Day 1 results: Albany, Goodhue advance in 2A; Apple Valley notches 4A upset of Wayzata
Strib VarsityThursday’s Class 4A semifinals are set. It will be Maple Grove vs. Apple Valley and Chaska vs. Tartan on Thursday.
By Marcus Fuller, Cassidy Hettesheimer and Grace Praxmarer
The Minnesota Star Tribune
The first day of the Minnesota high school boys basketball tournament is in the books after six games at Target Center.
Albany blitzed Jackson County Central 84-49 in Tuesday’s second Class 2A quarterfinal game after Goodhue advanced by beating Perham 70-49.
Earlier Tuesday Apple Valley, the seventh seed in Class 4A, upset defending champion Wayzata 75-73. That link includes video highlights.
The Eagles will face Maple Grove, which defeated Alexandria. Chaska beat Lakeville South and will play No. 1 Tartan in the semifinals Thursday. Tartan advanced with a 72-44 win over Blaine.
See updates from the opening day of the boys basketball state tournament below, and visit Strib Varsity’s boys basketball hub for scores, schedules and stories.
Here’s more of what you need to know about the tournament:
- Meet the 2026 Strib Varsity All-Minnesota boys basketball team and Player of the Year: Christian Wiggins of Wayzata
- Liberty Classical moves from smallest gym to Minnesota basketball’s biggest stage
- Meet a dozen boys basketball players looking to lead their teams to a state title
- Predicting the boys basketball state tournament: Picks for all four brackets
. . .
2A final: Albany 85, Jackson County Central 49
After a timeout with seven minutes left in the second half, Albany and Jackson County Central stepped away from their benches with very different attitudes.
JCC players slowly walked back onto the court. Albany had energy, a pep in its step. Both teams already knew the game was over.
Albany then finished an 85-49 victory in the Class 2A quarterfinals at Target Center.
“There’s like five games where you probably play your absolute best, and tonight was one of those,” Albany coach Grant Johnson said.
“We were really sharp defensively from the opening tip, and I thought that really kind of gave us some confidence and a boost on both sides of the basketball.”
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Albany’s 10-0 run to open the first was all it needed to take — and control — the game. From there, the Huskies ran with it. They outscored JCC 44-26 in the second half, shooting 57% from three.
Jaxson Austin led Albany (25-6) with 20 points, while Weston Rowe had 15 for JCC (25-7).
Albany, the fifth seed, goes on to face No. 1 Goodhue in the semifinals Friday. Johnson said the Wildcats are the most complete, talented team Albany has seen so far this season.
2A: Albany running away from Jackson County Central
Albany has scoring from eight players as it is rolling to victory over Jackson County Central at Target Center.
It’s 69-37 midway through the second half.
Albany has capitalized on turnovers, getting nine points off four second-half steals.
Though JCC has seen slightly improved shooting efficiency, Albany’s defense has held the Huskies to fewer shot attempts and 0-for-5 from three.
Albany’s Jaxson Austin has 18 points and Ashton Olson 14.
— Grace Praxmarer
2A: At halftime, it’s Albany 41, Jackson County Central 23
Where is Jackson County’s big man, Roman Voss? The guy who averages 27 points per game? Right now the senior Gophers football commit is shooting 1-for-5 from the field and has only three points.
Albany’s defense has put the clamps on JCC, which is shooting only 34%.
The other difference?
JCC committed seven fouls in the first half, allowing Albany to shoot 8-for-9 from the free-throw line.
Jaxon Austin has 10 points for Albany, and Weston Rowe leads JCC with 11.
- Grace Praxmarer
Class 2A: Albany grabs huge early lead
Jackson County Central had six early turnovers, and Albany went on a 10-0 run to take control of the Class 2A quarterfinal.
Albany leads 28-9 in the first half. The Huskies made eight of the first 12 shots and got nine points from players off the bench.
Ashton Olson has six points and Braeden Justin five for Albany.
The early lead has triggered a more aggressive playing style from Jackson County Central, which sent Albany to the free-throw line three times.
JCC went scoreless for more than five minutes.
— Grace Praxmarer
2A, pregame: Jackson County Central vs Albany
For those who follow March Madness, closely seeded matchups are always the most fun — and this one, between No. 4 Jackson County and No. 5 Albany, should be no exception.
The fourth-seeded Jackson County Huskies (25-6) have won 17 of their last 18 games and will face fifth-seeded, defending state champion Albany (24-6) in the second Class 2A quarterfinal of the night at Target Center.
Albany heads into the tournament after winning 13 of its past 14 games, led by 6-foot-3 senior Ashton Olson, who averages 18 points per game. He’s followed by Jaxson Austin and Braeden Justin, who are also averaging double-figure points.
While the teams are closely matched in scoring abilities, only one team has a standout and that’s JCC’s 6-foot-4 Roman Voss. Voss, who is committed to the University of Minnesota for football, is averaging an electric 27 points per game.
Albany entered the tournament ranked No. 10 in the final state coaches poll and punched its fourth consecutive trip to the state tournament.
— Grace Praxmarer
2A final: Goodhue 70, Perham 49
Top-seeded Goodhue continued a dominant season, racing to a lopsided victory over Perham to extend its winning streak to 23.
The Wildcats won 70-49 at Target Center to move to Friday’s Class 2A semifinals. They got an elite performance from their starting lineup, with four players scoring in double digits.
