MAC Shootout: Top Bigs

Hayden Stromsodt

Richard Stockton

January 12, 2021 @ 11:00 PM

The Mid-America Center hosted the 15th annual MAC Shootout this weekend, pitting several teams along the Iowa-Nebraska border against one another. These were the best big men who participated in the Shootout: Noah Sandbothe - Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln Sandbothe was an excellent balance of size and versatility in their 74–72 defeat against Bellevue West. He has good mobility, which he used to wiggle through traffic and fight for rebounds. He was even comfortable out on the perimeter and with the ball in his hands. On one occasion, he jabbed and drove the ball from the three-point line, past Even Inselman for a layup. He has good feel on the court, too. His off-ball movement was rewarded with a few catch and shoot three-point opportunities that he knocked down. [player_tooltip player_id="1018806" first="William" last="Kyle III"] - Bellevue West The best shot-blocker in attendance at the MAC Shootout was the junior, William Kyle. He finished with 3 blocks in addition to his 11 points (a perfect 5/5 from the field) and 4 assists. Sandbothe had a solid game, but the reason he didn’t score more than 11 points was due to Kyle’s rim protection. He slides his feet well enough to handle the guards, and he eats up the big men. He had a few messy turnovers by trying to fit a pass where it didn’t belong, or seeing a pass, but waiting too long to throw it. Wyatt Hatcher - Lewis Central I’m sure most opposing centers look forward to their matchups against Lewis Central when they see Wyatt Hatcher in charge of defending the paint at 6’3". He is built like a fullback, and it was very difficult for Elkhorn North to win rebounds from him. He also proved to have nimble feet in the lane when he pulled off a few step-throughs and pivots for high-percentage looks. He flashed to the high post and hit his much bigger sidekick, 6’6" sophomore Colby Souther, with passes over the top to beat the zone. He is a smart, gritty player and drew some important charges late in the fourth quarter. [player_tooltip player_id="890519" first="Hayden" last="Stromsodt"] - Plattsmouth Hayden racked up 10 rebounds and 4 blocks for Plattsmouth in their loss against the Glenwood Rams. He is very limited on offense at this point. Good new for him is that I don’t see his offensive struggles as a result of limited skill or ability, but right now he struggles to coordinate his movements at his size. He blocked shots with both hands in this game, and one of them required him coming in from the weakside. If he gets the ball and his path to the basket is one move away, he can have success. He utilized a right shoulder drop-step that produced some good looks, but if it requires an extra dribble or counter, it’s best he passes off to someone else. On defense and on the glass, though, he was impactful as any big at the Shootout.