Super 16 in Ames: BBA Force leaves Perfect
Looking for the perfect way to start off your spring/summer Grassroots season? Try and follow what BBA Force did in Ames, Iowa over the weekend. The 17U and 16U squad won the weekend championship and got better with each game.…
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Continue ReadingLooking for the perfect way to start off your spring/summer Grassroots season? Try and follow what BBA Force did in Ames, Iowa over the weekend. The 17U and 16U squad won the weekend championship and got better with each game.
PHD was around Saturday and watched BBA beat Iowa Prep Red in the first game of the year which was an overtime thriller. From there the Force took out AFES by 13, NICL Warriors by 23, and Tryon Gym by 26. It was a progressive weekend of success and PHD breaks down what we saw from the seven BBA players when we were present.
Ethan Freidel (6-ft-1, SG, Tea Area)
The biggest moment for him was getting fouled with 1.6 seconds left on the clock down three and hitting all three foul shots to send the game into overtime. This was on top of a knocking out six treys earlier (and scoring 29 points in all). Freidel’s range looks to be out to 23-24 feet and he continues to do a masterful job of getting space off of screens and knocking out shots (liked his floater too, good body control). A move that I hadn’t seen from him before was the dribble separation stepback which he made twice in the first contest. Explosive shooter, the kind of shooter that opens doors for both his team and himself in the future.
Wil Johnson (5-ft-11, PG, Harrisburg)
A PG that plays with good pace, his ball rotations opening up Freidel on the wing caught my eye. Wil hit Freidel at the perfect moment moving around screens and the passes were on point so Ethan could stay in his motion. Wil also knocked out three treys in the Iowa Prep game and made some difficult shots attacking the cup.
DeJay Fykstra (6-ft-6, SF, SF Christian)
Ethan had the big score late but Dejay’s attack and extension to finish twice while being fouled kept his team in the game. At state his defensive work caught my attention, this week Dejay’s attack into the defense and then using his length to extend and complete was what stood out. He’s just too long for most wings to stop from getting a good look at the rim. Also hit some clutch free throws in that big win over Iowa Prep and later in the tournament had a couple throw downs that stuck in the minds of many.
Jayden Burggraff (6-ft-2, SF, Tri Valley)
The strong forward made his impact with consistent position defense playing at the angle to stop the drive but yet close enough to step forward and closeout with a bothering hand. Loved how he moved the ball offensively and set screens. Played his role well and was on the floor late because he is trusted. Had a partial block of a jumper that secured a win for his team.
Will Steineke (6-ft-5, PF/C, Tri-Valley_
The thick, 6-foot-4/6-foot-5 low post player is hard to move. Teams couldn’t get him off the block so he was able to turn over his left shoulder to get looks at the basket. On the other end he’s too strong to back down so he’s consistently able to keep opposing bigs from getting deep position. Good rebounder in his area who started several transition trips with a quick outlet.
Joey Messler (6-ft-3, Wing, SF O’Gorman)
Long and skilled wing who moves well both laterally and getting up and down. Has the lateral movement at 6-foot-3 to guard both wing spots and in a pinch to guard average PGs or some fours. Also showed his touch at the arc.
Justis Clayton (6-ft-3, SF, Harrisburg)
Good athlete with a good frame that played a worker role off the bench. Definitely has the potential to be an off ball/transition finisher. A trusted player that was on the court late when BBA was working to put away Iowa Prep.
16U
The BBA 16s were also perfect this weekend winning all four of their games including victories over Tryon Gym, Nebraska Bobcats, AFES, and All Iowa Attack. The only team that came within double digits was Tryon Gym which is a game PHD watched closely.
Koln Oppold (6-ft-3, SF, SF Christian). Listed at 6-foot-3 but looks bigger than that, Koln was outstanding in the win over Tryon Gym and there is no other way to say it. He caught our eye first with his aggressive rebounding and consistent position defense beating guys with the right angles but then offensively he knocked out a halftime buzzer beating trey, hit a step-back, scored a spin move And1 on the break, and went on two separate scoring binges (one of eight and later one of seven, both on three straight possessions) . His performance engraved him as a prospect to watch moving forward.
Christian Beachler (6-ft-6, PF, Canton). At 6-foot-6 his first score in front of us was a face-up one dribble attack And1 and that was followed by a pair of power moves on the block. With a long frame and able to keep balance going at the rim Beachler seems to have solid potential.
Topher Zahn (5-ft-11, PG, SF Washington). Really impressed with his vocal leadership and direction at the lead guard spot off the BBA bench. Being vocal in direction is not a thing many kids have but coaches love it because it’s rare.
Will Garnass (6-ft-1, SG, SF Christian). Knocked out back to back treys to catch our eye and once he had it. He defended hard and intelligently like all SF Christian players seem to do. In the second half he scored on three straight possessions including a nasty Euro step finished the confused the defense.