NHR Scout: Melrose vs Morris Area
With a 9-5 record the Morris Area Tigers welcomed number three ranked Melrose (11-1) in a game that looked like it would be a challenge early. The Dutchmen had early trouble finding their touch from distance and despite a strong…
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Continue ReadingWith a 9-5 record the Morris Area Tigers welcomed number three ranked Melrose (11-1) in a game that looked like it would be a challenge early. The Dutchmen had early trouble finding their touch from distance and despite a strong Dutchmen defense, the Tigers were able to close within two baskets late in the first half. It was as close as they would ever get.
Melrose is a veteran team. The type of team that a coach doesn’t have to spend a lot of time on teaching the defensive fundamentals and the offensive structure. The defending champs understand both sides of the ball and that’s how their ten point halftime lead avalanched to 32 points by the end of the contest.
The Dutchmen were able to locate active bigs Tyler Braegelmann, Colton Meyer, and Brady Birch regularly off ball reversals with knifing assists that cut through the Tiger defense before players could react in time. Junior Dillon Haider was the catalyst and his teammates followed. When Melrose really blew the game open Haider was in the middle of a four possession stretch of two treys and two assists to cutting size.
Melrose improved to 12-1 with the road victory.
Melrose
Colton Meyer (Sr, 6-3, PF/C). Meyer is a strong post who battles the opposing player who competes on the block. He’s also an active off the ball mover who sets excellent screens on the backside of the defense and does a great job cutting to the ball. Scored deep in the paint and despite contact Colton remained on balance to finish.
Brady Birch (Jr, 6-5/6-6, PF/C). Brady comes off the bench and provides Melrose with the longest frame on the team. How long? Not sure as his size isn’t listed but he’s long enough to get a couple deflections on plays that Morris thought would easily be made. Scored in the paint three times including a transition run where Birch dropped the ball over the top. Still developing, but has potential.
Drake Meyer (Sr, 6-3, Wing). Drake is usually a marksman but Melrose had so much deep paint success that he didn’t need to take many treys. Meyer did get a chance to show us that touch on a couple makes and defensively he was all over the court defending whatever position that he was asked to. Type of guy that can guard several spots and at the Class AA level I could see him guarding four or five spots.
Tyler Braegelmann (Sr, 6-4, PF). Plays bigger than his frame because Tyler is very long, active, strong, and good around the basket. High percentage shooter that does a great job moving without the basketball flashing to quickly catch and finish. Quicker than a lot of posts too so he can face-up and put the ball down once to get to space and finish.
Dillon Haider (Jr, 6-1, G). Most explosive offensive threat the Dutchmen seem to have, Haider started slow with the jumper but made a start to finish impact passing the basketball hitting cutters either after a dribble or after a ball reversal. In the second half he had a stretch of three assists and two made treys in five or six possessions and that stretch blew the game wide open. The range of his jump extends well past most in the junior class.
Morris Area
Eric Staebler (Sr, 6-4, F). Only shot a couple jumpers but I thought the lift, release, form, all of it looked really clean. Saw him make one with a defender in a stance in front of him and I would have liked to see him take a couple more. The Melrose defense forced the Tiger guards into some bad spots so Eric didn’t have the ball as much as I would have liked to see but he did have a nice finish or two around the basket plus a baseline touch shot that looked good. Strong frame, he attacks the glass hard and is rarely knocked off balance at this level. In the years to come I think his shot consistency will improve because Eric has obviously been working on his shot.
Jacob Zosel (Jr, 5-10, PG). Zosel does a nice job using space off the pick and roll and if he has a sliver he’s good with a dribble and getting to a spot to playmake. Hit a couple pull-ups early, knocked down a shot or two at the arc, and while the team really struggled in the second, Zosel has a chance to be a really nice guard the next 15 months for Morris.