5 Takeaways: Lakeville North cruises to win over Shakopee
Shakopee’s been one of the semi-surprise teams in Class AAAA this season, reaching high marks in the rankings thanks to a hot start. Lakeville North, one of the more consistent programs in the state, showed the Sabers just how much…
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Continue ReadingShakopee’s been one of the semi-surprise teams in Class AAAA this season, reaching high marks in the rankings thanks to a hot start. Lakeville North, one of the more consistent programs in the state, showed the Sabers just how much further they still have to go to reach elite status.
Behind a balanced offensive attack and a dominant defensive effort, the Panthers got out to a 23-point halftime lead and led by more than 30 at one point in the second half before ultimately edging the Sabres 65-57.
Here are five takeaways from the contest
Lakeville North is still elite and hitting its stride
The Panthers suffered a few early-season losses and while they’ve stayed on most ranking charts, they’ve flown under the radar. Shakopee, on the flip side, earned several impressive wins early in the year and reached really high marks by some ranking charts. It feels like that was a classic case of one team that’s been around a long time and people getting bored with it versus another that is new and exciting – inevitably leading to some overreaction. The Panthers went out and outclassed the Sabers in practically every way Tuesday and while they may have some flaws, ultimately they are still one of the best teams in the state and will be a factor late in the season.
Lakeville North’s defense is a driving force behind its success
This one isn’t necessarily new because for one, Lakeville North traditionally plays top-notch defense and two, this team was always going to have to win with defense because of some shortcomings on the offensive end. That’s been the case. The Panthers don’t have a high-octane offense. They’ve got one really good overall offensive player in Tyler Wahl who isn’t an unstoppable scorer but an effective and consistent offensive player and a number of solid guys who fill roles on that side of the ball. Where they separate themselves is one the defensive end where they’ve got a lot of size, athleticism and experience. They play extremely connected and frustrate teams to no end. They completely took Will Cordes – Shakopee’s leading scorer going into the game – out of the contest and shut down Caleb Druvenga for most of the evening.
Shakopee needs Cordes and Druvenga to score at a high rate
Will Cordes went into Tuesday’s game averaging nearly 17 points per game and had hit the 20-point make six times already on the year. He scored two points and was essentially invisible. Druvenga finished with 11 points but a good chunk of them came late in the game after the Panthers had essentially put the thing away. Those two guys are what makes Shakopee different from a lot of teams because two dynamic guards like that are hard to defend. The Panthers suffocated them in a big way. Without a lot of size inside, Shakopee needs those two to be excellent if they are going to contend in the conference and in Section 2.
Tommy Jensen, Jack Rusch and Tate Staloch give the Panthers a lot of outside shooting
Jensen hasn’t put up big numbers so far this season and with the way the Panthers play, he might not end up putting up big numbers anyways. But he’s adapted pretty well and shown that he can effectively play on or off the ball. With his AAU team, Jensen was a primary ball-handler and did well at it. With this team, there really isn’t a primary ball handler because it’s predicated on motion and the ball changing sides and hands a lot unless it’s going through Wahl. But Jensen is an excellent long-range shooter and can change the game with that ability. Staloch is an excellent defensive big who can guard inside and out. Offensively, his game isn’t as advanced but he does one thing extremely well and that’s shoot. He’s hit some big ones – the eventual game-winner over Eastview – and his low-maintenance style meshes well in the Panthers’ system. Rusch has been a breakout guy for North, averaging better than 12 points per game and as he’s gotten more confidence the offense has looked better and better. At 6-foot-5, he’s an excellent perimeter shooter but also has the size and athleticism to burn bad closeouts. Any one of these guys can change the complexion of a game in the span of the couple minutes because of their long-range shooting.
It’s a two-horse race in the South Suburban Conference
This one may be a bit reactionary which I try to not be when I write but after a complete dismantling of the Sabers Tuesday, I feel good about saying the Panthers are on a different plane right now with regards to their overall ceiling for this season. Prior Lake is one of the three best teams in Class AAAA and undefeated in the conference. Those two teams meet up next Tuesday for what should be a terrific bout. That game will go a long way in deciding who ultimately wins the conference.