Five Takeaways: Baird/Gusman Shootout

<p>The Baird/Gusman shootout wasn't the premier event of the day in Wisconsin, but it still was host to a handful of solid teams and prospects.</p> <p>Here are five takeaways from the event: </p> <p><strong>Beloit Turner has a dangerous trio</strong></p> <p><strong>Dai'Vontrelle Strong</strong>, <strong>D.J Hash</strong>, and <strong>Jordan Majeed</strong> form a formidable trio for Beloit Turner. Strong, who went through a cold spell in the second half, is Turner's first option on the block. The 6-foot-7 forward has great footwork and a nice touch around the hoop. He wasn't as aggressive as he probably should have been, but he still managed to put up a decent stat line.</p> <p>D.J Hash did a really nice job of facilitating the Trojans' offense in the loss. The point guard scored the ball and was really impressive as a ballhandler and passer.  </p> <p>Jordan Majeed was the best scorer on the floor in this matchup. He hit a couple of hot streaks throughout the game, which was the main reason why he was Turner's leading scorer.</p> <p>When all three of these players are playing at their best (they were not quite at their best on Saturday), Beloit Turner will be a tough team to take down. Credit Freedom for being able to find a way to steal the win. </p> <p><strong>Seymour has a top tier backcourt</strong></p> <p><strong>Riley Murphy</strong> and <strong>Mason Dorn</strong> were easily the best backcourt duo to take the floor on Saturday. Murphy can make threes from almost anywhere on the court and Dorn really stood out as a scorer. This backcourt doesn't look super flashy, but Dorn and Murphy definitely get the job done. </p> <p>If Seymour can continue to build around its two star guards, then the Thunder will be a team to keep an eye out for in Division Two. </p> <p><strong>Mineral Point needs Isaac Lindsey playing</strong></p> <p><strong>Josh Filardo</strong> dropped 35 points and Mineral Point still was not able to get a victory over Wrightstown. The Pointers forced overtime but were unable to win the final four minutes. Considering the circumstances, it was actually a really good performance from Mineral Point. This team has some players that are capable of winning a lot of games. </p> <p>If Isaac Lindsey isn't stuck on the bench, dressed in warmup gear, then Mineral Point probably gets the comfortable win.</p> <p>But he wasn't. Instead of drilling threes, all Lindsey could do was attempt to boost his squad's morale by clapping. </p> <p>Mineral Point has a solid team without Isaac Lindsey. But, if the Pointers want to send out some real vibrations this year, Lindsey will need to be in a uniform.</p> <p><strong>Kaukauna missed Keaton Ferris</strong></p> <p>Earlier in the week, Kaukauna suffered an ugly loss at the hands of Hortonville. If you didn't read between the lines you may assume that the Ghosts are not as good as many projected them to be. While they still should have been able to get by Hortonville, Kaukauna was without its most valuable player. Keaton Ferris was sidelined for the first two games of the season with an injured foot. In his second game back in the starting lineup, Ferris reminded fans of just how good he is. </p> <p>The 5-foot-11 PG does so many positive things for Kaukauna. He scores, passes, and directs the Ghosts. I won't say that Kaukauna's loss to Hortonville was a fluke, all I know is that Ferris, the most critical player for the Ghosts, didn't play. </p> <p>Ferris was the steady hand at the helm for his team in Saturday's win over Green Bay Southwest. </p> <p><strong>Ty Melchert is an underrated guard</strong></p> <p>Ty Melchert is a bucket. He scored 22 points in Green Bay Southwest's loss -- and he had to work really hard for each point. Kaukauna was determined not to let Melchert get open looks. For the most part, the Ghosts were successful in that aspect. </p> <p>But great offense will always prevail over good defense. </p> <p>Nearly all of Melchert's 22 points came with a hand in his face. If any D3 or D2 college programs need a 2020 point guard, I suggest that they take a good look at Ty Melchert. </p>