TNL Players Play The #1 Team In The State

Hopkins 90 - Champlin Park 71

A much anticipated game, not for a competitive reason, but for the Rebels fans to have an up close look at the states #1 team which is also ranked nationally. The Royals starting five are all D1 players. The Rebels come out and match the Royals intensity early which was very important for them. The Rebels keep it close for the first twelve or so minutes as all of the starters are scoring. The Royals get a couple of breakouts and runs and lead at the half 53-32.

The Rebels continue to play with the Royals and actually go on a couple of runs which make it interesting for flashes of the second half. Both teams empty their benches with about 4 minutes left and let their JV players mop this one up. I didn't see it but I heard the JV team beat Hopkins earlier in the day.

Hopkins is a very solid team up front and their best overall player looks to be Raymond Cowles. He is a SOLID player and I think he is the ONE that makes it all work for them. Lockett was fun to watch as Sundufu showed his DEEP shooting range.

The Box:
Zimmermann 15
Theisen 13
Duberry 12
Williamson 10
Walker 4

Of Note ...

• The Rebels take a couple of heavy weight runs from the Royals and try to answer back.
• Zimmermann continues to play bigger than his size.
• All five starters score in double digits.
• Theisen with 8 rebounds.

MN Sun Local Sports Highlights

(Created: Tuesday, December 23, 2008 2:45 PM CST)

The Blaze remained undefeated (6-0) in boys basketball after turning back Lakeville South 94-79 on Friday, Dec. 19. Four Burnsville players scored in double figures: Devon Knopke (22 points), Jeff Fallat (21), Patrick Rogers (19) and Alex Wheeler (14).

Burnsville played at Owatonna on Monday, Dec. 22, and will be off until Jan. 6, when it plays Prior Lake at home.

Photos of the Burnsville boys basketball team's Lake Conference game versus Lakeville South are available here:

http://southwestscoreboard.smugmug.com/gallery/6875513_NHBFf#P-1-15

Minnesota: ‘Tis The Season to Score

Players like Michael Fitzgerald, Josh Figini, Marshall Bjorklund and T.J. Oakes are putting up impressive numbers.
Posted on: Tuesday, December 23, 2008
By Matt Krumrie MaxPreps.com Here is a look at some recent develops in Minnesota boys basketball: Starting Five 1. Cadets Defeat Henry in 3A Clash: In a battle of perennial 3A basketball powers, No. 10 St. Thomas Academy defeated No. 3 Minneapolis Henry Friday, 75-64. Michael Fitzgerald scored 35 points to lead the Cadets, while Jordan Hughes had 20 points to lead the Patriots. It was a big win for the Cadets, who started the season 0-3, losing to talented Mankato West, Cretin and Northfield teams before beating Henry. Billy Chapman added 11 for the Cadets in the win. Fitzgerald is averaging 22 points per game. 2. Hastings Hot: The Hastings Raiders are off to a strong start to the 2008-09 season. The Raiders are 4-1 and have a trio of players averaging double figures in points. Leading the way is Shane Monjeau with 16.4 points per game. Nick Gmiterko is averaging 13.6 and Jake Ryan 11.8. Monjeau averages seven rebounds per game and Gmiterko 6.2. 3. Strong Start For Sibley East: The Wolverines are 3-0 on the season and ranked sixth in the state in 2A. Marshall Bjorklund leads the team in scoring at just over 24 points per game, and is averaging 17 rebounds and 6 blocks per game. He has made 66 percent of his field goal attempts and is shooting 77 percent from the free throw line. Michael Shultz is averaging 12 points per game and Ian Berg 11. Lincoln Bjorklund has 14 assists in three games. 4. Burnsville Blazin’: There might not be a hotter team in the state than the Burnsville Blaze, who are 8-0 and haven’t scored less than 68 points per game. They have scored 94 and 81 points in games, and over 70 three times. It’s safe to say this team knows offense, but it’s a balanced attack that has been key. Leading the way is Devon Knopke, who averaged over 13 points per game heading into Monday’s 71-68 win over Owatonna. Alex Wheeler averages 12 points per game, Patrick Rogers just over 10, JakeGhizoni 8 and Jeff Fallat 7. Fallat scored 21 in a 94-79 win over Lakeville South Saturday. 5. Figuring Out Figini: No team has had any luck shutting down Chisago Lakes big man Josh Figini. He’s averaging a metro-leading 29 points and 15.4 rebounds per game. He has a high game of 46 points and 24 rebounds in the season opener against Princeton. Chisago Lakes is 2-3 through five games. Three to Watch 1. T.J. Oakes/Yuriy Malashenko, Jordan: The Hubmen are off to a 4-1 start and defeated Lester Prairie 85-70 Monday behind the strength of Oakes and his 28 points and Malashenko and his 22 points. The 1-2 punch has been key for Jordan. Through five games Oakes is averaging just over 23 points per game and Malashenko just over 16 per game. 3. Jack Gavin, Elk River: Gavin led the Elks with 22 points in a 76-53 win over Rogers Saturday. Gavin is averaging 19 points per game for the 4-1 Elks. 3. Damarius Cruz, Armstrong: Cruz is averaging 20.7 points this season for the Falcons and is among the top players in the Classic Lake Conference. Two Hot Too Handle 1. Shaun Jensen, Spring Lake Park: The Panthers are off to a 5-0 start this season and Jensen is leading the way. The senior guard is averaging 23.1 points per game and has scored 24, 28, 22, 27 and 17 points in those five games. Teammate Trey Scott is averaging 15 points per game and Tyler Ylvisaker 10. 2. Jordan Aaberg, Rothsay: Aaberg scored 17 points, had 14 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 blocked shots in a 46-45 loss to Barnseville Monday. Through five games Aaberg is averaging 22 points, 21 rebounds, 5.9 blocks and almost 4 assists per game. Inside the Numbers 2,000 – Zach Towle went over that career point milestone in a 79-62 loss to Minnehaha Academy Saturday. Towle scored 22 points in the loss and should be in contention for the state scoring title this season. He’s averaging 26.4 points a game so far this season. 29 – Points Dave Burnham of Minnehaha Academy scored in that win over Concordia Saturday. Burnham made seven 3-pointers in the win. 20 – Steals this season for Mac Johnson of Lake of the Woods 18 – Points Mounds View’s Justin Harding scored in a 72-67 overtime win over Forest Lake Friday. He made four 3-pointers in the win.

