SPTS: Saturday
The SPTS opened Sunday at Mounds Park Academy with a host of NSIC, MIAC, UMAC, and NAIA coaches looking on. What did they see? A lot. This is what PHD saw.
Mr. Sipes! Prep Hoops observed the ECI 17U win over the Southwest Minnesota Stars Saturday afternoon and after that game we left the gym comfortably saying that nobody out competed or outdid Josh Sipes on the defensive end.
The dream of a high school coach is to have a player take all the defensive coaching and apply it every time down the floor. Josh did that this winter and it carries over to this level as well. What makes it even more special is that Sipes is one of the best player prospects in North Dakota and he’s one of the most versatile talents as well. The best examples we can give are the way Josh battles screens. He’s nearly unscreenable because his initial position on his man is perfect and he hedges over the top while staying between his man and the ball. Active hands and deep stance? All the time. Plus Sipes is a strong 6-foot-3 so he can control guys with his hands and stay on balance when the offense tries to contact to create space. Let’s not forget the quick hands and the passing lane positioning that force turnovers, the motor that runs all day, and the well positioned lateral steps that force his man to a bad spot or quickly forces his man to get rid of the ball.
Offensively Sipes is just as good. He’s a 39-40 percent level three point shooter and a near 50 percent shooter overall but rarely forces a look. Most of his attempts are within the offensive flow moving the ball to space where he can hit an open look or attack the late rotating defenders. Josh is a solid rebounder at his spot and a good passer too.
15U. The Fury Zurn/43 Hoops match-up had built up and excitement, and maybe some pressure, but hey, good time to learn that is right now when the kids are learning. The Fans? Jeepers dads! Calm yourselves, they are just whistles from guys in striped shirts! But all in all the 51-40 43 Hoops win was just one very good team evening the score with another really good team. And I have a feeling they will meet one more time somewhere.
There were many good players on the floor but David Ijadimbola (Park Center) was the game changer for 43 Hoops. His ferocious first step attacking left and getting to his pull-up or to the rim was nearly unstoppable in the second half. Fury didn’t have the initial defender to keep him in front nor was their help in position to stop the attack (and even when it was David was in the air using his length and bounce to score over the top). Ijadimbola looked like a top 2020 on Saturday morning and I believe he will progress to being that. Cameron Steele (Minnetonka) of the Fury showed that feet set three point touch off again in a big frame. Played with some fire too.
The Fury would bounce back and win two games. 43 Hoops? They were upset by Heat Moberg Saturday night! As good as 43 Hoops was earlier in the day, they could not hold on versus the Heat who picked up a 53-50 victory. St. Anthony freshman guard Tait Nelson had a great freshman year and then took it a step further by being the best player on the floor in the Heat/43 match-up helping give 43 Hoops their second loss of the year.
Carter Henry of the Southwest Stars and Central Minnesota Christian. Minnesota we have found our next southwestern Minnesota many scholarship offer potential talent. Henry helped his team to the state tournament this year and really came on late. Now playing with the Stars you can see several qualities that had many college coaches looking on.
Let’s start with the frame. Henry is incredibly long. They list him at 6-foot-6 but my gut says 6-foot-7 and his length has to be in that 6-foot-10 area. Agility? Carter stopped all guards from advancing on ball screens Saturday as his lateral quicks cut off the lane and his length in the air stopped any thoughts of passing or even some quick jumpers. And let’s not forget the full speed two hand dunk where Henry took off from one step inside the foul line. Reminded me of the near two hand free throw line slam that Ross Travis had in St. Cloud some years back.
There are many other factors to consider with Henry too. He hit a few three point shots on Saturday with decent form, he has wide shoulders that can definitely add weight and not affect the way he moves, and this was one of the most vocally motivated guys in the gym. All he cared about was team. His reactions to teammates making plays was much more celebratory than when he made a play himself. Minnesota this is a 2019 to watch.
Joe, Big Shots Plus. A benefactor on his ECI team is often Joe Pistorius. Joe has been known as the guy who makes the clutch late game jumpers which is why we give him the plain but expressive nickname of Big Shot Joe. The West Fargo talent has grown to more than that though. He’s taller, longer, and definitely plays with more of an edge. That edge is where that late game shot making comes in, and where those contested makes happen at times, and where these one or two dribble full speed assaults on the rim/help defender came from that he made yesterday.
