20-21 Weekend 1 Review and Week 2 Preview

A fun weekend of games.  Let's do some comments on a couple of games I went back and watched online and then take a look at the 1st complete week of the shortened 2020-21 season.

Friday: Mounds View 64 Cretin-Derham Hall 51
In the handful of games I've watched so far, Mounds View has the been the most impressive team I've seen.  They were in control of the Suburban East opener vs CDH from the get go.  They looked in late season form with their 4 out motion offense and solid man defense.  Junior guard Kobe Kirk was fantastic with 20 points.  Defensively they played Tre Holloman much like Eden Prairie played Jalen Suggs last year.  Attempt to stay in front of him, don't reach and make him finish over the top.  Plus they went under every ball screen to try and exploit the main hole in Holloman's game, shooting.  CDH started out with ball screen stuff that was mostly ineffective.  Their best offense was their 2-3 high.  I liked the tweak to put Holloman as the screener and then pop for a top iso.  Holloman held to 4-15 shooting, 1-5 from 3, 16 points with 0 assists and 4 turnovers.  With the offense now revolving around him this year, if Holloman has nights like that, CDH is going to struggle.  Coach Kline can I get the old Bill McKee set for a Jack Tauer three please.  Mounds View with a ridiculous 75% EFG% for the game and over 60% of the FGs assisted. 

Saturday: Benilde-St. Margaret's 77 Orono 58
I've been really high on Orono during the offseason.  I was shocked to not see them in the preseason top 20 in class AAA.  Then I saw this score and it got my attention.  The final is a bit misleading as it was a 6 point game with 2:40 left.  BSM finished the game on an 11-0 run thanks to 5 straight Orono turnovers at the end.  Granted it could have been this thanks to a 14-0 BSM to start the 2nd half.  That put the Red Knights up 51-31 before Orono was able to get as close as 57-53 with just over 5 minutes left.  Maddox Alipate with the 1st 8 points of the game for BSM.  He'll obviously fit in right away.  Daniel Ijadimbola was fantastic with 23 points and distributing.  Guard Sam Best with 20 points and 5 triples.  Every one of those 3s seemed to be at a dagger moment.  All 3 of those players are juniors for new coach Damien Johnson.  Connor Chappell 15 points to lead Orono but a quiet 2nd half of only 1 FG.   BSM right around 70% EFG for the game.

Week 2 Preview
Tuesday's highlight is a big Lake Conference showdown with #1AAAA Wayzata visiting #3AAAA Hopkins.  Hopkins needed a 4 point play late just to tie the game and then steal one 48-45 vs Eden Prairie.  Wayzata had no problems at St. Michael-Albertville.  CCX Sports will have that game live online.

Wednesday is all about the Northwest Suburban.  Osseo visits Maple Grove in the top game there.  Its starts a brutal stretch for both teams.  For Osseo its at Maple Grove on Wed, at Park Center (CCX Sports live) on Friday (non-conf), at Totino-Grace on Monday, Park Center at home on Thursday (conference).  For Maple Grove its Osseo, Champlin Park (non-conf) on Friday, at Park Center on Monday.  Maple Grove has the road loss at TG already against them.

Thursday's highlight is South St. Paul at Tartan in a critical Metro East showdown.  PG Alonzo Dodd is off to a great start for 2-0 South St. Paul.  Tartan and their PG DeWayne Thompson opened with an easy win over North Branch.  Great contrast of styles there with a Tartan team that doesn't have a ton of firepower and grind you out defensively vs a free wheeling get up and down 1st to 100 wins Packers team.  Prep Spotlight has that game live (subscription required)

Friday's big game is the pride of Lakeville with South visiting North.  A headstart in the South Suburban standings on the line there.  South struggled in the 1st half against Eagan on Saturday before winning a close one.  Holy Angels at Columbia Heights in a sleeper Tri-Metro game as well.  Minnehaha goes on an iron range roadtrip.  They're at Duluth East on Friday and Hibbing on Saturday.