STMA Showcase: Notes from the seats

by Ryan James
The BREAKDOWN
(updated 7/20/2009)

The last of the Breakdown Summer Showcases took place this weekend with several varsity and junior varsity divisions being played at St. Michael-Albertville High School and Middle School. Some new talent was on display yesterday although the results were fairly similar as once again Spring Lake Park and Champlin Park walked away victorious. The following are player and team notes taken from yesterday’s action.

• After three years of competing for the state tournament behind Nick Haugen, Rockford fell to .500 this past year. However, if yesterday’s performance from sophomore-to-be Nick Monseen is any indication, the star power is back in Rockford. After averaging about five points a game last year Monseen should be able to break out as a sophomore. He’s a good athlete at about 6-foot-3 who is comfortable handling the basketball already with good skills. Rockford beat Monticello 44 to 22 in the final game and Monseen’s late scoring expanded the lead from strong advantage to blow out category. Monseen is a crafty scorer who can get to the line time and time again. His touch looked solid allowing him to hit most of his several free throw attempts.
• The Windom Area Eagles went 17-11 with a lot of youth in their line-up last year and expectations will be higher out west. There is a lot scoring ability throughout their line-up but the guys that get the most attention are freshman twins Jake and Lee Holt. I believe wearing 45 was Jake Holt who showed off a nice left-handed shooting stroke from the elbow. Meanwhile, on the inside Lee Holt scored on the block using crafty moves, good footwork, and a strong upper body to finish plays.
• Be prepared to see the name Derek Sprang from Irondale as one of the top scorers in the Twin Cities the next couple years. As a sophomore he led the Knights with almost 14 points a game while earning all-conference honors. Yesterday Sprang broke open a close game with Windom by hitting four field goals late including a slashing score that was tear-dropped over Jake Holt and then a cold blooded triple from the corner.
• Maple Grove post Sam Schwalbe has been impressive at a pair of Breakdown Summer Showcases now. Fighting in the post Schwalbe is like a bulldozer clearing space for the initial pass and he’s finishing a high percentage of his attempts.
• Champlin Park won yet another Summer Showcase this time defeating Maple Grove in the final. The game was close for a while but the Rebel athletic ability was to much in the end for the Crimson. Seniors D’Andre Williamson and Kyle Zimmerman and junior T.J. Okafor had their way around the basket catching lobs for scores, running the floor to produce, and scoring on several second half putbacks. The depth and athletic ability of Champlin Park should make the state contenders in a year where there is no clear-cut favorite and it was the difference in the 61 to 38 win over Maple Grove. The Rebs also have some youth in Davis and Anthony Hill who could play as underclassmen.
• Yesterday Apollo beat Henry Sibley by three points in OT, Sibley beat Forest Lake, and Forest Lake beat Apollo in pool play. So how did they break down who played Spring Lake Park in the title game? Points given up. With three seconds left Apollo had given up 100 points through two games and Forest Lake 101. Knowing they needed to win by a ten point margin to list higher in the pool Zach Riedeman raced to the other end to dunk at the buzzer giving Forest Lake a one point advantage and a higher ranking. As it turned out Henry Sibley had given up the least and they would play for the title but it was an interesting end to the game nonetheless. Forest Lake beat Apollo 58-48.
• Spring Lake Park defeated full strength Osseo and Buffalo teams yesterday then defeated Henry Sibley, who had the majority of their players on the floor as well, in the championship. Elijah Sabah had his share of troubles with Jake Kreuser who blocked four of Sabah’s shot attempts. After a struggle to produce for most of the game Sabah did help put Sibley away 49-47 in the closing minutes.
• The Breakdown noticed it forgot about Sean Scott when it produced a top 50 2012 list last week and Scott’s work ethic against Sibley screamed oops. He battled a bigger but now 15-pound lighter Mike Rostampour (because of mono) neck and neck. Also, lightning quick point guard Derek Dahl was blowing through the Sibley lane all game and Steve Bailey was the loud vocal leader who had his team playing defense from start to finish.
• Sibley’s Jordan Jackson is going to be a big time scorer next year. He had dunks, tear-drops, and acrobatic lay-ins scoring about half of Sibley’s points yesterday. With size and athletic ability Sibley will most definitely have a backcourt scoring option next year and even though they have such productive size Jackson may be the top scoring option.
• The point guard battle of the day was between STMA’s senior-to-be Jack Mooney and Big Lake’s Michael Stephens. Mooney has Stephens in size and experience but for the first part of the game it was Stephens who had the upper hand. He beat Mooney to the basket with a hard drive right then extended to finger roll of the glass over the bigs. Shortly after Stephens used a hesitation dribble to get Mooney leaning and to shift the defense and as all that happened Stephens exploded to the rim for a score. And when Mooney looked frustrated with his team behind he took his eye off the ball and in that time Stephens picked his pocket for an easy lay-up. Just when you wanted to say that Stephens was picking Mooney apart, the tide turned towards the veteran. Mooney used his size advantage and some quick dribble drive moves to take Stephens to the bucket four times late in the game. But in the end, Stephens and Big Lake emerged with the victory.
• Wearing number 33 for STMA was an the athletic Joe Carpenter standing about 6-foot-3 with athletic ability and a very nice touch. That combination of talent will most certainly introduce this player to some recruiting looks down the road from colleges. Watch out for this athletic shooter on STMA.