The Week That Was: #13 Unlucky

#12 posting 2.10.2008
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THE WEEK THAT WAS #13: UNLUCKY
The weather threw us a curve ball again this week. On December 1 I made a three hour ride to watch what I hoped would be six games at the Breakdown event in Fergus Falls. It turned out to be one game. This past Saturday the Breakdown split sites for two games, but again games were postponed.

I avoided the nasty weather to the northwest and went to southeast Minnesota, but as luck would have it, the blowing and drifting snow crept down with us. From Rochester south to Spring Valley, home of Kingsland HS, the drifts were starting to pile up. We plowed through some, but all that met us at Kingsland was one lonely station wagon, no doubt a victim of the plummeting temps.

Nevertheless I saw six games during the week from a Monday Classic with two heavyweight contenders to de ja vu games on Friday and Saturday. For the week there were six more teams crossed off the list. I have now seen all AAAA teams north of .500. On my MaxPreps list I have seen 45 of the top 55 teams (.818). I was going to cross Kingsland off that list, but I was foiled by the nefarious wind chill factors, and ground blizzard. This week looks to have a few more crossed off the MaxPreps list.

It doesn’t seem like the season should be wrapping up, but this is the last full week for some A and AA teams. They start their section play starting Thursday, Feb. 21. Iowa and North Dakota already have teams turning in uniforms.

PACE
Here is a look at the pace this year. There is an up tick in possessions this year across the board. However this week five of the six games were below average. Now that the season is winding down maybe possessions are being treated with more value.
Class, possession average 07, Possession average 08
A 68.1, 70.4
AA 68.9, 72.3
AAA 67.2, 68.6
AAAA 69.1, 69.2
For the teams I have seen multiple times this year the decline was quite noticeable. Here is the decline over the season
Park-Cottage Grove: 75-61-58 (-3)
Hopkins: 67-64-60 (-4)
Chaska: 67-65 (-2)
Totino-Grace: 75-59 (-6)
St. Cloud Tech: 72-66 (-6)
Osseo: 71-70-80-60 (-20) that 80 possession game was against Centennial.

TEAM OF THE WEEK
Park Cottage-Grove vs Hopkins was high school basketball where every possession was valued. Defense was contesting everything from passes and shots to taking the ball up court. Nothing was given, nothing was easy. PCG is one of the biggest, and most physical teams around. They are hard to score against. Their perimeter defense has long wing spans. In the three games I have charted their defensive pp100 is 74.1 and d floor % is .358. 10 times this year they have held teams to 39 points or lower. Everyone turned it up a notch on defense for PCG—from Sami Hildebrant bothering dribblers up the floor, to Holly Riesselman off the bench getting big defensive boards it was a showcase effort.

Photo: PCG coach Stephanie Tolkinen, photo by Teas.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Jackie Voigt of Park-Cottage Grove is one of the big, physical bodies. And she was huge Monday. She is headed to the Gophers and showed she is adept on the three point line and on the block. Her versatility causes all sorts of match up problems for opponent’s defenses. She had a season high 21 against Hopkins, but her ball handling/passing and defense were all critical in the big win. PCG will need her production in the power packed 3AAAA sections coming up. Her 170+ pp100 is one of the highest this year for players with 10+ possessions.

How to make the list: #1 I have to see player during the week; #2 minimum of 10 possessions; #3 100+ pp100; #4. .500+ floor %.

FIRST TEAM

Brianna Blackhawk, Park Center (08)
Courtney Boylan, Chaska (08)
Brooke Brown, Chaska (10)
Stephanie Sension, Hopkins (08)
Jackie Voigt, Park-Cottage Grove (08)
SECOND TEAM
Meredyth Frederickson, Eagan (09)
Kelsey Kalkman, Chaska (08)
Andrea Hagberg, St. Cloud Apollo (08)
Kristin Johnson, St. Cloud Tech (08)
Colleen Raune, Benilde-St. Margaret’s (08)
honorable mention
These players didn't have the floor % to make the cut
Danielle Mangen, Osseo
Hannah Zwiener, St. Cloud Tech
These didn't have the possessions
Lizzi Naumann, Totino-Grace

DEFENDER OF THE WEEK
Jengeih Tamba of Park Center is athletic, can jump (she also jumped center), and has quickness. She is by nature a perimeter player and her length and anticipation made life difficult for Coon Rapids on a rare Wednesday night game.

