The Week That Was #15: Second Season

#9 posting 2.24.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

THE WEEK THAT WAS #15: The Second Season

First off the reason this is so late is due to the fact I went to Willmar to see Minnesota Community College Championships. Rochester beat Anoka-Ramsey 63-49 for their first title ever. The numbers will be coming after this posting. The players won’t be eligible for awards this week, but will next week (after all today is a new week).

Getting back to this past week…It was a week of travel…miles and miles. We almost went clockwise through the state starting with Cannon Falls to Hayfield to Brooten to Hawley. Saturday we ended up in the Metro. The other trends were AA with 7 of the 10 teams this week. Also post players, in particular 6-2+. We saw 8 posts that big or bigger, and one player that leaped like she was 6-2.

We saw the first dramatic last possession shot (Jordan Montgomery of Cannon Falls). We saw a surprising upset (BBE over Hancock). We saw two teams top 120 pp100—Hayfield on Tuesday, and Hawley on Friday. Is there an H theme too?. We saw round two of the South vs Central heavyweight battle. It could be a three round bout. The most important battles lay ahead.

UNDERDOGS AND FAVORED
The tournaments actually started last week. This week all classes are involved. There will be thrills, chills, and spills along the way. Some favored teams will reluctantly turn their uniforms in earlier than hoped. It is important for both underdogs and overcats to pay attention to these points.

1. Glaeser’s Theorem. This theorem, which I dust off every year at this time, is this “in order for a team to win a tournament, they have to survive a bad half.” By extension, if a team has two bad halves, it would be inauspicious. Lesson: bad things happen to good teams. The teams that stay together, and fight together (and not each other) will succeed. As Kipling states "For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack"

2. #1 vs #16. Once upon a time, I believe it was 1980 or 81, Faribault was the #1 team in AA on the boys side. They were stunningly upset by the #16 seed in 1AA Red Wing. It was close, but it still was an upset. The lesson. Don’t overlook any team. Don’t let teams hang around, Great teams don’t win close games, they don’t let the other team have any hope right at the start. For underdogs the lesson is “Ya gotta believe”

3. Rally Caps: I have been lucky, and unlucky enough to taste both sides of this slice of bread. When I was at Ellsworth back in 1987 we trailed the #1 team in the district Hills-Beaver Creek by 8 in the fourth quarter. We found a way to claw back into the contest and then won in double overtime. We were the #5 seed. It was the third time we had played HBC. We won the first game in December by 3, and then were massacred by 40 on the road in February. We convinced our players that if we played at our pace and tempo things would work out. They did and how. Also, again this is a boys example, Ellsworth boys a few years ago were being buried by RTR something in the neighborhood of 18 points with 3 minutes left. They came back and won in overtime. I also remember reading about a team on the Iron Range subbing with an 11 point lead with 1:10 left and ending up losing because the other team kept their guns in. Lesson: don’t sub unless the opposition subs out, and play your game.

4. As coach Bill Gottenborg of Hawley stated “There are two things that don’t stick around long: Dogs that chase cars and teams that don’t make free throws in the playoffs.” I could also add teams that hack.

A LOOK AT THE TOP SEEDS
Here is what I consider the toughest seeds in AAAA and AAA
AAAA
1. Centennial---as the #1 team in the state this should be self evident.
2. Mpls South---a team with one loss and playing defense like they did on Saturday is dangerous. By the way this is the #2 team in the state.
3. Lakeville North---a young, veteran and tournament tested team. Coach Berkvam knows his way to state.
4. Richfield----a top 10 team. A team on the rise. Didn’t get a lot of respect in their section because of conference alignment.
5. Eden Prairie----oddly enough in the same section as Richfield. EP was 2nd last year in sections. But they have a win over Richfield this year.
6. Bloomington Jefferson---they beat Edina (#3) during the season. That makes them tough for the Hornets.
7. Blaine---has been tough lately. And last year they pulled the upset over Centennial. Coach Reiter is dangerous this time of year.
8. Moorhead. Lost a few games when Kelsey Jacobson was out with a hand injury. She is back now, but the Spuds were in the state show last year and could pose problems for opponents with Jacobson’s sniping and the power game inside of Cassie Hooten.