Alex Loos recorded 20 points, Luke Roschen added 17, Michael Roschen 10 and Cody Ryan 11 for Goodhue (30-1). The Cats led 36-18 at halftime.
“This year, for whatever reason, we kind of crank it up in the second half, but we challenged them this whole week of, ‘Let’s be a two-half team, and let’s not wait for them to punch us. Let’s be the puncher,’” said Goodhue coach Matt Halverson.
”We have a mantra, as cliché as it is: We want to care about just that next game. And so whether it’s JCC [Jackson County Central] or Albany, we’re going to focus just on that game and not look ahead."
Isaiah Farrell and Cypress Thiel both had 10 points for eighth-seeded Perham (18-13).
— Grace Praxmarer
“OK, Steph Curry” ... Iversen leads Maple Grove past Alexandria in 4A quarterfinal
Maple Grove senior guard Max Iversen knew by his first shot — a three-point jumper just under three minutes into the Crimson’s Class 4A quarterfinal against Alexandria — that today would be a good shooting day.
“I was a little nervous. You know, shooting at Target Center is always different,” said Iversen, a transfer from Delano who led Maple Grove in scoring this season, averaging 19.8 points per game. “But warmups felt good. Hit the first shot, and then it was going to be a good night for all of us.”
The 6-foot-3 North Dakota State commit finished with a game-high 41 points in No. 3 Maple Grove’s 82-65 win over No. 6 Alexandria at Target Center. Maple Grove will face No. 7 Apple Valley in Thursday night’s semifinals, with a shot at reaching the state title game for the first time since 2000.
Iversen was the Crimson’s go-to player as Alexandria, outmatched in size against the Maple Grove’s bigs, tried to tend to Maple Grove’s shooters while clogging up the lane against 7-foot-1 post Jack Thelen.
“They’re a big team, not only interior but on their wings as well. We knew that we needed to be very good on the glass,” Alexandria coach Forrest Witt said. Still, Maple Grove outrebounded Alexandria 37-19. “And when they shot the ball like that, when Iversen shot the ball like that, it was very difficult to overcome that and try to really sag in and be solid inside but also outside.”
Iversen finished 6-for-10 from three-point range, a few of his shots from deep coming well beyond both the high school arc and the NBA three-point arc on the Target Center court.
After the game, when asked just how long range a shot would have to be for Iversen to question shooting the ball, he mulled it over. His answer — “I’d say ... when we get to half court” — got a few laughs and prods of “Okay, Steph Curry,” from teammate Baboucarr Ann standing to his right.
The Crimson finished 12-for-21 from three as a team, with senior Henry Knutson 4-for-7 from three as part of his 14-point, 10-rebound double-double.
“When Henry started hitting them, we all started, it’s contagious, so seeing the first couple go in, I think that was huge for us,” Iversen said. Even Ann, who finished with 11 points, got in on the three-point action with a second-half bank shot in front of the Maple Grove bench.
“I think you got to pick your poison with us, because we can hit you on all three levels,” Maple Grove head coach Nick Schroeder said. “If we’re shooting the ball extremely well, people have to come out and potentially double our guys coming off the ball screens, and that just opens up our interior game.”
— Cassidy Hettesheimer
2A: Goodhue dominates first half
Luke Roschen hit three of his four three-point attempts as Goodhue roared out to a 36-18 halftime edge over Perham.
Luke’s cousin, Michael Roschen, and Alex Loo both have eight points for the Wildcats. Cody Ryan has seven and Luke’s brother Owen has four as the Goodhue starters have scored all their team’s points.
Perham scoring leader Cypress Thiel has only five points; he averages 18 per game.
— Grace Praxmarer
2A: Slow start for Perham
Only minutes in, Goodhue has the upper hand.
The Wildcats opened the game on a 6-0 run and lead 20-7, shooting 50% from three.
Luke and Michael Roschen have combined for 14 points, with Alex Loo adding six.
The Yellowjackets are struggling to handle the ball ... and make baskets. They are shooting 3-for-11 and have committed five turnovers.
— Grace Praxmarer
2A, pregame: Goodhue vs Perham
Goodhue’s path to the Class 2A state tournament has been dominant on paper. The Wildcats are entering the tournament on a 22-game winning streak and with a 29-1 overall record. But this could be deceptive.
After winning back-to-back Class 1A titles, they made the jump to 2A competition, where they will make their debut tonight. So, how will their success translate against deeper rosters? That question gets answered against Perham (18-12), a team is making its first state tournament appearance since 2023.
Perham enters the program’s first matchup against Goodhue averaging 68 points per game. The Yellowjackets are led by 6-foot-4 Cypress Thiel, who averages a team-high 18 points per game, along with senior Nathan Rustad and sophomore Isaiah Farrell, who each add 14.
Goodhue, which is averaging 83 points per contest, is led by brothers Luke and Owen Roschen, who contribute 23 and 14 points per game, respectively. The Wildcats also feature 6-2 Alex Loos, who averages 20 points per game while shooting 52% from three-point range.
— Grace Praxmarer
4A: Crimson return to 4A semis
No. 3 Maple Grove is back in the state semifinals after pulling away in the second half for a 82-65 quarterfinal win over No. 6 Alexandria, last year’s Class 3A state champ.
Maple Grove All-Minnesota senior guard Max Iversen led with a game-high 41 points, a pick-your-poison of Crimson scorers. The North Dakota State commit shot 15-for-23 from the field and 6-for-10 from the three-point arc.
