Appleton North-Oshkosh North Prospect Standouts

<p><strong>OSHKOSH -- </strong>  Trailing by double digits in the second half, Appleton North came from behind to defeat Oshkosh North 70-68 in overtime on Friday...</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1089684" first="Stevie" last="Clark"] - 2024 - SF - Oshkosh North</p> <p>Clark had 21 points in Friday's loss. The sophomore wing scored the first couple of baskets in overtime for the Spartans as well to give them an early edge. An all-around player who can score in different ways, Clark was effective as a floor spacing 3-point shooter, a back-to-the-basket post threat, scoring off-balance in the mid-range, and busting his butt in transition to outwork the defense for easy buckets. Love his improved fall away game in the post. Clark can score over either shoulder and even hit 10-12 foot shots off one foot.  Clark already holds an early offer from St. Thomas. Still waiting to see how he grows and what his body type, but hard to see him not being a top 10 prospect in the 2024 class when all is said and done with his bottom being a strong mid-major Division 1 recruit when you factor in the edge and competitiveness he brings to the table.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1029760" first="Brock" last="Donaldson"] - 2022 - G/W - Appleton North<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/02/Brock.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1380177" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/02/Brock-300x155.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="155" /></a></p> <p>Fresh off his commitment to UW-Platteville, Donaldson had a big all-around performance in Friday’s win. A swiss army knife who can contribute in a variety of ways, Donaldson came up with 16 points, 13 rebounds,  four assists, and two blocks. Donaldson was the most effective weapon against Oshkosh North's 1-3-1 zone. He was the one guy who could find the soft spots in the high post, slash, and either get to the rim or make a play for somebody else. The lefty is very versatile positionally. He can play 1-through-3 and maybe even defend some undersized 4's.  A competitive rebounder, Donaldson had a key putback, plus a foul, with 7:43 remaining that brought the Lightning within one score. He also forced a turnover with North clinging to a one-point lead late in regulation that stole a big possession from the Spartans.</p> <p>Cooper Juedes - 2022 - W - Oshkosh North</p> <p>This kid is just a tough dude that changes the momentum of games. Juedes  plays a more physical game than anyone else on the floor, isn't afraid to stick his face into the fan, and does whatever it takes to win.  Jeudes is only listed at 6-foot-2, but plays much bigger than his size. He'll battle for offensive rebounds, finish against contact, and set a tone on the defensive end of the floor. Offensively, he just finds himself in opportunistic situations and takes a lot of pressure off North's star players. Juedes also hit the 3-pointer to send the game into overtime.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="981152" first="Trent" last="Mullen"] - 2023 - PG - Appleton North</p> <p>Mullen didn’t have a field goal on Friday, but he was key to North’s win. Against the 1-3-1 zone, Mullens really handled pressure and double teams well, dishing out three assists. He didn’t panic when the defense collapsed, moved and shifted the opposition with ball fakes, and valued every possession in what was a dog fight at times. Defensively, Mullen was terrific as well.  He had a huge steal that led to a  game-tying dunk.  It was subtle, but Mullen wiped away a  lot of points for the opposition with his help-and-recover defense. Mullen has a great feel and understanding of who he's guarding, how long he can help off his man, and where to be if a breakdown occurs.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="801136" first="Maximus" last="Nelson"] - 2022-  PF - Appleton North<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/02/Max-Nelson.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1380100" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/02/Max-Nelson-300x155.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="155" /></a></p> <p>Against Oshkosh North’s 1-3-1 zone, you have to be ready to shoot quickly. That’s a good matchup for Nelson, who can set his feet and let it fly as quick as any forward in the state. Nelson poured in 26 points, 11 rebounds, and two blocks on Friday. Leading the comeback win, Nelson had 19 alone in the second half, including eight straight to complete the rally in the second half and five straight in overtime to put the Lightning over the top. North can be limited offensively at times. That said, Nelson has to be a high volume shooter and to his credit, really knocked down some tough looks. Thought the Valparaiso commit played some exceptional interior defense as well, which hasn't always been a strength of his. Oshkosh North likes to pound the post and Nelson played physical, without fouling. He walled up and got a couple of blocks as well.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1289030" first="Garrett" last="Staszak"]  - 2023 - PG - Appleton North</p> <p>Staszak  played his way into the rankings after Friday’s performance. The junior guard tallied 17 points  on 5-of-8 shooting and four steals in the win. Staszak knocked down three 3-pointers, including a huge triple late to briefly give the Lighting a three-point lead in regulation.  Staszak plays with really good pace on and off the ball. He does  a great job of feeding off dribble penetration and getting defenders off their feet with shot fakes. Staszak also recorded four of Appleton North's eight steals, dished out two assists, and went a perfect 4-of-4 from the free throw line.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abuzTWG_H1U</p>