Mpls North at Richfield Thoughts

Posted by Twin Cities Hoops Czar at 10:06 PM

A special mid-week day game in the Kingdom thanks to the holidays as Minneapolis North makes the trip to Richfield. St. Thomas Academy on hand to watch as well as Rene Pulley (insert cash register sound here). Pulley has North coach Bo Powell on his staff in addition to a couple of players who played on the 15s team for them this summer.

Spencer Puckett off to a hot start for North as he knocks down a triple and gets a layup in the 1st 4 minutes for a 14-6 North lead. Richfield with their small lineup not able to make a shot. Kevin Thompson with a baseline J and then a post 2 and him and Puckett are doing all the scoring for North. 20-12 Polars lead at 10:20. Renard Robinson with a steal for 2 as Richfield turns up the D. Robinson with 2 more layups during the 12-3 Richfield run over 3:20. 24-23 Richfield now on top at the 7 minute mark. After a couple of offensive rebound scores for North, Robinson hangs and takes the contact before going glass for an And 1. Puckett then picks up his 2nd foul and has to sit at the 5:08 mark. 3 more for Robinson makes it 32-30 Richfield at 3:15. Thompson with another post up for 2 and then a putback. He then puts back a miss at the 1st half buzzer to tie it at 36 all as Richfield tried for 1 shot and didn't execute. Robinson with 16 and Philip Freeman with 8 for Richfield. Kevin Thompson with 15 for North

Freeman comes out en fuego in the 2nd half. Jay Sewer finds him for 3 on a pretty 2nd pass, they go inside out and find him for a step in 3. Robinson gets a block and then the 2nd pass on the ensuing Spartans possession finds Freeman again. 3 triples for Freeman in the 1st 1:40 and bang bang bang Richfield is up 45-36. North not going away. Puckett on the block, Malik El-Amin with 2 FTs and then big Mark Devine swats a shot on 1 end and gets a putback on the other for 6 straight Polars points. North coach Bo Powell then gets T'd up. Freeman makes the 2 FTs and then knocks down a jumper via an offensive rebound on the possession to put Richfield back to a 7 point lead, 49-42, at 14:10. Puckett and Freeman trade 3s and Freeman has 16 points in 4:50 of the half. 53-45 Richfield at 13:10. North again gets a run. Devine with a post 2, Thompson on the offensive glass for 2 more. Thompson then gets a defensive rebound and throws the touchdown to Ariel Deloney for a layup. Deloney then follows with another layup. Thompson drives for 2 and Pengi Mboma lays one in. Malik El-Amin then drives and forces one up that goes down to conclude a 15-1 Polars run over 5 minutes and its 60-54 North with 8:15 left. Robinson and Thompson take us down the stretch. Robinson with 4 FTs, then a steal for 2. Then a putback and a swat that eventually turns into a Freeman jumper that concludes an 8-0 run (Thompson had a jumper before the run). 64-62 Richfield at 5:50. Thompson with a free throw to cut it to 1. After a Richfield putback, Thompson finds Devine for a layup (we'll draw this play up in the X and O segment) and its 66-65 Richfield at 4:10. Chris Williams gets a layin from Jay Sewer and then is fouled by Puckett on a 3. He calmly makes all 3 of the foul shots and the Richfield lead is 71-65 with 3 minutes to go. Puckett makes a couple of triples late and its 74-71 Richfield at 43.3. Williams makes 2 more free throws and Freeman makes 1 0f 2 with 14.6 left to seal a 77-73 Richfield win.

For North, Kevin Thompson is a scary player. 6'3 and athletic and willing to play in or out. A pleasure to watch this summer with 94 Ft of Game. I just wish North would have run more postups for him as Richfield had no answer for him on the box. He finished with 23 points. Spencer Puckett with 4 triples from the PF spot. 21 points for him and a very nice day. Mark Devine with 4-6 swats. Not much of an offensive player, but he can be a real presence for teams coming into the lane. Charles Smith is a freshman that might turn into a player to keep an eye as time progresses.

