Player Evals: Four Double-Figure Scorers in Mid-Prairie Win

WELLMAN -- Frenetic, swarming defense, and balanced scoring helped lead Mid-Prairie to a critical River Valley South Conference win over Wilton on Tuesday night, 62-51. The win gives the Golden Hawks control of the division race and keeps their record unblemished. Wilton big man [player_tooltip player_id="1167686" first="Caden" last="Kirkman"] has established himself as one of the best players in 2A, and Mid-Prairie knew going in that they needed to find a way to slow him down and they did just that, limiting him to just two points on three shots in the first half. Some timely 3-pointers and a full-court defense that forced a number of turnovers helped lead the Hawks to a 27-21 halftime advantage, then they blew it open in the third quarter, winning that stanza 25-12 to build a 52-33 lead after three quarters. Things got interesting in the fourth quarter, as Wilton opened the final frame with 13 straight points to trim the deficit down to six points, but Mid-Prairie responded with five straight of their own to grab control and race to the finish line. Mid-Prairie (8-0, 7-0) was led by [player_tooltip player_id="1167728" first="Alex" last="Bean"] and [player_tooltip player_id="1158414" first="Carter" last="Harmsen"], who each had 19 points to lead a quartet of double-figure scorers. Harmsen added 12 rebounds in the win. Will Cavanagh had 11 points and 11 rebounds, and [player_tooltip player_id="1235039" first="Jackson" last="Pennington"] chipped in 11 points as well. Wilton (7-2, 4-1) was led by Aidan Walker, who had a team-high 15 points. [player_tooltip player_id="1167686" first="Caden" last="Kirkman"] overcame a slow start to finish with 14 points and 10 rebounds in the loss for the Beavers.   <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; height: 63px;"> <tbody> <tr style="height: 21px;"> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center; height: 21px;">Team</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center; height: 21px;">1Q</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center; height: 21px;">2Q</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center; height: 21px;">3Q</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center; height: 21px;">4Q</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center; height: 21px;">F</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 21px;"> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center; height: 21px;">Wilton</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center; height: 21px;">9</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center; height: 21px;">12</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center; height: 21px;">12</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center; height: 21px;">18</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center; height: 21px;">51</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 21px;"> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center; height: 21px;">Mid-Prairie</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center; height: 21px;">15</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center; height: 21px;">12</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center; height: 21px;">25</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center; height: 21px;">10</td> <td style="width: 16.6667%; text-align: center; height: 21px;">62</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>   Wilton: Aidan Walker 15, [player_tooltip player_id="1167686" first="Caden" last="Kirkman"] 14, Jackson Hull 9, Landyn Putman 8, Casen Reid 3, Lucas DuRocher 2 Mid-Prairie: [player_tooltip player_id="1167728" first="Alex" last="Bean"] 19, [player_tooltip player_id="1158414" first="Carter" last="Harmsen"] 19, Will Cavanagh 11, [player_tooltip player_id="1235039" first="Jackson" last="Pennington"] 11, Camron Pickard 2     <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/01/Carter-Harmsen-crop-1024x673-1641397136.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1360294" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/01/Carter-Harmsen-crop-1024x673-1641397136-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a>SF [player_tooltip player_id="1158414" first="Carter" last="Harmsen"] (Mid-Prairie, 2022) With an injury to Ethan Vos, the Hawks slid Harmsen down into the paint a little more often than they usually do, and he produced at a high level, finishing with 19 points and 12 rebounds. A 6-5 playmaking wing, he is a strong and effective finisher around the rim who powers through contact and finishes. He has excellent footwork on his dribble penetration, flashing a beautiful Euro step to slide around Kirkman and get a bucket, and he has a good enough stroke that he needs to be respected from the arc. He had an excellent night on the glass, using his great hands and athleticism to pull down contested rebounds, and I thought that he played a really strong defensive game against Kirkman as the primary defender there. He was giving up plenty of size, but battled with him in the paint and played to the Hawks' gameplan, playing physically and tough with him until the help was able to come. A strong all-around showing from Harmsen. PG [player_tooltip player_id="1235039" first="Jackson" last="Pennington"] (Mid-Prairie, 2022) The team's primary ball-handler, Pennington is a 6-0 lead guard who generally does a good job limiting turnovers and getting others involved. He had a bigger scoring night (11 points) than he usually does, but he wasn't forcing anything, just taking what was given to him. He sees the floor well, is a good ball-handler, and competes hard on both ends of the floor. He does a lot of the little things that help contribute to winning teams. SG Will Cavanagh (Mid-Prairie, 2022) The 6-1 guard was huge for the Hawks in the win, finishing with 11 points and 11 rebounds, including 6 huge offensive boards, gaining valuable extra possessions. The Hawks took 16 more shots than Wilton did, and Cavanagh's work on the offensive glass was a significant part of that stat. He's a strong guard who finishes well around the rim, competes hard on the glass, and is a willing defender who flies around the floor. SG [player_tooltip player_id="1167728" first="Alex" last="Bean"] (Mid-Prairie, 2023) An off-ball guard with a quick release, Bean knocked down 3-8 from behind the arc in the win en route to a co-team-high 19 points. A 6-1 shooter, he moves well without the ball in his hands and provided a spark with his ability to knock down some big 3-pointers at key times. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/07/Caden-Kirkman1.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1254556" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/07/Caden-Kirkman1-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /></a>PF [player_tooltip player_id="1167686" first="Caden" last="Kirkman"] (Wilton, 2023) Kirkman got off to a very slow start, as the Hawks were sending all sorts of different defensive looks at him on his post touches - sometimes sending doubles, sometimes sending triples, and sometimes leaving him one-on-one but flashing a whole lot of help. To his credit, he was very patient, not forcing anything. He came alive in the second half a bit, showcasing the type of footwork that makes him one of the best post prospects that we've seen in our time at PHIA. He may have the best footwork from a high school big in our time as a company, and he's a patient big with an array of post moves, up-and-unders, and the ability to finish with either hand around the bucket. He also has excellent court vision and should have had a handful of assists. He's an excellent rebounder, a fluid athlete who runs the floor well, and a switchable defender who can protect the rim or move his feet. He'll likely be finding himself within the top 10 when we update the 2023 rankings in the coming weeks. SF Landyn Putman (Wilton, 2024) A long and athletic 6-3 wing who has a lot of potential, Putman had 8 points (3-7 FG, 2-4 3P), 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals for the Beavers. He's an intriguing prospect who moves well without the ball in his hands, has a quick release on his jumper, and is a solid ball-handler and decision-maker who should only continue to improve as he irons out his handle and confidence with the ball in his hands. SG Aidan Walker (Wilton, 2023) Walker plays bigger than the 5-11 he is listed at because of the impressive length that he possesses. He showed some shot-making abilities, knocking down 2-5 from behind the arc en route to a team-high 15 points, and he also showed that he can blow by defenders and get to the rim. He uses his length effectively on the defensive end, getting into passing lanes and contesting shots to the tune of 2 steals and a block.