Cretin-Derham Hall embraces 'showtime' basketball

It didn't take Ryan Larson long to realize he'd stepped into a dream situation.

A family move precipitated his transfer from Braham, a small-school basketball hotbed north of the Twin Cities, to Cretin-Derham Hall before the start of his junior year. Quick and possessing a crossover dribble that turns legs to noodles, the 5-11 point guard had the skills needed to run the offense for the athletic Raiders, who take the Target Center court Wednesday in the Class 4A bracket of the boys' basketball state tournament.

All he needed was to believe he could do it.

"I didn't really know what I was getting myself into, but I knew what I wanted it to be," Larson said.

With a small-town background, he was hesitant about asserting himself at a bigger school. After all, he was the new guy.

"The coaches brought me into the office and it was like 'You're going to have to be a better leader or it's not going to go how we want.' From that point on, I had to be more vocal and really help the guys out."

Now a senior, Larson has become the conductor who orchestrates Cretin-Derham Hall's up-tempo, rim-rocking attack. He averages just over 10 assists per game, feeding lobs to future Gopher Daniel Oturu for monster dunks. Or dishing to Sy Chatman for soaring drives through the lane, or kicking the ball out for three-pointers from specialist Jaeden King, who has exceptional range.

If those other options aren't available, he'll occasionally race past his defender for a layup at the rim.

"He doesn't surprise me at all," Oturu said. "He can play at a high level. He loves to share the ball and that has made us all happy and better as a team."

It's all part of Cretin-Derham Hall's "Showtime Raiders" persona, a moniker coined by Oturu. The Raiders (27-2), who play with crowd-pleasing flair, finished the regular season ranked No. 1 in the Class 4A rankings and earned the No. 1 seed in the big-school tournament.

Raiders coach Jerry Kline understands such a nickname could be interpreted as cockiness, but it has its advantages.

"Some people might be thinking that this "Showtime" thing is arrogance, but what? They watched the Lakers, they watched the [ESPN] '30-for-30s,' they saw the intensity. There are worse things they can be doing," Kline said. "It motivates them. And that's not a bad thing, not for this team."

The reason?

"It's a confidence piece for me," Chatman said. "Last year, I didn't have the much confidence in myself and my ability. This year, playing with Ryan and Daniel has helped me become a way better player."

On the rare times when the Raiders aren't playing well, invoking their nickname inevitably provides a boost.

"Sometimes we'll be in the huddle and we'll say "We've got to start playing 'Showtime Raiders' basketball," Chatman said. "We're a high-energy team that likes to show people 'Showtime.' "

Last year, with an identical starting lineup to this season, they led eventual champion Apple Valley for the 26 minutes in the quarterfinals. Then they allowed the Eagles to go on a 21-3 second-half run and lost 76-66.

"We've used that as motivation all year," Oturu said. "Motivation to get better. And to keep growing each day."

That attitude, even more than their "Showtime" image, is what Kline likes to hear.

"A great example is Daniel. He doesn't care if he scores five points or 25, he just wants the 'W'," Kline said. "That is the type of unselfish behavior we have. This squad has a lot of talent, no question, but they like each other, they play well together and they always do what's best for the team."