Max’s Mid-Week Standouts (Week 11)

<p>Seven of the top performers I’ve seen so far this week! I’ve watched Park Center take down Osseo, Minneapolis North defeat Minneapolis Southwest, and Park of Cottage Grove come from behind to beat Holy Family.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="958757" first="Cody" last="Pennebaker"] (6’5 2022 W, Park Center)- </strong>Cody remains one of the top unsigned seniors in the state, and he showcased his abilities in a big rivalry game against Osseo by scoring 26 points in a win. Most teams just don’t have size that is quick enough to keep up with Cody, and that was the case on Monday as he was getting out in transition or slashing to the basket in the half-court for finishes all game long. Cody has the ability to hit threes or pull-up from mid-range, but did a nice job of taking what the defense was giving him to score with efficiency. He handles the ball really well at his size having played point guard at his old school, and is an explosive athlete with above-the-rim finishing ability at 6’5.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="958640" first="Tyirece" last="Waits"] (6’1 2022 PG, Osseo)- </strong>Tyirece has been making some noise with his explosive scoring ability this season, but on Monday night he impressed as a facilitator. He’s just too quick for most players to keep in front of, allowing him to blow by the initial defender to get into the paint. Once there a second man is forced to step in, and Tyirece does a great job of recognizing that to locate an open man stepping in to the rim. Whether it was an accurate two hand bounce pass or a highlight behind-the-back pass, Tyirece was locating open teammates at the rim all game long for a handful of assists plus a few more open looks that just didn’t fall.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="958678" first="Evan" last="Bearth"] (6’4 2022 SF, Park)- </strong>[player_tooltip player_id="958715" first="Pharrel" last="Payne"] was able to get going late in the game last night, but while his shots weren’t falling, Evan was having a big game to help his team come from behind. If I remember correctly, Evan only missed one (maybe two) shots on his way to 22 points in a win. With Holy Family running a zone and crashing on Pharrel when he got paint touches, Evan did a great job of relocating to give him an angle to kick it out to him for open shots. That resulted in six made threes for Bearth, who also used a quick shot fake to get by his man for an additional finish at the rim. Composed shooter with size and strength that allows him to play at the 3 or 4 spots for his team.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1145928" first="OT" last="Omot"] (6’3 2023 W, Park)- </strong>OT scored 10 points in Park’s win last night, making some impact plays down the stretch to help his team come from behind. He handles the ball well with his length, and with Holy Family in a zone I thought he did a great job of penetrating it to get into dangerous spots with the ball. His quick burst to get into the lane allowed for him to finish at the rim or kick it out and have the opposing defense scrambling to try to get back into position. He also showed off his explosiveness in transition, taking off for a two hand slam that gave Park all of the momentum for the remainder of the game.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="962212" first="Boden" last="Kapke"] (6’11 2023 C, Holy Family)- </strong>Going up against a high major committed big man, I thought Boden put together a really strong first half. He mixed in a few strong scores in the post with some outside jumpers on his way to a double figure first half. Really like how he didn’t back down when faced up against size and strength, and instead was going straight at that size in the paint for a some tough finishes. In the second half he didn’t get as many post touches and seemed to float a bit more on the perimeter which impacted his production. Defensively he added in a big block and did a nice job of contesting straight up to stay out of foul trouble against a physically imposing center.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="958675" first="Hakeem" last="Ford"] (6’5 2022 SF, Minneapolis Southwest)- </strong>Really like the two way production of Hakeem on Tuesday night. In the first half he did the majority of his scoring, throwing down a huge dunk over a 6’6 defender, cutting backdoor for another finish, and adding in a pair of jumpers on his way to 15 points. He continues to look more comfortable and confident in his jumper every game. Defensively he was spending time defending just about everywhere. Defending in the paint, switching off screens to guard point guards, and just about everywhere in between. He moves so well at his size with the length to make plays as a shot blocker or on-ball defender. Does a great job of contesting straight up to avoid fouling and make things difficult for opposing players.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="850709" first="Willie" last="Wilson"] (6’2 2022 G, Minneapolis North)- </strong>In my five years of living in Minnesota, this was the closest I’ve seen North come to losing a conference game. [player_tooltip player_id="850709" first="Willie" last="Wilson"]’s poise throughout the game was a big reason North was able to keep their win streak alive though. Never rattled with the deficit, Willie just kept on making plays and connecting on his shots at a high percentage. He seems to create space with ease and without needing to be overly flashy or sped up. Once Willie has separation he knocks down his mid-range shots at a high percentage, and he was also knocking down threes from well beyond the high school line. In the second half he became more assertive getting to the basket, showing just how big of a threat he is in the open floor. Finished with a game high 17 points in the close win.</p>