For Richfield, Philip Freeman out of his mind in the 2nd half with 20 points and 28 total. Renard Robinson with 25 and he was clutch in leading the Spartans back from the 6 point deficit with 8 to play. Jay Sewer goes scoreless but his initial penetration was the initiation of the sequences that got Freeman off to start the 2nd half. Richfield just has no size and I was surprised they didn't extend the court more with all of the quick guards they have. Then again they only play 7 so that could be part of it.

X and O of the Day
In the X and O segment, a backdoor lob that we talked about above. 1-4 high set. Malik El-Amin enters to Thompson on the right wing (important as Thompson is a lefty). El-Amin then goes and sets a ball screen for Thompson. Devine is on the ball side high-post and he also screens. As Thompson comes off the screens (where he should look to score 1st and didn't), El-Amin doubles back and sets a backscreen for Devine for the lob.

Champlin Park at Buffalo Thoughts

The Czar goes east metro to a special west of the metro trip with the Caveman to Buffalo for their tilt with Champlin Park. Hard to figure what league Buffalo is in as this is their 4th straight game vs the NW Suburban. They beat Coon Rapids and are coming off back to back losses to Elk River and Maple Grove. Buffalo has a very nice building too. Good place to watch a game despite the fact that the friendly concession stand person gave me Diet Pepsi instead of regular Pepsi. How am I going to maintain my girlish figure on 0 calories?

I was psyched for the Jasper Duberry (CP) vs Eric Olson (Buffalo) matchup but Olson isn't in the starting lineup and the 1st 3 Buffalo subs don't include him. But Olson finally makes his entrance at 12:32. Lefty Brock Korbel enters as well and sparks an 8-0 run in just over a minute with back to back triples on his 1st 2 touches. 13-6 Bison at 13:26. Buffalo very deliberate with their 5 man open post motion. Korbel with another triple and Olson on the board with a layup to make it 20-14 Buffalo at the 10 minute mark. Korbel not bashful about shooting it when he's got any daylight. Scott Theisen with a triple and a Josh Pella layup brings Champlin Park within 22-19 at 8:48. Thiesen picks up his 2nd foul at 6:04 and he has to sit out the rest of the half. The Rebels now going 1-3-1 trapping the corners. Olson with a free throw, a triple and then he finds Brooks Beilke for a layup. That's 6 in a row for Buffalo and they're up 30-24 with 2:50 left in the half. CP not rebounding in the zone so they're back man. Pella and Zimmerman trade assists to each other and get the rest of the 1st half points for CP. 33-31 Champlin Park at halftime after a 8-1 run over the last 2 minutes. Theisen with 10 points before the 2 fouls. Pella with 8 and Zimmerman with 6. Korbel with 9 for Buffalo on his 3 triples. Olson and Beilke with 6 each.

Champlin Park determined to play inside in the 2nd half. Kyle Zimmerman with the scoring there. Korbel with a couple of buckets for the Bison to keep it close. 41-39 CP at 12:45 and Zimmerman has 6 in the half and all the points for CP are inside. Zimmerman then with 2 FTs and a layup that bookend a 7-0 CP run that makes it 48-39 CP with 10:40 left. Eric Olson back in after a rest as Buffalo needs him on the floor to stop the bleeding. He finds Chase Liska to break the run but picks up his 4th foul at 10:15. Will Buffalo survive? Beilke with a 3 point play cuts it to 4. DeAndre Williamson with another inside hoop for CP. Brandon Stevens with a 3 to cut the CP lead to 50-47 at 8:50. Zimmerman with another post hoop but then he leaves after appearing to tweak his back (an injury that kept him out most of the fall) at 8:17. Beilke makes 2 bonus FTs and another FT to cut the lead to 53-50 at 7:45 and Olson is back in the game. Zimmerman returns and finds Tyler Munneke for a triple on the inside out look. Beilke hot with a triple and then a J cuts it to 56-55 CP at 6:25. Zimmerman with a free throw and then a nice pass ahead to Pella that yields another free throw. Pella gets a steal and finds Duberry for a layup 60-55 CP at 5:15.

