Prep Athletes of the Week: St. Paul Harding’s Ai’Jhon Douglas helps Knights' basketball reach state tournament

St. Paul Harding • basketball

Douglas got over his “hatred” of the hardwood and added hoops to his football career as a freshman.

Halfway through that season, he earned a varsity promotion.

“He loved to compete that much,” Knights coach Stephen Solaja said. “His junior season, he really became a leader for us.”

As a senior, Douglas led the Knights to a historic first state tournament appearance by playing tough defense and hitting big shots. He averaged 17.1 points per game, 19 on the road against St. Thomas Academy for the Class 3A, Section 3 championship.

“He came into our huddle when we were down by eight,” Solaja said. “He always had that ‘it’ factor and the leadership in that game will possibly allow him to go down as the No.1 player in Harding’s history.”

Hopkins • basketball

This 6-foot-1 sophomore forward proved to be more than Maple Grove could handle inside and Hopkins won its ninth state title — a Minnesota record for most girls basketball titles — as a result. Walker had her way in the paint throughput the Class 4A girls basketball title game, scoring a game-high 28 points on 13-for-15 shooting and grabbing eight rebounds. “I just basically told my kids they didn’t have an answer for her,” Royals coach Tara Starks said. “Erma is strong, so you’ve to put a strong physical body on her.”

Moorhead • basketball

Undoubtedly the coolest name on this list. The Spuds' leading scorer all season, Battle averaged 20.7 points per game. He scored 33 points in the section quarterfinal against Rogers and 29 points in the section final against Buffalo. Moorhead reached state for the first time since 2022.

Montevideo • basketball

Griffin Epema has the Thunder Hawks in the state tournament for the first time since 2009. Only a sophomore, he is averaging 19 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game.

Maple Grove • basketball

Harney helped lead the Crimson to the state tournament for the first time since 2021. The 6-3 senior guard led his team by averaging 20.7 points per game. He scored 29 points with seven assists and five steals in the section championship victory over Champlin Park.

Wayzata • basketball

McBeth, a 6-6 forward, helped the Trojans get back to state. Wayzata is looking to reach their fifth consecutive state title game. In his past three games, McBeth scored a total of 60 points. He is undecided on his college plans.

Cretin-Derham Hall • basketball

A 6-3 junior guard, Mitchell helped the Raiders reach a state for the second consecutive season. Mitchell is averaging 17.1 points per game and last week, scored a team-high 23 points in the section championship game.

Apple Valley • basketball

The 6-foot-2 junior guard dropped 14 points on Eagan to help solidify the Eagles Class 4A, Section 3 championship victory and its second consecutive state tournament appearance.

Shakopee • basketball

The 6-foot-5 forward led his team by averaging 16.8 points per game and led the Sabers back to their first state tournament appearance since 2021.