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by Ryan James
The BREAKDOWN
(updated 7/17/2009)
As the defending state champions and a team that has another handful of division one players the Hopkins Royals will remain number one entering the season and with good reason. They have lost only seven games in the past five seasons and despite losing five starters to graduation (four of them to division one basketball) there is still enough left in the cupboard to consider a repeat.
 D.J. Peterson will now step into the spotlight as the senior star for Hopkins and with good reason. Peterson is a versatile player with a high level of skill who can do just about anything on the floor that coach Ken Novak Jr. will ask. It’s not out of the question to say that D.J could play at every position on the floor this year. All spring and summer college coaches have raved about what they have seen from Peterson who has looked greatly improved and ready to step into the spotlight.
Point guard Marcus Williams will hand over the keys to the offense to sophomore sensation Siyani Chambers, a young talent who has enough leadership skills already to run the Howard Pulley 17 and Under team offense. Because Siyani can handle, shoot some, defend, and intelligently run the offense there should be little drop off if any at all at point guard.
On the wing this team has a plethora of talent. There is Peterson and then of course junior Joe Coleman who could be the most athletic player in the state of Minnesota next year. Coleman is also playing up with the Pulley 17s this summer because the 6-foot-3 wing has the ability to move his feet, run the floor, and get off the ground with the elite athletes in the nation. Next to him will also be sophomore Zach Stahl who at 6-foot-4 has a high level of potential and people who have seen him on the AAU circuit are raving about his ability. Add in the scoring talents of senior Jeremiah Tolbert and then of course junior Marvin Singleton and what you have is a team that can run with a point and four wings and win on a regular basis.
If you had to pick a “weakness” for this team it would be inside. Will coach Novak work in 6-foot-5 senior Ross Hutson, could 6-foot-7 junior Jacob Peterson be ready to contribute soon, or is the most likely option to play the 6-foot-4 Singleton as the five? Already looking like a college junior linebacker in terms of physique Singleton can bang and board with just about anybody in state.
And the options don’t stop there for Hopkins. Senior guard Cam Selmer has looked quite impressive for Minnesota Select in the off-season and he and Tolbert could likely start for several programs in the Twin Cities. At Hopkins you have to wonder if they will even get regular time. Sophomore Kevin Johnson spent time with the junior varsity as a freshman and fellow 2012 class member Demitrius Martin is one of the better guards in his group. Also talented in the Hopkins sophomore class is Andre McDonald, Nick Jorgensen, and Jason Finkelstein.
Notice we haven’t even mentioned Riley Dearring the freshman everybody is talking about. At the vast majority of programs out there Dearring would be penciled in as a four year starter on day one but this is Hopkins and because of Peterson, Singleton, Coleman, and Stahl on the wing Dearring will have time to grow in practice and maybe junior varsity. But it shouldn’t be to long before he’s coming off the bench in varsity games to produce. In addition to Dearring the Royals have very good freshman in Eric Hedstrom and Jamal Davis as well.
Looking at all these names is at crazy to think that Hopkins should throw their junior varsity into say the Tri-Metro for a year and see how they do?
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Katrina Newman,
GIRLS BASKETBALL