Senior wings Henry Knutson and Baboucarr Ann combined for 25 points for the Crimson, while senior post Jack Thelen grabbed a team-high 12 boards to help Maple Grove outrebound Alexandria 37-19. Knutson had 10 of those rebounds for MG.
Senior guard Talan Witt scored 24 points to lead the Cardinals. He was 8-for-10 from the field and 4-for-5 from three.
Maple Grove will face No. 7 Apple Valley in Thursday’s 4A semifinals, with the Crimson hoping to reach the state championship game for the first time since 2000.
— Cassidy Hettesheimer
4A: Cardinals get help at the line
Alexandria has been able to get to the foul line to keep hopes of a comeback alive, but the Cardinals trail 68-59 with 5:29 to play. A three-point play from Myles Gray injected Alexandria with some momentum, and Gavin Roderick sank a pair of free throws on the next possession. He’s up to 13 points for the Cardinals, who are 8-for-11 from the free throw line. However, two Cardinals have had less luck with the whistle — Mason Witt and Thomas Hinrichs each have four personal fouls.
— Cassidy Hettesheimer
4A: Crimson winning board battle
With 7:42 to go, Alexandria called a timeout. The Cardinals can’t seem to chip Maple Grove’s lead back into single digits, trailing 67-53. The Crimson are outrebounding Alexandria 30-12, led by eight boards each for Jack Thelen and Henry Knutson and five in 10 minutes off the bench for Matthew Perusse. That tilt is even more severe, 12-0, on the offensive glass, and Maple Grove has a dozen more shot attempts than the No. 6 seed. With the teams shooting similar splits, that’s a numbers game.
— Cassidy Hettesheimer
4A: Ann finds his groove
Maple Grove, up 58-46 over Alexandria, is 10:52 away from booking its return ticket to the Class 4A semifinals, where the Crimson fell to Cretin-Derham Hall last season. After being held to just two points in the first half, All-Minnesota junior guard Baboucarr Ann has scored the Crimson’s last six points to keep Maple Grove ahead.
— Cassidy Hettesheimer
4A: Crimson go guard-heavy
A Henry Knutson three-pointer gave Maple Grove its first double-digit lead of the game at 50-39 with 14:41 to play. Alexandria’s defense is still making it tough for the Crimson to find Baboucarr Ann and Jack Thelen early in the second half. Ann and Thelen are a combined 3-for-9 from the floor. The Cardinals’ 6-foot-3 Myles Gray contested Thelen (7-foot-1) in the paint on two missed baskets, grabbing the rebound and turning that into a Gavin Roderick three-pointer on the other end of the court.
Crimson guard Max Iversen already has four early points in the second half (up to 27 total) to keep Maple Grove’s lead intact.
— Cassidy Hettesheimer
4A: Crimson ahead at half
At halftime, No. 3 seed Maple Grove leads No. 6 Alexandria 40-34 in the day’s final 4A quarterfinal. It’s been a close one, with no team leading by double digits at any point in the first half.
Alexandria has managed to keep two of Maple Grove’s three leading scorers — Baboucarr Ann and Jack Thelen — quiet, with the pair combining for just six first-half points. Senior guard Max Iversen has been another story. The North Dakota State commit has a game-high 23-points, capped by a falling three-pointer from well behind Target Center’s NBA arc with 1:33 left to play in the first half.
For Alexandria, senior guard Talan Witt has 18 first-half points, shooting 4-for-5 from three. Maple Grove, with size on its side, is out-rebounding the Cardinals 17-8, including 6-0 on the offensive glass. The tough deal is if you pay attention to the Crimson’s size inside, Iversen or Henry Knutson (11 points, six rebounds, 3-for-4 from three) will make you pay from deep.
— Cassidy Hettesheimer
4A: Lights-out for senior guards
With 4:36 to play play in the first half, Maple Grove leads 34-28. There’s no lack of talent on the floor in this 4A quarterfinal, but down the back stretch of the first half, it’s turned into somewhat of a shooting duel between the teams’ senior guards. Max Iversen has 17 points for Maple Grove, he’s 3-for-4 from the three-point line and 7-for-9 from the field. Alexandria’s Talan Witt is 3-for-3 from deep and 5-for-5 from the floor for 15 points. The difference for the Crimson so far? Senior Henry Knutson is also heating up from deep. He’s 3-for-3 from beyond the arc as part of his 11 points for Maple Grove. The duo have been clinical on these Maple Grove bursts of momentum.
— Cassidy Hettesheimer
4A: Crimson pull ahead
Halfway through the first half Maple Grove leads 24-20, propelled by an 8-2 run into a timeout. Maple Grove senior Henry Knutson hit back-to-back three-pointers to help the Crimson retake the lead from Alexandria, which has leaned on an early 10 points from senior guard Talan Witt, who is shooting 4-for-4 from the field.
— Cassidy Hettesheimer
4A: Underway to cap off big-school quarterfinals
No shooting jitters to shake off in this quarterfinal. Alexandria leads Maple Grove 12-10 four minutes in. “Oh my, that was beautiful,” was the exclamation from a fan in the first row of the Target Center stands as four Cardinals players touched the ball on their opening possession, swinging the rock to find Gavin Roderick open for a three. Talan Witt sunk two more from deep for Alexandria, and Mason Witt added another, making the team 4-for-5 from deep to start. Crimson senior guard Max Iversen answered with two pull-up three pointers of his own from the top of the key.
