Prep athletes of the week: Seven-foot sophomore Chet Holmgren has breakout tourney

With his long arms and longer legs, none of which seem to carry much muscle, the 7-foot sophomore center know he gets underestimated whenever he takes the court.

That is, by those who've never played against him.

Once play gets underway, however, Holmgren displays a set of highly developed skills that often leave opponents shaking their heads and searching for answers.

While his height lends itself to shot-blocking and defending the rim, he showed off his offensive capabilities as well in the Redhawks' run to their third consecutive Class 2A state title. In addition to 21 blocked shots, he scored 53 points and grabbed 37 rebounds at state. He even dished out eight assists in a performance that made him the breakout star of the tournament.

"A lot of people think I'm just tall and they see me play," Holmgren said after Minnehaha's semifinal victory over Lake City. "I just go out there, play my hardest, work every day to get better. I guess it's paying off."

Holmgren said part of his motivation is proving doubters wrong.

"I love the criticism, love the hate," he said. "It pushes me, drives me to get better every day."

The 6-7 senior forward showed off an outside shooting touch that's among the best in the state while helping the Islanders to the Class 3A title. He scored 75 points and had 13 rebounds in three games, and shot 68.8 percent (11 of 16) on three-point attempts.

The 6-8 senior forward was rarely mentioned before the state tournament but Hopkins would not have won the Class 4A state title without his contribution. In three games, Zimmer grabbed 42 rebounds — including a game-high 21 in the championship against Lakeville North — and scored 26 points to go with 12 assists, six steals and six blocked shots.