This blog represents the personal views of sports blogger Ben Segelbaum.  Segelbaum’s views do not necessarily reflect those of The Royal Page staff as a whole.

In light of the state tournament starting tomorrow, the Star Tribune released the boys basketball all-metro team. The votes were cast by the metro-area coaches and staff at the Star Tribune.

John Warren, senior, was one of the five players named to the first team, along with Sacar Anim (DeLaSalle), J.T. Gibson (Champlin Park), and Marshawn Wilson (Hill-Murray), seniors, and Steffon Mitchell (Shakopee), junior.

“It’s a great honor to be recognized as one of the top players in the state of Minn. It’s just more motivation to prove what I, as well as my team, can do in state,” Warren said.

The other four players who received first-team honors have either garnered interest or committed to colleges like Marquette, Minnesota, Texas Tech, Nebraska-Omaha, Creighton, and Wisconsin.

Warren has yet to get the attention that he deserves. He has received interest from New Hampshire University and Loyola Marymount, as well as mid-major universities.

Warren isn’t flashy, but he gets the job done. This may the reason he hasn’t received the same level of hype as the others. Another reason may be a series of injuries and plain bad timing.

In his sophomore year, Warren suffered a hand/thumb injury in the Augsburg tournament that required surgery and ended his season.

In his junior season, Warren averaged 12.2 points per game but was never a team leader, as he was playing on a very senior-heavy team. It’s easy to forget, but in last year’s state semifinal against Shakopee, the halfcourt buzzer-beater from Amir Coffey, junior would never have happened if a Warren three-pointer didn’t tie the game in the fourth overtime.

When Coffey was helped off the court with a torn ACL in the third game of this season, Warren took the Royals under his wing and led them to the state tournament.

“There was a lot of pressure on me after [Coffey] went down, being that I was now the only starter back from last year,” Warren said. “Even before he got injured, there was still some pressure and something to prove since I’m one of the only seniors on the team.”

Warren is not overly concerned about the lack of deserved attention from high-major schools but believes a strong performance in state could effect change in his recruiting process.

“I don’t know [why I haven’t received the same level of hype], to be honest. Maybe winning a state title will prove something more,” Warren said.