Home | Sports | Prep Sports
Skippers get shot at 4A crown
Minnetonka, led by a close group of seniors, vowed to play all the way to the end of this season after a disappointing finish a year ago. Thursday's victory over St. Cloud Tech guaranteed them a shot at a state title.
Print this story
E-mail this story
Save to del.icio.us
Share on newsvine
Share on Digg
Putting together a competitive high school basketball team is actually not much different than choosing up sides on the playground. First pick is all about talent.
From there, if you can find guys who know how to play, and are willing to do it within a team concept? Bring on all comers.
Welcome to Minnetonka coach John Hedstrom's world.
The top-ranked Skippers overwhelmed St. Cloud Tech 83-59 in the semifinals of the Class 4A tournament Thursday at Target Center behind a starting five comprised of five seniors. Two other seniors -- former starters -- are key contributors off the bench.
Most of them are between 6-3 and 6-7, making them both long as well as long in the tooth by high school standards. Minnetonka's season could well end with a victory Saturday, but could anyone blame Hedstrom if he didn't want it to end at all?
Anthony Tucker, a 6-5 guard headed for Iowa, hit four three-pointers to lead the Skippers with 25 points. C.J. Erickson, a 6-6 post player headed for Evansville, made his presence felt at both ends of the court with 24 points and six blocks.
No one is conceding the title to Minnetonka, but the Skippers are what champions are made of.
"These kids have looked at this as an expectation of theirs ever since we were nationally ranked at the beginning of the year," Hedstrom said. "To be here, yes it was exciting, but it is something we expected."
Hedstrom has watched Tucker evolve from a spot-up shooter into a guard who can also find his way to the basket. Erickson, Tyler Schilling (6-6) and Sedrick McBounds (6-7) all can rebound and score down low.
Three of Erickson's six blocks came in the opening three minutes of the game, sending a message the Tigers didn't want to receive.
"It is that, 'Not in my house' mentality," Erickson said.
"C.J. plays so big for his size," Hedstrom said. "He set the school record for blocks [last season] and tripled it this year. He plays with great passion.
"He's one of the nicest kids, too. He's very humble, a good teammate and a good friend to a lot of people."
That friendship is particularly strong among the players. According to Erickson, six of the Skippers also play together in the summer in AAU basketball.
"We've traveled together, we've worked out together, we're a very close group," he said.
Minnetonka started five juniors on last year's team, which lost in overtime to Bloomington Jefferson in the Section 2 final. A year later, those five join the three other seniors on the team in feeling this is their time.
"We all got together and decided this is where we wanted to be this year," Tucker said. "And that we'd do whatever it takes to get there."
Hedstrom's pride will be showing come Saturday, win or lose.
"They're wonderful guys," he said. "I'm going to miss them. We extended the season to the end, and it's going to be fun to see them on Saturday night."
Dean Spiros • dspiros@startribune.com
Featured comment
Sounds to me like the NLS Wildcats. They are an ausome team too. No one star, all can play. Do outstate teams get recognized at the state … read more tournaments?Lets see some press on the NLS Wildcats........
Add your own comment | Close comment