Bielke with another triple and then he steals the inbounds for 2 and the foul. He makes the foul shot and in the blink of an eye, Buffalo is back on top 61-60 with 4:30 to play. Duberry drives and banks one home at 4:10, CP by 1. Olson gets a steal at the 3 minute mark and in the process of driving to the basket on Duberry, he pushes off on him and gets called for the offensive foul. (good call) That's the 5th foul on #3 Olson and he's gone. But wait, the zebras and the scorer's table (and frankly the CP bench too) mess this up horribly and the foul is credited to #33 Beilke and Olson by some miracle is still in the game. I'm speechless. Duberry makes 2 FTs off the resulting possession and CP leads 64-61 with 2:38 left. Olson then makes 1 of 2 after a phantom holding call on Duberry. The ref right on the play sees nothing and then out of nowhere the official on the other side of the court calls the hold. Wow. 1:45 to go CP by 2. They take time and kill almost a minute of clock with a dribble weave type delay but Theisen on the bounce pushes a guy over (good call) at 49.9. CP stays with the 1-3-1. Beilke makes a hard cut down the left side of the lane gets the ball on a nice feed and goes up. Pella appears to block the shot cleanly but there's the whistle and that's Pella's 5th foul. Beilke makes both with 37.7 left and we're tied at 64. Out of a timeout, CP looking to quickly run a screen the screener play for Theisen rather than playing for 1 shot. Zimmerman gets fouled off the ball as that's happening. He makes 1 of 2 with 21.7 left, 65-64 CP. Out of a Buffalo timeout, CP stays 1-3-1. Olson gets in the top gap and in the lane. He finds Beilke underneath but he can't convert. Theisen rebounds and gets fouled with 4.3 left. He makes 1 but misses the 2nd. Buffalo rebounds and calls their last timeout at 3.6. They show the play and then CP calls timeout before the inbound. Buffalo tries to find Olson curling near midcourt but he is forced into the backcourt. He never touches it and Buffalo doesn't get a look at the final shot. 66-64 Champlin Park in a fun game with some strange officiating late.
For Buffalo, they fall to 2-3. 1-3 vs the NW Suburban. They finish their tour of the league when they host Osseo on Tuesday. Eric Olson with 6 points but he was the guy who got them into their sets and found open people. This was especially true of his penetration for good looks vs the 1-3-1. Brock Korbel is instant offense off the bench. he got his 11 points in 2 quick bunches. Brooks Beilke was coming off 2 quiet games, but he went off for 25 tonight. He had 19 of Buffalo's 33 in the 2nd half despite that last tough miss inside. 2 triples and 7 of 8 from the stripe. Monticello appears to be the favorite in the Mississippi8. STMA just moved into the rankings so they'll be there. I look for Buffalo and Cambridge-Isanti, despite their current struggles to be next in line. CI has a brutal 3 game stretch after the holidays where they host STMA and Buffalo followed by a trip to Monticello in a 6 day span.

For Champlin Park, they get their 1st win of the year after tough losses to Minnetonka and Wayzata (no shame there). Kyle Zimmerman with 15 in the 2nd half and a total of 21 for the game. CP was able to throw the ball down to the block to him to get points whenever they wanted in that 2nd half. With the assists added in, he had a part of at least 19 of the 33 CP 2nd half points. This may be the only time all season where you see CP as the dominant team inside scoring post up buckets. Scott Theisen with only 4 2nd half points after 10 in the 1st half. They're not deep as they really only play 7, and you could say 6 as DeAndre Williamson may or may not be part of the critical rotation. Size obviously an issue and in their 1-3-1 they didn't rebound well in it and they weren't active in it. But if they played man, Buffalo's execution would have gotten to them. Tough spot to be in. They'll also need to address the backup point spot and they really don't have a good way to get Jasper Duberry a rest.

X and O of the Day
The final play for Buffalo was something like this (at least the apparent intent, not the result). Ball on the end line on the right side of the basket for the offense. 1 guy around the top of the key in the backcourt. 1 guy at center court. 1 guy at center court on the left side line. Olson was on the left side near the far hash mark. The idea here is to have Olson curl around the screens of all 3 guys or any set of them and catch the ball on the move going toward the basket (or at least not backwards) and in the natural direction of his dominant hand (an under estimated part of this) up near center court or at least above the top of the key. You tell a player how many dribbles he has by calculating 1 dribble per second. So he'd have 3 dribbles with 3.6 left. They'd be clear because no one wants to foul him in a 2 point game. That would put him at the foul line extended area on the right wing with a chance to knock down the winning 3 at the horn.

Sewer Directs The Spartans in Richfield Battle

Jauson Sewer scores 14 points, dishes out 7 assists and has 3 rebounds as the Richfield Spartans defeat Holy Angels in the battle of Richfield. The Spartans who where only up 2 points at the half, turn it up in the 2nd half and go on to the 65-55 win.

Rebel boys to be tested

by Nick Clark
Champlin Dayton Press & News
(Created: Wednesday, December 17, 2008 2:56 PM CST)

The idea was intentional, and it will be far from easy for the Champlin Park boys basketball team, but that was what head coach Mark Tuchscherer was looking for.

The Rebels will play a schedule as difficult as any team in the state this winter, and that's just in the first seven games.

Champlin Park opened its season last Friday night with a 80-72 loss to defending state champion and fifth-ranked Minnetonka.

Before the calendar flips to 2009, the Rebels will play ninth-ranked Wayzata twice and face top-ranked Hopkins, which is just what Champlin Park wanted.

"We have a beefed up schedule, but that is by design," said Tuchscherer, who was scheduled to take his team into that brutal stretch with a home game vs. Wayzata Dec. 16 before visiting 2007 state champion Buffalo Dec. 19."

The thinking with these non-conference games was let's play some of the best teams in the state and get prepared. Win-lose-or-draw you are ready for the conference.

"A year ago, that is exactly what took place. Champlin Park opened up with three straight losses, but was better for it by seasons end, finishing with a 15-12 overall record and a second place finish in the Northwest Suburban Conference.

This year, the expectation is to be right back in the NWSC race, which on the front end should include Osseo, Blaine, Maple Grove, Centennial and Champlin Park.

For the Rebels to stay in that picture, they will likely have to shoot their way to the front. Size isn't something they posses, but they have the shooters.

"We are small, but we are pretty tough, athletic and quick, so it is going to be a different style," Tuchscherer said. "We are going to run and gun on offense, and we have the players to do that."

Junior Scott Theisen heads that list. He averaged 13.1 points per game as a junior and opened his senior season by dumping 31 on Minnetonka Friday.

