Minnesota Mr. Basketball

Honor awarded to high school basketball players From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Minnesota Mr. Basketball is an annual award recognizing excellence in Minnesota boys' high school basketball. The female equivalent is Minnesota Miss Basketball.

Kevin McHale (#32 Celtics) was the recipient of the award in 1976.

The award's legitimacy was challenged in February 2017 when Henry Sibley, Minnesota high school basketball coach John Carrier called out owner and chairman Ken Lien for his politicized anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant tweets from the @mrbasketballmn Twitter account. The Minnesota Basketball Coaches Association was among many who announced their support of Carrier's complaint.[1][2][3]

The award was established in 1975 and is given to the person(s) chosen as the best high school boys' basketball senior in the U.S. state of Minnesota.[4] The award is the fourth oldest such award in the nation; only Indiana Mr. Basketball, California Mr. Basketball, and Kentucky Mr. Basketball, which were first awarded in 1939, 1950, and 1956, respectively, predate it.[5][6][7][8] A nine-member selection committee,[9] now led by John Robinson, has selected five finalists in March of every year since the award began.[9] In the middle of January, a "watch list" is published which recognizes 30-40 seniors who have had a strong start to the season. At the end of the regular season, the Top 10 candidates for the Mr Basketball award are announced. In order to select the most deserving student-athlete, the selection panel watches over 120 high school basketball games and creates detailed reviews on every one of them.[10] Twice the panel chose two winners, in 1979 and 1998.

The first award winner was Gene Glynn, who attended Waseca High School in Waseca, Minnesota. He played for Mankato State University, now known as Minnesota State University.[4]

Six recipients of the Minnesota Mr. Basketball award were enrolled at Hopkins High School and Minneapolis North High School, the most of any high school. Most recipients go to Division I universities, with a high of 17 attending the University of Minnesota. Glynn, the 1975 winner; Jim Jensen, the 1978 winner; Steve Schlotthauer, the 1986 winner; Tom Conroy, the 1989 winner; Joel McDonald, the 1991 winner; and Bret Yonke, the 1992 winner, all attended Division II schools. Conroy attended Northeastern Illinois University, which upgraded to Division I in 1991, his sophomore year.[11] Yonke began his career at Division I Northwestern and later transferred to Division II St. Cloud State due to lack of playing time.[12] The 1981 winner, Redd Overton, never attended a university and chose the junior college route instead.

Several former Minnesota Mr. Basketballs have been selected in the National Basketball Association Draft. Kevin McHale, the 1976 choice; Randy Breuer, the 1979 co-choice; Sam Jacobson, the 1994 choice; Joel Przybilla, the 1998 co-choice; and Kris Humphries, the 2003 choice, and Tyus Jones were picked in the first round. Kevin Lynch, the 1987 choice; Khalid El-Amin, the 1997 choice; and 2001 choice Rick Rickert were picked in the second round. Jim Petersen, the 1980 choice, was the only pick in the now obsolete third round. Chet Holmgren was selected by the Oklahoma City Thunder with the second overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft, making him the highest-selected draft pick ever taken out of Gonzaga[13] and the highest-drafted pick from the state of Minnesota, topping Kevin McHale, who was taken third overall in 1980.[14]

