Mineral Point-Cuba City Prospect Standouts

<p><strong>CUBA CITY -- </strong> With big implications in the SWAL Conference on the line,  Mineral Point (9-2) roared back to upset Cuba City (9-1) on Tuesday...</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Bodie Bossert - 2022 - G - Mineral Point</p> <p>The Pointers don’t win this game without Bossert. It’s not just that he made the game-winning shot, but the senior guard brought his team back from the dead after Mineral Point trailed by as many as 13 points in the second half. Bossert had a huge spurt, scoring six-straight points and delivering a few beautiful assists.  In a tie game, Bossert also came up with a big steal with 1:38 left to take away a huge possession for Cuba City, who could have grinded out the clock and taken the last shot. A skilled, playmaking guard, Bossert facilitated well all night to go along with 10 points. He got in the paint, forced help defenders out of position, and dropped in  passes to his teammates around the rim throughout the game.</p> <p>Cody Houttaker - 2023 - F - Cuba City</p> <p>Houttaker didn’t score a lot, but his defense was hard to miss. The junior forward was everywhere on Friday.  Houttaker does an exceptional job with help defense. He’s almost like a rover at times, shutting off drives when the defense breaks down and constantly moving with the basketball. Houttaker displayed outstanding instincts and hands.  He got his hands on a number of passes and shots throughout the night.  If you break down the film, bet you can find that Houttaker probably wiped away at least 10 points for Mineral Point by just being in the right place at the right time once the opposition broke people down off the dribble.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1036800" first="Carter" last="Olson"] - 2023 - PG - Cuba City</p> <p>Olson plays with excellent burst and change of direction. He had defenders lost at times in the open floor, able to get them to turn their back before whipping back the opposite direction and flying to the hoop. Needs to cut down on his turnovers and probably didn’t finish as well as he’s capable of, but Olson did have a number of terrific layups and top-end speed. He can adjust in mid-air and finish with either hand. The 5-foot-11 junior is also a good enough perimeter shooter that defenders can’t give him too much space and respect the dribble-drive game. Olson finished with 12 points in the loss.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1289076" first="Eli" last="Lindsey"] - 2025 - W - Mineral Point</p> <p>First look at Lindsey, who’s expected to be one of the better 2025 prospects in the state. First thing that stands out is his size.  Already 6-foot-4, Lindsey has better size and  a stronger frame than his older brother, now at Wisconsin. Lindsey came off the bench and hit a couple of shots on Friday. Think Isaac Lindsey was ahead at this point in their careers, but Eli certainly has some similar traits as a shooter from all areas of the floor. Lindsey could have been more aggressive, but did an adequate job of spacing the floor, making defenders respect his outside shot, and getting them off their feet, and probing in the mid-range. </p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1134930" first="Max" last="Lucey"] - 2023 - SF - Cuba City</p> <p>Lucey had a strong spurt near the end of the first half that blew the game open for the Cubans. Despite the loss, he came up big a few times in the second half, silencing a few Mineral Point runs with timely 3-pointers.  Lucey finished with a game-high 22 points. The 6-foot-4 wing shot the ball well from deep all game long. Even when he wasn’t hitting shots, Lucey was active.  He took advantage of extra attention and made sound passes that put his teammates in favorable position to score. Lucey defended, rebounded, and blocked/challenged shots throughout the night. An all-around wing who can float between being a glue guy and a go-to scorer, Lucey brings a lot to the table as a prospect.</p>