Cretin-Derham Hall forward Tommy Ahneman (32) and Alexandria forward Chase Thompson (3) were opponents in December. This weekend they will be teammates on an assembled club team of Minnesota's best. (Alex Kormann/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Top Minnesota basketball seniors Nolan Groves and Chase Thompson were only a couple of months removed from battling on opposing high school teams in the Class 3A state semifinals at Williams Arena when they found themselves in the same group chat this week.

Several high-profile players across the state discussed joining forces on a super team to challenge a national AAU squad known as Rod Wave Elite in this weekend’s Prep Hoops Battle at the Lakes tournament with 500 teams in town from the 15U through 17U levels.

“I was at school and heard from my friends that RWE Elite was coming to Minnesota,” said Groves, a Star Tribune All-Minnesota selection and guard at Orono who recently signed with Texas Tech. “I talked to guys about putting a team together. We had jerseys made. It’s a cool opportunity. We’re going to come together with that talent we have here in Minnesota and try to beat a national powerhouse.”

For more on Rod Wave Elite and this weekend's Prep Hoops Battle at the Lakes, click here to read this story on startribune.com.