Eden Prairie vs. Wayzata

7:15 p.m., Friday, Jan. 10

Wayzata coach Bryan Schnettler looks at top-ranked and unbeaten Eden Prairie's lineup and sees what every opposing coach sees — a senior group of experienced, talented, dedicated and joyful basketball players.

But he also sees a matured reflection of his own team.

A cursory look at the standings makes that seem improbable. The Eagles (10-0, 1-0) are ranked No. 1 in Class 4A by Minnesota Basketball News from Jan. 1, and Wayzata (2-8, 0-0) is trying to bounce back after losing its first six games of the season. 

That intrigue is part of what makes this our Top Game of the Week.

"Our group is kind of what [Eden Prairie was] a couple of years ago," Schnettler said. "We hope to be at that place where they're at now in a couple of years."

As sophomores two years ago, Eagles starters Austin Andrews (17.1 points per game), Drake Dobbs (17 ppg), Connor Christensen (12.4 ppg), John Henry (9.7 ppg) and Miles Frisch (7.2 ppg) won the Class 4A, Section 6 championship and reached the third-place game at the state tournament.

This year's Trojans were ranked No. 9 in Class 4A entering this season, but key injuries and a late start from a number of players on Wayzata's 2019 Class 6A Prep Bowl championship football team led to their disastrous start.

Camden Heide, a 6-foot-6 sophomore who expected to be the centerpiece of the Trojans' lineup, missed the first five games and much of the sixth with an injury. Eddie Beeninga, a junior, missed the first seven games due to injury.

Schnettler said his squad, at last intact, will soon be the team many expected at the start of the season. In Heide's first full game back on Dec. 27, the Trojans upset No. 3-4A Cretin-Derham Hall 83-74. 

"We're getting a lot closer to the team we're going to be," Schnettler said.

With Heide and Beeninga back in the lineup, alongside teammates such as 6-foot-8 sophomore Carter Bjerke (17.2 ppg), sophomore Drew Berkland (9.6 ppg) and senior Kody Williams (13.9 ppg), the Trojans should be a much tougher test for Eden Prairie than the average 2-8 team.