Cretin-Derham Hall on Saturday in their season opener. If it turns out to be a good 4A basketball game, that will be a bonus.
Player worth watching: Zhane Thompson, Burnsville
Morgan and Jade Hill will grab the headlines on Tuesday night but they are not the only accomplished athletes in the game. Zhane (I'm told it's pronounced Zha-Nay) Thompson is one of the premiere players in the Class of 2020. We have her listed at 5'5″ but I'm not sure that's still accurate. Regardless, Thompson is a hyper-quick, super-athletic point guard who pushes the pace and penetrates at will. The #17 player among a deep freshmen group gets to the free throw line often and makes opponents pay with at a 69-percent success rate. Let's see what she can do against the Hills.
OTHER GAMES THIS WEEK
Thursday
- A pair of powerhouse matchups as #3 Lakeville North travels to #6 Centennial and #10 Park Center is on the road at #5 St. Michael-Albertville. There will be a slew of elite talent in both games.
Friday
- St. Paul Como Park is at Mahtomedi in a meeting of two of the most talented and tenacious teams in section 4AAA.
- Rochester Mayo is at John Marshall in the battle of Med City. These two schools have been rivals in virtually every sport since Mayo opened its doors in 1966.
Saturday
Part two of Breakdown Sports' tip-off extravaganza takes place at Minnetonka, and there are some great games on the docket. The best matchups include:
- DeLaSalle (3A) vs Robinsdale Cooper (3A), 12:45 p.m. on the Main Court. Both are contenders for the 3A state championship.
- Lac qui Parle Valley (1A) vs Mt. Iron-Buhl (1A), 2:15 p.m. on the Main Court. Small school elite.
- Hopkins (4A) vs Iowa City West (perennial Hawkeye state power), 3:45 p.m. on the Main Court. A border battle extraordinaire.
- Moorhead (4A) vs White Bear Lake (4A), 3:15 p.m. on the East Court. Can Jeremy Post's stingy defense stop one of the state's most prolific scorers? Sam Haiby is the #1 player in the senior class.