"Scotty is lights out," Tuchscherer said. "If he is given time, there is a good chance it's going in. On the flip side, defenses are going to be aware of him and going to be after him, but hopefully we have some things in play where that will create other options for other people then."

Against the Skippers, Jasper Duberry did that with a 16 point performance, and the Rebels also got eight points from Kyle Zimmermann, seven from Ty Munneke, six from Josh Pella and two from Brandon Marquardt.

Duberry and Zimmerman both started last year as sophomores, and the latter will join Pella and D'Andre Williams in providing some sort of presence down low.

"We don't really have size in the post this year, but we are crafty with Zimmerman and Pella and Deandre Williams," Tuchscherer said. "That will be nice for us, because if they decide to come out and double the shooter, then hopefully we can get some easy buckets down low."

Boys basketball: Burnsville wins pair; Eagan hits skids

Thursday, 18 December 2008

Scoring isn’t a problem for Blaze in latest win by Jason Olson Thisweek Newspapers When Burnsville scheduled Shakopee for a non-conference game before the holiday break, it was seen as a move to add a quality opponent not from the Lake Conference. Shakopee has developed into a favorite in the Missota Conference, the section and sometimes state with its strong combination of perimeter shooting and inside game. Both were showcased Saturday night, but the Blaze emerged with a 64-59 win. PHOTO: Burnsville guard Devon Knopke dishes the ball off while Shakopee players try to contain him during Tuesday's win in Burnsville. The five-point margin wasn’t the closest of the season for the Blaze who beat Lakeville North by one point on Dec. 9. “Our defense was horrible (Saturday),” said Blaze coach Bob Schweim. “It’s not like us to allow them to shoot from the outside like we did.” From the view of a casual observer it looked like Burnsville was more concerned with denying post Jason Perkins than contesting three-pointers. “There wasn’t a run at the shooters to get a hand in their face or anything like that,” Schweim said, adding the Sabers played without their all-state caliber player in Matt Zager. “We escaped with that one (win).” Shakopee guard Matt Korthour scored a game-high 25 points and Perkins was kept in check with nine points. Scoring wasn’t as large of a problem for Burnsville as junior guard Devon Knopke led with 17 points and Patrick Rogers added 11 points in the win. Still, Schweim said there is room for improvement on the other end of the floor. “We should love to play against a zone defense like that,” he said. “But we didn’t adjust to their half-court defense in the second half.” PHOTO: Bursnville's Alex Wheeler looks for a chance to put up a shot during Tuesday's non-conference game against Shakopee. Biggest win yet Burnsville pushed its winning streak to five games Tuesday night with its biggest win of the young season, an 81-52 win at Bloomington Kennedy (0-3). Burnsville led the Lake Conference matchup by 11 points at halftime before outscoring the Eagles 45-27 in the second half. Jake Ghizoni led the Blaze with 21 points, tying Kennedy’s Ryan Vikesland who also scored 21 points. The diverse Burnsville attack had five players score nine points or more with Landon Berge adding 13 points, Wheeler had 11 and Jeff Fallat and Plummer each had nine. Eagan After pouring in 93 points in the season-opening win, Eagan (1-3) boys basketball was held to 59 and 65 points twice in the next three losses. Tuesday night the Wildcats fell to Lakeville North (3-2) by the same 70-65 score as the previous game against Chaska on Dec. 12. The loss to Chaska wasn’t for a lack of diversity on offense with four starters scoring at least 13 points, led by Donovan’s 15 points, VonEschen 14, Parsons 13 and Charley Baker 13. Scoring wasn’t as widespread Tuesday night with Baker collecting 25 points, four assists and three steals while VonEschen added 12 points and Matt Hentges scored eight points. Eagan shot 42 percent from the field and made 12-of-17 free throw attempts, but Lakeville North built an eight-point lead that was too tall for Eagan, despite outscoring the Panthers 44-42 in the second half. Jason Olson is at sports.thisweek@ecm-inc.com.

Boys basketball: Unbeaten Blaze keeps on rolling

Submitted by Tom Schardin on December 17, 2008 - 11:26pm.
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By Tom Schardin, Staff Writer

The Burnsville boys basketball team is clicking on all cylinders.

The Blaze is off to an impressive 5-0 start (3-0 in the Lake Confer-ence), following an easy 81-52 win at Bloomington Kennedy on Dec. 16.

Burnsville went into the game on the heels of a 64-59 non-conference triumph versus Shakopee on Dec. 13 and a 72-60 conference victory at Apple Valley on Dec. 11.

“We are very pleased with how we’ve started,” said Blaze coach Bob Schweim. “I said this before; we have a lot of smart kids on this team who know our system and know how to play the game.”

Junior forward Jack Ghizoni led the Blaze in the win over Kennedy with a career-high 21 points.

“Jack was really attacking the rim,” said Schweim. “He’s getting more and more confident. We expect big games like this from him. He’s a starter for us.”

Burnsville was playing without its top scorer in junior Devon Knopke, who missed the game due to an excused absence from school. School rules require a player to be in school on game days in order to play.

Junior guard Landon Berge also had a career high for the Blaze get-ting playing time in Knopke’s absence. He scored 13 points, while senior center Alex Wheeler had 11. Senior guard Jeff Plummer and junior forward Jeff Fallat each had nine points.