— Cassidy Hettesheimer
4A, pregame: Alexandria vs. Maple Grove
To cap off the day’s Class 4A quarterfinals, No. 3 seed Maple Grove (23-6) will look to fend off No. 6 Alexandria (21-7) to earn a date in the semifinals against Apple Valley, which upset defending 4A state champ Wayzata.
Alexandria is making its Class 4A state tournament debut, but the Cardinals also lifted a state trophy last year. How does that work? Well, Alexandria won its first state title in Class 3A last year after becoming a regular in that tournament. Now, with growing enrollment bumping them up to 4A, the Cardinals get a new big-school challenge against the Crimson, which has reached state seven times in the last decade but hasn’t been able to repeat its 2000 runner-up finish.
Maple Grove, which placed third last year, features All-Minnesota honorees Baboucarr Ann and Max Iversen. Ann, a 6-5 junior guard, averages 19 points per game and has a Gophers offer. Iversen, a 6-3 guard bound for North Dakota State, transferred to Maple Grove from Delano and averages a team-high 19.8 points. The tallest player in the state, 7-foot-1 junior Jack Thelen, averages 13.9 points and nine boards for the Crimson.
While Alexandria did graduate last season’s All-Minnesota Player of the Year Chase Thompson to Clemson, 6-1 senior guard Mason Witt returned from that Cardinals title run to average a team-high 26 points per game this year. Cousin Talan Witt, a Southwest Minnesota State commit, is another key senior guard for the Cardinals, as is senior shooting guard Gavin Roderick.
Maple Grove beat Alexandria 81-74 on Dec. 16 in Alexandria. In that matchup, Ann scored a game-high 33 points, while Witt had 30 for Alex, and Roderick, 23.
— Cassidy Hettesheimer
4A: Apple Valley makes first state semifinal since 2018 with upset over Wayzata
Apple Valley’s Ryan Christiansen scored on a putback with 4.9 seconds left to seal one of the biggest wins in recent program history, giving the Eagles a 75-73 win against second-seeded and defending champion Wayzata.
The Trojans had one last attempt to tie the game when Christian Wiggins drove the length of the court to get to the basket, but he saw his heavily-contested layup fall short at the buzzer.
Wiggins, who finished with 27 points, was the hero to send his team to its sixth straight state tournament appearance.
Wiggins tried to put on his cape again in the Class 4A quarterfinals Tuesday tying the game 73-73 against Apple Valley after trailing by four points with under a minute left. That wouldn’t be enough this time around.
The Eagles, who are in the state semifinals for the first time since 2018, were led by Gio Horton’s 17 points. Camare’ Young (15 points), Trey Parker (14 points) and Christiansen (11 points) also had double figures.
Gophers recruit Nolen Anderson finished with 13 points for the Trojans.
— Marcus Fuller
4A: Apple Valley trying to keep upset hopes alive
Apple Valley held a four-point lead with under a minute left on defending champion Wayzata, but that wouldn’t be enough to feel comfortable for the upset.
The Eagles led 72-68 after Ryan Christiansen’s free throw, but they turned the ball over on their next possession. That allowed Christian Wiggins to pull his team within a basket after two free throws.
Wiggins, the Strib Varsity player of the year, made his presence felt again with a steal at midcourt to force Apple Valley to foul hard on a layup attempt. The Iowa State recruit went 1-for-2 from the foul line to make it 72-71 with 43.4 seconds remaining.
Tyrese Hutton then gave his team a 73-71 lead with 1-for-2 free throws on the next possession.
— Marcus Fuller
4A: Apple Valley trades baskets with defending champs
Apple Valley hasn’t given up on trying to pull off the biggest upset of the boys state tournament.
Gio Horton’s three-pointer gave the Eagles a 60-59 advantage with 6:46 left in the second half. Gophers recruit Nolen Anderson answered with his own big shot from beyond the arc to retake the lead, but this has remained a back-and-forth affair.
Horton tied the game 62-62 with two free throws with his 14th points of the game on the ensuing possession.
Apple Valley threatened to take its first lead earlier in the second half, but Xavy Ivey pulled off a textbook Euro step move plus the foul. Ivey’s three-point play made it 57-53. Christian Wiggins’ two free throws gave Wayzata a four-point lead that quickly vanished.
— Marcus Fuller
4A: Wayzata, Apple Valley still tight game to start second half
Trey Parker’s three-pointer cut Wayzata’s lead to 54-53 with 9:28 to go.
Wayzata’s Christian Wiggins tried to make a statement by starting the second half with a three-pointer, but it would take more than that to crush Apple Valley’s confidence.
The Eagles trailed by nine points early, but they tied the game three times early in the second half, including Gio Horton’s layup to make it 50-50.
Samuel Mohs and Max Beeninga responded for the Trojans to make it a four-point advantage, but Apple Valley proved it had the offensive firepower for this game to go down to the wire.
— Marcus Fuller
4A Halftime: Wayzata 37, Apple Valley 31
In the first half against Apple Valley, Wayzata didn’t play like a team that was arguably the favorite to win the Class 4A title.
The Trojans led by as much as 12 points early in the quarterfinals, but Apple Valley outworked them and outshot them the rest of the way.
The Eagles trailed 18-6 after Christian Wiggins putback with less than 13 minutes left, but Trey Parker and Camare’ Young sparked a 17-4 run with a three-pointer and layup on back-to-back possessions.
