AbeVigodaLive wrote:Duke13 wrote:This topic could probably be another thread, but the HS hoops in this state is great. I started causally following HS and going to games during the Royce White days at Hopkins and have been attending games since.
I go to a number of Wolves and gophers games every year, I'd choose a HS game everyday of the weekend over the Wolves or Gophers. The atmosphere of high school games is so much better, and the talent is so damn good.
I saw Holgren play his freshman year, no idea who he was, he didn't play much, someone I was sitting next to pointed out his day in the stands, he was an ex-gophers, he was videoing the game from the stands. Anyway, he was so damn thin, and still is but he was a tough SOB, his skill level was pretty noticeable also as a freshman.
Anyway, I highly recommend for basketball junkies on this board to start attending some HS games next year, we'll worth your time.
I went to a high school game about 5 years ago with the gal pal. It included two D1 guys and a few lower level college guys. About five minutes in, she turned to me with an incredulous look, "Has high school basketball changed THAT much since you played?"
1) Thanks babe for the vote of confidence.
2) But yes... it has changed that much. The game is faster. The players are better.
There were four guys drafted from Minnesota in the 2020 NBA draft.
Its crazy how good the state has really gotten at Bball. Minnehaha team alone last year had 4 4 stars or better and at least 7 guys who will play D1 basketball good odds that 6 of them will play power 5 D1 basketball. Minnesota also has a couple guys who are up and coming players it is crazy how good its becoming. TG has a player who is a 5 star player. Caledonia has a 4 star player. The Gophers start 2 players from minnesota in Both Gach (Im about 10 years older then him but he was my HS rival and holy shit was him and his brother good, Gach Gach is an all american JUCO player), Gabe Kalscher is from De la Salle.
Even going back to when I was a Junior in HS. We had a guy who went on to play 4 years D1 basketball, in our section there was Alec Brown who was drafted in the NBA. Because Duke brought up Royce White in Hopkins I have a story for you. Royce White played AAU with our 2 best players from my HS (1 was D1 player the other a good D3 player) and Royce used to go to De La Salle. Based on their story the reason Royce White ended up at Hopkins is he was told to put his uniform on at De La Salle and he told the teacher "bitch do you know who I am, I am De La Salle". Will never not associate that story with Royce.
The State is loaded even a guy like Henry Abraham who was a 3k pt scorer for cambridge and the 2nd highest scorer in 4A Minnesota History (behind Matthew Hurt who plays at Duke and would of been a lotto pick if he was allowed to declare early) had 1 D1 offer because of his size and now he is starting at Eastern Illionis.
Like Duke said Minnesota is a hot bed for top tier HS basketball that is even with Kendall Brown a 5 star transferring out of state from East Ridge and 4 star gopher commit Trayton Thompson transferring from Alexandria.
Ill probably be in the girls HS scene these upcoming years because my cousin is considered one of the best 8th graders in the state. Being ranked in the top 10 in the state for girls basketball at her age (I personally think it is dumb to rank kids this young). So I will be huge into the HS scene in these next few years.
