Minneapolis North boys hoops may have best team in program history
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Minneapolis North boys basketball team finished its 2019-20 season 25-2, before being shut down due to the pandemic.
Polars head coach Larry McKenzie believes this year’s team is even better
"I feel this is going to be one of the best teams this school has ever had. I don’t want to insult any of the other players who’ve played here in the past. However, I have 10 players who could easily start for this team. The players are going to make my job very hard finding minutes for all of them. It’s certainly a good problem to have," said McKenzie.
***To see video from media day for the North Polars, CLICK THE PLAY ICON ABOVE***
One of the leaders for the Polars is junior guard Willie Wilson. Wilson sees how strong the team is and can’t wait to get started.
This is the 8th season for head coach Larry McKenzie at Minneapolis North High School.[KSTP/Jeff Brioschi]
"It was disappointing not being able to finish off our season last year with a state title (Class 2A). We’re going to do everything in our power to make sure we get it this season. We have a great team coming back, probably one of the best teams we’ve ever had. I like our chances if we can play a full schedule and everyone can stay healthy," said Wilson.
Another force to reckon with is Polars senior Devon Townley. Townley is a 6’7" star defensive end on the football team and will add a lot of size and strength in the middle on the basketball court.
"I love how are team is shaping up. We have so much talent. There’s no reason why we can’t achieve our goals of a state title. We have an incredibly deep bench. It’ll be hard for teams to match up with our depth," said Townley.
Wilson has drawn interest from the University of Florida, Hampton, St. Thomas, UNI, North Dakota, South Dakota and Appalachian State to play college basketball, while Townley will likely play college football and has interest from Penn State, Minnesota, Nebraska and Michigan State, just to name a few. Townley is expected to announce his college choice in February.
The North Polars will host Minneapolis Patrick Henry for the season opener on Jan. 25.