Parker and Young, who combined for 19 points in the first half, had an 8-0 run together to take a 23-22 lead with just under eight minutes remaining.
Wiggins, though, didn’t let his team fall behind for long. He responded with 13 points in the first half. Nolen Anderson struggled early, but he finished with seven points on 3-for-9 shooting. Wayzata finished with a 15-8 run to end the first half.
— Marcus Fuller
4A: Apple Valley takes the lead against the defending champions
Everyone in the arena knew Wayzata would show it was the superior team. Apple Valley took the defending champion Trojans’ best shot and answered.
Apple Valley’s Camare’ Young drilled a three-pointer to make it 23-22 at the 7:42 mark, which capped a 17-4 run. Young had seven points during the surge. Trey Parker also had nine points, including three three-pointers.
The Eagles’ cut their deficit in half after Giovani Horton’s free throw made it 18-12 around the 11-minute mark.
— Marcus Fuller
4A: Chaska turns season around into spot in semis
On Dec. 4, Lakeville South got an early glimpse at a Chaska team that was coming off a 11-17 campaign in 2024-25. The Cougars beat the Hawks 68-61 in the second game of what Lakeville South head coach Jon Janquart called “the world’s longest season.”
In the span of that long season, “those guys grew up,” Jonquart said of Chaska, after the Hawks beat his Cougars 71-53 today to advance to Thursday’s Class 4A state semifinals.
“We knew Tyler Forrest is going to dictate things,” Jonquart said. But “they’ve got a number of guys who really developed” since the Hawks’ 3-4 start to the year, he said.
One of those “number of guys” Jonquart mentioned was Chaska’s sophomore forward Chase Maetzold, who finished with 19 points on 5-for-8 shooting from three-point range and 10 rebounds. Another was freshman forward Jed Keenan, who scored 10 points and grabbed four rebounds in 15 minutes off the Chaska bench. Keenan, senior Matthew Welter and senior Marquis Connell combined for 19 points off the Hawks’ bench, while the Cougars scored just two bench points before teams subbed their starters in the game’s final two minutes.
“We wouldn’t be here without [our depth],” Chaska coach Nick Hayes said. “When we have 10 varsity guys that run fives against each other, it is crazy important.”
“I think we have, is it five guys [averaging] in double digits right now?” said Forrest, looking to his coach to double check. Forrest was caught in some foul trouble early but finished with 15 points and four assists. “We haven’t really had that in the past. So we all trust each other. We love playing with each other.”
Chaska outscored Lakeville South 26-8 in the game’s final dozen minutes and out-rebounded the Cougars 37-23. Hayes pointed to the six offensive boards that the Hawks held South to, with just three second-chance points, to the Hawks’ 17 second chance points off 10 offensive boards.
“Kick out threes are kind of the toughest thing to guard. They’re not matched up. And we’re fortunate to have a lot of shooters that can knock down those big shots after those o-boards,” Hayes said.
The Hawks (26-4) extended their win streak to 23 games and get to try to spoil No. 1 Tartan’s undefeated season in Thursday’s semifinals. Chaska is in the state semifinals for the first time since the program’s 2004 state title.
— Cassidy Hettesheimer
4A: Wayzata’s Wiggins doesn’t miss a beat
Wayzata last played on March 13, when it steamrolled Hopkins in the section championship. More than a week has passed leading up to today’s Class 4A state quarterfinals vs. Apple Valley at Target Center.
After having one of his best performances of the season with 30 points vs. Hopkins, Christian Wiggins hasn’t missed a beat in Wayzata’s state tournament opener.
The Iowa State recruit and Strib Varsity Boys Basketball Player of the Year had seven of his team’s first 14 points, including a layup and three-pointer to open with an 8-0 run.
Following Wiggins’ two free throws, Gophers recruit Nolen Anderson finished an Apple Valley turnover with a two-handed dunk. Max Beeninga’s layup off another steal made it 16-3 with just under 14 minutes to play in the first half.
— Marcus Fuller
4A, Pregame: Wayzata looks like the team to beat again in 4A
Wayzata won its third Class 4A title in five years last season. The Trojans entered last year’s tournament on a 10-game winning streak.
The Trojans dominated Cretin-Derham Hall in that championship game, but they also had four earlier losses to four different opponents last season.
This season, Wayzata only lost to Maple Grove when it came to in-state competition. You could argue the Trojans are an even better team than the 2025 state champions.
Four starters returned for the No. 2 seed Trojans (25-3), including seniors Nolen Anderson, Christian Wiggins and Isaac Olmstead, who averaged 56 points combined entering Tuesday’s Class 4A quarterfinal against Apple Valley. Senior Tommy Shunmugavelu is also back providing a physical inside presence.
Maple Grove beat Wayzata twice in the regular season, but the Trojans are on a seven-game winning streak, including a 105-70 win vs. Hopkins in the Class 4A, Section 6 title game.
No. 8 Apple Valley (19-10) has reached back-to-back state tournaments for the first time since the program made four straight appearances from 2015-18, including 2015 and 2018 state titles. The Eagles are led by seniors Trey Parker and Camare’ Young, who have combined to average 43 points entering Tuesday.
— Marcus Fuller
4A: Chaska returns to state semis
After defeating Lakeville South 71-53, Chaska returns to the Class 4A state semifinals for the first time since its 2004 state title, with a chance to take down undefeated Tartan on Thursday.
