You would have thought Target Center was holding a Timberwolves playoff game tonight (lol) or maybe a massive concert for some well-paid superstar, who’s selling millions of records on iTunes. Lines traveled the length of every wall as kids and adults alike, waited to get the best seat possible to watch a… high school basketball game.

But, when Lebron James’ kid comes to Target Center next to a star-studded cast of future NBA hopefuls, weird things happen. When Minnehaha Academy took the Target Center floor tonight, to face off against Sierra Canyon of California, the hardwood was packed with names that we’ll see playing at blue-blood colleges around the country over the next handful of years.

Minnesota. The state of basketball. #ClashofChampions pic.twitter.com/r1Md8t8TYc

— Nadine Babu (@NadineBabu) January 5, 2020

The crowd was a sight for sore Timberwolves’ fan eyes. In an arena that’s struggled to fill the lower bowl for 15 seasons, it was impossible to think two high school teams could nearly pack the place from wood floor to the painted concrete 100’s of feet above… but that’s exactly what happened. Target Center was the place to be in the Twin Cities on Saturday night.

Nobody left disappointed, either. Minnehaha played one of their best games of the season when lights were the brightest.

Can't decide if it's more fun to watch Chet's block or Jalen's finish?@ChetHolmgren @JalenSuggs2020 @RedhawksAD @ChipotleTweets #ChipotleClashofChampions #UnitedWeZag pic.twitter.com/Sxtedo8rJ5

— Who's Next (@WhosNextHS) January 5, 2020

Gonzaga doesn't have a football team but Jalen could be a D1 QB…?@JalenSuggs2020 @RedhawksAD #UnitedWeZag #ChipotleClashofChampions @ChipotleTweets pic.twitter.com/rQm9kQQuHk

— Who's Next (@WhosNextHS) January 5, 2020

CHET'S NOT SLOWING DOWN☠️@ChetHolmgren @RedhawksAD @ChipotleTweets #ChipotleClashofChampions pic.twitter.com/vfHIP5vdJA

— Who's Next (@WhosNextHS) January 5, 2020

Minnehaha actually took down a stacked Sierra Canyon team that rosters enough 5-star talent to make Duke jealous.

Chet Holmgren was an absolute force down low defensively. He made Sierra Canyon think twice before going down low for the entire game… or at least he should have made them think twice… They clearly never learned their lesson. Chet finished the game with 12 blocks. Yeah, 12 blocks. He finished with 10 rebounds and 7 points to go with it.

Suggs was even more dominant. He went off for 23 points and 12 rebounds. Defensively, he was a handful too, racking up 5 steals to go with his big game, offensively.

In limited playing time, Bronny James finished with just 5 points and 1 rebound. Remember, he’s a Freshman playing on a stacked prep school team out of California. His time will come for Sierra Canyon. Brandon Boston Jr, a 5-star commit to Kentucky, carried most of the load for the CA prep school, with 27 points and 8 boards to go with.

In a game that I thought might be a 20-point victory for Sierra Canyon, which only had 1 loss coming into this game, Minnehaha Academy flipped the script and pulled off a 20-point victory themselves. Impressive.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

The main feature for Sierra Canyon isn’t their best player. He’s a freshman with the most famous basketball dad of all time… Lebron James Jr. Bronny James gets a decent amount of playing time on most nights but just like any freshman 15-year-old around the country, he’s inconsistent. Not only that, but he is surrounded by ballers. 

– Recruiting information via 247Sports.com

• Senior (#3) | BJ Boston | 5-Star (.9948) | Committed to Kentucky
• Senior (#23) | Ziaire Williams | 5-Star (.9984) | Committed to Gonzaga
• Soph (#10) | Amari Bailey | 5-Star (.9956) | Undecided
• Senior (#15) | Terren Frank | 4-Star (.9458) | Committed to TCU

So, Sierra Canyon is stacked with talent and they have only lost one game this season. It was earlier this week, when they went down vs another top high school team in the nation, Rancho Christian. But all of that talent certainly won’t go unmatched. Minnehaha Academy isn’t just the most talented team in Minnesota. They are comparable to any of these top teams around the country.

• Senior (#1) | Jalen Suggs | 5-Star (.9968) |Uncommitted
• Junior (#34) | Chet Holmgren | 5-Star (.9989) | Uncommitted
• Soph (#10) | Prince Aligbe | 4-Star (.9813) | Uncommitted

Minnehaha also employs Kaden Johnson, who’s a fine basketball player but even better football player. He is a 4-star in that sport and already committed to play at Wisconsin next year.

This matchup on Saturday night is part of a larger tournament, “The Redhawk Basketball Showcase“, that starts on Friday night at the Minnehaha Academy High School, where both of the teams from Saturday’s matchup will play the other two teams involved, Park Center and The Patrick School.

With all of the excitement surrounding this game, I am happy to say that Minnesota Sports Fan will be there to cover it as credentialed media. Our new high school writer, Ryan Schmidt (@streethistory on Twitter) and I will be both be attending the game, in that fashion! So, become a member to MinnesotaSportsFan.com right below this article and follow both Ryan and myself on Twitter so you don’t miss a moment!

The game will also be broadcast live on ESPN.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan