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Breakdown Tip Off Classic preview: Bloomington Kennedy vs. St. Michael-Albertville

By Breakdown Staff, 11/28/11, 1:00PM CST

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11:45 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 3, Lindbergh East Court

Preview


STMA's Christine Thorn

If you want to see a game with good guard play, up-tempo style, and a lot of points scored, this should be one to show up early for. The first game on the East Court features two top-10 Class AAAA teams in Bloomington Kennedy and St. Michael Albertville. Both teams are projected by our staff to appear in section championship games in March, so this could be an early look at a Class AAAA state tournament match-up.

Bloomington Kennedy has youth and star power in its favor, led by sophomore sensation Kenisha Bell, who recently made her early college decision to attend the University of Minnesota. Expect the Eagles to use their athletes to pressure in the full court and half court. Looking forward, they are in Section 2AAAA, which may have a better field than even the state tournament, so this will be a great early season test.

St. Michael-Albertville finds itself in a section (Section 8AAAA) that makes a potential path to the state tournament look a lot easier than Kennedy’s, but will still be challenging. UM-Crookston signee Christine Thorn is poised to lead the Knights this year in the scoring department. She averaged over 12 points per game last season and her shooting range starts almost after crossing half court.
 

Key Players


Kennedy's Kenisha Bell

Kenisha Bell, Bloomington Kennedy vs.
Natalie Van Wyhe, St. Michael-Albertville

Both players will lead their teams from the point guard position and should battle head-to-head for most of the game. Bell is a flashy athlete who attacks the rim and scores seemingly at will. Van Wyhe is a true point guard who makes plays distributing the ball and gets her hands on a lot of balls on defense.

Prediction

Why Bloomington Kennedy will win:

  • No one is able to stop Kent State signee Heather Bachman in the paint and she dominates on both ends of the floor.
  • The Eagles' pressure defense bothers St. Michael-Albertville and the turnovers mount in Kennedy’s favor.

Why St. Michael Albertville will win:

  • The Knights win the turnover battle and are able to convert Kennedy turnovers into points.
  • Thorn and Van Wyhe get going from beyond the three point line and they trade 3’s for 2’s all the way to the “W”.

Our prediction: Bloomington Kennedy

Tip Off Classic previews