Schweim praised the ball-handling skills of Plummer, who was effec-tive in breaking Kennedy’s pressure defense.

“Plummer played very well,” said Schweim. “What he does for us doesn’t always show up in the box score. He’s not a fancy player, but he’s good with the ball and he gets the job done.”

Against Shakopee, Knopke led the Blaze with 17 points, while senior guard Patrick Rogers had 13 and Ghizoni had 11.

Fallat added eight points, while Wheeler had seven.

In the win over Apple Valley, it was Wheeler’s time to shine. He dominated the paint and led the way with 21 points.

Ghizoni added 14 points, while Knopke had 11 and Plummer had nine.

“Apple Valley is a very good team,” said Schweim. “We played them a little different defensively. They have such quick guards, so we backed off our pressure defense and played very good in the half court.”

The Blaze is back on the floor on Friday, Dec. 19 when it plays host to Lakeville South in a conference game at 7:15 p.m.

Burnsville will be at Owatonna in a non-conference game on Monday, Dec. 22 starting at 7:15 p.m

TNL Lands1st International Player

Story to follow

Champlin Park Players Start Season

Jasper Duberry & Kyle Zimmermann start their season ...


The Rebels hit the court for their home opener against the Skippers and one of the biggest story's before the game was whether Prior Lake sophomore transfer Tor Anderson was going to play. Here is what I saw … Tor played the JV game and sat on the bench for the varsity game. WORD has it that he will play on the JV team this year and then be eligible for varsity next year.
The Rebels started Theisen, Duberry, Williamson and Munneke. The teams come out trading baskets with Duberry getting the first 9 points for the Rebels while Tonka’s sophomore phenom Cole Stefan (22 points) answering with 4 of his own. Brandon Marquardt who replaces Duberry is the first other Rebel to score. Their first combined 11 points is a clear indication that the two are to quick for the Tonka guards. Pella picks up a foul and is quickly replaced by Zimmermann who has just finished recouping from an injury.

Theisen who missed his first 4 shots knocks down a couple of long range 3’s and Zimmermann adds a basket to give CP a 19-17 lead. The Skippers go on a late run and take a 43-36 lead into the locker room.

Theisen gets the Rebels back in the game with a couple of 3’s. Tyler Munneke knocks down a 3 to tie the game at 46 and force Minnetonka to call a timeout with 15 minutes left as Duberry goes to the locker room to get treatment for his groin muscle injury.

The Rebels retake the lead at 49-48 behind a long 3 by Theisen and go into a 1-3-1 zone. Duberry returns and hits a deep 3 and the Rebels call timeout down 54-52 with 11 minutes left. Theisen ties the score on the game restart inbound play. The Rebels do not score on their next 5 possessions as Tonka goes up 62-54. The Rebels trade baskets with the Skippers and don’t get any closer and go on to lose 80-72.

Of note …

• Champlin Park unveiled it's brand new scoreboard. The new scoreboard displays points and fouls.
• Sophomore guard Dillon Hager saw some early action in the first half. Dillon is a solid defensive guard who has a relentless nose for the ball.
• Theisen starts the season where he left off last year, dropping 3's, I believe he had 5.
• Zimmermann returns to play in his first game in over two months. He looked a little rusty but had a couple of solid moves to the basket, look for his production to go up as he gets his game body back.
• Duberry who was moved to the point had a few turnovers but his ball pressure on the defense resulted in a number of easy transition baskets and assists.
• The smaller Rebels rebounding by committee (Pella, Zimmermann & Dittrich) was not to bad but gave up a number of second chance opportunities to the bigger Taylor Nelson.
  
  The Box Score:
• Theisen 31
• Duberry 16
• Zimmermann 8
• Munneke 7
• Marquardt 2
• Williamson 2

The myth of the scholarship: A sliver of pie

Kevin Kray, with his parents, Dana and Ann, hoped to get a full-ride scholarship to play baseball at the University of Minnesota. But the former Osseo High School pitching star was surprised to find out the Gophers baseball program has only 11.7 scholarships available, which it splits up amoung up to 35 players.

Most scholarship athletes don't get full rides to college. In fact, many of them get just enough to cover their books and fees.
By JOHN MILLEA, Star Tribune

Shakopee at Burnsville Thoughts (by the Czar)

We end the opening Saturday tour of The Kingdom with a trip to Burnsville for their game against Shakopee. Burnsville also redid their bleachers this season. The color scheme showing BLAZE on 1 side and BHS on the other side. And you can never go wrong as Burnsville has Pizza. Shakopee's Matt Zager injured a knee in their Tuesday opener vs Concordia Academy and didn't play tonight. So Sabers fielded a very young lineup (3 sophs and 2 juniors in the rotation) that featured no starters from last year and no one taller than 6'2.

For Burnsville, they're already 4-0 with home wins over good Lakeville North and Shakopee teams and a nice road win at Apple Valley. Devon Knopke with 17 points to lead the Blaze but the Shakopee zone did a nice job of keeping him out of the lane and creating for others. He was 7-7 from the line but 4 of those were late when Shakopee was playing the catchup game. Patrick Rogers with 3 more triples for 11 points. The Blaze really never got comfortable vs the zone and never got into their running game. Despite the loss of Tarell Clark, the Blaze still look like a force to be reckoned with in the Lake and section 3AAA. The Blaze have a couple of interesting games coming up as they host Lakeville South on Friday and then travel to Owatonna on Dec 22.

