Player Evals: MVC-CIML Doubleheader at Linn-Mar

MARION -- A pair of teams ranked within the top 10 in Class 4A had little trouble getting past their non-conference foes on Saturday afternoon, as #3 Kennedy breezed past Dowling Catholic, 73-44, and #8 Valley used a dominant second-half to blow past Linn-Mar, 75-40 in the second game. Kennedy used a 20-2 run between the first and second quarters to grab control of the opening game, using their on-ball pressure defense and an attacking offense to build a 35-13 halftime lead. The Cougars were simply too quick, too disciplined, and too athletic for the Maroons, dominating both ends of the floor in their easy win. [player_tooltip player_id="1158435" first="Carson" last="Blietz"] had 13 points and [player_tooltip player_id="1167718" first="Colby" last="Dolphin"] added 12 points in the Cougars win. [player_tooltip player_id="1288853" first="Andrew" last="Mauro"] led Dowling with 15 points. Valley jumped out to a 10-0 lead and never trailed in their game against Linn-Mar. The Lions were able to climb back to within four points midway through the second quarter, and Valley led by just 10 at the half, 28-18. The second half was all Tigers though, including a 25-6 fourth quarter to give Valley a 35-point win. [player_tooltip player_id="1158260" first="Ruot" last="Bijiek"] had 25 points and [player_tooltip player_id="1381407" first="Kiki" last="Deng"] chipped in 21 points for the Tigers in the win. [player_tooltip player_id="962642" first="Jaxson" last="Young"] led Linn-Mar with 20 points.   <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; height: 81px;"> <tbody> <tr style="height: 21px;"> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center; height: 21px;">Team</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center; height: 21px;">1Q</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center; height: 21px;">2Q</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center; height: 21px;">3Q</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center; height: 21px;">4Q</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center; height: 21px;">F</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 21px;"> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center; height: 21px;">Kennedy</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center; height: 21px;">19</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center; height: 21px;">16</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center; height: 21px;">20</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center; height: 21px;">18</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center; height: 21px;">73</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 39px;"> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center; height: 39px;">Dowling Catholic</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center; height: 39px;">7</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center; height: 39px;">6</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center; height: 39px;">16</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center; height: 39px;">15</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center; height: 39px;">44</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>   Kennedy: [player_tooltip player_id="1158435" first="Carson" last="Blietz"] 13, [player_tooltip player_id="1167718" first="Colby" last="Dolphin"] 12, [player_tooltip player_id="1158434" first="Jackson" last="Bowman"] 9, [player_tooltip player_id="784983" first="Craig" last="Mills"] 9, [player_tooltip player_id="1171687" first="Cyrus" last="Courtney"] 9, [player_tooltip player_id="956877" first="Kenzie" last="Reed"] 8, Brenden Linde 6, Carter Newhouse 5, Tristan Steichen 2 Dowling Catholic: [player_tooltip player_id="1288853" first="Andrew" last="Mauro"] 15, [player_tooltip player_id="1352976" first="Carson" last="Brown"] 6, Jayden Pettus McMullen 4, Davis Scheck 3, Colin Clark 3, Andrew Nyongi 3, [player_tooltip player_id="784981" first="Maada" last="Brewah"] 2, [player_tooltip player_id="1352891" first="Charlie" last="Stewart"] 2, [player_tooltip player_id="1288919" first="Jack" last="Ode"] 2, Jake Anderson 2, Harrison Grant 2   <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center;">Team</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center;">1Q</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center;">2Q</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center;">3Q</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center;">4Q</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center;">F</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center;">Valley</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center;">15</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center;">13</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center;">22</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center;">25</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center;">75</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center;">Linn-Mar</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center;">7</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center;">11</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center;">16</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center;">6</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center;">40</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>   Valley: [player_tooltip player_id="1158260" first="Ruot" last="Bijiek"] 25, [player_tooltip player_id="1381407" first="Kiki" last="Deng"] 21, [player_tooltip player_id="1381422" first="Curtis" last="Stinson Jr"] 9, Trevian Carson 6, [player_tooltip player_id="1240109" first="Drew" last="Sueppel"] 4, [player_tooltip player_id="1240073" first="Chuck" last="Epperly"] 3, Akena Ochan 3, Luke Morton 2, [player_tooltip player_id="784972" first="Kir" last="Diew"] 2 Linn-Mar: [player_tooltip player_id="962642" first="Jaxson" last="Young"] 20, [player_tooltip player_id="1381412" first="Davis" last="Kern"] 5, TJ Jackson 4, Ian Bettis 4, [player_tooltip player_id="1167731" first="Jackson" last="Severson"] 3, Jayden Hill 2, Creighton Fairley 2   2023 [player_tooltip player_id="956877" first="Kenzie" last="Reed"] (Kennedy) A silky smooth point guard who plays with pace and has remarkable court vision, Reed had 8 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists in the Cougars’ blowout win. He has excellent handles, a smooth pull-up game, and is a pass-first lead guard who loves to get others involved. 