Mid-Week Standouts From The West Side

<p>High school hoops are finally back and man does it feel good. I got the chance to check out Rockford vs Gull Lake on Tuesday, and Catholic Central vs South Christian on Wednesday. Below are some of my observations from the first two games I’ve attended this season.</p> <h5>Rockford 67, Gull Lake 50</h5> <h6>[player_tooltip player_id="814588" first="Sam" last="Krist"], 6’5", G, Rockford 2021"</h6> <p>Sam had an efficient 16 points in Rockford’s season opener. The US Naval commit scored off the dribble drive, from the perimeter, and in the mid-range via isolation sets. His offensive package has significantly diversified from a year ago and will be a problem for Rockford’s opponents all season. He also used his length to disrupt Gull Lake’s offensive flow throughout the game.</p> <h6>[player_tooltip player_id="1068127" first="Nick" last="Heinen"], 6’2", G, Rockford 2022"</h6> <p>Nick came out of the gates ready to play, cashing in three three-pointers in the first quarter, and would eventually finish with 19 points, leading the Rams in scoring. Nick has a smooth looking jumper and can get it off in a hurry. Nick also excelled in transition, penetrating the lane and finding his teammates for open looks.</p> <h6>Calvin Kibbe, 6’2", G, Rockford 2022"</h6> <p>Calvin only scored two points on the night, but it was his defensive effort that stood out to me. He suffocated Gull Lake guards all game, forcing turnovers and bad shots time and time again. He also got after it on the boards, oftentimes coming away with 50-50 balls that would either extend Rockford’s possession or limit Gull Lake’s. Calvin’s hustle play will be a valuable asset for Rockford this season.</p> <h6>Jack Lamancusa, 6’2", G/F, Rockford 2022"</h6> <p>Jack helped set the tone early in the game by not allowing Gull Lake to get an entry pass into the post to their bigs multiple times in the first quarter. This frustrated Gull Lake and took the Blue Devils out of its rhythm. Jack also was usually the first person on the ground for a loose ball. Offensively, Jack had a solid game, putting up 14 points, including a couple of dagger threes in the second half. </p> <h6>[player_tooltip player_id="969531" first="Caleb" last="Taylor"], 5’10" PG, Gull Lake 2021"</h6> <p>Caleb was able to get into the lane and get quality looks via dribble drive with consistency against Rockford. The senior guard scored 14 points to co-lead the Blue Devils in scoring.</p> <h6>[player_tooltip player_id="983530" first="Tyler" last="Corstange"], 6’0" G, Gull Lake</h6> <p>Tyler had a great shooting night, draining four three-pointers and a pair of free throws for Gull Lake. </p> <h5>Grand Rapids Catholic Central 58, Grand Rapids South Christian 56</h5> <h6>[player_tooltip player_id="1112374" first="Durral" last="Brooks"], 6’0" G, Grand Rapids Catholic Central 2024"</h6> <p>The freshman guard had a great varsity debut, scoring 13 points, adding 4 assists, and 4 steals. Durral was able to penetrate the South Christian defense on several occasions, setting himself up with high percentage looks. Defensively, he played great on-ball defense, creating turnovers, which led to transition opportunities for the Cougars. </p> <h6>[player_tooltip player_id="987270" first="Kaden" last="Brown"], 6’0" G, Grand Rapids Catholic Central 2023"</h6> <p>Kaden has taken over as the lead guard for Catholic Central now that [player_tooltip player_id="789778" first="Devon" last="Boyd"] has graduated and is playing at Aquinas College. The sophomore was ready for the spotlight as he scored 14 points to lead the Cougars and had a number of assists. Kaden did a good job of knifing his way through the Sailor defense and knocking down some hard-earned buckets in the win.</p> <h6>[player_tooltip player_id="787680" first="Jack" last="Karasinski"], 6’7" F, Grand Rapids Catholic Central 2022"</h6> <p>Jack, who is one of the premier prospects in the 2021" class from the west side of the state, had a slow start in the opener and sat for the majority of the second quarter due to foul trouble. Yet when it was crunch time, Karasinski went to work scoring crucial late-game buckets to help Catholic Central claw back into the game. Then, with less than two seconds left in the game and the Cougars trailing by one, Karasinski caught a three-quarter court pass at the top of the key, turned, and banked in a three-pointer at the buzzer to win the game. What a moment for the junior.</p> <h6>[player_tooltip player_id="811110" first="Connor" last="Dykema"], 6’7" F, South Christian 2021"</h6> <p>Dykema scored 13 points to lead South Christian in scoring. More impressive was his play on the defensive end as protected the paint effectively and cleaned up the glass and erased second chance opportunities for Catholic Central. </p>