Top 8 Players – North Border 48 Thompson 58

Michael Herrick January 21, 2021 @ 11:20 PM

This was a matchup with two of the better teams from Region 2. I would not be surprised at all if these two teams meet up again in the semifinals of the Region Tournament. North Border came into this game with a 7-1 record and a 6-game win streak. The Eagles had a big upset over Grafton last week. Thompson came into this game with a record of 7-3 and a 3-game win streak. Halftime Score – North Border 18 Thompson 26 Final Score – North Border 48 Thompson 58 The Tommies came out firing on all cylinders to start the game. Thompson built a lead early on and never looked back. The Tommies looked every bit the part of a top defensive team tonight. They play great team defense and have attentive help side. Here are the top players from tonight’s game: 1. [player_tooltip player_id="1135525" first="Kyle" last="Odenbach"] (2022) |6-3 F| Thompson – The lefty is a physical player who is not afraid of contact. He moved well against the zone; I liked his short corner jumper against it. Kyle works hard on defense and on the boards. He showed he can shoot it from outside with a corner 3-pointer. I was impressed with how hard he cuts to get open. He is a gifted finisher with a soft touch. I expect Kyle to be selected as an All-Region player.   2. [player_tooltip player_id="1145544" first="Jakob" last="Starcevic"] (2025) |6-2 F| Thompson – He is an 8th grader making a difference in a varsity game, Jakob is a special player. He is a good passer who puts zip on the ball. Jakob looks to be a solid free-throw shooter. I was impressed with his speed going up and down the court. He can finish at the rim with both hands. Jakob is an athletic slasher who is difficult to keep out of the paint. I was impressed with an off-balance running shot that he made, it showed how athletic he is. He battles on the boards. This young stud is only going to improve as the season goes on.   3. [player_tooltip player_id="1126978" first="Ayden" last="Stainbrook"] (2023) |6-4 F| North Border – He has excellent shooting form. In the first half Ayden made a great move when attacking the basket with a pass fake and finish all in one motion. He is a hustler; I was impressed with his put-back basket in transition. Ayden looks to be a stretch-4 who can step outside and knock down 3’s. He looks to be a confident shooter from the charity stripe. Look for his length and versatility to give opposing teams problems all year.   4. [player_tooltip player_id="1126981" first="Jaden" last="Lee"] (2021) |6-2 G| North Border – He is a strong guard with solid handles. I was impressed with his first step when attacking the defense. Jaden is a legitimate threat from 3-point land. He made a nice post up baby hook shot. Jayden has a nice jump shot as well.   5. Samuel Roller (2021) |5-11 G| Thompson – He is a quick athletic guard. Samuel has a great left hand when dribbling and finishing. He had a buzzer-beating bucket to end the 3rd quarter. Samuel looks to be an aggressive cutter, he showed this while getting buckets against the zone.   6. [player_tooltip player_id="1050261" first="TJ" last="Cosley"] (2023) |5-11 G| North Border – He has a great fake-crossover move. Trenton has a sweet looking pull-up jumper. He has a smooth spin-move. I like how he can finish with his left and right hands at the basket.   7. [player_tooltip player_id="1126980" first="Kyler" last="Moore"] (2022) |6-1 G| North Border – He has a nice-looking shot from beyond the arc. Kyler is a solid free-throw shooter. I liked his jumper from the elbow. He had an impressive “and 1” on a post-up. 8. [player_tooltip player_id="1135526" first="Connor" last="Welsh"] (2022) |6-0 G| Thompson - He is the point-guard that runs the show for the Tommies. I like how he changes speeds to keep the defense off-balance. Connor had a couple of very nice drive and dish plays that resulted in open layups for his teammates.