Knopke & Sewer All Tournament

Congratulations to Devon Knopke and Jauson Sewer for making the 2009 Mr. Basketball All Tournament team.

Knopke Creating Interest At Bemidji State

Blaze Too Hot For Wildcats

Photo by Rick Orndorf
Eagan’s Ben Sicoli, No. 32, tries to pass the ball to teammate Ryan Donovan, No. 33, while Burnsville’s Hunter Winey, No. 33, and Devon Knopke, No. 32, defend.

The Burnsville boys basketball team continued to blaze through the Lake Conference schedule with a convincing 81-59 victory over Eagan on Jan. 20. Burnsville got off to an insurmountable 40-19 lead by halftime giving Eagan little chance to catch up. Four players were in double figures for the Blaze. Devon Knopke led with 17 points. Jack Ghizoni put together 15 points, Jeff Fallat had 14 and Alex Wheeler 10. Eagan’s Ryan Donovan did what he could with 16 points. Charley Baker had 12 and Tom Bloomquist had 11. Burnsville remains in the hunt for the Lake Conference title. The victory over Eagan puts the Blaze’s conference record at 6-2 with losses to Eastview and Bloomington Jefferson. Eden Prairie has the lead with one loss with a big showdown at Burnsville on Friday, Jan. 23.

The Lightning Overcome The Blaze

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Eastview Lightning boys basketball squad stole a win on the road at Burnsville Friday night, 83-72. With a balanced scoring attack for the Lightning, defensively they shut down the Blaze top performer, Devon Knopke. Karl Otto paced the Lightning with 23 points, followed by Drew Bjordahl with 16, Andrew McLean with 14, and Drew Johnson and Vinard Birch with 13. Eastview turns right back around tonight with a home contest against Cretin Derham Hall, a 7:15 start. Go Lightning!

Boys Basketball Burnsville 89 John Marshall 83

1/17/2009 7:40:02 PM

Rochester John Marshall made a season-high 10 three-pointers but it wasn't enough to keep the Rockets from dropping a non-conference boys basketball game 89-83 to No. 10-ranked Burnsville Saturday afternoon at the JM gym.

Burnsville jumped on top early and built a 13-point lead by halftime, leaving the Rockets to play catch-up again. JM cut Burnsville's lead from 29 points down to six in the closing minutes, but the rally wasn't enough. JM dropped to 3-9 overall with its third straight loss. "Considering they're the No. 10 team in the state, it wasn't too bad," JM coach Richard Cain said. He said slow starts have been a habit for his Rockets.

"We've been digging ourselves a hole in the first half; we seem to want to see how good the other team is first, before we react," he said. "We're relying on the three-point shot a bit too much; we've been getting one shot and then we're done."

Senior forward Zach Smith led JM with 22 points, and senior forward Matt Miller added 13 and made four of JM's 10 three-pointers. Junior forward Robert Marshall came off the bench to play tough defense, Cain noted.

Burnsville had an important 8-point edge at the free-throw line, and the Blaze made 22 of 24 attempts. Junior guard Devon Knopke led Burnsville with 26 points.

Cain said that he is still using nine to 11 players regularly each game, still looking for "that right mix". JM returns to conference action Friday at Albert Lea.

BURNSVILLE (89)
Jeff Fallat 14, Jeff Plummer 11, Patrick Rogers 9, Jack Ghizoni 7, Devon Knopke 26, Hunter Winey 2, Landon Berge 3, Alex Wheeler 15, Kyle Johnson 2.

JOHN MARSHALL (83)

Jordan Stokes 5, Nate Miller 10, Justin Behnke 8, Matt Miller 13, Joe Moen 8, Abdi Ahmed 6, Guelord Mpagazihe 1, Kirby Reeping 0, Robert Marshall 1, Zach Smith 22, Ryan Rushton 6.

Halftime: Burnsville 42, JM 29.

Free throws: Burnsville 22-24, JM 14-27.

