Boys Basketball: Apple Valley, Eastview Bring Heat to Cross-Town Match-Up

Is Tyus quicker than Lightning? Or will Joey be King of the court?

An early arrival at the gymnasium is suggested for Friday night’s boys basketball showdown between the Eagles and cross-town rival .

And you might want to leave your coat in the car—it should be plenty hot inside, both on and off the court.

Apple Valley and Eastview play each other at least twice every year—last year, the Lightning took the and meetings. But the added spotlight of both team’s current ranking (Eastview is ranked No. 1 in Class 4A, Apple Valley is No. 5) and a battle of high-profile players will mean the temperature of this rivalry game should rise a few more degrees than normal.

The game shapes up as a classic battle between small and fast vs. big and physical with sophomore phenom and Apple Valley’s guards challenging Eastview’s and the Lightning’s forwards.

After Tuesday's contests, King, a 6-foot-8-inch senior, is averaging 27.3 points per game for the Lightning. Jones, the speedy Eagles point guard, is averaging 27.9 points per game. Both players are in the top 10 in the state for total scoring, and have had high games of 39 points this year.

While the familiar names may have similar numbers on the offensive side and both may have equally big games, the team totals indicate something will have to give.

Thanks to King and fellow forwards Ben Oberfeld and Jordan Bolger clogging up the paint, the Lightning have held opponents to 49 points per game.

"There is a lot of togetherness with the guys on this team," Eastview coach Mark Gerber told the Star Tribune.

Apple Valley, meanwhile, has netted points at a clip of 80 per game thanks to their trio of guards that include Dustin Fronk and Harry Sonie, in addition to Jones.

"We don't have the size to handle [King] one-on-one inside," Apple Valley coach Zach Goring told the Star Tribune. "So you have to throw some different looks at them. ... It's a bit of a cat-and-mouse game."

Don’t be surprised to see Jones attempt to penetrate often against the big Eastview bodies in the lane to create open shooters on the perimeter he can kick out to. Jones is also racking up assists at a clip that could see him challenge Goring’s all-time assist record for the Eagles. 

Both teams won Tuesday night, with Apple Valley downing Bloomington Kennedy 81-57 to go 10-1 on the season. The Eagles’ only loss came in the season opener to then-No. 5 Eden Prairie.

Eastview outlasted No. 4-ranked 54-48 on the road Tuesday night to hand the Panthers their first loss and remain undefeated in the process.

Tip-off for Friday night’s game is 7:15 p.m. at Apple Valley High School. 

What’s your prediction for Friday’s game? What does each team have to do to get the victory, and who will win the season’s first match-up?