Establishing Ethan. Virginia power forward Ethan Youso is starting to feel comfortable with the Minnesota Comets. And the Comets teammates are feeling comfortable with him. The 6-foot-8 four man is getting more and more touches on the block for his team and the chances that good things happen are a high percentage.
We love what we are seeing from Ethan facing up. He’s shown the one dribble to the baseline can result in a reverse on the other side or a power move finish. Ethan has a great touch so the mid-range touch is something he can go to easily as defenders don’t dare come out of their stance against him to initially contest. We’ve also seen him use the spin after the face-up dribble or catch with back to the basket and spin. All of these things are going plus he finishes transition floor run passes and dump off/back cut passes at a high percentage.
Ethan Youso is coming into his own and I believe that the NSIC offers will come shortly as well.
The Bonus Notes
- Couldn’t keep this to five points, sorry.
- The ECI Selects grabbed a nice win over the South Dakota Heat in the second league yesterday. Prep Hoops will be over there this morning checking out that level of play.
- Jaden Klabo of ECI 16U by way of Fargo Davies has a chance to be a scholarship athlete. He’s a filled out, agile 6-foot-4 kid with skill. Everything about his frame and the way he moves makes me believe that he has a bright future.
- About the 4th time I noticed that #15 had done something of note I looked down and found the name Isaac Undlin printed on my tournament roster packet (thanks Kevin!). This 6-foot-5 forward got off the ground easily for an open floor two hand dunk and a number of rebounds. There will be many double-doubles on cold North Dakota winter nights ahead in his future.
- Treyton Mattern is a shooter you have to find. His three first half treys against the Stars completely changed the game momentum. And I think the way he gets open moving hard off screens or getting into position on the backside is even more impressive.
- Christian Kurtz is a player that we were deeply impressed with on Saturday. Christian stands 6-foot-1 about from West Fargo Sheyenne and playing with the ECI 16s. He caught our attention with how vocal he was to his teammates in leadership and then his crafty waves of moving the defense paid off with field goal finishes. Loved how Kurtz used his jab step or ball fake to displace and once he saw that defender shift (almost forgot the f in that word by the way, but the other word would match what the defenders said when Kurtz beat them) Christian used a quick first step to come down hill at the rim and score.
- One of the best rebounders of the day? That has to be Kyle Boerhave of the Southwest Minnesota Stars and Sheldon, Iowa. Had 17 in the two games I watched his team play. Solid finisher too. Liked how he competes.
- Matt Onken and Trey Lance of Marshall will have this team in the 20 win category again. Them and others of course. Trey did the job of handling, initiating, delivering, and finishing some possessions himself time and time again. Guys his size usually don’t have this versatile of a game. And Onken is a complete worker around the basket. Battles every play and the look on his face is one of enjoyment.
- The top blocks of the day? Brevyn Spann-Ford, easily. He smashed two Iowa Maverick shots off the glass in ping pong self play fashion. The ricochet was dangerous.
- I have a lot more respect for the game of Noah Slagter than I did before the day started. Better athlete than I recall, decent size, good pull-up, and was able to get some separation against some good athletes.
- SDSU bound Owen King of the Wisconsin Playmakers led his team to three wins including a nice 66-63 win over the fourth ranked team in Minnesota, Fury Wilde.
- Heat Macdonald/WOTN Swedburg. Let’s go word game. Jason Williamson of WOTN/Owatonna – tough, trusted, respected. Carson Hallowaty of Heat Mac/Chanhassen – shooter, now and later. Eli Mostaert of WOTN/Lakeville North – assertive, aggressive, crafty. Sam Schwartz of Heat Mac/White Bear Lake – touch, edgy, improved.
- Finally, the last guy I want to talk about is Adam Williams of Princeton. When I saw him this winter I saw a guy that was making bombs and had no problem taking his team on his back and putting up numbers. I saw that same guy playing with the Heat MacDonald 16s this weekend and leading the way in wins. He put the game away vs WOTN with two attacking scores and an excellent assist to a cutter within the Heat halfcourt offense. He was the best player on the floor and the most confident player on the floor.