Your high school basketball options for Wednesday evenings are limited, but this Hope Academy game at Cristo Rey Jesuit could be a nice little gem for junkies of the sport.
Two of the state's leading scorers and one of the state's best rebounders will be on display in a Twin Cities Athletic Conference Division I showdown at the school just off Interstate 35W and Lake Street in Minneapolis.
Caleb Hoilien, a 6-5 junior swingman for Hope Academy, enters with a 25.0-point scoring average — and is sixth in scoring in the state this season with 422 points (as listed on the MN Basketball Hub), while forward Samuel Ojebode has a state-best 229 rebounds (16.4 rpg) for the Lions (7-8, 4-2).
Junior guard James Sommer leads the Pumas (11-6, 7-0) with his 24.8-point scoring average and has amassed 375 point on the year. His average dipped a bit last Friday when he scored 17 points in a 75-63 victory over Nova Classical.
Cristo Rey Jesuit won 75-51 when the teams met at Hope Academy on Jan. 11 despite 31 points from Sommer (on 25 field goal attempts). Hoilien paced the Lions in the win with 24 points (with six three-pointers on 18 attempts).
It's not the outcome that’s the treat on Wednesday; it's the chance to see a few of the state's better players who might be considered under the radar.