The year will end before the holiday season's best tournament tips off Jan. 5. The Timberwolves Shootout finale features two of Minnesota and the nation's best juniors. Apple Valley's Tyus Jones and Cooper's Rashad Vaughn will meet on the same court for first time during the high school season since being touted as coveted recruits.
Fans won't be turned away for this matchup, which will be played at Target Center as the matinee to a nightcap Timberwolves game.
Three out-of-state teams (Wisconsin, Kansas, Iowa) will match up against highly ranked Roseville, DeLaSalle and Lakeview Christian. DeLaSalle also features another top junior recruit in Reid Travis. Lakeview Christian's Anders Broman is one of Minnesota's all-time leading scorers.
Teams: Chanhassen, Hopkins, St. Paul Johnson, Duluth East, Henry Sibley
Players to watch: Hopkins' Kamali Chambers has done a quality job filling the hole of his Mr. Basketball brother, Siyani. St. Paul Johnson's Quashingm Smith-Pugh is one of the better seniors in the state.
Teams: Bloomington Kennedy, Tartan, Hayfield, Spring Lake Park, Centennial, Rogers, Columbia Heights, Bemidji
Players to watch: Tartan senior Kharie Kirkland scored 24 points in the Titans' upset of Hopkins in the Breakdown Classic. Bloomington Kennedy's Nick Anderson still is trying to prove himself after transferring from Minneapolis Washburn.
Teams: Apple Valley, Osseo, Blake, Becker, Delano, Buffalo, Prior Lake, Rocori, STMA, Sartell, St. Cloud Tech, St. Cloud Apollo
Players to watch: Outstate basketball fans will get a chance to see Apple Valley's top recruit Tyus Jones, along with plenty of other talent in one of the holiday tournament's most impressive field of athletes.
JASON GONZALEZ
Tag(s): Hub Exclusives Star Tribune Lakeview Rocori St. Cloud Apollo St. Cloud Tech Two Rivers Tartan Hayfield Bemidji Duluth East Lake Hopkins Minneapolis Washburn Becker Buffalo Rogers Chanhassen Columbia Heights Spring Lake Park Centennial Osseo St. Paul Johnson Apple Valley Bloomington Kennedy Prior Lake Park of Cottage Grove Roseville Blake DeLaSalle Valley Delano