After trailing early, Lakeville South shook off a slow shooting start and cut Chaska’s lead to 45-43 with just under 12 minutes remaining. The Hawks used a 12-0 run to pull away, relying on sharp three-point shooting, key rebounds and its bench depth.
The Hawks finished 11-for-26 from three point range, led by sophomore forward Chase Maetzold, who finished 5-for-8 from deep with a team-high 19 points and 10 rebounds. All-Minnesota honoree Tyler Forrest scored 15 for the Hawks and added five rebounds and four assists. Chaska’s reserve depth of Marquis Connell, Matthew Welter and Jed Keenan especially stood out, as Chaska’s bench outscored South’s 21-5.
Gavin Stuart led the Cougars with 16 points, while Nolane Greene scored 13 and dished a team-high four assists.
— Cassidy Hettesheimer
4A: Bench boards for the Hawks
Leading Lakeville South 61-48, Chaska is 5:51 away from booking its trip to the 4A state semifinals. The Hawks have out-rebounded the Cougars 28-18, with 13 second-chance points to the Cougars’ three. Not only has Chaska’s bench contributed 15 points, but it’s also grabbed some big boards. Matthew Welter has six rebounds in just 10 minutes for Chaska.
— Cassidy Hettesheimer
4A: Hawks pull ahead again
With 8:11 to play, Chaska suddenly leads big again, 57-43, over Lakeville South after a 12-0 Hawks run. Matthew Welter grabbed a tough board on a missed three and fed the ball back out to Jed Keenan for a three that put Chaska up 50-43 with just under nine minutes to play. Welter, sent to the line on the Hawks’ next possession, got the assist again on a Tyler Forrest three after missing but rebounding his second free throw, and then an Evan Atkinson and-one kept the Hawks out ahead.
— Cassidy Hettesheimer
4A: Luck from long range
We’re back to the point where both Chaska and Lakeville South are shooting better from three-point range (9-for-17 for Chaska, 8-for-16 for Lakeville South) than they are overall (18-for-36 for Chaska, 15-for-34 for South). And while that stat line was indicative of some unlucky bounces on layups and put-backs early in the game, now, it’s more so that both teams are hitting big shots from deep down the back stretch, when it counts most.
— Cassidy Hettesheimer
4A: Cougars cut it close
With just over 11 minutes to go, Chaska sophomore forward Chase Maetzold is up to a game-high 17 points (5-for-7 from deep) to help the Hawks keep a 45-43 lead. But Chaska sophomore forward Nolan Greene has sunk two second-half threes of his own to keep the Cougars close.
— Cassidy Hettesheimer
4A: Target Center’s on-court tricks
With 14 minutes left in this 4A quarterfinal, Chaska has been able to keep ahold of a 42-36 lead.
After the day’s first quarterfinal, Tartan head coach Mark Klingsporn said that, sometimes, the presence of two three-point lines on the court at Target Center — the NBA line and the high-school line — can trick some players into pulling up for deeper three-point tries than they’d normally attempt in their high school gyms.
That hasn’t made good three-point shooting hard to come by in this 4A quarterfinal. Lakeville South’s Casey Fliehe sank his third three of the game to open the second half, and Chase Maetzold answered with his fourth for Chaska. Tyler Forrest hits double-figures for the Hawks with his second of the game.
— Cassidy Hettesheimer
4A: Hawks lead at half
At halftime, Chaska has a 32-26 edge over Lakeville South. The Hawks led by as many as 14 points with a 17-3 score in the first half, before the Cougars started to shake off their cold-shooting start.
A late burst for Lakeville South, highlighted by a deep three-pointer from Gavin Stuart to beat the shot clock with a minute to play, looked like it would cut the Hawks’ lead to three going into the half, but Chaska’s leading scorer, Tyler Forrest — otherwise held to a quiet 1-for-6 shooting from the floor — sunk a buzzer beater to give the Hawks some breathing room at half. He’s up to seven points for Chaska.
Chase Maetzold’s 11 points lead the Hawks, with the sophomore forward shooting 3-for-5 from deep as the team has shot 6-for-12 from three. Stuart, 4-for-6 from the floor and 2-for-3 from three, is up to a team-high 10 for Lakeville South, which is 4-for-12 from deep.
One of the Hawks’ early advantages has been points off the bench, leading South 11-2. South has managed to force eight Chaska turnovers, while coughing up just four, but the Cougars have only been able to turn those into two points.
— Cassidy Hettesheimer
4A: Tartan’s journey to its first state tourney victory since 2005 started in Las Vegas
Tartan boys basketball coach Mark Klingsporn started taking his players to Las Vegas for bonding trips the year after his 2000 state title.
The Titans were able to play some of the top teams from Nevada while also building team chemistry. That tradition continued just about every other year for more than a decade.
On Tuesday, Klingsporn’s program played in its first state tournament since 2014 and won its first state tournament game since 2005 after defeating Blaine 72-44 in the Class 4A quarterfinals.
“The things that Coach K has done for us throughout our career,” said Kevin Wilson Jr., who had 16 points Tuesday, “that’s what keeps us together.”
This year’s journey to the state tourney started in Las Vegas last November.
“That kind of brought us together a lot,” said Tyrel Pride, who had 17 points. “Outside of basketball we’re close. So, it all shows on the court.”
