Live SZN Kickoff: Lincoln Supreme 2025s Bigs Impress
Surprising the 15U field at Lincoln was a band of 8th graders who played up a year. Lincoln Supreme 2025 didn’t just play. They went undefeated, with no opponent coming within a dozen or so points of winning. Word around…
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Continue ReadingSurprising the 15U field at Lincoln was a band of 8th graders who played up a year. Lincoln Supreme 2025 didn’t just play. They went undefeated, with no opponent coming within a dozen or so points of winning.
Word around the Lincoln Sports Foundation complex was that the 8th graders match up very well with Lincoln Supreme’s two high-quality 2024 clubs.
“I love this group,” said Lincoln Supreme 2025 coach Rick Frager. “They don’t all go to school together, but they get along really well, and there’s just not a lot of friction among them. They are all competitive, and they battle each other and beat the crap out of each other in practice. But that’s as far as it goes.
“I think everybody is kind of grateful to be on this team, and there’s no jealousy.”
Playing up can be a challenge to a young kid’s psyche, and isn’t advisable for everyone. Frager said this group has handled it well so far.
“These guys have been really successful at their own age group,” Frager said. “But now, playing against bigger kids, stronger kids that jump higher, that’s the big thing for us. That’s the learning experience. You could get in a situation where you get beat down and start to lose a little confidence. But you’ve got to see what they’re made of.”
As a group, the 8th graders are big and strong for their age. But taking on high schoolers forces them to rely on savvy and skill rather than physical gifts.
“The physicality of it is the toughest part,” Frager said. “We’ve got to get stronger. Every time you touch the ball, somebody’s putting their hands on you, they’re pushing you. We’ve got to get used to that.”
Here’s a look at the bigs on the Lincoln Supreme 2025 club (in alphabetical order):
Braden Frager, 6-foot-3, forward:
The longer you watch the Lincoln Supreme 2025s, the more you begin to think Frager might just be the best player on the team. His game appears at first to be power, toughness and relentlessness. And that’s absolutely a big part of who he is. But the longer you watch, the more you see his well-developed, all-around skills. He can handle the ball, shoot, make great decisions, and defend with discipline and technique. Add in his attack-dog mentality and you’ve got the makings of a really good young player.
Chuck Love, 6-foot-4, forward (pictured):
The first guy to jump out at you when the team walks in the gym is Love. His as-yet undeveloped frame is all arms and legs. His game is light years ahead of his physical development. He has a nice stroke from deep and can get hot for long stretches. He handles the ball really well for a long-limbed young wing, and plays with an advanced understanding of the game. Given time to develop physically, Love will be special.
Kayvion Reynolds, 6-foot-2, forward:
Reynolds also can get overlooked at first with Love and Frager around. But the longer you watch Reynolds, the more impressive things he does. He’s a long, super athletic wing who attacks the lane – against bigger, older kids, mind you – and routinely makes impressive jumpers, runners and lay ins. He doesn’t dominate the ball, but he makes a ton of eye-opening plays. Reynolds is the smoothest member of the team and second to Love as the most versatile. His ceiling is incredibly high.
Cohen Sand, 6-foot, forward:
Sand is another Lincoln 8th grader who, the longer you watch him, the more things pop out that he does. He is a tough competitor in the lane, grabbing contested rebounds, finishing in traffic, and helping out on defense. He dives and scraps for loose balls and takes the fight to older, bigger interior players. But he also handles the ball and can score from the perimeter.
Daniel Stoner, 6-foot-2, forward:
Stoner is the closest thing to a ‘big’ on the Supreme 8th grade team. He’s solidly built – probably the most physically developed guy on the club. He is a relentless battler who didn’t back down from the huge high school players at the tournament. He’s not confined to the lane. He can handle the ball, drive from the perimeter, and shoot from the arc. He is a top-notch rebounder and can really take the ball to the rim through traffic.