The Czar Checks In ...

Final results from the first day of the inaugural Mister Basketball Minnesota Showcase in Mankato.

Game 1) Magic Red vs WI Blizzard I. 77-41 Blizzard win. Sam Koslowski (17.3 for Menasha St. Mary Central last year ) with 19 points for the Blizzard. I wish this was the top Blizzard team, but this is their 3rd or 4th team. WI Blizzard II is a group of 16s.

Game 2) Lucas Brown's 25 was the top scoring performance of the day. In MSB’s 61-49 win over IBCA Iowa Select II.Game 3) MN Select-Kruger over Western Iowa Knickerbockers 60-36 (no 6'8 Patrick Kurth or Tim Olejniczak for WIK).

Game 4) Magic Black over Heat Select 67-56. 3 guys in dbl figures for each team. Magic’s Jeff Fallat with 14 to lead all scorers. Doug Sewall with Magic Black and not TNL. Elijah Sabah 11 with a pair of triples for Heat Select.

Game 5) IBCA Iowa Select I 58-55 over TC Elite. Edina's Stephen Asp with 24 in a losing effort. Josh Pratt held to 6 points.

Game 6) MN Glory 61-36 over Mitchell Kernels. Nate Miller 19 points for the Glory. Connor Gunderson 10 points.Game 7) SW MN Stars 65-35 over Select-James in a result that surprised me most from this day because of the margin. Jake Kreuser does lead all scorers with 13 points.

Game 8) TNL 66-47 over WI Blizzard II (16s). Devon Knopke 18 points.

Game 9) IBCA Iowa Select II 71-51 over Magic Red.

Game 10) MSB over WI Blizzard I 62-59. Kennedy's Ryan Vikesland with 12 points. 5'8 Nick Whalen with 3 triples and a game high 22 points for the Blizzard. Appears that there was no Zach Vraa for MSB. Drat I want to see him play.

Game 11) Magic Black over Western Iowa Knickerbockers 77-44. Jalen Williams with 16 points to lead 4 players in double figures for Magic Black. Nice to see big Matt Sellers get 13 points. He's done double-duty all summer and many will say he should have played more (at any level) for DLS last year.

Game 12) Heat Select def Select-Kruger 68-65. Nathan Kuck leads Heat Select in scoring again in this one as he had 20. St. Peter's Brodie Raymond with 5 triples and 24 points for Select-Kruger.

Pools A and D (MN Glory, TC Elite, MN Select-James and TNL) all play twice on Saturday. Magic Black and MSB will play their final pool games with a chance to sweep their pools. MN Select-James will likely need 2 wins to finish in the top half of their pool and make the championship bracket. But without the injured Alex Koch (dislocated ankle suffered last weekend at Hamline), a major perimeter threat is lost. I'm rooting for the TC Elite vs Glory game to determine who wins the pool or who advances.