The Titans, who improved to 30-0 this season on Tuesday, scrimmaged against Liberty, which finished runner-up in Nevada’s Class 5A group this year.
“We were every bit as good as they were,” Klingsporn said. “We played some good competition, but it was a bonding experience for the kids more than anything else.”
Tartan returned sophomore starters Wilson and Emmanuel Oyesanmi this year, but the Vegas trip helped the newcomers become more connected on and off the floor. Senior Duke King, coming from North St. Paul, was one of four transfers, including Pride (coming back to his former school from St. Paul Johnson).
“It’s part of a lifetime experience for me,” Klingsporn said. “They’re a great group of kids. That’s why I still coach.”
— Marcus Fuller
4A: Cougars start cooking
Not so fast — Lakeville South’s Nolane Greene and Gavin Stuart strung together a two-minute, 11-0 run to cut Chaska’s lead to three, but Chase Maetzold’s third three-pointer of the day helped stifle some of the Cougars’ momentum. Chaska’s built its lead back to 25-16 with five minutes to go in the first half.
— Cassidy Hettesheimer
4A: Hawks pull ahead
Chaska, leading 17-6 halfway through the first half, has found some separation early thanks to a 14-3 Hawks run. Their leading scorer Tyler Forrest gets his first points of the day on a pair of free throws, while Jed Keenan sinks a three, now up to five points early in this quarterfinal. Nine of Chaska’s 17 points have come from their bench, including Keenan’s.
— Cassidy Hettesheimer
4A: Looks from long range
A third of the way through the first half, and Chaska leads Lakeville South 8-3. Only three pointers are going in so far today: Chaska sophomore forward Chase Maetzold sunk his second of the day, while Lakeville South senior guard Casey Fliehe put the Cougars on the board 4:12 into the first half with a corner three. Both teams are shooting better from three (Chaska 2-for-4, Lakeville South 1-for-5) than they are from the floor (Chaska 4-for-9, Lakeville South 1-for-12).
— Cassidy Hettesheimer
4A: Slow start to second quarterfinal
Chaska and Lakeville South might still be shaking off the state tournament jitters, with only a 3-0 Chaska lead nearly four minutes into the first half. Chaska sophomore forward Chase Maetzold opened the scoring when he sank a corner three in front of the Lakeville South student section just under 90 seconds into the game. The Cougars are 0-for-6 from the floor to start, but Chaska’s turned the ball over three times already and is shooting just 1-for-5.
— Cassidy Hetteheimer
4A, pregame: Chaska vs. Lakeville South
Next up, it’s a battle between No. 4 seed Lakeville South (23-6) and No. 5 Chaska (25-4) to see who gets to try to hand No. 1 Tartan its first loss of the season in Thursday’s 4A semifinals. Neither the Cougars nor the Hawks would classify as state tournament “regulars,” adding to the stakes of this year’s trip to Target Center. Lakeville South last reached state in 2011, while Chaska is making its second trip since its 2004 state title.
The Hawks are riding a 22-game win streak after starting the season 3-4, led by 6-foot-3 junior guard Tyler Forrest, an All-Minnesota honoree. Forrest averages 16.9 points per game for the Hawks and scored a game-high 21 points to lead Chaska in a 62-59 win over Prior Lake in the Class 4A Section 2 title game. Kalin Jochum, Jed Keenan and Eli Herzog all average between 10.7 and 13 points per game for the Hawks, too.
Lakeville South knocked off Farmington 76-71 in the Section 1 championship game behind four players reaching double figures: Nolane Greene (16 points), Ryker Saunders (15), Gavin Stuart (13) and Nate Owata (11). That’s been the Cougars’ M.O. for much of the season. With seven players averaging 5.8 points per game or more, they’re a deep squad that doesn’t rely on one player’s hot shooting hand on any given game day.
— Cassidy Hettesheimer
4A: Tartan advances to semifinals with defense
Tartan’s Duke King saw Blaine driving to the basket late in the second half and was ready to make a statement defensively.
The 6-foot-5 senior soared to block the shot attempt, which was met by cheers from the student section. This was one of many impressive plays on defensive end by the Titans in Tuesday’s 72-44 Class 4A quarterfinal win against the Bengals at Target Center.
On the next two Blaine possessions, Tartan forced back-to-back turnovers, including one that led to a transition slam from La’Quan Stewart and a lay-up from Emmanuel Oyesanmi to make it a 24-point advantage.
Tyrel Pride led four players in double figures for the Titans (30-0) with 17 points and seven rebounds. Kevin Wilson Jr. had 16 points, six assists and five rebounds. Emmanuel Oyesanmi and Duke King added 14 points and 13 points, respectively. The Bengals (23-6) were held to 29% shooting and committed 14 turnovers.
— Marcus Fuller
4A: Blaine finds other contributors on offensively
It was clear the Tartans focused on shutting down Blaine’s top offensive threats. That led to the Bengals shooting 25% from the field in the first half Tuesday.
The Titans stretched their lead to 47-26 with just under 13 minutes left in the second half after a layup from La’Quan Stewart. It looked like the bucket from Stewart would only make things worse for Blaine.
Blaine needed other scoring options to emerge, and that person has been junior Gavin Olson, who had a team-high eight points midway through the second half. Olson had 13 points in the section title game vs. Andover on March 12.
The Bengals cut a 21-point deficit to 47-30 on back-to-back layups from Owen Clark, but Tartan responded again to pull away.