Click here to read his entire story ...

Boys basketball: Blaze strong on inside and out

Submitted by Tom Schardin on December 11, 2008 - 3:18pm.Read similar stories filed under:
Burnsville High School Boys Basketball

By Tom Schardin, Staff Writer

The strong inside play of junior Alex Wheeler and the outside marksmanship of senior Patrick Rogers keyed the Burnsville boys basketball team in its Lake Conference opener on Dec. 9.

Wheeler dominated the paint with 24 points and 10 rebounds, while Rogers hit five three-pointers in the second half en route to a 74-73 home win over Lakeville North.

The Blaze, the defending Section 3AAAA champions, headed into the game on the heels of a 68-41 non-conference win at Mankato West in its season opener on Dec. 4.

“Alex had an outstanding game (against Lakeville North),” said Blaze coach Bob Schweim. “He dominated against a bigger front line. He really took it them offensively and was very tough on the boards.”

Rogers scored 15 of 17 points in the second half, from behind the three point line. Schweim said Rogers missed some open looks in the first half, but still had that shooter’s mentality in the final 18 minutes. He kept on shooting.

“I told the team at halftime that Patrick was going to get hot in the second half,” said Schweim. “He did. When he gets it going, he can really shoot the ball.”

Junior Devon Knopke also had 17 points for the Blaze, while junior Jack Ghizoni had 11.
Schweim said the one area of concern was free-throw shooting. The team made only seven of 18 from the charity stripe.

Minnesota: Hopkins Headlines Hoop Contenders

Led by four Division I recruits, Royals are the clear favorite in 4A; Cooper's Rodney Williams a must-see senior.
Posted on: Tuesday, December 09, 2008
By Matt Krumrie MaxPreps.com The 2008 Minnesota boys basketball season is heating up. Here are some storylines to watch; The Starting Five 1. High Expectations at Hopkins: Hopkins is the top-ranked team and favorite in Class 4A, and it’s no surprise. The team has four Division I recruits, and got a big boost when Royce White transferred to the West Metro school from DeLaSalle. White has committed to Minnesota. Other standouts and their college commitments for Hopkins: Guard Ray Cowels (Santa Clara), guard Trent Lockett (Arizona State) and forward Mike Broghammer (Notre Dame). 2. High Expectations, Part II: Or should it be height expectations? Henry Sibley has the tallest front line in the state. The Warriors are led by 6-foot-8 Chris Halvorsen, a Valparaiso recruit, 6-7 Mike Bruesewitz, a Wisconsin recruit, and 7-foot junior Jake Kreuser. The Warriors, who lost to Minnetonka in the big school state finals last season, also have two 6-7 players to come off the bench. 3. Williams Watch: It’s not a “watch” as in watch to see where Cooper standout Rodney Williams will play in college (he has signed with Minnesota), but a “watch” as in he is someone you must watch play this season. The 6-6 forward ranks right up their with the best leapers in the country and looks to help Cooper return to the state tournament. The team went 23-9 last season and all five starters are back. 4. Guards Galore: While many of the above players and teams are led by talented big men, there are many guards who will put up big numbers and play key roles for their teams this season. Among the top guards are: Aaron Anderson of Osseo, Eric Olson of Buffalo, Devon Knopke of Burnsville, Jordair Jett of St. Bernard’s, Zach Towle of Concordia Academy and Marc Sonnen of Tartan, who has signed at Northern Iowa. 5. Washburn Watch: In the past the Minneapolis City Conference has been dominated by Henry and North, but Minneapolis Washburn hopes to change that this season. Washburn is ranked No. 1 in the state in the AAA poll, and is led by 6-6 Division I football recruit Ra’shede Hageman and 6-2 senior guard Cedric Martin. Three to Watch 1. Josh Figini, Chisago Lakes: The 6-9 senior forward went over the 1,000-point mark in his career in style. Figini scored 46 points and had 22 rebounds in a season-opening 78-69 win over Princeton. Figini sent the game to overtime with a three-pointer at the buzzer, and made two more free throws with 1.1 seconds left to send the game into another overtime before CL prevailed. The big man should be a big force this season. 2. Muresuk Mena, Simley: Mena was the quarterback of the Spartans’ back-to-back Classic Suburban Conference championship football teams, and appears to be as talented on the court. The 5-9 Mena scored 19 points in a 76-51 loss to Fridley, and 23 points in a 53-46 win over D.C. Everest of Wisconsin. 3. Nathan Fiscus, CHOF: Fiscus was consistent in the first two games of the season – consistently good. He scored 29 points in the season opener against New Life Academy and 29 points in a game against Orono. Two Hot Too Handle 1. Jordan Hughes, Minneapolis Henry: Hughes didn’t show any early season rust in a 77-59 win over Totino-Grace Friday. He made 10 of 16 three point attempts on his way to 36 points. Not a bad start to the season. 2. Zach Towle, Concordia: Towle showed why he is in the group of the best guards in the state. Like Hughes, he was red hot from beyond the arc against Mahtomedi last week. Towle scored 47 points and made 10 of 17 three-point attempts. Unfortunately for Towle and the Beacons, it was in a losing effort, as Mathomedi won 81-80. Inside the Numbers 93 – Points scored by Eagan in a win over Park of Cottage Grove Friday. Charlie Baker led the Wildcats with 30 points in the win. Baker also had 8 assists and 5 steals in the win. 31 – Points in two games for Southwest Christian forward Caleb Pakert. Pakert also has 25 rebounds in those two games for a two-game average of 15.5 points per game and 12.5 rebounds 12 – Minnesota seniors committed to Division I programs to play college basketball next season. 7 – Steals by Mac Johnson of Lake of the Woods High in a 66-37 loss to Tri-County last week. Johnson also added 14 points, 3 assists and 2 rebounds in the loss.

