The 2022 Breakdown Boys’ Tip Off Classic, which took place on December 10, featured some of the best teams in the state going at it head to head. This year’s event took place at the Royal Athletic Center, and it did not disappoint.

The Boys’ Tip Off Classic was created back in 2004 with the goal of having some of the top ranked teams in Minnesota face off. Many teams with goals of competing for a state title take part in this annual event. 

Powerhouse teams from Class 4A and 3A played games the entire day on the West Court, while teams from Class 2A and A played all day on the East Court. The most notable game, of course, was the Hopkins victory over Bloomington-Jefferson.

Jayden Moore, freshman, is the second-ranked player in the nation in the class of 2026. He put up 31 points on an array of layups and three-pointers. Moore battled with the top junior in Minnesota, Daniel Freitag, who scored 36 points. Freitag holds offers from elite basketball programs including Wisconsin, Virginia and more.

Andover vs. Robbinsdale-Cooper, the first game of the day, was one of the highest scoring matchups. Sam Massaquoi, senior at Cooper, led his team to a 94-83 victory, scoring 30 points along the way. Senior star and Concordia University commit Ben Kopetzki kept Andover in the game with 40 points after setting a school record of 48 points the night before.

One of the most anticipated matchups of the event was Lakeville North against Totino-Grace, and it exceeded expectations. Lakeville North is one of the top contenders for the state championship and is led by Wisconsin commits Nolan Winter and Jack Robison, seniors. Totino-Grace, a Class 3A team, came into this matchup as the underdog, but Ohio State commit Taison Chatman, senior, came into the game ready to prove something. Lakeville North handled business with a 68-65 win over Totino-Grace.

Another exciting matchup was DeLaSalle vs. Minnetonka. DeLaSalle, the number two team in Class 3A, pulled off the upset against Minnetonka with the help of 35 points and a buzzer beater by Lehigh commit Nasir Whitlock, senior.

The best matchup of the day in Class A was Cherry vs. Hayfield, the number one and number two teams in the class. Three star junior Isaac Asuma, who holds offers from Minnesota, Iowa State and others, scored 18 points to take down Hayfield 62-43.

Overall, the day was a great success. This year’s Boys’ Tip Off Classic revealed many upcoming players and showcased teams that have a real shot at making a run in the state tournament.