Blaine senior Shiloh Ayitey, who averages 20 points, scored his first points with 13:24 left in the second half.
— Marcus Fuller
4A Halftime: Tartan 34, Blaine 17
At the end of the first half, Blaine’s student section chanted “overrated” to Tartan sophomore K.J. Wilson after he airballed a three-pointer, but the jeers seemed like a last resort.
The Bengals were clearly frustrated with their own offense in the first half of Tuesday’s Class 4A quarterfinal at Target Center. They shot 7-for-28 from the field (25%), including 1-for-6 from three-point range. Senior Shiloh Ayitey and sophomore Henry Semans, the team’s top two scorers this season, had a combined four points on 1-for-12 shooting from the field.
Meanwhile, Wilson leads the Titans with 11 points on 3-for-9 shooting from beyond the arc. When his shots weren’t falling, Wilson got his teammates involved with four assists in the first half. Tartan sophomore Emmanuel Oyesanmi has 10 points on 4-for-7 shooting in the first half.
— Marcus Fuller
Never heard of Liberty Classical? The Lions want to change that in a big way
John Towle stumbled across the name of a high school he had never heard of while researching schools five years ago. He had spent years as an assistant basketball coach at large suburban high schools on the east side of the Twin Cities and was hoping to find a private school where he could finish his coaching career.
One name caught his attention. Liberty Classical Academy in White Bear Lake.
Towle sent a letter to school officials, which led to an interview, which led to a job offer, which led to Towle’s boys basketball squad becoming the first Liberty Classical team in any sport to qualify for a state tournament.
The Lions’ debut is their Thursday, March 26 evening quarterfinal at Target Center.
Continue reading: Liberty Classical moves from smallest gym to Minnesota basketball’s biggest stage
— Chip Scoggins
4A: Blaine’s leading scorer having tough first half
Bengals senior Shiloh Ayitey can put up big numbers. He averaged 20 points during the regular season and had a 40-point game earlier this season.
Tartan is making sure he is not a factor offensively. Late in the first half, Ayitey went to the bench, scoreless on 0-for-5 shooting from the field.
No Blaine player had more than six points in the game trailing 33-17 late in the first half.
— Marcus Fuller
4A: Tartan sophomores take over
The Titans wouldn’t be at the state tournament without their seniors, but sophomore K.J. Wilson and Emmanuel Oyesanmi are putting on a show vs. Blaine.
Oyesanmi has been too difficult to stop off the dribble. He’s physical and using his athletic 6-4 frame, he’s been able to gett the basket and finish consistently. Wilson, the team’s top scorer, hit two three-pointers to stretch Tartan’s lead to 23-8 with less than nine minutes to play in the first half.
Wilson and Oyesanmi had 18 of their team’s first 26 points on 7-for-14 shooting from the field.
— Marcus Fuller
4A: Blaine struggles out the gate
Tartan hasn’t lost a game all season, but most of the players were toddlers the last time the program advanced to the state tournament.
That showed early with a Titans’ turnover on the opening possession, but their defense has made an immediate impacty. They forced Blaine start 0-for-9 shooting from the field in the opening minutes.
The Bengals trailed 7-0 early and didn’t get their first field goal until Gemta Tulla’s layup with just under 14 minutes left in the first half. Tartan led 13-4 after sophomore Emmanuel Oyesanmi’s basket plus the foul at 12:36.
— Marcus Fuller
4A, Pregame: Can Tartan’s sophomore star lead his team to a title?
Top-seeded Tartan (29-0) opens the Class 4A boys basketball state tournament vs. Blaine on Tuesday, March 24, at Target Center. Titans longtime coach Mark Klingsporn was on the other side of the No. 1 vs. No. 8 quarterfinal the last time his program was in the state tournament in 2014.
Hopkins, then the top seed, beat Tartan 70-58 in the quarterfinals that year. The Royals were led to the Class 4A title game by sophomore and future Gopher Amir Coffey, who hit a memorable halfcourt buzzer beater in the semifinals. Hopkins finished runner-up to Lakeville North.
After ending a 12-year state drought, Klingsporn has the No. 1 seed this time with Tartan, which is vying for its first state title since 2000. The Titans will likely go as far as sophomore Kevin Wilson Jr. takes them.
In Tartan’s last game, Wilson had 25 points in a 79-71 overtime win March 12 vs. Cretin-Derham Hall in the Class 4A, Section 4 final. In the last seven games, Wilson’s averaging 23.6 points entering the state tournament.
No. 8 Blaine (23-6) is led by senior guard Shiloh Ayitey, who averaged 22.5 points during his team’s 11-0 start to this season. Ayitey’s highs this year were 40 points against Spring Lake Park, 29 against Elk River and 28 vs. Anoka.
The Bengals, though, beat Andover in the Section 7 championship without Ayitey having a big night (16 points). Sophomore guard Henry Semans led five players in double figures with 21 points. Semans, a 5-11 infielder, is the No. 2 ranked player in the 2028 class for baseball.
— Marcus Fuller
About the Authors
Marcus Fuller
Reporter
Marcus Fuller is Strib Varsity's Insider reporter, providing high school beat coverage, features, analysis and recruiting updates. He's a former longtime Gophers and college sports writer for the Minnesota Star Tribune.
See MoreCassidy Hettesheimer
Sports reporter
Cassidy Hettesheimer is a high school sports reporter for Strib Varsity.
See MoreGrace Praxmarer
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