Under the basket at Minnehaha Academy, Shoreview natives Joe Doerrer and Nolan Newberg trained their phone cameras on the spindly 7-foot, 1-inch presence at center court. Chet Holmgren, then a senior with the Redhawks, towered over the rest of the gym, his black face mask and navy-blue jersey amplifying his foreboding stature. For Doerrer and Newberg's fledgling social media brand Strictly Bball, the nation's No. 1 prospect represented opportunity.
Holmgren finished off alley-oop after alley-oop that night in February 2021. He twisted through the lane, barely leaving the ground to throw down monster jams on his overmatched opponents.