Basketball followers acquired a deal with Thursday night when the No. 1 junior within the nation, Emoni Bates, squared off with the No. 1 senior within the nation, Chet Holmgren.

Bates is touted as the most effective highschool prospect since LeBron James, but it surely was the lanky, 7-foot-1 Holmgren who was the star of the sport. Holmgren’s Minnesota workforce, Group Sizzle, defeated Bates’ Ypsi Prep, 78-71, and each gamers completed with a double-double. Bates had a quiet 36 factors (11-for-22 from the sector) and 10 rebounds whereas Holmgren dominated each ends of the courtroom with spectacular blocks, lengthy threes and highly effective dunks within the lane, ending with 31 factors (13-for-18 from the sector), 12 rebounds and 6 blocks.

Who’s Chet Holmgren?

Holmgren burst onto the scene his sophomore season when he crossed Steph Curry over and dunked at Curry’s SC Choose camp. “Steph’s one of many coolest dudes within the NBA and afterwards he laughed and mentioned, ‘good transfer’ shaking his head,” Holmgren informed Yahoo Sports activities.

Quick ahead to his senior 12 months and he is likely one of the most dominant gamers in highschool basketball. Holmgren has a slight body and is constructed equally to Kevin Durant. He’s been informed he’s too skinny however he ignores all of the noise from social media.

“The general public that inform me which might be folks on Twitter and have by no means seen me play basketball in individual or perceive basketball to start with,” Holmgren mentioned. “On the finish of the day, I’m not too frightened about what they’re saying. I’m simply going to do me and maintain engaged on my recreation.”

He strikes extraordinarily nicely for his measurement. He can defend the lane together with his elite shot-blocking capacity and sits down with smaller gamers on the wing. Holmgren has been referred to as “Child Porzingis” after Dallas Mavericks heart Kristaps Porzingis, exhibiting glimpses of being one other one in all a form unicorn on the courtroom.

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Holmgren is the most effective highschool shot-blocker in America, showcasing his blocking capacity on the Pangos All-American Competition in Phoenix, the place he averaged 21.5 factors, 15 rebounds and 11 blocks in his two video games. Holmgren additionally confronted powerful competitors final weekend the place he went head-to-head with top-five senior Jabari Smith Jr.

“It felt good to be again on the courtroom competing with guys from totally different areas,” Holmgren mentioned. “We didn’t get an AAU season so it’s good to be again within the health club and going in opposition to guys like Jabari [Smith Jr.] and Paolo [Banchero].”

The place may Chet Holmgren land in school?

The native from Minnesota performs highschool basketball at Minnehaha Academy outdoors Minneapolis and is all the way down to seven potential faculties: Gonzaga, Minnesota, Ohio State, Michigan, North Carolina, Memphis and Georgetown. Holmgren informed Yahoo Sports activities he’s planning on making his school announcement someday mid-season in both January or February.

His former highschool teammate, Jalen Suggs, is taking part in at Gonzaga this season and is a projected lottery decide within the 2021 NBA draft. The Zags, Minnesota, Ohio State and Michigan are the favored faculties. “It’s all about match. You don’t need to go someplace the place they’ve to alter the entire offense to accommodate you or change the protection,” Holmgren informed Yahoo Sports activities. “So I’m simply taking a look at the place I match with the teaching workers, the gamers on the workforce and my friends on the college.”

The G League route is at all times a chance for high prospects however Holmgren is dedicated to going to school. “Clearly the G League crossed my thoughts and I thought of it however for essentially the most half I’m centered on going to school,” Holmgren mentioned.

NBA scouts watching Thursday evening may need tuned in initially for Bates however rapidly realized it was Holmgren who was the higher prospect on the courtroom. We’ll have to attend two brief years to see how his recreation will translate to the NBA but when this final recreation is any indication of the kind of participant Holmgren will be on the subsequent stage, he has the potential to be an All-Star.

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