Top Players Come to Minneapolis For a Day
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The Target Center played host Saturday for a day’s worth of high school basketball, pitting six of Minnesota’s best teams against highly-ranked teams from across the nation. The 11th-annual Timberwolves Gatorade Shootout provided twelve hours of top-notch high school ball, and featured some of the premier players in the country. Here now, are the top ten performers from Saturday’s action.
10. Jordan Printy, Marion (IA) Linn-Mar High School
The senior guard, who’s signed with Indiana State, led the Lions over Maranatha Christian Academy with 20 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals in the 59-53 win. Printy is the perfect player for Linn-Mar’s tempo-controlling style of play, in which players must be patient, able to knock down 3-pointers, and hit free throws. He follows in the footsteps of Jason Bohannon, now a freshman at Wisconsin. He showed a smooth shot and didn’t turn the ball over Saturday.
9. Blake Hoffarber, Minnetonka (MN) Hopkins High School
This lefty has unlimited range, and although his touch was slightly off this day, he still managed 24 points and 5 assists. Most famous for the Espy-winning shot from his back, Hoffarber developed into an all-around player, and has committed to Minnesota. His lack of athleticism was evident Saturday, and the Royals couldn’t match up to the quicker, more athletic Holiday brothers (see below) and Campbell Hall High School. Hoffarber still has one of the more complete games of Minnesota preps and has led Hopkins to two large-school state titles.
8. Larry Drew, Jr., Woodland Hills (CA) Taft High School
Yes, he’s Larry Drew’s son. And it shows. The junior point guard played the most confident floor game of anyone Saturday, distributing the ball and seeing the court like you expect an NBA player’s son would. Drew, however, is not a scorer. He tallied only 4 points on 2-7 shooting, and looked uncomfortable when forced to look for his shot. That hasn’t stopped most major programs from courting him, though, and North Carolina is at the top of his list. Taft suffered their second defeat of the year Saturday, losing by two to Minnesota’s Benilde-St. Margaret’s.
7. David Hanson, Brooklyn Park (MN) Maranatha Christian Academy
Hanson valiantly battled to lead his team over a more talented Linn-Mar group, but came up just short. His individual line, however, was one of the day’s most impressive: 23 points, 16 rebounds. The 6-5 senior popped outside for triples, scored off the dribble and worked for garbage points. The big stage didn’t rattle Hanson, and he even cracked a smile after deciding better of a 25-foot heat check. His D-1 prospects are limited, but Hanson showed as much heart and had as much fun as anyone Saturday.
6. Broderick Binns, St. Paul (MN) Cretin-Derham Hall
Playing without John Nance, the leading scorer for the Raiders, Binns stepped up his game and led the Raiders over visiting Westbury Christian Academy. He battled a sprained ankle and finished with 16 points and 13 rebounds in the three-point win. Binns is a gritty 6-2 forward who’s signed to play linebacker for Iowa, and his physicality was too much for Westbury. He also added 3 assists and 2 steals, and held Westbury’s Kevin Perry to 0-9 shooting and 0 rebounds.
5. Armand Battle, St. Louis Park (MN) Benilde-St. Margaret’s
Battle took the lead role for Benilde Saturday, as fellow junior and Wisconsin target Jordan Taylor struggled to find his game. The rail-thin 6-7 forward scored 16 points, mostly from the free-throw line, and provided the emotional leadership to guide the Red Knights over Taft High of California. The 56-54 slugfest provided little opportunity for stellar box scores or perfect stat lines, but Battle was clearly the best player on the court down the stretch. In the closest game of the day, he overcame first-half foul trouble to spark a second-half comeback. Iowa State is among several schools interested in his talents.
4. Derrick Young, Mobile (AL) Leflore High School
Like Battle, Young outshined teammate Zack Williams, who’s verbally committed to Marquette, to take top honors in the shootout’s opening tussle. The 6-5 senior swingman provided strength and athleticism that couldn’t be countered, and finished with 15 points and 14 rebounds for Alabama’s second-ranked Rattlers. Young had the most spectacular play of the day, stuffing a monster tomahawk dunk through a defender. Leflore led Minnetonka High School throughout and won 72-66.
3 & 2. Jrue and Justin Holiday, North Hollywood (CA) Campbell Hall High School
Jrue, a 6-4 junior (undecided), and Justin, a 6-6 senior (Washington), were the two best athletes on display Saturday. Jrue didn’t quite match his season averages (25.4 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 5.1 apg, 4.4 spg), but he did play a tremendous all-around game. The younger brother scored 20 points, nabbed 12 rebounds, and dished out 7 assists. Justin posted the better numbers, finishing with 28 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks on 9-13 shooting. Take your pick. Their games, Jrue’s especially, are incredibly smooth and effortless, and both would prefer a mid-range jumper or a drive to the basket over a deep three. They play intelligently, get teammates involved, and have the ability to crank up the athleticism on a particular play. The two combined to defeat Minnesota’s best team, Hopkins, by ten.
1. Kevin Love, Lake Oswego (OR) High School
Not much can be said about Love that hasn’t already been uttered. It’s virtually impossible to watch him play and not be blown away. Not only does he dominate the game (41 points, 14 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 blocks, 18-22 free throws), but he does so many little things well. He easily puts his defender(s) in difficult positions, posting and re-posting without effort, and uses tremendous footwork to bury them. He can throw any pass at any time, including behind-the-back post passes made famous by Chris Webber. He snaps full-court-length outlet passes, on made or missed field goals, that lead to easy layups. He can play with his back to the basket, face up, step outside and score off the dribble. His temperament is perfect for a dominant big man: nasty enough to dominate, level-headed enough to stay in the game. It’s scary to think what his presence in the middle of UCLA’s lineup might mean. He has the most complete offensive game of any big man in the country without question, and is polished enough to make an instant impact for the Bruins. He’ll only be there for one year.
