Section Scout: No. 1 Caledonia over No. 4 Pine Island in 1AA semis
The first of eight games at the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester was a good one as Caledonia got 26 points from junior guard Owen King to overcome a big, physical Pine Island team 70-57. Normally a team that errs on the side of “run and gun,” the Warriors busted out something of a stall offense for most of the second half in an effort to draw the bigger Panthers defenders out of the paint. It worked as the Warriors not only killed time, but also got efficient shots all night.
Here were some of the things that stood out from the game:
The Kings: Owen King – the junior guard and the South Dakota State commit is incredibly advanced as an offensive player. He scored 26 points Saturday against the Panthers and he’s got all the tools when it comes to scoring. The most impressive part about his game is that he’s always in control and seems to make the right decision on every play. King balanced picking his spots and attacking with knowing when to get the ball into the hands of guys like his brother Noah and some of the other capable shot-makers for the Warriors.
It would very easy to take Noah King for an upperclassman given his strength and poise in big spots. He’s a freshman. He doesn’t have great height but King is very good at creating separation on drives and post-ups and is incredibly efficient in the paint. Noah has great strength inside and regularly scores big points simply by outworking people. He’s got great offensive skills and he’ll continue to show those over the next few years – which is why what he does now is so impressive.
Pine Island’s bigs: Everybody who follows basketball at least in southern Minnesota has heard about Broc Finstuen. He’s one of the top players in the Hiawatha Valley League and one of the best players in the 2017 class. Finstuen was a force Saturday, scoring 23 points and hauling in 14 rebounds and had a double-double in the first half. He’s an athletic specimen and regularly bullied his way into the paint for easy scores or found gaps in the defense, penetrated and kicked to open shooters. If his jump shot continues to develop at Central Wyoming, he’ll have plenty of opportunities to play at a D2 level or higher.
(photo by Joe Brown/Republican Eagle)Marc Mboya Kotieno battled foul trouble for a lot of the game Saturday and didn’t get a lot of chance to showcase his skills inside but at 6-foot-9, a strong frame and decent mobility, Kotieno looks like a guy who could draw a lot of D2 and NAIA interest as well — weather or not he ultimately plays college basketball is up in the air given he’s an exchange student from Germany.
Caledonia’s ‘burn’ offense: A team that generally likes to get up and down the floor, the Warriors found themselves slowing things down to a snail’s pace Saturday against the Panthers. Pine Island put Kotieno in the middle of the paint and essentially played a four-out, one-in zone defense. So the Warriors, who had a lead, held the ball near halfcourt and let the clock run for multiple minutes, multiple times.
Esko used a similar gameplan in the Breakdown Tip Off Classic, putting Adam Trapp in the lane against the Warriors and it was extremely effective. Caledonia won that game but had to hold on late after getting a huge lead early.
“It even goes back to last year when we played Jackson Country [Central] in the state quarterfinals,” said Owen King. “They had a big guy too who just sat in the lane and gave us fits so we wanted to bring them out. The key to that is getting a lead early and then we can control the pace.”
Other standouts/Players to watch:
Camden Heepke (Pine Island, Sr.) – Heepke’s been a good player for the Panthers for a few years now and had an excellent senior season playing off Finstuen and Kotieno as a shooter. He was one of the few guys who knocked down perimeter shots for the Panthers Saturday against the Warriors and had an active game on the defensive end of the floor.
Joe Bauer/Jacob Weber (Pine Island) – the Panthers graduate a massive senior class and lose Kotieno who is an exchange student. Two guys that they don’t lose are junior guard Joe Bauer and sophomore swingman Jacob Weber. Bauer is a waterbug type guard who plays pestering on-ball defense and can get into gaps effectively. Weber is a 6-foot-3 with a pretty looking outside stroke and decent athleticism. Both are guys to watch going forward as they’ll likely be the Panthers top two players next season.
Marten Morem (Caledonia, Jr.) – Morem didn’t take long to fit in with the Warriors this season, emerging as one of the team’s top players early in the year. A team that doesn’t have a lot of size, Morem serves as the team’s starting center though he’s more of a forward prospect for the college level. At 6-foot-5, Morem’s got a diverse skillset in that he can handle the ball, pass and shoot comfortably out to the 3-point line but is also willing to play inside against bigger players. He averages 10 points and six rebounds and while he likely won’t ever put up huge numbers because the Warriors have so many other scoring options, he’s a guy that could certainly draw college basketball interest at the Division III level.
Sam Barthel (Caledonia, Jr.) – Barthel missed about half of the season with an injury sustained during football but he’s back and he’s given the Warriors yet another talented scoring option. The junior guard does his best work off the ball where he’s got a good 3-point shot and he’s an active defender who plays with a lot of energy.