Comets Spring Shootout: 17u Saturday Standouts – Guards/Wings
The MN Comets Spring Shootout was held on Saturday and Sunday in the St. Cloud, MN area, with plenty of hoops action to take in over the two days.
A handful of 17u games were played at Sauk Rapids-Rice High School, here are ten of the standout perimeter performers from a couple of the games that took place there.
Camden Arndt – 6’4” G/F, Morris/Comets Kirchner (2019)
Arndt possesses a very athletic and strong build at 6’4” and definitely fits the mold for what you’d want in a wing player. His play backs it up as well, as he showed the ability to finish strong at the rim in traffic and also knocked down shots from the perimeter. His leaping ability and strength also allows him to be a very effective rebounder as well as a defender on and off the ball. Arndt finished with 12 points in a win Saturday against WI City Select.
Kyle Dreyer – 6’1” G, Maple Grove/Heat Walljasper
Heat Walljasper had a tough time dealing with the length of WOTN Swedberg, but they have a handful of capable perimeter players, one of them is Kyle Dreyer. Dreyer played considerable rotation minutes for Maple Grove this past season and continues to display his ability to connect from the perimeter and play solid perimeter defense. Dreyer, along with fellow Maple Grove and Heat teammate Daniel Walljasper form a formidable backcourt tandem for Heat Walljasper.
Ricky Eason – 5’11” G, Centennial/Heat Nelson (2019)
Eason was a player that really jumped out at me this weekend. He is an athletic guard that always seems to play hard and with a purpose. He scored in a variety of ways, he hit a couple shots from deep, got into the lane and finished at the rim and in the lane. Eason primarily played off of the ball with Rainey manning the point, but his handle is solid and I could see him sliding over. He has the ability to defend both guard spots. Eason finished with 20 against Select Ellis.
Cade Goggleye – 6’1” G, North Woods/Comets Kirchner (2019)
Coming off of a strong junior season that included a trip to the State Championship, Goggleye picked up right where he left off. He displayed a calm and collected demeanor running the offense when he was on the court as the PG, as well as showing his ability to play off the ball when he and Jackson Jangula were paired together in the backcourt. Goggleye’s ability to get into the lane to create for teammates was on full display, drawing the defense in a number of times in the second half to either kick out for a triple or dump it low for an easy look. He also added a couple threes of his own on his way to 10 points in a win against WI City Select.
Jackson Jangula – 5’10” G, St. Cloud Cathedral/Comets Kirchner (2019)
Jangula, along with fellow Cathedral and Comets teammate Nick Schaefer, will need to take on larger roles for the Crusaders next season, and they look like they are well on their way to assuming said roles. Jangula was paired up at times in the backcourt with Cade Goggleye, and he was the beneficiary on a number of occasions, knocking down a few shots from behind the arc on kick outs from the lane. He looked comfortable playing off of the ball, but his strength is with the ball in his hands, getting into the lane, creating for teammates and getting his own shot. Jangula had 16 points on Saturday in a win over WI City Select.
Tommy Jensen – 6’0” G, Lakeville North/WOTN Swedberg (2019)
I love the grit and intensity that Jensen plays with, and it seems to set the tone for his teammates as well. He can play both guard spots and has the ability to guard on and off the ball, as well as get to the rim or hit from outside. Jensen has a great feel for the game and always seems to make sound decisions with the basketball. He finished with 6 points against Heat Walljasper.
Tyler Kemp – 6’4” G/F, New Prague/WOTN Swedberg (2019)
Kemp didn’t put a big dent in the scoring column on Saturday, but when he did he made a big splash with a two-handed dunk slashing through the lane against Heat Walljasper. His length makes him versatile, as he plays both inside and out at times, using his length and leaping ability to be a very effective shot blocker and rebounder. Although it wasn’t on display Saturday, Kemp is a very capable shooter from deep as well.
Ronelle Porter – 5’7” G, St. Paul Central/Select Ellis (2019)
The diminutive Porter makes up for his lack of size with speed, toughness, and intensity. His handle is solid and he was adept at getting into the lane and drawing defenders for a kick out or drawing contact and getting himself to the stripe. In addition, he was able to finish against larger defenders with a combination of sound body control and use of floaters and good angles. He didn’t connect from deep during the game but finished with 12 points against Heat Nelson.
Jared Rainey – 6’0” G, Maple Grove/Heat Nelson (2019)
I’ve watched Rainey a number of times over the course of the last couple of months, and I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that he is one of the best ball handlers in the state at the moment. He has a bag full of hesitation moves, crossovers, and spin moves that allows him to penetrate and get shots for himself and for teammates. His body control and ability to finish through contact are impressive and paired with a solid stroke from deep, Rainey is a tough cover. He finished with 21 points against Select Ellis.
Montrell Stokes – 5’10” G, Osseo/Select Ellis (2019)
The athletic ability and versatility of Stokes stood out to me on Saturday, as he was able to play with the ball in his hands but also moved well off of the ball on offense, and he was a very effective on-ball defender on the other end of the floor. He finished in traffic on numerous occasions and drew fouls to get to the line on others. Stokes’ jumper also looked sound, as he knocked down a pair of threes on his way to 14 points against Heat Nelson.