Minnesota Scene: Minnehaha Academy game featuring Bronny James moved to Target Center

A nationally televised basketball game between Minnehaha Academy and Los Angeles' Sierra Canyon on Jan. 4 is being moved to Target Center because of strong fan interest in attending. Sierra Canyon's highly recruited lineup includes Bronny James Jr., the son of LeBron James.

The 7 p.m. game, to be shown on ESPN, was originally scheduled at Minnehaha Academy's new gym.

Also that day, Redhawks senior Jalen Suggs is expected to announce his college plans. Suggs, who recently was named 2019 Minnesota Mr. Football, is also a top 10 college basketball recruit.

JIM PAULSEN

Minnehaha Academy wide receiver Terry Lockett Jr. has made a verbal commitment to Michigan State.

Lockett returned to Minnehaha Academy this year after spending his junior year playing basketball for Spire Academy in Ohio. He also had offers from Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Purdue, Rutgers and Cincinnati, but Michigan State had long been the front-runner.

Lockett finished the season with 53 catches for 1,030 yards and 14 touchdowns for the three-school co-op program SMB Wolfpack, which was upset by Rocori in the Class 4A championship game.

For the first time in her career, Gophers junior Destiny Pitts is the Big Ten basketball player of the Week. Pitts averaged 21 points, 7.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game as the Gophers went 2-0.

In an 83-50 win at George Washington on Tuesday, Pitts made six three-pointers to finish with 20 points, her 20th career game with at least that many. She also tied a career high with seven assists.

Pitts leads the Gophers (and is fourth in the Big Ten) in scoring at 15.6 points per game, and is second on the team at 4.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists per contest. She leads the league and ranks 14th nationally by shooting 90.9 percent at the free throw line and is second in the conference in three-point attempts (67), three-pointers made (30), three-pointers made per game (3.0) and three-point percentage (44.8).

Augustana's Jake Lacina was awarded the Rimington Trophy as the top center in Division II football. Lacina, a senior from St. Paul who played at Cretin-Derham Hall, started 45 consecutive games for the Vikings. He also has been chosen first-team All-America by the AFCA.