2024 MBCA Showcase Preview

After a Memorial Day break, its now the middle of June.  That means the summer portion of the summer basketball recruiting schedule is here with 6 straight weekends. That will end with my annual #GrindersWinGamblersLose hoops trip to Las Vegas to end July.  It starts this weekend with the annual MBCA Showcase at Hopkins.  The full team rosters and schedule can be found here.  This is a NCAA certified event for high school players.  Minnesota chooses to pull in South Dakota and North Dakota kids and go with a showcase, all-star team format rather than a high school team format such as the monster Section 7 event in Arizona.

One of the great things about the event has been the participation over the years.  I can only recall 1 high profile player who turned down the opportunity to play in the event.  So its the only time on the schedule where every name can be seen.  Over the years, its expanded from 12 teams to 16 teams and this year there are 14 teams of 9 for a total of 126 kids.  Let's dig into the details

State Breakdown
112 Minnesota
7 North Dakota
7 South Dakota

2025 Rankings Breakdown
Minnesota: 47 of top 48 (Brooks Johnson is already committed to UMD and won't play), 58 of top 61
South Dakota: Top 4
North Dakota: 4 of top 5

2026 Rankings Breakdown
Minnesota: 12 of top 15 (Dothan Ijadimbola is injured and won't play)
South Dakota: #2 and #3 attending
North Dakota: #1 attending

2027 Rankings Breakdown
Minnesota: Top 4, 7 of the top 10.

College Viewing Breakdown
All D1s in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska and Wyoming will be represented. Plus other high majors like Wisconsin and Baylor.  Its a list of over 20 division 1 schools as of the time of this writing.  Plus most of the NSIC will be attending too

Team Notes:
Here's a quick bit on what sticks out to me on each team.  As the schedule currently lays out, I should be able to see a little bit of most of the teams but with 14 teams its just not practical to see everyone.

Team 1: Hopkins PG Jayden Moore is one of the top 2026 guards in the state and runs the show for this group.  Totino-Grace shooting guard Tyler Wagner had a great spring for D1 Minnesota.  CDH transfer Tommy Ahneman had a huge spring at center for Howard Pulley.  He's picked up a handful of Big Ten offers in the last month including Minnesota and Iowa.  Richfield's CJ Armstrong had a monster high school season.

Team 2: This is one of the more loaded teams in the event.  That's despite having 5 underclassmen.  Alexandria's Chase Thompson is the top MN 2025.  Ced Tomes and Christian Wiggins are 2 of the top 2026 players in MN.  Faribault big man Ryan Kreager has broken into 1 round of national rankings and will have many eyes on him here.  He could be the player with the most to gain or lose this weekend.  Shooting and ball handling won't be a problem with Tomes, Waconia's Will Kirsch and Sauk Rapids-Rice guard Keller Hanson.  Not to mention one of the top 2025 MN shooters in Riley Johnson.  Colton Smith (2026) and Markus Talley from Mitchell (SD) are 2 of the top players from South Dakota.  Talley is a PG with offers from Sioux Falls, Augustana and Northern St.   

Team 3: Plenty of star power here as well.  CDH guard JoJo Mitchell is another star guard in 2026 class.  CDH teammate Ty Schlagel is the top MN 2027.  Then PG Mason Klabo is the top player from North Dakota now that Ahneman is here.  He just picked up a Wyoming offer and expect Sundance Wicks and the Cowboys to watch him this weekend.  Griffen Goodbary of Sioux Falls Christian at 6'10" is the top 2025 in South Dakota.

Team 4: This is the youngest team in the event with 7 2026 players, 1 2027 and only 1 2025 player.  Wing Brayden Beckering of SW Christian is that lone 2025.  2026 wing Alex Schroepfer of Eagan has been very productive for MN Fury this spring.

Team 5: Only 2 2026 players with the rest being 2025 on this roster.  Nevis forward Alex Lester is the main big man on this roster and should have some viewers.

Team 6: A couple of top MN 2027s on this roster in South St Paul center Mustafa Mohamed and Mahtomedi forward Willie Roelofs.  Metro East well represented there.  Park Center's Emmanuel Jentzen is on this roster.  He played JV last year as a transfer.  Could be one of the breakout names of the event.

Team 7: Eden Prairie's Max Lorenson, Hiawatha's Kam Solomon and 2027 Jaeden Udean of De La Salle are guards who can fill it up quickly.  Easton Neudendorf is one of the better PGs in South Dakota.  Big man Bryon Laue is a top South Dakota big man.  He has a Sioux Falls offer.

Team 8: This is the oldest team in the event with 8 2025 players and only 1 2026 player. Marley Curtis has been very productive this spring.  Orono's Brady Wooley will be the main big man here with plenty to show.  Anthony Smith and JJ Semanko (Hopkins) with Orono's Nolan Groves is a high scoring guard trio.  Mankato East PG Brogan Madson and Albany forward Sam Hondl are 2 outstate guys to keep an eye on.

Team 9: BSM PG Jaleel Donley leads this group.  4 North Dakota players on this team.  Sage Hanson is the top 2026.  Walker Braaten is a top 3 2025 who will play football at NDSU.  Joel Nelson has been very productive for ECI this spring.

Team 10: Rochester JM big man Deng Lueth will get the most attention of the 2025s on this team.  A couple of notable 2027s on this roster too.  Maple Grove wing Baboucarr Ann will be one to watch here.  Farmington forward Briggs Sheridan is the other 2027.

Team 11: The outstate well-represented here with the good 2026 guard duo of Jaxon Boschee (Bemidji) and Kale Misegades (Henning).  Versatile wing Hudson Omoke (Sauk Rapids) also on this team.

Team 12: Wayzata 2026 guard Isaac Olmstead leads this group.  2027 forward Izayah Cook of Sauk Rapids-Rice leads the front line.  Champlin Park's Preston Thielke and Mankato East's Gandon Gosch are wings to watch.  Gosch has hoops offers from Sioux Falls and Mary.  He's also been busy on the football summer circuit.

Team 13: 2026 Sioux Falls Lincoln wing Sam DeGroot leads this roster.  Blake forward Omar Kaba is the main big man.  MN 2027's Malachi Hill (Totino-Grace) and AJ Taban (Stillwater) are young guys to watch.

Team 14: The 2027 youth of Tyler Forrest (Chaska PG) and Ray Brau (Hibbing F) are on this roster.  Jaxon Young (Coon Rapids) and Jackson Driessen (Centennial) are a couple guys to watch from the NW Suburban.  Forward Caleb Bancroft (Stewartville) is another outstate forward to watch.