Kristin Johnson, St. Cloud Tech (08)
Sasha McHale, Totino-Grace (08)
Holly Rieselman, Park-Cottage Grove (09)
Jengeih Tamba, Park Center (08)
Brittany Travis, Chaska (08)

Photo: Tamba almost makes a steal. photo by kja

NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK
Jacki Lode of Coon Rapids is an aggressive, attacking perimeter type. She looked to take it to the basket almost each time she had the ball. She is 5-8 junior that has decent size and looks strong. She can get up and down the floor and is not afraid to get hit.

A newcomer is someone I haven't charted/seen before. You can only be a newcomer once.

Lode driving the lane against PC. photo by kja

Team
12 Mpls South
11 Crookston
10 Centennial
9 New Life Academy
8 Long Beach Poly, CA
7 Hopkins
6 Forest Lake
5 Richfield
4 St. Paul Central
3 Mpls South
2 Hopkins
1 NDSCS CC

Player of the week
12 Tayler Hill, Mpls South
11 Lizzie Traxler, Holy Family
10 Becca Swalla, Riverland CC
9 Lauren Barber, Owatonna
8 Alison Johnson, St. Louis Park
7 Stephanie Sension, Hopkins
6 Hannah Linz, Eden Valley-Watkins
5 Brittnye McSparron, Eastview
4 Rachel Banham, Lakeville North
3 Courtney Boylan, Chaska
2 Megan Nipe, Centennial
1 Tanika Massey, NDSCS CC

Defender
12 Tayler Hill, Mpls South
11 Lizzie Traxler, Holy Family
10 Kiara Allums, Centennial
9 Charmaine Cross, Minneapolis CC
8 Jasmine Dixon, Long Beach Poly CA
7 Meme Hudnell, DeLaSalle
6 Anne Berner, Forest Lake
5 DaNae Moore, Eastview
4 Brianna Mastey, Becker
3 Sarah Hintz, Woodbury
2 Madelyn Houser, North Iowa Area CC
1 Whitney Glazier, Central Lakes CC

Newcomer
12 Ashley Kirk, MN West CC
11 Taylor Stippel, Stillwater
10 Becca Swalla, Riverland CC
9 Brittany Monio, Minneapolis CC
8 Hope Sevlie, Red Wing
7 Ruby Harvey, St. Paul Arlington
6 Erin Schmeling of St. Croix Lutheran
5 Yaasmiyn Salahu-Din, St. Paul Como Park
4 Hannah Frost, Mahtomedi

THE WEEK TO COME
Monday, Feb 11
Crookston at DGF. DGF is one of the teams in the west half of 8AA that could be a problem if Crookston looks past.
Albany at Eden Valley-Watkins. Two top 10 teams from different sections. Jennie Noreen vs Hannah Linz.
Owatonna at Rochester JM. Big Nine title on the line, perhaps 1AAAA preview.
GHEC vs Martin County West at Northrup (Martin Luther). The Valley championship game moved from Saturday.
Tuesday, Feb 12
Braham at Hinckley-Finlayson. Great River Title on the line.
Hayfield at Winona Cotter. Winner in 2nd place in the Hiawatha Valley.
Wednesday, Feb 13
Duluth East at Duluth Central. Only game on the schedule
Thursday, Feb 14
Ashby at Battle Lake. Battle Lake is still undefeated in A.
Lakeville North at Chaska. LN has solved its midwinter blues. Boylan is back for Chaska.
Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s at MN Valley Lutheran. The Reformation battle in the Tomahawk conference.
St. Paul Johnson at St. Paul Central. The winner will head to the Twin City Game.
Friday, Feb 15
Centennial at Osseo. It was a 40 point game before between the top two teams in the NW Suburban.
Saturday, Feb 16
Brainerd at Moorhead. Kelsey Jacobson should be back for the Spuds.
MCAA Finals: It could be New Life vs Maranatha at Heritage Christian.

SEEDING THE STATE
Again this is the top team from each section so there will only be 8 listed.

AAAA
1. Centennial (5)
2. Mpls South (6)
3. Eastview (3)
4. St. Paul Central (4)
5. Chaska (2)
6. St. Francis (7)
7. Elk River (8)
8. Rochester JM (1)

AAA
1 DeLaSalle (6)
2 Rogers (5)
3 Minnehaha (4)
4 Fergus Falls (8)
5 Totino-Grace (3)
6 Worthington (2)
7 New Prague (1)
8 Grand Rapids (7)

Next up: tomorrow morning