No. 6 Bloomington Kennedy at No. 1 Eastview
7 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 16
MN Girls’ Basketball Hub Spotlight Game

While the atmosphere may be similar, the names are a bit different, particularly on the Bloomington Kennedy bench.

Kennedy is a changed team than the one that beat Eastview in last year’s state tournament. Underclassmen Jasmyn Martin (now at Hopkins) and Kiara Russell (now at Osseo) both transferred to rival programs, while All-State forward Jade Martin is now at Division I Georgetown. That hasn’t dampened the enthusiasm of second-year coach Quinton Johnson, who set a goal of returning to the state final. Even with those losses, the Eagles have a terrific combination of speed, athleticism and length.

Two Eagles have committed to play DI ball -- senior forward Tonoia Wade (St. John’s) and senior guard Kenisha Bell (Marquette). Wade is a slashing wing player who is aggressive on the glass. Bell is an acrobatic combo guard with great speed and quick hands. Senior Isi Odor plays strong on the interior and youngsters Tyrah Spencer, Lashayla Wright-Ponder and Delilah Taylor balance an impressive lineup along with senior guard Za’Keea Sa’eed-El.

Meanwhile, Eastview returns much of the same lineup from last year’s state tournament team, including junior point guard Madison Guebert. The daughter of coach Melissa Guebert had a game-high 19 points for Eastview in last year’s state semifinals and is back to run the show for the Lightning. Her bloodlines show in her basketball IQ, as she is a true floor general and leader. Guebert can also take over a game from outside the arc, as she shot better than 50 percent on 3s last winter and is averaging 20.3 ppg.

Junior wing Hana Metoxen is a versatile player with a great motor, while breakout seasons from seniors Kari Opatz and Emee Udo have propelled Eastview to the top of the polls. Opatz scored 15 points in the Lightning’s 56-54 upset of three-time defending state champion Hopkins on Dec. 12 and added a team-high 14 more as Eastview edged Chaska, 52-50 at the Breakdown’s Tip Off Classic on Dec. 7 and No. 3 Lakeville North, 57-38 on Dec. 20 to complete an impressive mid-December road trip.