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Breakdown Sports Tip Off Classic preview: Benilde-St. Margaret's vs. Cretin-Derham Hall

By Tim Kolehmainen, Breakdown Sports USA, 01/20/11, 11:44AM CST

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5:45 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 22 on the West Gym

Preview


Benilde's Isaiah Zierden

It should be an intense private school battle in the Breakdown Sports Tip Off Classic at Minnetonka as No. 3 AAA Benilde-St. Margaret’s takes on Cretin-Derham Hall.   The Red Knights are one of the most talented teams in the state at any class level, particularly with a deep junior class, and Cretin-Derham Hall also has a strong junior class that is ready for prime time.

Benilde-St. Margaret’s (7-3) returns two senior bigs, has five juniors who are well known for their time on the summer circuit and they added a speedy junior transfer.

Inside, Benilde-St. Margaret’s has the combination of Myles Barnes and Evan Battle who have been playing together for years. Barnes is a strong four man who runs well and has some explosiveness to his game. Battle is an intense four-five man with long arms and a crafty shooting touch. Add in the vast potential of 6-foot-8 long armed forward Kyle Washington (8.2 ppg) and BSM will be very tough to deal with up front. 

The Red Knights can also use Sanjay Lumpkin (10.4 ppg), the son of former Gopher and NFL player Sean Lumpkin, at either forward position. Also on the wing, Benilde-St. Margaret’s has Will Dunn (10.8 ppg), a consistent three point shooter with a high IQ game on both ends of the floor. His brother B.J. Dunn will be a senior wing for the team and could also see valuable minutes.

In the backcourt, Isaiah Zierden (19.3 ppg) is one of 2012’s elite talents because of a beautiful three-point stroke that can be unleashed with just a sliver of space. Zierden, the son of NBA assistant coach Don Zierden, has an incredible feel for the game showing it with his vast knowledge of creating space with the dribble, moving off of and/or around screens, and utilizing supreme footwork. At point guard, former reserve Danon Briggs and transfer Isaiah Gray (from St. John’s Prep in Wisconsin) could be contending for the spot. 

Cretin-Derham Hall (8-3) had a good mix of players last winter, so while it lost graduates Seantrel Henderson, Gus Gehlen and Elliot Owusu, there is still plenty of talent remaining. Henderson, one of the top offensive line recruits in the nation, will be tough to replace as his size under the basket was difficult for foes to contend with, while Gehlen and Owusu had well-rounded games.

But let’s focus on who is back.

Senior guard Raijon Kelly (15.2 ppg) is a dynamic scorer and leaper who will jumpstart the offense. He’s one of the team’s returning veterans, along with a few youngsters who stepped up last season. Juniors Cortez Tillman (11.1 ppg), Taylor Montero (13.8 ppg) and C.J. Neuman (11.7 ppg) all proved capable of leading the next generation of Raiders.

Neumann is a jack-of-all-trades at 6-foot-5, Montero is an athletic wing who should contribute, and 5-foot-8 point guard Tillman is very talented.

Key players


Cretin's Raijon Kelly

Isaiah Zierden, Benilde-St. Margaret’s
Breakdown Sports Top 30 junior

The son of an accomplished coach at many levels, Isaiah’s on-court IQ reflects his father’s teachings.  Zierden is one of the smartest position players The Breakdown has ever seen and it allows him to create space to unleash his deadly shooting stroke.

Raijon Kelly, Cretin-Derham Hall
Breakdown Sports Super 50 senior

As a lead guard Kelly is smooth.  As a two guard he can get his shot off with an array of dribble drive moves.  As a combo guard he’s rock solid. Great talent and the Raiders' leading scorer last winter at 14.0 points per game.

 

 

West Gym schedule

Time Team Team
12:30 p.m. Braham Holy Family
2:15 p.m. St. Cloud Apollo Eden Prairie
4:00 p.m. Waconia Apple Valley
5:45 p.m. Benilde Cretin-DH
7:30 p.m. Minnetonka Lakeville South

East Gym schedule

Time Team Team
12:00 p.m. Shakopee Orono
1:45 p.m. Duluth East MN Transitions
3:30 p.m. Henry Sibley Maranatha
5:15 p.m. Buffalo Marshall
7:00 p.m. Osseo Hopkins

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