One of nation's top basketball recruits, Totino-Grace's Taison Chatman making most of trip to Mitchell
Dec. 30—MITCHELL — The Corn Palace is no stranger to basketball stars.
From Mike Miller to Joel Embiid, future stars of college basketball have taken the court at the Hoop City Classic. And Friday, one of the nation's top recruits for the class of 2023 took center stage.
The No. 1-ranked player in Minnesota and No. 10 combo guard in the country, according to 247 sports, Totino-Grace's Taison Chatman came off the bench for the Eagles and put up nine points, five rebounds and two assists.
Though a modest statline, the Ohio State signee is still working his way back into the rotation after undergoing knee surgery in the summer. But even when he is on the floor, scoring isn't his first priority.
"I love when my teammates get open shots," Chatman said after a win against Houston (Tenn.). "If I can get them open shots, I feel like, as a point guard, I'm doing my job."
On the defensive side, Chatman said there's no better feeling than shutting someone down and likes to get into the passing lanes to try to get steals. Offensively, he knocked down a 3-pointer Friday, and finished 4-for-10 from the field. But he feels his best trait is knowing when to look to score and when to get his team involved.
"It makes life easier when we don't have to script everything and we can put the ball in his hands and have him be creative and make plays," T-G coach Nick Carroll said of Chatman. "Sometimes you don't realize how lucky you are to have a guy like that until they're gone."
It was the second year in a row the Eagles made the trek from Fridley, Minnesota, to Mitchell, and last year they beat Houston as well.
The Houston team that T-G beat Friday features Division I commit Brock Vice, as well as Mavrick Miller, the son of former NBA player and Mitchell native Mike Miller. And on Thursday, the Eagles lost by five to Dream City out of Arizona, when Chatman had six points and three rebounds in 19 minutes.
"For me, first, I'm not really trying to be selfish," Chatman said of his mindset when going up against top competition. "I just want to win and do good as a team."
But the competition only brings out the best in players like Chatman, according to his coach.
"Great players want to play the best teams," Carroll said. "(Chatman) shows up when the lights are bright and it's probably his most valuable asset."
The trip to Mitchell is a touch under five hours for the Eagles, who are nested right outside of Minneapolis, and the team stayed overnight in a hotel. The travel and time with the team away from the court is something Chatman cherishes, and being a senior he realizes the opportunities to travel with his team are fleeting.
"Coach always tells us to enjoy these memories because they're going to last a lifetime," Chatman said. "Most of the guys on this team, they're going to be in our lives, pretty much forever."
And on top of just spending time with the team, coming to the Hoop City Classic means getting to play in the Corn Palace, and for Chatman, he said it's one of his favorite venues he's ever played in.
"Corn Palace, I'd say it's top-five," Chatman said on where he ranks the Corn Palace among places he's played. "It's nice."