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="1158435" first="Carson" last="Blietz"] (Kennedy) Blietz is Kennedy’s X-factor, a good shooter who moves well off the ball and is ready to shoot on the catch. He showed a bit more playmaking and shot creation in the win over Dowling, finishing with 13 points on 4-5 shooting (2-3 3P). When he gets it rolling, he’s tough to slow down, and it makes Kennedy really dangerous offensively. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/Colby-Dolphin-crop-4852x3186-1632260165.jpeg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1288245" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/Colby-Dolphin-crop-4852x3186-1632260165-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a>2023 [player_tooltip player_id="1167718" first="Colby" last="Dolphin"] (Kennedy) A tough, physical guard who can score from all three levels, Dolphin is also a really good on-ball defender who makes opposing ball-handlers work hard on that end of the floor. The physical lefty absorbs contact well around the bucket and can finish through it. He had 12 points on 4-8 shooting (2-4 3P). 2024 [player_tooltip player_id="1171687" first="Cyrus" last="Courtney"] (Kennedy) Courtney is an eye-popping athlete who uses that athleticism and length to create chaos on both ends of the floor. A 6-2 guard who can get to the rim and has a smooth jumper, he had 9 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, and 4 steals in the Cougars blowout win. Also a standout on the football field, Courtney will have a big decision to make in a few years, as he certainly has a future in both sports. 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="784983" first="Craig" last="Mills"] (Kennedy) Mills is a nimble 6-5/6-6 big man with great hands. He struggled to finish around the rim in the Cougars win, shooting just 3-10 from the floor, but he has been strong around the bucket throughout the year, showing the ability to finish with either hand. He looks like he could play on the defensive line with his quick feet and excellent hands and finished with 9 points and 12 rebounds (7 offensive). <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/Andrew-Mauro-crop-4852x3186-1632173193.jpeg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1287498" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/Andrew-Mauro-crop-4852x3186-1632173193-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a>2023 [player_tooltip player_id="1288853" first="Andrew" last="Mauro"] (Dowling Catholic) A 6-2 lefty shooter who moves well off the ball, Mauro had a strong second half for the Maroons in their loss, scoring 13 of his 15 points after the break. He has a quick, smooth release off the catch and does a good job getting his feet squared and ready to shoot when he’s coming off of screens. 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="1352976" first="Carson" last="Brown"] (Dowling Catholic) It was a rough afternoon for the Maroons, but Brown played pretty well, finishing with 6 points and 7 rebounds in the loss. He’s a hyper-athletic 6-2 wing who competes on the glass and has the length and athleticism to be an effective defender. He can get to the rim for finishes and has a smooth jumper. 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="1158260" first="Ruot" last="Bijiek"] (Valley) The 6-9 big man was absolutely dominant in Valley’s win over Linn-Mar, finishing with 25 points on 11-14 shooting, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and a block. He’s rail thin, but he played tough in the paint, finishing through contact with either hand. In previous viewings he has tended to drift out to the perimeter, but he’s playing in the paint a lot more now, using his superior length and athleticism to finish above the rim. He runs the floor well, can stretch the floor a bit, is a willing passer, strong rebounder, and versatile defender. It’s easy to see why he has a number of mid-majors in pursuit. 2025 [player_tooltip player_id="1381407" first="Kiki" last="Deng"] (Valley) The 6-3 freshman wing had a breakout game, finishing with 21 points on 9-13 shooting, including going 3-4 from behind the arc. He’s a good athlete with length who runs the floor well and finishes with either hand, and he showed a smooth stroke from the arc. He uses his length and athleticism to impact the game on the defensive end, moving his feet and getting into passing lanes. He’s part of a really strong 2025 class at Valley. 2025 [player_tooltip player_id="1381422" first="Curtis" last="Stinson Jr"] (Valley) Another piece in that 2025 Valley class, the son of former Iowa State standout Curtis Stinson is a 6-3 point guard with a remarkable feel for the game. He has a big frame, is an excellent ball-handler, and plays under control at all times. He rebounds well and is a really good passer who sees the floor at a high level and loves to get others involved. He had 9 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists. 2023 Trevian Carson (Valley) Another reliable ball-handler and decision-maker, Carson has stepped into the starting lineup since they lost [player_tooltip player_id="962490" first="Eli" last="Raridon"] and been a really solid contributor. A 6-3 guard who can play both on and off the ball, he’s a high IQ player who doesn’t force anything, moves his feet on the defensive end, and is a strong passer. He had 6 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists. 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="962642" first="Jaxson" last="Young"] (Linn-Mar) Young may have played the best game I’ve seen him play, finishing with 20 points on 7-10 shooting. An athletic 6-2 guard who can create his own looks, he was completely under control and showed a pretty mid-range game with a smooth pull-up jumper. He has good body control around the rim and can finish effectively with either hand, and he has the frame to absorb contact around the bucket. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/01/Davis-Kern-crop-1536x1009-1642108622.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1365374" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/01/Davis-Kern-crop-1536x1009-1642108622-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a>2025 [player_tooltip player_id="1381412" first="Davis" last="Kern"] (Linn-Mar) Kern is an intriguing young big man who already has really good footwork and touch around the rim. As he continues to add strength to his frame, he’ll become a more assertive player who looks to finish with authority in the paint. He’s a 6-7 player who can stretch the floor with good form on his jumper, and he uses his length effectively on the defensive end to contest shots. He has a lot of potential.