Jauson Sewer Receives YFG Invite

Jauson Sewer receives invitation to train with and compete with student atheletes from over 25 countries at the Youth Friendship Games, an Olympic-style sports festival in Holland, in July 2009.

ESPN's Rise All Area Minnesota

Champlin Park Rebels Open Their Season Against The State Champs

Champlin Park Rebels

vs.
Minnetonka Skippers

Friday, December 12th, 2008

7:00PM

@

Champlin Park High School

Devon Knopke Off To A Great Start

INDIVIDUAL SCORING LEADERS
	NAME (SCHOOL)	PTS
1	#22 Charley Baker (Eagan)	30
2	#42 Nathan Fiscus (CHOF)	29
3	#32 Devon Knopke (Burnsville)	28
4	#53 Andy Voigt (Park of Cottage Grove)	25
5	#0 Deron Murphy (Bloomington Kennedy)	23
COMPLETE SCORING LEADERS

Turnovers Cost East In Loss To Burnsville - Knopke Scores 28

Mankato East guard Alex Welter tries to escape the defensive pressure of Burnsville’s Jeff Fallat and Jeff Plummer (front) during Thursday’s nonconference game at the East gym. Pat Christman / The Free Press

By Chad Courrier Free Press Staff Writer MANKATO —

Joe Madson knew that his Mankato East boys basketball team would face intense defense in the season-opening game against Burnsville, and he tried going against seven players on defense in practice to simulate the pressure.

But East still committed 25 turnovers in the 68-41 nonconference loss Thursday at the East gym.

“We learned that we have to take care of the ball better,” Madson said. “We knew that was going to be an issue, and you prepare for it, but it’s still difficult. If you can’t beat someone off the dribble once in a while, it’s hard.”

East struggled to get into its offense against the man-to-man and trapping defenses. Burnsville led 16-2 after only six minutes before East answered with six straight, including a 3-pointer by Alex Welter. Another eight-point run allowed Burnsville to lead 32-16 at halftime.

The Blaze still led 40-22 before East had its best stretch of offense. Michael Bornholdt hit a 3-pointer, then Welter hit another. Sam Onsomu and Ken King each scored in the lane, and Bornholdt made another 3-pointer that made it 48-35 with 8:20 to play.

“The good thing about this game is we learned that we can’t play at that pace with a team like that,” Madson said. “Nobody in our league can go up and down like that.”

Burnsville scored nine straight to stretch the margin and coasted to the victory. Devon Knopke finished with 28 points to lead the Blaze, while Patrick Rogers added 13 points, all in the second half. Alex Wheeler had eight rebounds, helping Burnsville to a 41-37 rebounding advantage.

Bornholdt hit three 3-pointers to post a team-high 11 points. Welter also had three 3-pointers for nine points, and Onsomu had eight rebounds to go with six points.

“Sam will play better,” Madson said. “He was too quick to get rid of the ball. We have to play inside-out to open things. We had some good looks that didn’t go in.”

East plays another nonconference home game Saturday against Worthington.

Congrats To Jasper Duberry

TNL would like to congratulate Jasper Duberry for being named one of his high schools (Champlin Park) teams captain.

Devon Knopke Creating Interest @ Augustana

Jasper Duberry Creating Interest @ St Norbert College

Boys' basketball preview: 20 players to watch

StarTribune.com

Last update: December 3, 2008 - 11:03 PM

From A to Z (with college choice, if known)

• Emmanuel Addo, Northfield, 6-8 sr., forward (N. Colorado)

• Mike Broghammer, Hopkins, 6-7 sr., forward (Notre Dame)

• Mike Bruesewitz, Henry Sibley, 6-7 sr., forward (Wisconsin)

• Raymond Cowels, Hopkins 6-3 sr., guard (Santa Clara)

• Sam Dower, Osseo, 6-9 sr., forward (Gonzaga)

• Josh Figini, Chicago Lakes, 6-9 sr., forward

• Chris Halvorsen, Henry Sibley, 6-8 sr., forward (Valparaiso)

• Seantrel Henderson, Cretin-Derham Hall, 6-7 jr., forward

• Jordair Jett, St. Bernard's, 6-2 sr., guard

• Devon Knopke, Burnsville, 6-2 jr., guard

• Trent Lockett, Hopkins, 6-5 sr., guard (Arizona State)

• Evan McMillan, St. Paul Academy, 6-4 jr., forward

• Mike Muscala, Roseville, 6-9 sr., forward (Bucknell)

• Eric Olson, Buffalo, 5-9 sr., guard

• Marc Sonnen, Tartan, 6-3 sr., guard (Northern Iowa)