The best of Thanksgiving at Hamline and St. Thomas
Here we are just eight game days into the 2019-20 high school basketball season and we have already seen three great tournaments, some really high quality games and a large number of excellent individual performances. This past weekend we saw…
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Continue ReadingHere we are just eight game days into the 2019-20 high school basketball season and we have already seen three great tournaments, some really high quality games and a large number of excellent individual performances. This past weekend we saw 12 games and 20 teams at Hamline University, which hosted the annual Pat Patterson tournament, and the University of St. Thomas, site of the Twin Cities Thanksgiving Tipoff.
We have already dished out a number of individual accolades in our Top Rookies story and the Week That Was #2. Have a look at those articles for more info. Meanwhile, here are some additional notable performances from the Thanksgiving tournaments.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
Kendal Cox – junior guard, St. Michael-Albertville
Nobody is ever sure what box to put Kendal Cox in. Why fret over labels? Kendall is a plug-and-play performer who can fill just about any role you want. Her game defies categorization. Because she does so many other things well we don’t think of Cox as a scorer, but the top-25 junior nailed three triples and scored 17 points in an impressive performance Friday against St. Paul Como Park. She followed up with 13 more on Saturday. Kendal is strong, crafty, intense and intelligent. She has a ton of range and gets to the basket with both finesse and ferocity. Friday’s game was Cox at her best.
Tamia Ugass – junior forward, Roseville
Ugass got off to a great start against Waconia, rolling out a couple of elite power moves to the basket and showing us the kind of footwork and finesse that has made her a top prospect in the 2021 class. Tamia is enormous, but has the passing and shot-making ability that isn’t often found in 6’3 posts. She can also deposit dimes with the best of them. In summer ball we’ve seen Ugass’ versatility and effectiveness both inside and out. With Roseville her offensive approach is more conservative, but her defensive abilities are crucial. Ugass is averaging 16 points per game through four contests, a sharp increase from recent seasons. This is Tamia’s fifth year of varsity ball and along the way she has gotten stronger, become more consistent and proved that she can match up with the top players in the state and beyond.
Lilly Tennyson – senior forward, St. Michael-Albertville (MSU-Moorhead). Lilly played with more confidence, aggression and assertiveness than ever.
Paige Bueckers – senior guard, Hopkins (UCONN). Bueckers’ senior year is off to a great start and we never tire of watching her excellence personified.
Peyton Blandin – junior guard, Farmington. Peyton has risen to a higher level this year and is playing with a ton of confidence.
Ella Janicki – senior guard, White Bear Lake. Always an underrated talent, Janicki is carrying the Bears on her back en route to the next level.
Amber Scalia – sophomore guard, Stillwater. Amber is bigger, stronger and more savvy than in years past, and is headed toward a breakthrough season.
Alexis Pratt – junior guard, Stillwater. Pratt turned in a stunning second half against Farmington, demonstrating time and again that her speed, quickness and skill are truly elite.
MOST IMPROVED PLAYERS
Lizzie Holder – sophomore forward, Stillwater. The Ponies have a ton of size on a roster that includes seniors Liza Karlen (Marquette), Mary Fultz (Missouri Western) and Grace Cote (Mayville State), so it’s not surprising that Holder is less well-known. Her skills have come a long way and Lizzie certainly made her presence known over the weekend. Next season center stage will be hers.
Adi Brown – junior guard, Lakeville South. Adi’s impressive run this fall continued at Hamline, where she averaged 10.5 points per game and contributed in a variety of ways.
BEST DEFENDERS
Sophie Hart – junior forward, Farmington. The 6’4 post does so much so well but her ability to control the territory under her own basket is as good as anyone in the state. She excelled Friday against Kendall Coley and Raegan Alexander of St. Louis Park, and again on Saturday against the Stillwater bigs.
Makayla Adams – sophomore guard, St. Paul Como Park. The transfer from Cretin-Derham Hall is a focused defender whose physical presence will be important for the Cougars, particularly in the absence of Shania Van Nett, who is out for the year with a torn ACL.
ON THE COMEBACK TRAIL
Haley Paulson – junior guard, Orono. Haley did not play high school basketball last season. She returned to action with North Tartan in the summer and transferred from Delano in the fall. In the meantime she had a big growth spurt. Paulsen scored 12 points Friday against Kennedy and followed that up with 15 of her team’s 40 against Roseville. She knows how to run an offense and makes everyone around her better. This weekend reminded us that Haylee is a prospect to be reckoned with in the 2021 class.
BEST GAMES OF THE WEEKEND
Roseville vs Waconia – This was a physical battle and a game of coaching cat-and-mouse from start to finish, and the entertainment value was off the charts. Roseville was 13 down midway through the second half but came back to nearly pull off the W. Waconia prevailed 62-60 and raised plenty of eyebrows along the way. The return of sophomore Ava Stier was a big factor, as was the play of talented junior Addy Salzer.
Farmington vs Stillwater – So much talent. So much energy. Such great basketball. We’ll have more on this one tomorrow.
BEST TEAMS OF THE WEEKEND
Farmington – The Tigers were so impressive in every way, scoring victories over St. Louis Park and Stillwater.
Waconia – Turned in an outstanding performance to upset Roseville and followed up with a convincing win over Lakeville South.
St. Michael-Albertville – After being shut out at the Breakdown Tipoff, STMA rebounded with quality wins over St. Paul Como Park and St. Louis Park.
Hopkins – Demolished Rosemount and Apple Valley.
MOST IMPROVED TEAM
Orono Spartans – Orono split its two games at Hamline, scoring an impressive 78-51 win over Bloomington Kennedy on Friday and falling 61-42 to Roseville 24 hours later. The quality of Orono’s play compared to last year’s tournament was remarkable. Transfers Haylee Paulson and Kaila Youngs have injected a large dose of talent and experience into a lineup that won just four games last season. Junior point guard Julia Knudson has blossomed and her younger sister, freshman guard Lauren Knudson, has been terrific. On Friday senior Amelia Singleton and junior Elle Johnson were very good, as well.
Top photo: Tamia Ugass of Roseville is one of the premier posts in the class of 2021. (Photo courtesy of StarTribune)