Comets Shootout: Saturday 16U Review
Team Notes – Heat Reese controlled WOTN McDonald 70-36 as Odell Wilson (Mpls North) dominated the game early and then Tayler Johnson (Mpls North) and Ryan Mazurek (Holy Angles) each hit a pair of treys. Odell scored 14 quick and…
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Continue ReadingTeam Notes
– Heat Reese controlled WOTN McDonald 70-36 as Odell Wilson (Mpls North) dominated the game early and then Tayler Johnson (Mpls North) and Ryan Mazurek (Holy Angles) each hit a pair of treys. Odell scored 14 quick and had 18 while Johnson (12) and Mazurek (13) were both in double digits. The Heat dominance of the game was definitely eye opening, they are surely one of this year’s top 16U team.
– Comets Elite Stumpf struggled against ECI to start the game but their serious size edge of Brevyn Spann-Ford, Ethan Youso, Justin Balcome, and others took hold. These three alone scored 19 second half points alone and when Nathan Rund got going along with the regular consistent play of Trevor Kaiser it become running time win.
– D1 Minnesota Prospects dug themselves a hole against ECI’s top team and then climbed out only to lose on a late buzzer beater. Duoth Gach put himself on the map as a major stock raiser and a guy to watch while Joe Dunn had a really nice game as well. Solid team, need another scorer to come through.
– Select Altenhofen has a deep group of guards that ran past Comets Little early and built a 15-20 point lead that they maintained through the game with a balanced effort. The backcourt includes Charlie Gove, Jack Moe, Mike Coble, CJ Dickson, Beijan Newburn, and Alex Rasmussen which is a group of six that pretty much has some of everything.
– WOTN Gold defeated Minnesota Rise in a long, ugly game that was unfortunately stopped because of an ugly fall to Andrew Jackson of WOTN/Owatonna and NHR wants to wish to a speedy recovery to Andrew. His team won the game led by 11 points each from Dalton Kubista (Owatonna), Cooper Jackson (Lakeville South), and Tyler Lewko (Lakeville North) who also grabbed eight rebounds. WOTN has a nice mix of players that defensively dominated the Rise who had a lot of trouble getting good looks.
Player Notes
Justin Balcome (Comets Elite/Alexandria). Listed at 6-foot-9 and he is very long. A lot to talk about potential wise and when he hit a comfortable looking three and then a baseline reverse lay-up the potential was clear. Grabbed five rebounds in this game and became better for the team when he got more comfortable. A definite prospect to know about going forward.
Joe Dunn (D1 MN Prospects/BSM). Scored ten points in ten minutes time including a three and three face-up attacks. Joe was able to face-up an ECI frontcourt player, attack right to get an angle and then finish before the defense rotated to contest. And when they did rotate to contest Joe still finished and got to the foul line a couple times.
Duoth Gach (D1 MN Prospects/Austin). At about 6-foto-4 you can see how he led Austin in scoring as a tenth grader. Duoth first scored with a high vaulting putback near dunk simply out leaping the opponents. He runs the floor well, is quick off his feet, and can finish at the rim in spectacular ways. In the second half he knocked out five treys as he ran defenders tightly off screens, caught, squared, and hit against a retreating defender. Good lift on the jumper and he somewhat resembles a shorter Peter Jok. Those are big words but we believe Duoth has big game with scholarship potential.
Damani Hayes (MN Rise/Mankato East). The 6-foot-4 Hayes scored his game high 14 points on eight attempts. Made nine of ten foul shots and he was there all game because WOTN didn’t have a guy that could guard his combination of size and first step. Hayes had to face several help defenders because the first guy couldn’t stop him but countering that was Hayes no being able to get any off the ball baskets because his team’s offense struggled.
Cooper Jackson (WOTN/Lakeville South). A 5-foot-10 point guard that competes in a heady way. Love the pace he plays with and his decision making was excellent. Scored his 11 on only six shots and battled for some boards. Cooper is simply a guy you can trust to make the right play and execute what you ask him to.
Trevor Kaiser (Comets Elite/Dassel-Cokato). A worker combo forward who had a fall away that looked impossible a couple threes plus he rebounded. Helped keep the Comets with ECI when the team was struggling. He was the guy run into groups to pull away a ball, he was the guy fighting into bigger players to then separate and create his dozen points. Nice showing.
Tyler Lewko (WOTN Gold/Lakeville North). A long 6-foot-5 forward who looks like he can guard multiple spots. Instinctive rebounder that jumped to the direction of the carom with an energy and a desire. Has a quick outlet into his floor run and did a really nice job moving off ball to get chances and then get fouled. Shot seven foul shots making five. Also grabbed a team high eight boards.
Jon Martens (Select Altenhofen/Hopkins). A physical, laterally quality, good stance, well coached Hopkins defender. At about 6-foot-4 he is a physical forward that I can see working within the Hopkins system very well as a role guy next year. Looks like a football prospect based on his agility and size but can definitely defend at a high level of Minnesota high school hoops.
Beijan Newbern (Select Trey/Cooper). Second time I’ve watched Beijan where I saw him have a combo of corner trey, pull-up elbow, couple of attacks, and a couple And1s. This seems to be the lefty scorers package of baskets regularly on the average and that’s what he did against Comets Little as well. His separation game has definitely improved and the lift into the rim look is fluid and tough to guard.
Brevyn Spann-Ford (Comets Elite Stumpf/St. Cloud Tech). To tough a match-up at this level. You can count on one hand, maybe even a severed finger hand, how many power forwards in the 2018 class can move their feet with Brevyn. Took skilled and more agile/explosive than he looks. Had 14/7 and his only miss was a dunk over the top of a guy. His face-up ability will draw him numerous scholarship offers and D1 schools should take a look.
Mitchell Weber (Select Trey/St. Clair). One of the biggest sophomores I’ve seen in terms of all around frame. Weber has the look of a freshman college tight end and he moves like it too. When he runs downhill and makes contact for post position guys bounce off and he gets his spots. Also quicker off his feet than we thought which makes him an excellent rebounder (strong two hand boards are the normal).
Odell Wilson (Heat Reese/Mols North). Too big, too strong, immovable. There was nobody in the game that could keep him off the block, stop his shoulder turn to attempt on balance, to stop him from scoring. Simply put, he was unstoppable for this level of play.