2009 MN Select Classic Championships

Ah the joy that is bracket play at the MN Select Classic

Session 1
17U Playin game in the main gym with the SW MN Heat taking on the MN Heat Elite. The Heat can't hit a shot in the 1st half and SW leads 34-27 at the break in a major shocker. Zach Riedeman goes off in the 2nd half for the Heat, SW can't hit a shot and the 2nd half is a another world as the Heat beat SW 73-48. Riedeman finishes with at least 20 points.

Session 2
MN Southside against the Heat Select team in a 15U quarterfinal. Southside 9-2 before a brief Heat comeback. Southside moves on 57-32. In the 3 remaining 17U playin games, Comets Blue defeats Select Kruger and Triple Threat-Weber defeats Prior Lake. Finally a great finish between MN Select James and Comets North. Jeremiah Tolbert with a 3 point play in the last minute for Select to send the game to OT. Then he makes a layup with 45 seconds left in OT for a 64-61 lead. Select James hangs on 64-63.

Session 3
Heat Elite 17s with a quick turnaround as they get 43 Hoops-Hemmingsen in the 1st 17U quarterfinal. Vinard Birch from the top 17U team for 43 Hoops making an appearance in the stands in this one. Nick Quicksell with a hot start in the 2nd half to keep the game close. 43 Hoops stretches a close game to an 8 point lead with 7:42 remaining before Zach Riedeman makes 3 of 4 from the stripe and then a triple to tie the game at 53 with 4:45 left. 43 Hoops counters with a 10-0 run to seal the game. Chris McMorris (Osseo) with the big dagger triple to end the run with 2:24 left. 43 Hoops Hemmingsen moves to the semis with the 72-65 win. The anticipated matchup of Dominique Dawson (43 Hoops) vs Ryan Duxbury (MN Heat) inside never really materialized which was disappointing to me as a fan as it would have been fun to see them get a big number touches against each other.

Session 4
The other 3 17U quarters are here. 94 Ft of Game against MN Select-James. Select with a 1st half lead of 6 that gets cut to 1 at the break. 94 Ft pulls away in the last 11 minutes but gives up 7 in a row late to make it interesting. 94 Ft moves on 48-43.

43 Hoops-Carr big over Comets Blue 79-49, Redhawks blow out Triple Threat. In 16U, 43 Hoops II struggled early with Wizard's Den but got thru that for a 15 point halftime lead and a 56-37 victory.

Session 5
20-11 MN Southside over Comets Elite in the 1st 15U semifinal before I hustle back to the activity center for 3 16U quarterfinals (Southside moves on to the 15U final). Heat Elite 16s continue to crush opponents as they had a 49-18 halftime lead on Comets White, 77-30 final there. TNL up 7 on MSB with 5 minutes left, but MSB right back with 7 in a row to tie it 1 minute later. TNL wins 66-61.

MN Select with another team in a struggle as their 16s took on TC Elite. Select up 50-47 with 1:45 left but TC Elite puts back a missed FT for a 52-51 lead with 1:15 left. Chris Thompson (Edina) with a layup with 24 seconds left and TC Elite leads 54-53. They get a strip with 5 seconds left and make 2 FTs for a 56-53 victory.

Session 6
To the semifinals for the 17U bracket. 43 Hoops Carr vs 94 Ft of Game. A triple at the halftime horn gives 43 Hoops Carr a 36-24 halftime lead. Still an 11 point game with 10 minutes left but a 9-1 run over 2 minutes takes care of that and 43 Hoops Carr moves on to the the title game with a 73-56 win.

43 Hoops Hemmingsen vs Mpls Redhawks in the other 17U semi. A 7-2 43 Hoops run to end the half gives them a 37-28 halftime lead. Second half is a different story as the Redhawks win the 1st 7 minutes of the half 19-4 for a 47-41 lead. The lead is cut to 4 before a big John Rowland 3 with 6 minutes left pushes the margin back to 7 and the Redhawks move on 71-61.

In a major 15U semifinal shock, the Dakota Schoolers (a for real team) took out 43 Hoops 63-40. I don't think the Schoolers are that dominant and I don't think 43 Hoops is that bad, but a very impressive win (more on this later)

Session 7
Now the 16U semifinals get the stage all alone and what a letdown or should I say beatdown. Heat Elite blasts TNL 76-43 and 43 Hoops blasts TC Elite 83-45.

Session 8 (Championship Games)
To the 2 games I didn't see, the Dakota Schoolers win by 3 in double OT over Mpls Southside. Those 2 played to a terrific 7 point Southside win in pool play (a game that the Schoolers were up by 13 in the 1st half). MN Heat Elite won 57-42 in the 16U title game. It would have been very interesting to see them in the SW MN Heat spot in the 17U bracket.

To the 17U final between 43 Hoops Carr and the Redhawks. Close early before a 9-2 43 Hoops run forces a Redhawks timeout. 19-9 with 9:30 left in the 1st half. Redhawks out of the timeout with a 7-0 run and then Cory Booker with a 3 point play to cut the lead to 2. But the lead is back to 7 at the break, 36-29 43 Hoops. Estan Tyler 7 for 43 Hoops. Cory Booker 8, Parker Hines 7 for the Redhawks.

Booker with a jumper to tie the game at 38 with 12:40 left. 6 of the next 8 to 43 Hoops. Then a 10-0 Redhawks run as Sam Gullickson tops it off with back to back 3s. 50-44 Redhawks with 8 minutes left. 54-49 Redhawks with 3:20 left and then a big sequence. Jameson Parsons with a steal for 43 Hoops, John Rowland with a great block for the Redhawks but Thomas Schalk puts back the miss and is fouled for the point play. Schalk then puts back another miss and 43 Hoops is back on top 55-54 with 2:20 left as they effectively used their run and jump pressure. That ignited their crowd and bench and it fed off of itself. Booker misses at 1:40 and 43 Hoops holds. Parsons with 2 FTs at 41.4 for a 3 point lead. The Redhawks don't score but Parsons misses the front end of the 1 and 1. Marquel Curtis taps out the miss to Parsons and he makes 1 of 2 with 18.5 left. Hines scores and the Redhawks interestingly don't use their last timeout. Estan Tyler fouled with 6.7 left and makes 1 of 2. The Redhawks want to hustle the ball the halfcourt, but can't get it in. So they have to burn the timeout on the inbounds. 6.7 left to go full court down 3. Coach Birdsong draws up an a great play that gets Billy Chapman the ball ahead of his defender at halfcourt. He pulls up at the 3 point line since the wide open layup does no good and misses a great look at a 3 and 43 Hoops Carr wins the 2009 MN Select Classic 17U Championship 59-56.

Cory Booker was outstanding for the Redhawks with 20 points and 9 rebounds on my unofficial sheet. Parker Hines and John Rowland with 9 points each. Thomas Schalk with 11 points to lead the 43 Hoops balanced attack. Estan Tyler 8, Marquel Curtis and Jameson Parsons 7