Paige Bueckers coached, Jalen Suggs dunked and Minnesota's hoops stars shined bright

Paige Bueckers had a coach's clipboard in hand and a play in mind. There was zero doubt the ball would go to her good friend, Jalen Suggs.

Bueckers scribbled down her play in the huddle.

"The first thing she said is, 'I don't know if this is going to work,'" Suggs shared later with a smile. "I said, 'Come on 'P'. We've got confidence in you.'"

Bueckers' play design worked to perfection. Suggs soared to catch a lob pass for an alley-oop dunk, then pointed to Bueckers on the sideline.

"We're calling that one UConn," Suggs said.

"I guess so," Bueckers said.

Hey, if this playing thing doesn't work out for Bueckers, she has a career in coaching.

The former Hopkins star tried out that role Monday night in what became a showcase of Minnesota basketball. Bueckers and Gophers sophomore Amaya Battle served as guest coaches at the Twin Cities Pro-Am league in front of a standing-room only crowd at Minnehaha Academy.

Bueckers coached a team led by her long-time friend, Suggs. On the other bench, Battle helped coach Team Tyus, named after and featuring Tyus Jones, the local legend and veteran NBA player.

It was Minnesota basketball royalty in one gym. With a cool twist. The women got to call plays for the men, including a pair of NBA players.

"Minnesota basketball is amazing and to be in this environment and coaching Jalen, it's awesome," Bueckers said.

Battle had her own special play, a ball screen the Gophers have been working on in summer workouts.

Did it work?

"We scored," Battle said.

Jones usually serves as player/coach for his team but said he "took a back seat" to Battle, who had help on the bench from Gophers teammate Mara Braun.

"It's awesome getting them involved," Jones said. "They're a part of the reason there was a [large] turnout. It was cool for me. They were on the bench asking questions. They're trying to learn at the same time, trying to take advantage of the situation and the moment."

Battle used the opportunity to glean insight from Jones, an eight-year NBA veteran.

"I wanted to know what he was seeing out there and what he does," she said.

Bueckers and Suggs have been close friends for so long they can probably finish each other's sentences. Suggs wasn't scheduled to play in the game Monday. He drove to his alma mater straight from the airport after arriving in town. He left the bench early in the game to change into his uniform.

"Something about being back in the gym and seeing a bunch of family and friends and familiar faces," he said.

He found one other "motivation."

"There was no way I'm going to miss my one chance to be coached by Paige," he said.

Officially, Team Tyus won the game, boosted by a late four-point play by Jones.

The exhibition was a fun, free-of-charge celebration that highlighted the special nature of Minnesota basketball. Rosters featured players ranging from high school to NBA. The gym was packed with fans and people from all parts of the basketball community, including the Gophers women's basketball team.

"This is what it's about," Jones said. "We've been saying it for years: Minnesota has got talent and what better way to showcase it than everybody get in the same gym and put on a little show for the fans."

Bueckers enjoyed coaching, but she had larger plans in mind.

"Hopefully someday I can be playing in this with them," she said.