Grab Bag: More Year in Review

#3 posting 3.24.2008
your daily dose of girls basketball news & information

GRAB BAG
MORE ON THE GBB YEAR IN REVIEW
With sooooo much to cover there were a few things that escaped posting last night and there are a few things that should be emphasized as I have received a few emails from throughout the region.
First off the things that were left off inadvertently:
Best pp100 in one game (10 possession minimum): Kiley Severson, Hayfield 216.7 vs Byron Feb. 19, 2008 (26 points in 12 possessions). to state it another way Severson would have scored 216.7 points if given 100 possessions. Many times a player that gets 26 points has between 23-27 possessions.
Best pp100 in one game (5 possession minimum): Ashley Runge, Grand Rapids 228.6 vs Cloquet Feb. 29, 2008. (16 points in 7 possessions).
Best floor% in one game (10 possession minimum): Kiley Severson, Hayfield .917 (11 scores in 12 possessions).
For the Newcomer of the year the honor goes to the players I HAVE NOT SEEN until this year.
Newcomer of the year (10-12): Angie Jetvig, Hawley
Newcomer of the year (7-9): Becca Dahlman, Braham
Best Media Guide: Hopkins, Osseo, Rogers, Champlin Park, Maple Grove
Best use of my Name in the Media Guide: St. Louis Park
Best Section Program: 8AA, 7AAAA
Lowest MaxPrep team seen: #419 Swanville 419 of 428
Lowest pp100: St. Bernards 28.05 (vs Minneapolis Roosevelt) Feb 13
Lowest floor %: St. Bernards .134 (vs Minneapolis Roosevelt) Feb 13
Lowest pp100 & won: Mpls Southwest 62.5 vs. Cooper Jan 23

This is a good time to talk about the all State team I named yesterday. There were players I saw only once or twice during the year that were All State caliber players (AP, or St. Paul Pioneer Press) that were not listed on my team. I only listed the top five players for each and they had higher pp100 in the game I watched.

For example in the one game team---players had the minimum of 147 pp100. That is cooking. Many decent players I saw only once had a 100 to even 120 pp100, but I saw five performances that were better. That is what that list is--a list of outstanding performances. There were outstanding players that did not reach that bar.

On the two view team the players again made the list because of a good pp100, good floor % AND they made the team of the week twice (either first, second or third depending on the week). Again I am not slighting any player or program, but if a player did not make the minimum, to be consistent, I did not factor them in the equation. There is no emotion involved in these selections.

It is easier for me to slice through the 100s of players if I keep those standards no matter how arbitrary they are. It is a performance based system.

For my book that I have publish in the fall I have a different system. There is no way possible I can see every player and every team. Through the years I have developed a method of grading out players that has been pretty consistent even if I don't see the players. It has survived the test of time and has been pretty accurate at identifying talent.

A word about what games I cover. I make a master list of games on the calendar, usually one month in advance. I have countless requests to come watch this team or that team. I thank the people that make the requests. I don't have "favorites" unless you think the favorites are teams that are in top 10 match ups. I did try to see top 10 vs top 10 type games when possible. I am driven to see the top 100 teams in the state. I will not go watch a top 100 vs a low level team. We also have a back up game in case the weather turns nasty. For example When we went up to Hawley to watch East Grand Forks the back up plan was DeLaSalle vs Minnehaha.

My advice to those that would like to be evaluated: 1. Get in the top 100 somehow. 2. schedule on off days--I know Wednesday is a forbidden night for many schools, but it is the biggest open night. Mondays are a great night too. In fact after the first of the year Mondays had the best games by far. Saturday matinees are another option. 3. Multiple game events will get my attention. I can state that I will be at the Hudson and Hamline events during the Thanksgiving weekend. I will be at the Breakdown event early in December (I am crossing my fingers that there is no weather incidents). I will be at a variety of Holiday tournaments. Those events are booked.

ALL AREA
The Owatonna People's Press has named their all area team and the player of the year is Beth Christensen of Owatonna. You will need to scroll past the boys to get to the girls team.
If you haven't noticed I am now linking stories from Owatonna and Faribault. Before you needed to be a subscriber to get to the stories.

ALL CONFERENCE
The Cherryland conference of Michigan has released their all conference list. From the Leelanau Enterprise.

COLLEGE
Q&A
Iowa's Kelsey Cermak (Norwalk) does a Q&A on the Hawkeye site.

ALL AMERICAN FINALIST
Western Michigan's Tiera De La Houssaye (Detroit Country Day) is a regional All American Finalist.

next up: tomorrow morning