JAMIL JACKSON JR.
Minneapolis North • basketball
Two years of living with the disappointment of missing potential game-winning shots in the final seconds of section championship games in back-to-back seasons for Jackson came to end Saturday as the Polars pulled away to defeat Goodhue 68-45 in the Class 1A state championship game.
Jackson, a 6-foot-6 senior forward, finished with 43 points, 18 rebounds and 6 blocked shots in three games. He punctuated a terrific tournament with a resounding coast-to-coast, highlight-reel dunk in the championship game.
"I think about those shots," Jackson had said before the tournament. "I think about what I could have done differently. I want to win a state championship more than anything. I think about it every day."
Having exorcised his demons from the two previous seasons, the low-key Jackson broke into a huge grin in the post-game press conference when asked about how it felt to finally get that state title
"It's unreal," he said. "It's so unreal. It's just ... I don't have any words for it. It's crazy."
BROOKE BOWLIN
Holy Family • basketball
The junior guard scored 12 points in a 49-40 victory over Providence Academy in the Class 2A, Section 5 semifinals. She had a career-high 26 points and added 10 rebounds in a 69-60 overtime victory over Annandale in the finals.
XAVIER JOHNSON
Hopkins • basketball
The leading scorer and most pivotal player in the Royals' run to the Class 4A title, the senior guard sparked game-defining runs in victories over Apple Valley in the semifinals and Lakeville North in the finals. He finished with 54 points in three games.
