2021 Great Plains Alliance Review

Back to AAU normalcy with no COVID restrictions in place at the 2021 Great Plains Alliance in St. Cloud.  A large contingent of NSIC and MIAC coaches in attendance for what is one of the vastly underappreciated recruiting events of the summer.  Reason being that this is the event, not those long road trips in July, that will get the vast majority of Minnesota recruits their looks.

16U Division
South Dakota Attack 16s took home the championship with a 79-59 win over WOTN Bertsch.  That was a 1 point game at halftime but Attack came out of halftime on a 19-5 run.  Issac Bruns with 16 of his 24 points in the 2nd half to lead Attack to the win.  The big wing is definitely in the discussion for the top 2023 player in South Dakota.  3 others in double figures in the victory.  JT Thornton (Lakeville North) and Anish Ramlall (Rosemount) combined for 29 first half points but were held scoreless in the 2nd half.  Both players have had nice seasons for WOTN.

Really enjoyed watching the WI Crusaders 16s with their screening and cutting offense.  Especially in today's pace and space nature of the game that leads to nothing more than drive and kick action. 

A nice 3-1 weekend for the MN Rise 16s.  They had a double digit comeback to beat MN Bounce 62-60 in the quarters before bowing out to the champs in the semis.

17U Division
WI Crusaders 17s took home the title with a 65-49 win over upstart Comets Belka.  Tyler Borowski and Carter Thomas leading the Crusaders on championship day.  5 out offense with a bunch of interchangeable parts makes this a dangerous squad.

Comets Belka was the big team story of the weekend at 4-1.  They took out Sacred Hoops in their showcase game and then no problems with WI Crusaders Select in the round of 16.  Then a late Friday night win over Comets DLR before bouncing Select Ohnstad 66-60 in the semis.  Mitchell Degen (Brainerd) and Zach Zrust (Buffalo) bright spots for the Comets.  Zrust is a versatile big man who can step out and shoot it.  Will be interesting to track him in July.

MN Rise was the 4th semifinalist and finished their weekend 3-1.  That included a nice 55-42 win over South Dakota Attack.  That 20 point loss to WI Crusaders in the semis was an 8 point game later in the 2nd half before 1 last run put the game away.  Brayden Williams (Owatonna) leading the way for Rise once again.

We've talked a lot about Pharrell Payne (Park of Cottage Grove) and rightfully so.  He didn't disappoint this weekend.  Benard Omooria (Osseo) really helped himself with solid shooting all weekend.  Kenji Scales is another PG that continues to be solid as well.  Williams, Omooria and Scales part of a group of similar guards that are trying to break out of the pack.

Solid 3-1 weekend for WOTN Johnson.  They beat a couple of depleted squads in Northstar Titans Terhaar (buzzer beater) and Heat MacDonald.  A close loss to Select Ohnstad in the quarters where they held Pharrell Payne to 6-15 shooting and then beat Comets DLR in a consolation game.  Connor Beauchamp (Lakeville South) with a solid weekend on the wing with 22 points in that Select game.  Nick Burke (SW Christian) also with a productive weekend.  They did that without one of their top weapons, Kyle Hrncir (Farmington), as well.