2011 MN Heat Tournament Preview

The 2nd annual Minnesota Heat Invitational is this weekend.  Its headquartered at Bethel with 23 gyms in the north metro being used for over 200 teams.  All pool games are Friday and Saturday with all of the brackets on Sunday.  Here's what I'd watch.

17U
Its a very respectable local field at 17U with MN Southside, WOTN (possibly with Kyle Baumann again?), 43 Hoops, Magic Superfriends and the MN PNR 15s playing up.  The quarterfinals could feature a Magic Superfriends vs 43 Hoops grudge match.  Superfriends beat 43 Hoops in pool play before 43 Hoops made a run to the final.  MN PNR 15s vs WOTN is another possible matchup of pool winners in the quarters.  Southside vs 43 Hoops in a projected semifinal is a game worthy of a tourney final.  All bracket games are at Bethel.

16U
The top 2 Heat teams, Magic Black 16s (top Magic team, will they have Gregory Wesley back with them), Fury Black 15s, 43 Hoops 15s, Fury Gold and Fury White are all in the tournament.   Only the pool winners make the championship bracket.  Magic Black vs Fury Black 15s is an interesting quarterfinal possibility.  All bracket games are at Bethel.

15U
The 15U division is just 2 big brackets.  Losers from the 1st game of the title bracket drop into a consolation bracket.  The top Comets team, an east metro group (likely Johnson kids) and the tNBA 14s playing up are some of the participants.

14U
Minneapolis Select, MN Cyclones (Alex Illikanien, Kobe Critchley et al), All Iowa Attack, the top teams from 43 Hoops and the Magic Black team that I'm an assistant coach for are in a very nice bracket.  Semifinals and finals are late Sunday afternoon at Irondale.

Some notable players to watch
Marcus Marshall - 43 Hoops
Nate Kratch - 43 Hoops
Marcus Tyus - 43 Hoops
Joey King - Southside
Darian Pittman - Magic Superfriends
Rodney Owens - Magic Superfriends
Reed Travis - MN PNR 15s
DJ Pollard - Fury Gold 16s
Alex Illikanien - MN Cyclones 14s