GPA 17U Saturday Standouts
St. Cloud was a hub from some of the best talent in Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Dakotas last weekend for the Great Plains Invitational. Dozens of Division II and III schools were in town taking in one of the best recruiting weekends of the summer.
Here were some of the guys that stood out Saturday:
I didn’t get a chance to see much of Powerhouse White Friday. I missed out big time because that’s an impressive squad. They were excellent before adding Duoth Gach and he gives them another high-end wing player. Powerhouse beat Comets Lewis in overtime to win the GPA and the championship game was undoubtedly championship quality.
Jarius Cook and Josiah Strong did a lot of the offensive damage in the championship game and seemed to share the role of taking over the game in big moments. Cook buried four triples in the second half alone and brought it on the defensive end of the floor. He’s smooth on the wing and picks his spots nicely without forcing shots or making mistakes.
Strong knocked down several big shots late in the game to keep Powerhouse tight and showed off strong finishing ability. Another smooth athlete, Strong creates his shot easily and is a nightmare to defend in transition as he’s not only a dangerous deep shooter but also a savvy cutter.
Colton Codute came away with the biggest bucket of the game, getting to the rim for a game-tying layup as time expired in regulation but there was so much more to his overall game than one big play. He’s an absolute dawg on the defensive end of the floor, using his compact frame and quickness to fight around screens and apply pressure to opposing ball handlers. He did an outstanding job against Comets guard Matt Todd all game and never let him get into an offensive rhythm. I love the edge he plays with. He’s a consummate floor-general type point guard and with all the scorers Powerhouse deploys, he doesn’t take a lot of shots. But his ability to control the tempo and get guys shots at the right time is an important facet of that team’s success.
Duoth Gach blended nicely with Powerhouse in his first tournament but certainly had moments where he stood out. He’s a dead-eye shooter beyond the 3-point line and his presence opens up a lot of action for his teammates. He can do good things as a secondary ball handler and I was impressed with his defense. I’m always intrigued to see how guys almost exclusively play zone handle the switch to man-to-man in AAU and Gach has the length and athleticism to wreak havoc as a man defender. And while he may get caught out of position at times, he’s got enough athleticism and ball-hawking instincts to make up for it in the passing lanes.
Waterbug Point Guards
I’ve apparently got a soft spot for the undersized and uber-aggressive point guards because I came away crazy impressed by a number of them Saturday. Codute fits into this mold as do Cam Jackson, Cire Mayfield and Josh Arnold.
Arnold might’ve been my favorite player Saturday as he was absolutely terrific in the MN Eagles win over the Dak Schoolers and in the loss to Powerhouse. Arnold scored 21 points in the win over Dak Schoolers, using a blend of speed and quickness to get to the lane whenever he wanted. He used an array of floaters to score over 6-foot-5 and 6-foot-8 guys at the rim and bullied his counterpart on both ends. Every time the Eagles needed a big play, Arnold provided it. He opened my eyes in a big way.
Cam Jackson doesn’t play point guard for Comets Lewis but he serves as a great secondary ball handler playing a lot with Matt Todd. He’s got a strong frame and uses it well to get into gaps and make plays when he has the opportunity. He showed off a solid perimeter jumper as well. He makes his big impact on the defensive end though, where he checked the opponent’s’ top perimeter player a lot of the time.
Select Ohnstad’s Cire Mayfield has been one of the favorite players to watch this spring/summer because he blends an intense and frenetic defensive style with an in-control, calm offensive style. It’s rare to see but on one end, he’s in his counterpart’s grill, he’s pressing and he’s making life incredibly uncomfortable while on the other, he’s in complete control, serving as something of an orchestrator. He is lethal in the mid range and great at probing in ball screen actions to make plays for teammates.
Snipers
If there’s a one-word sum up for MN Eagles guard Ely Hendrickson, it’s ‘sniper.’ The kid is unbelievable from 3-point range and almost single handedly got MN Eagles to the finals with a ridiculous late game barrage of triples in the loss to Powerhouse. He’s not just a stand still shooter or even just an off-ball weapon either. His handles have improved in a big way and he used them to create space to bury several deep 3-pointers in ball screen actions.
Want a beautiful stroke? Comets Lewis swingman Trevor Kaiser has one. The 6-foot-4 wing buried several big triples in the Comets win over Select Ohnstad and hit a deep one late in regulation in the championship game against Powerhouse. He’s lethal off the ball because he does a great job subtly moving to open spots to be available for kickouts.
Do-it-all guys
Jacob Prince doesn’t stuff the stat sheet for Powerhouse but he’s an important player for that team, providing a physical defensive presence. He’s got a solid floor game and can make an impact offensively without taking many shots because he’s active off the ball as a screener and rebounder. He’s a versatile defender and an all-out hustle player.
Zach Korba is quintessential glue guy for MN Eagles. He’s 6-foot-2 but he spends a lot of time defending guys four-plus inches taller than him and the kid just battles. He’s a decent outside shooter, a strong ball handler and good passer. His defense though is a big part of why MN Eagles has been so good this AAU season.
Beijan Newbern was a stud in Select’s loss to Comets Lewis. He scored 14 points and had a rough day from the free throw line but it felt like he was willing his team into a competitive game when Comets Lewis clearly had more juice later in the game. He’s one of several rangy, versatile defenders on that squad and his intensity on both ends was a treat to watch.
Had it not been for a Colton Codute layup in the championship game, Comets Lewis big man Brevyn Spann-Ford would’ve probably been the tournament MVP. He was a force all day Friday and picked his game up even further Saturday. It’s uncanny to see a 6-foot-7, 240 pound kid glide around the floor the way he does and his explosiveness sneaks up on opponents as he was a terror in the passing lanes and in transition. He’s an outstanding passer and a creative playmaker. If he’s allowed to play intramural hoops in college, his team is going to win a lot.