Chambers drops in new Rivals 150

Rivals just released their post summer 2010 top 100 for the class of 2012.   Hopkins point guard Siyani Chambers drops to #96 from #81.

Here are others who have appeared locally.
#17 Kevin "Yogi" Ferrell 
#20 William "Shaq" Goodwin (up from #60)
#21 Rasheed Sulaimon
#26 Torian Graham (up from #83)
#28 L.J. Rose (down from #23)
#37 Marcus Paige (down from #29)
#42 J-Mychal Reese (up from #43)
#49 Damien Wilson (up from #68)
#55 Jordan Adams
#73 Cameron Biedscheid (down from #59)
#89 Phillip Nolan (up from #92)
#108 Wesley Staten (down from #90)
#109 Cinmeon Bowers (down from #91)
#112 Arroyo Edwards (down from #97)
#145 Demarquise Johnson

Read the entire rankings here.

Minnesota Players in new Hardwood Elite rankings

Hardwood Elite just released their post-July 2010 rankings for the 2011-2013 classes.  Here's how the Minnesota kids came out and then my commentary.  The full rankings can be found here.

2011
Joe Coleman #76
Ross Travis #87

Others that have appeared locally include
Brad Beal #3
Adonis Thomas #10
Myck Kabongo #14
Cody Zeller #17
Branden Dawson #19
Ky Madden #23
Quinn Cook #24
BJ Young #51
Todd Mayo #56
Paul Jesperson #66
Jarrod Uthoff #79
Cedric McAfee #80
Hunter Mickelson #81
Josh Oglesby #91


2012
Isaiah Zierden #94

Others that have appeared locally.
Marcus Paige #22
Kevin "Yogi" Ferrell #25
Rasheed Sulaimon #27
Jordan Adams #28
J-Mychal Reese #29
LJ Rose #30
Cameron Biedscheid #33
DeMarquise Johnson #35
Jordan Price #37
Shaquille Goodwin #38
Torian Graham #49
Junior Lomomba #73
Cinmeon Bowers #74
Philip Nolan #80

2013
No Minnesota Players.  #7 Peter Jok and #9 Deonte Burton have both appeared locally.

The Czar's Commentary
Another analyst picks Paul Jesperson above Joe Coleman.  I think Coleman has consistently done more and been flat out dominant against better competition both in the summer and during the high school season.  Its a fun problem of rankings.  You have Coleman (the athlete), Jesperson (the shooter) and Josh Oglesby (the most well-rounded of the 3).  Oglesby is the most ready of the group and he finishes lowest in the rankings out of the 3.

Very interesting to see Zierden coming in before Howard Pulley teammate Siyani Chambers (Chambers is #81 in the Rivals 2012 rankings as I write this).  I think Chambers performance at the Pacesetter Sweet 16 definitely elevated him.

As to Deonte Burton, I saw him twice at the East Metro Showcase in January.  Didn't average double figures against the top 2 St. Paul teams (and Central may have been the most overrated team in the state last year).  Nice player with some upside, but I saw Peter Jok in 2 events this summer and Jok was a man amongst small children.  Definitely didn't see that from Burton.

Let's give Hardwood Elite credit for showing up for the Best Buy Summer Classic unlike the rest of the national media.  Shame on the national services for sending your entire staffs (basically) to the Peach Jam when they already attended Nike event after Nike event after Nike event after Nike Event after Nike Event.  Its a flat out crime that the Best Buy Summer Classic had 25 top national players and couldn't get any kind of real national publicity.  Yet, the same folks could attend all 4 of the Nike EYBL events.

The Czar's initial list of 2012 prospects

Here's a list of some of the metro freshmen that I think will be names to watch over the next 3 years and starting this summer for some of them. The names are in no particular order within each group. The main caveat is that I had to see the player in person to put them on this list so keep that in mind when reading.

Posts
Cutler Finneman - Concordia (Roseville)
Tyler Strandlund - CHOF
Chad Potas - Wayzata
Andrew Turnblad - Minnetonka

Forwards
Will Dunn - Benilde-St. Margaret's
Sean Scott - Spring Lake Park
Eric Gebeke - White Bear Lake
Zach Stahl - Hopkins
Dante Grant - Henry Sibley

Guards
Siyani Chambers - Hopkins
Isaiah Zierden - Benilde-St. Margaret's
Darian Pittman - Maranatha
Tommy McDermott - Minnetonka
Brady Wohler - Orono