Three-pointers: Burnsville 2 (Rogers 1, Bardger 1), JM 10 (Stokes 1, Nate Miller 1, Behnke 1, Matt Miller 4, Smith 1, Rushton 2).

Full-Court Press Carries Blaze Past Irish

JOHN MILLEA

For the Burnsville boys' basketball team, the best offense Tuesday night was stout defense. The Blaze, ranked No. 8 in Class 4A, leaned on a full-court press to hold off Rosemount 74-68 in a Lake Conference game at Rosemount.

Burnsville (8-2, 5-1 Lake) began the day sharing first place with Chaska and Eden Prairie. But Rosemount (5-6, 3-4), which had won four in a row, gave the Blaze all it wanted.

The key stretch began with 7 1/2 minutes to play when Burnsville applied the press. Rosemount went scoreless for nearly five minutes as a four-point Irish lead was turned into a six-point margin for Burnsville. The Blaze is a balanced offensive team with four players averaging in double figures, and five players scored during Burnsville's decisive 10-0 run.

Alex Wheeler and Patrick Rogers led Burnsville with 20 points each, and Devon Knopke had 18. Four Irish players reached double figures, led by Toriano Tatum, who had 17 off the bench.

Rosemount's winning streak had been fueled in part by Zach Vraa. In the previous four games he had scored 27, 34, 23 and 31 points. This time, however, Vraa was held to 12 points.

BLOOMINGTON JEFFERSON 80, BURNSVILLE 73:

The Alipate brothers teamed up to hand Burnsville its first loss of the season. Sophomore guard Marcus had 22 points and senior forward Moses added 17, lifting the Jaguars over Class 4A, No. 8 Burnsville in the Lake. The Jaguars had four players in double figures. Burnsville junior guard Devon Knopke scored a game-high 30 points.

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.

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

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.

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.

Devon Knopke Creating Interest @ Augustana

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)

This Week Live

Knopke, Wheeler set to guide Blaze back to state basketball tourney

Tuesday, 25 November 2008

Burnsville needs offense after losing all-state scorer from last season’s section title team

by Jason Olson
Thisweek Newspapers

As an encore from appearing in the state boys basketball tournament, Burnsville returns two starters from its 2007-08 Section 3AAA championship team. The Blaze bring back junior guard Devon Knopke and senior post player Alex Wheeler.

Click here to read the rest of the article

Breakdown Preview: Burnsville Blaze

Breakdown & Preps Staff

Fact Sheet: Burnsville
Conference: Lake
Nickname: Blaze
Enrollment: 2984
Record: 14-6, 20-10
State Trips: 2004, 08
Coach: Doug Boe and Bob Schweim

Team Breakdown

TOP PLAYERS
Name - Gr - Ht - P - Pts - Reb
Devon Knopke jr. 6-3 G 12.3
Patrick Rogers sr. 6-0 G 6.0
Jack Ghizoni jr. 6-2 F 4.2
Alex Wheeler sr. 6-5 F 7.7

TEAM SUMMARY
Burnsville will be minus Tarell Clark but they will still be able to run their all out Blazing offense behind talented offensive creator Knopke. The 6-foot-3 junior is a smooth player with the ability to create for both himself and his teammates.

Ghizoni is looking to have a breakout year himself and seniors Wheeler and Rogers provide experience, stability, and two more regulars from last year's deep line-up.

Co-coach Bob Schweim expects the Blaze to play an up-tempo game with a good mix of shooters, drivers and defenders.

Coach's comment: "This year's seniors have only lost 10 games in the last two years and we have a ton of returning experience, this should be a solid team. It has to make up for the individual loss of Tarell Clark."

Did you know? Schweim listed Eastview as his school's biggest rival and Eden Prairie as the toughest road gym. Jefferson's Cole Aldrich (2007) is the best player he's coached against.

Ryan Amoroso (2004) is the school's leading career scorer and rebounder, while Clark (2008) graduated as the top player in career assists.

Click here to order your copy of the Breakdown Basketball Preview.