Southeastern Minnesota boys basketball standouts showcase talents in front of Division I coaches

Jun. 23—WHITE BEAR LAKE, Minn. — For high school athletes, summer is a crucial time to grow and develop as players, especially if they have aspirations to play their sport at the next level.

Whether it’s at a camp, summer league, club team, or showcase, the top varsity athletes in southeastern Minnesota never really slow down, even when school is out.

Recently, boys basketball players from the area had the opportunity to display their skills at the Minnesota Basketball Coaches Association Showcase, Division I Scholastic Event, approved by the NCAA, National Federation of State High School Associations, and the Minnesota State High School League.

Of the 126 participants invited to the showcase, which was held June 12-13 at White Bear Lake Area High School, nine are from southeastern Minnesota:

Incoming seniors Elliot Myszkowski (Mayo), Gavyn Lorenson (Lake City), Nick Taylor (Lanesboro), Will Thiemann (Triton), Tate Goergen (Southland), juniors Alex Loos (Goodhue), Grant King (Caledonia) and Brooks Reichtzigel (Cannon Falls) and sophomore Dexter Simmons (Stewartville).

Participants from Minnesota, as well as North and South Dakota, competed in five-on-five and three-on-three games for a crowd of Division I, II, III, NAIA and junior college coaches.

It was a memorable experience for Myszkowski, a 6-foot point guard who helped Mayo win its first Big Nine Conference title since 2000 and its first playoff win since 2020 during the 2025-26 season. His former teammates and 2026 Mayo graduates, Isaac Peterson and Reggie Parker, participated in the event in 2025.

“They said it was a fun time, and it was good to compete against some of the best guys within a four-hour radius,” said Myszkowski, who is an All-Conference player for the Spartans. “It means a lot (to represent Mayo). It’s tough to get a lot of recognition when you live very far south from a lot of really good players who live in the Twin Cities. So, it felt good knowing that I was recognized.”

Players from the area were split among eight of the 12 teams. Myszkowski was on Team 6, which went 1-3 during the tournament, led by coaches from Belle Plaine and Orono.

“They were good guys, they knew the game, and they coached at the MBCA last year, so they had experience, and they were good coaches,” Myszkowski said.

Loos, who finished as the Class 2A state runner-up with Goodhue in March, played on the same roster as Reichtzigel on Team 8. Myskowski and the six other players were the sole southeastern Minnesota representatives on their rosters with the chance to play against one another.

“It was still really fun,” Myszkowski said. “We didn’t really care how many games we lost. I mean, we just wanted to go out there and compete and have fun.”

Competing with and against some of the best players in the state and beyond can be intimidating, but Myszkowski has learned to handle the big stage. He also participated in the Prep Hoops Freshman Showcase a few years ago.

“You have to trust yourself,” Myszkowski said. “You can’t buy in the ‘who’s getting this and who’s getting that,’ and you have to follow your own journey, because there’s a lot of guys there who have D-2 offers, and some who have D-1 offers, and when it’s you going up against them, and you know you’re not getting any of that, you have to just be oblivious to it, and trust yourself and play your game.

“I think you have to try your best to just focus on what’s in front of you, not focus on who’s in the crowd or who might be evaluating you, and you just have to play basketball.”

Myszkowski said the Mayo basketball program has helped prepare him to participate in these showcases.

“They instill so much confidence in me, especially (head coach Pat) Franko,” he said. “We have a great coaching staff. Last year, we fell short of getting to the state tournament, but I mean, just the group of guys and the camaraderie and everything that went with it. I’ll remember that season for a very long time. They help you become better men, too. It’s not always about just basketball.”

With only his final high school basketball season remaining, Myszkowski is looking to improve his leadership skills this fall and winter, especially after the Spartans graduated seven seniors.

“Even though we lost (seven) seniors, and that’s nearly a whole team, but … we still have the same standard of what we want to accomplish, or I’ll at least make sure we do once that time comes,” he said.

Whatever opportunities unfold for Myszkowski in the coming year, he knows it will be the right journey for him.

“I just learned to trust your own path,” Myszkowski said. “(Current Division I college players) Nolan Groves and Isaac Asuma talked (at the showcase) about their recruiting paths, and they were a little different from each other. Nolan Groves told everyone that ‘everyone’s dream is going to be different, and you have to trust that everything will fall into place with how hard you work.”