Hard Work Region Finals: 15U Title Game Difference Makers
The grassroots season wrapped up Sunday afternoon at Bloomington. Kennedy. Fury Wilde took home the championship, winning a hard-fought triple-overtime battle against Wisconsin Playground Black. The day was filled with great play, especially in the championship game. Take a look…
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Continue ReadingThe grassroots season wrapped up Sunday afternoon at Bloomington. Kennedy. Fury Wilde took home the championship, winning a hard-fought triple-overtime battle against Wisconsin Playground Black. The day was filled with great play, especially in the championship game. Take a look at which players made major contributions for their respective teams.
PG Maddox Alipate Fury Wilde/Lakeville South
Maddox is a 6’1″ point guard that is extremely explosive off the bounce. Late in the second half, Alipate came off a down screen, jabbed left and then used his explosiveness to blow by the defender. When confronted by the help-side defender, Alipate hung in the air just long enough to finish an impressive contested layup. Alipate is also a lockdown defender, that makes setting up the offense a challenge for every opposing guard. Alipate never seems flustered on the court and his continually positive body language and on-court intensity injects confidence in his other teammates. He will make some noise in the winter.
SG/SF Sam Fliehe Fury Wilde/Lakeville South
From the tip, Sam brought the energy for Fury Wilde. On the first possession of the game, Fliehe rubbed off a flare screen and confidently nailed a three, pacing himself for a phenomenal first half. Fliehe’s energy was the story of the first half as the 6’3″ wing flew around the floor, getting in passing lanes and defending like a madman. He also did the dirty work for an offensive board and score. Fliehe scored almost half (11), of Fury’s first-half points and really kept the team afloat in the first 16 minutes. A nice prospect that saw time as a freshman for Lakeville South who should play a bigger role this season.
Jack Campion Wisconsin Playground Black/Milton
Alongside Casey Verhagen, Campion is the other half of Playground’s dynamic backcourt. I was really impressed with Campion’s craftiness off the dribble and ability to knock down contested jump shots. He finished with 9 points, including a sweet pull-up trey over Fury’s defense. It was a treat watching Campion and Alipate go at it, and I was so impressed with Campion’s ability to handle the ball even while being smothered by Fury’s defense. He also did a tremendous job of creating offense off the bounce, including a sweet first-half Maravichesque dish.
Danilo Jovanovich Wisconsin Playground Black/Whitnall
Danilo is a long smooth lefty, that has nice skills for the wing position. At 6’4″ with a lot of length, Division One coaches should be calling soon. Jovanovich has the ability to burn defenders with isolation or use his size and athleticism to post up smaller defenders. Danilo also uses his smarts to pick his spots and create his shot without forcing.
SF Mekhi Collins Fury Wilde/Mankato West
With the game on the line, Mekhi came through with the basket of the tournament. The 2022 forward caught the ball on the right block and displayed his tremendous leaping ability with a game-winning layup off the glass. Collins’ athleticism reminds me a lot of Jordan Murphy as few get off the floor quicker than the Mankato West big. Collins also has impressive strength inside and uses his broad shoulders to bully opponents off the dribble. On another play, Mekhi caught the ball on the left elbow and then slashed through the lane for a nice finish. The forward finished with 11 strong points in the championship game victory.