Saturday, Jan. 2, 2:30 p.m.
Contributed by Ryan James
Apple Valley (MN): Outside of their loss in the mega clash with Hopkins, the Apple Valley Eagles have been dominant this season. They return all of their starting line-up from last year's state championship run and are led by five star junior prospect Gary Trent Jr. (32.6 points and eight rebounds a game) and the Northstar Hoops No. 1 ranked sophomore in Minnesota Tre Jones (13 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists a game). Both Jones and Trent have offers from Duke while Trent also has offers from Arizona, Kansas, Kentucky Michigan State, Ohio State, UCLA, and others. Buffalo-signed senior Brock Bertram is putting up 14.5 points and nine boards a night, senior guard Jordan Bolton is scoring 10 points a game, and senior Cameron Kirksey who is one of the top unsigned seniors in Minnesota. The Eagles have won two of the last three Class AAAA state titles.
Lausanne (TN): Coach Kenneth White's Lausanne Collegiate Lynx will play in six different states this season and is led by 6-foot-9, 282 pound junior big Isaiah Stokes. Stokes has put together a football offer that includes Alabama, Auburn, Cincinnati, Florida State, Memphis, Ole Miss, and Tennessee but he's also a basketball standout. Stokes is the brother of Memphis Grizzlies forward Jarnell Stokes. Playing a national schedule the Lynx dropped two of their first three games of the year. Lausanne is a big team with Stokes, 6-foot-8 senior Michael Manning, and 6-foot-6 Addison Miller all playing up front. Guards Hunter Faulknor and Jesse Neloms are tough juniors that bring speed to the backcourt.
Key Match-Up: Brock Bertram vs Isaiah Stokes.
Brock will have Stokes in the size but Stokes will have the advantage of pounds and this is likely the only time that will happen to Bertram this year. Stokes and Bertram have both been playing for their teams since day one of their freshman years.
Top Prospects:
Apple Valley: Brock Bertram (6-ft-10, Sr, Center), Jordan Bolton (6-ft-0, Sr, Shooting guard), Tre Jones (6-ft-3, So, Point guard), Cameron Kirksey (6-ft-6, Sr, Small forward), Gary Trent Jr (6-ft-5, Sr, Shooting guard)
Lausanne: Isaiah Stokes (6-ft-9, Jr, Center), Hunter Faulkner (5-ft-11, Jr, Point Guard), Jesse Neloms (5-ft-10, Jr, point guard), Camren Taylor (6-ft-3, Jr, shooting guard), Addison Miller (6-ft-6, Sr, power forward), Michael Manning (6-ft-8, Sr, power forward)