AAA
1. DeLaSalle--#1 team in the state
2. Becker---defending state champ. Brianna Mastey and company would like to finish under the lights.
3. Marshall---beat #1 2AAA Worthington last week
4. St. Michael-Albertville---lost by 2 to #1 5AAA Rogers on Friday
5-8 all belong to section 6, the roughest, toughest, land mine filled section. #5 Waconia, #6 Mpls North; #7 Mound-Westonka; #8 Holy Angels. That makes 5 teams for section 6.

By the way here are all the seeds (finally). Good luck to all teams. Savor the moments. Play hard, Play Smart, Play Together.

TEAM OF THE WEEK
Hawley had the highest floor % of the year at .588. Effective. Efficient. Precise. On wide open breaks they actually passed to open players. They shared the ball. That makes for great chemistry. I have seen some ball swines this season. Either that or they are not aware. Either way Hawley shares and is aware. They have great senior leadership with Angie Jetvig and Sam Spaeth. They have decent depth. They have a veteran, cagey coach in Bill Gottenborg. He has taken teams to the bright lights before and he is poised to do so again. However 8AA is the most brutal in the state (Sorry 1AA) Crookston, Hawley, EGF, DGF, Crosby-Ironton all live there. Crookston is #1 in the state. photo: Hawley coach Bill Gottenborg. all photos by Teas

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Kiley Severson of Hayfield had a performance that was eye popping. With a pp100 of 216.7 and a floor % of .917 she blew everyone out of the water. She ended up with 26 against Byron on Tuesday. She is a 6-1 strong post that sealed and used her body well to create space. She was able to score when hit. She is able so use both hands. She started making hay when Byron had to put 6-3 Jill Storlie on the bench with fouls, but Severson was smart enough to draw those fouls. Severson exploited the situation. And when Storlie returned Severson went right at her.

Again, because there is some confusion, here is how this team is chosen. #1. I have to see them play during the week. #2. Player has to have at least 10 possessions. #3. player has to be +100 pp100. #4 player has to be +.500 floor %. It is a convenient way for me to sort out potential players. This is an honor for performance for the week.

FIRST TEAM
Megan Howard, St. Paul Central (09)
Angie Jetvig, Hawley (08) *
Kiley Severson, Hayfield (10)*
Sam Spaeth, Hawley (08)
Kate Warmack, East Grand Forks (10) *
SECOND TEAM
Tayler Hill, Mpls South (09)
Ephesia Holmes, Mpls South (08)
Jordan Krekling, Hayfield (10)
Laura Melquist, Rochester Lourdes (10) *
Alex Montgomery, Cannon Falls (08)*
THIRD TEAM
Theairra Taylor, St. Paul Central (09)
Leslie Wilson, Hayfield (08)
No other players made the magic numbers
* all were 6-1 +

DEFENDER OF THE WEEK
Tayler Hill of Minneapolis South is known far and wide as a wonderful offensive player, but for some reason when defensive players and teams are listed, her accomplishments are overlooked. Maybe it is because of her offensive brilliance, but she is an outstanding defender as well. I think the skill she possesses is awareness. She understands what is happening. She reads the opponents mind. She knows where everyone is on the floor. She gets the job done. I have seen South five times this year. She has led South in defensive stops four times. The only time she didn’t was in the Johnson game when she picked up fouls early and often. Right now Hill is the only player to win defender of the week twice.

DEFENSIVE TEAM
Nicole Anderson, Cannon Falls (09)
Tayler Hill, Mpls South (09)
Angie Jetvig, Hawley (08)
Heidi Lensing, Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa (09)
Leslie Wilson, Hayfield (08)

NEWCOMER OF THE WEEK
Keeping in mind this is for the player I had not seen previous to the week, so this could go to youngsters as well as seniors. For the past few years, if you have been seeing the point parade, you have noted Angie Jetvig of Hawley time after time on the list. She is a 6-2 senior that is very smooth, has a good first step, can handle the ball, post up and has 3 range. She is a complete player as well as she led her team on defensive wraps.

THE WEEK TO COME
Each day I will list the games to see. Check the first posting each day.

Team
14 Braham
13 Park Cottage-Grove
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
14 Devin Diedrich, Braham
13 Jackie Voigt, Park-Cottage Grove
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
14 Suriya McGuire, Minneapolis Roosevelt
13 Jengeih Tamba, Park Center
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
14 Becca Dahlman, Braham
13 Jacki Lode, Coon Rapids
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

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

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

Next up: The Minnesota CC Championship