Top Players: Beresford vs Sioux Valley

Volga, SD - We had a Big East Conference battle last night. Sioux Valley game into the game ranked #1 in Class A. This one did not disappoint! The student section for Sioux Valley was crazy, they brought energy and enthusiasm all night. It was a fast-paced and intense first quarter. Sioux Valley was shooting quickly early in the game and Beresford took advantage of the early misses. The Watchdogs came out with the early lead 11-6. Beresford led for most of the first quarter but Sioux Valley had a momentous comeback and the first ended in a tie. The second quarter was just as intense and both teams traded and matched baskets. Sioux Valley had the 3 point edge at halftime. The third quarter was wildly entertaining. If it was not for [player_tooltip player_id="812212" first="Hayden" last="Ruesink"], the Watchdogs might have walked away with it. Ruesink had 10 points in the 3rd. On the other side, it was [player_tooltip player_id="1351868" first="Andrew" last="Atwood"] drilling dagger after dagger. He had 9 huge points. Beresford took the lead multiple times in the 3rd. In the 4th quarter the Cossacks cranked up the pressure and their up-tempo style eventually wore down the Watchdogs. Sioux Valley took Beresford’s best punch, it just was not quite enough. Look for the Watchdogs to keep improving and for them to be a scary team by the end of the season. Expect Sioux Valley to learn from this game and to build upon that big 4th quarter. It was a fun night in Volga, that’s for sure! I encourage everyone to get out and watch Beresford and Sioux Valley this season, you will be happy with your decision. Score 1st- Beresford 18 Sioux Valley 18 2nd- Beresford 34 Sioux Valley 37 3rd- Beresford 48 Sioux Valley 52 Final- Beresford 61 Sioux Valley 77 <h4>Top Watchdogs</h4> [player_tooltip player_id="1351868" first="Andrew" last="Atwood"] (2024) |6-1 G| 23 pts, 2/4 ft’s, five 3-pointers. Talk about a hot hand! This gunner was unreal last night. This lefty is a serious 3-point shooter. Andrew drilled timely triples all night. The first one that stuck out was the bomb before the half. In the 3rd Atwood was playing the role of a zone buster and he was doing his job. One of his triples was from NBA range that tied the game in the 3rd quarter. He does a nice job of spacing the floor and moving without the ball. Atwood is an in-rhythm catch and shoot player. However, Andrew did more than just shoot three-pointers. Atwood had a very nice fullcourt basket that he ended with a euro-step reverse layup. He also had a difficult lefty finish with contact directly in his face. I also liked how Andrew hustled for loose balls. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1351898" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/tate-crop-3226x2118-1640202574-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> [player_tooltip player_id="1265477" first="Tate" last="VanOtterloo"] (2023) |6-4 G/F| 18 pts, 3/6 ft’s, one 3-pointer. He was impressive this summer when I watched him, Tate was even better last night. At one point in the second half, Sioux Valley was chasing him because they were so worried about VanOtterloo. He is a stud athlete. Tate is long and he can finish with both hands at the basket. Tate got the scoring going last night with a smooth pull-up 15’ jumper. He had multiple athletic finishes in transition. In the second half, he had a big break-away slam dunk. Tate showed his determination and aggressiveness in the 4th with a tip-in basket with two guys on him. VanOtterloo’s lone 3-pointer came from the right-wing in a catch-and-shoot situation. One of his most crafty moves was a step-back jumper from the elbow. If VanOtterloo is not getting looked at by colleges, he will soon. With his length, skill, and athleticism Tate is a very nice prospect. [player_tooltip player_id="812215" first="Ashton" last="Tjaden"] (2022) |6-4 PF| 8 pts. He did all his scoring in the first half. In the second half when Sioux Valley cranked up the pressure or sat in a zone it was tough for Beresford to get him touches. Ashton has a nice-looking jump shot from the elbow. When Tjaden had the ball in the paint he showed multiple fakes and pivots. He had an impressive finish vs. the opposing 6’9" big man. Against the zone, in the first half, Ashton had a nice 12’ 1-handed jump shot. I was impressed with Ashton’s patience and how he kept his shoulders square to the basket when finishing. Austin Hamm (2022) |6-1 G| 3 pts, one 3-pointer. He is another lefty for Beresford. His triple came in the first half. Hamm is a hard worker that leaves it all on the court. He looks to have the potential as another outside scoring threat for the Watchdogs. <h4>Top Cossacks</h4> <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1351902" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/haydenrues-crop-3024x1986-1640202796-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> [player_tooltip player_id="812212" first="Hayden" last="Ruesink"] (2022) |6-5 PF| 23 pts, 2/3 ft’s, one 3-pointer. He did damage all game, but his biggest and most important quarter was the 3rd. Hayden is a strong and fundamental player with great feet. He had many physical finishes around the basket. Ruesink showed off his strength with the AND1. He has a nice mid-range pull-up. Hayden is opportunistic. He scored on a lob pass from a BLOB. I love the way he grabs the ball with authority, when Hayden gets his mitts on the ball, nobody else is getting it. Ruesink had some fantastic finishes. He showed off a euro-step and a reverse layup in traffic against zone D. One of his best plays was when he threw a fullcourt 2-handed over the head pass on a dime. You can tell he is a heady player. At one point, Hayden was falling out of bounds and he threw the ball off another player before he got the violation. Ruesink is a versatile player, a mismatch with his size, strength, and a deep skill set. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1351904" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/olivervincent24-crop-3024x1986-1640202936-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> [player_tooltip player_id="963744" first="Oliver" last="Vincent"] (2023) |6-1 G| 23 pts, 3/4 ft’s, four triples. He may not of been hot early, but he did get on fire when it mattered. Vincent scored 12 of his points in the fourth quarter. One of the first things I noticed was how skilled Oli is. He was throwing left-handed passes off the dribble. Vincent’s ballhandling is also elite. I really like the way attacks the defense and when he draws two defenders he kicks it to the open man. Oli also showed off great touch with a perfect lob pass. His intensity never lets up on either end of the floor. On one of his fullcourt finishes, Vincent showed off his breakaway speed. He is a 5-tool player with the athleticism to match it. Oli is an all-around scorer with the ability to step out and hit deep 3-pointers. I can’t wait to see how far Mr. Vincent can take the Cossacks this season. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1351908" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/parkerpuetz-crop-3024x1986-1640203116-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> [player_tooltip player_id="968190" first="Parker" last="Puetz"] (2022) |6-4 G| 12 pts, four 3-pointers. All of his points came in the first half. He hit two triples in each quarter. I like the way Puetz moves into his shot and his elevation on his jumper. He spots up well and is a great release valve for his teammates that draw two defenders. Puetz has a nice high release on his shot which allows him to shoot over smaller defenders. Parker had a big block on defense. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1351910" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/alecsquires35-crop-3024x1986-1640203250-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> [player_tooltip player_id="1266223" first="Alec" last="Squires"] (2024) |6-10 C| 4 pts. Alec is an agile big man with extra-long arms. He does a nice job of protecting the rim and paint. Squires showed good timing and patience with a blocked shot. He altered and changed many more. I liked his physical finish late in the game. This showed me that Squires has strength and concentration. He is a huge part of this team, especially on the defensive end. Squires will get better with every game. He is going to be a beast in the paint by the end of the season.