Grassroots Sizzle missing some big names, but still attracting top talent Gophers eyeing AAU squad that lists Holmgren, Suggs as alumni. May 24, 2021 11:36pm Text size Copy shortlink:
Phones and cameras quickly pointed toward Court 2 at Bloomington Jefferson on Sunday when Demarion Watson-Saulsberry raced under a deflected pass high into the air like a 6-8 wide receiver. He took one dribble before flushing the ball through the rim.
From that spectacular dunk to Braeden Carrington calmly sinking a pair of second-half three-pointers to take the lead, fans watching Grassroots Sizzle saw the AAU program that produced Jalen Suggs and Chet Holmgren go from being on the ropes to erasing a 16-point deficit for the win, improving to 14-1 this spring.
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Demarion Watson-Saulsberry wasn t a starter as a high school sophomore, but he was on a loaded Minnehaha Academy team that featured Jalen Suggs and Chet Holmgren.
After transferring to Totino-Grace last year, the 6-foot-8 wing saw his confidence soar in a bigger role. Now he s among the next in line to break out this summer for a Grassroots Sizzle AAU program once led by Suggs and Holmgren. He s the best prospect in the program right now, Team Sizzle s Brian Sandifer said. His ceiling is so high. He shoots it. He s a big time athlete. And he s starting to understand the sense of urgency he needs to play with.
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When Chet Holmgren committed to Gonzaga earlier this week, it didn t just squash the dreams of the Gophers landing their first five-star recruit in almost two decades. It was the end of an era.
The 7-foot Minnehaha Academy senior and No. 1-ranked prospect in the Class of 2021 was one of seven players ranked five stars the state of Minnesota produced since 2017, with at least one per year.
Next year s in-state class is deep with Division I talent but 2022 and beyond right now lacks that same type of national star power. There are no elite, five-star kids in 2022, Prep Hoops national recruiting analyst Ryan James said. You could tell Matthew Hurt, Chet, Jalen [Suggs] and Tre and Tyus [Jones] were five-star kids early in their careers.
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When Chet Holmgren committed to Gonzaga earlier this week, it didn t just squash the dreams of the Gophers landing their first five-star men s basketball recruit in almost two decades. It was the end of an era.
The 7-foot Minnehaha Academy senior and No. 1-ranked prospect in the Class of 2021 was one of seven players ranked five stars the state of Minnesota produced since 2017, with at least one per year.
Next year s in-state class is deep with Division I talent but 2022 and beyond right now lacks that same type of national star power. There are no elite, five-star kids in 2022, Prep Hoops national recruiting analyst Ryan James said. You could tell Matthew Hurt, Chet, Jalen [Suggs] and Tre and Tyus [Jones] were five-star kids early in their careers.