Award winners

Joel Przybilla was the co-recipient of the award in 1998.
Kris Humphries was the recipient of the award in 2003.
Royce White was the recipient of the award in 2009.
Tyus Jones was the 2014 recipient.
More information Year, Player ...
Year Player High school University NBA Draft
1975 Gene Glynn Waseca High School, Waseca Minnesota State[4]
1976 Kevin McHale Hibbing High School, Hibbing Minnesota[15] McHale was drafted by the Boston Celtics in the 1st round with the 3rd pick of the 1980 NBA draft.[16]
1977 Brian Pederson Prior Lake High School, Prior Lake Minnesota[4]
1978 Jim Jensen Bemidji High School, Bemidji South Dakota State[4]
1979 Randy Breuer Lincoln High School, Lake City[4] Minnesota[17] Breuer was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1st round with the 18th pick of the 1983 NBA draft.[17]
1979 Greg Downing[note 1] Duluth Central High School, Duluth Nebraska[4]
1980 Jim Petersen St. Louis Park High School, St. Louis Park Minnesota[18] Petersen was drafted by the Houston Rockets in the 3rd round with the 4th pick (51st overall) of the 1984 NBA draft.[19]
1981 Redd Overton Minneapolis North High School, Minneapolis North Hennepin Community College[note 2]
1982 Rob Shelquist Irondale High School, New Brighton Montana State[4]
1983 Tom Copa Coon Rapids High School, Coon Rapids Marquette[20]
1984 Tim Hanson Prior Lake High School, Prior Lake Minnesota[4]
1985 Brett McNeal Minneapolis North High School, Minneapolis Western Kentucky[21]
1986 Steve Schlotthauer Mounds View High School, Mounds View Augustana (SD)[22]
1987 Kevin Lynch Bloomington Jefferson High School, Bloomington Minnesota[23] Lynch was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets in the 2nd round with the 1st pick (28th overall) of the 1991 NBA draft.[24]
1988 Derek Reuben Minneapolis North High School, Minneapolis Eastern Kentucky[25]
1989 Tom Conroy DeLaSalle High School, Minneapolis Northeastern Illinois[26]
1990 Chad Kolander Owatonna High School, Owatonna Minnesota[27]
1991 Joel McDonald Chisholm High School, Chisholm St. Cloud State[28]
1992 Bret Yonke Eagan High School, Eagan Northwestern/St. Cloud State[12]
1993 Skipp Schaefbauer Elk River High School, Elk River East Carolina/Illinois State[29]
1994 Sam Jacobson Park High School, Cottage Grove Minnesota[30] Jacobson was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1st round with the 26th pick of the 1998 NBA draft.[31]
1995 Robert Mestas Minneapolis Roosevelt High School, Minneapolis Miami (OH)[32]
1996 Mitch Ohnstad Faribault High School, Faribault Cal Poly/Minnesota[33]
1997 Khalid El-Amin Minneapolis North High School, Minneapolis Connecticut[34] El-Amin was drafted by the Chicago Bulls in the 2nd round with the 5th pick (34th overall) of the 2000 NBA draft.[35]
1998 Darius Lane Totino-Grace High School, Fridley Seton Hall[36]
1998 Joel Przybilla[note 3] Monticello High School, Monticello Minnesota[36] Przybilla was drafted by the Houston Rockets in the 1st round with the 9th pick of the 2000 NBA draft.[35]
1999 Nick Horvath Mounds View High School, Mounds View Duke[37]
2000 Adam Boone Minnetonka High School, Minnetonka North Carolina/Minnesota[38]
2001 Rick Rickert Duluth East High School, Duluth Minnesota[39] Rickert was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2nd round with the 26th pick (55th overall) of the 2003 NBA draft.[40]
2002 Stephen King Academy of Holy Angels, Richfield Ohio[41]
2003 Kris Humphries Hopkins High School, Minnetonka Minnesota[42] Humphries was drafted by the Utah Jazz in the 1st round with the 14th pick of the 2004 NBA draft.[43]
2004 Spencer Tollackson Chaska High School, Chaska Minnesota[44]
2005 Travis Busch Mounds View High School, Mounds View Cal Poly/Minnesota/Colorado State[45]
2006 Isaiah Dahlman Braham High School, Braham Michigan State[46]
2007 Blake Hoffarber Hopkins High School, Minnetonka Minnesota[47]
2008 Jordan Taylor Benilde-St. Margaret's School, St. Louis Park Wisconsin[48]
2009 Royce White Hopkins High School, Minnetonka[10] Minnesota/Iowa State[note 4] White was drafted by the Houston Rockets in the 1st round with the 16th pick of the 2012 NBA draft.
2010 Kevin Noreen Minnesota Transitions School, Minneapolis West Virginia[50]
2011 Joe Coleman Hopkins High School, Minnetonka Minnesota[51]
2012 Siyani Chambers Hopkins High School, Minnetonka Harvard[52]
2013 Quinton Hooker Park Center Senior High School, Brooklyn Park North Dakota[53]
2014 Tyus Jones Apple Valley High School, Apple Valley Duke[54] Jones was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the 24th pick of the 2015 NBA draft and traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves on draft night.
2015 JT Gibson Champlin Park High School, Brooklyn Park Omaha[55]
2016 Amir Coffey Hopkins High School, Minnetonka Minnesota[56] Coffey went undrafted in the 2019 NBA Draft but later signed a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Clippers.[57][58]
2017 McKinley Wright IV Champlin Park High School, Brooklyn Park Colorado[59]
2018 Tre Jones Apple Valley High School, Apple Valley Duke Jones was drafted by the San Antonio Spurs with the 41st pick (2nd Round) of the 2020 NBA draft.
2019 Matthew Hurt John Marshall High School, Rochester Duke
2020 Jalen Suggs Minnehaha Academy, Minneapolis Gonzaga Suggs was drafted by the Orlando Magic with the 5th pick in the 1st Round of the 2021 NBA draft.
2021 Chet Holmgren Minnehaha Academy, Minneapolis Gonzaga Holmgren was drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder with the 2nd pick in the 1st Round of the 2022 NBA draft.
2022 Braeden Carrington[60] Park Center Senior High School, Brooklyn Park Minnesota
2023 Nasir Whitlock[61] DeLaSalle High School, Minneapolis Lehigh
2024 Jackson McAndrew[62] Wayzata High School, Plymouth Creighton
2025 Chase Thompson[63] Alexandria Area High School, Alexandria Clemson
2026 Christian Wiggins[64] Wayzata High School, Plymouth Iowa State
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Most winners

More information Number, University ...
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See also

Notes

  1. [1]
    In 1979, two Minnesota Mr. Basketballs were named.[4]
  2. [2]
    Overton never attended a university. He enrolled and played at a junior college.[4]
  3. [3]
    In 1998, two Minnesota Mr. Basketballs were named.[36]
  4. [4]
    White signed with Minnesota, however, he transferred to Iowa State in July 2010 before playing a game with the Golden Gophers.[49]

References

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