Semifinal Workhorses

<p>Some guys score a lot of points or make flashy plays. But you don’t reach the state semifinals without guys doing the dirty work and putting in hard minutes.</p> <p>Here are a handful of guys who stood out for their toughness and grit in the semifinals on Friday:</p> <p><strong>Joey Matteoni</strong>, 6-foot-7 center, 2024 Blue Valley North:</p> <p>Matteoni was huge in the semifinal win over Free State despite scoring just 4 points. He grabbed 11 boards and altered a number of shots in the paint. He is a long, lean guy, but he doesn’t get pushed around. He can get up in traffic and pretty much owned the defensive glass. He limited Free State’s fine center [player_tooltip player_id="1212171" first="Jailen" last="Thompson"] to just 2 points.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1080188" first="Joe" last="Otting"], 6-foot-3 center, 2023, Hayden:</p> <p>Otting is the definition of a workhorse. He pounds in the lane against taller opponents game after game, but he just keeps producing. He makes up for lack of length and leaping ability with light feet, clever post moves, and great coordination. He spins and dips under taller defenders to get point-blank shots at the goal. He hit 6-7 shots from the field for 14 against Miege. He is powerful going for rebounds and defending the post.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1195606" first="Brady" last="Deges"], 5-foot-8 guard, 2022, South Gray:</p> <p>Unlike some of the others on this list, Deges does light up the scoreboard. The guy scored 21 in a whipping of Solomon. But you have to credit him for all he does for the Rebels, which is a ton. He handles the ball and gets everyone in place, he pushes the tempo to get quick hoops, and he fights like crazy at both ends. He dished out 5 assists Friday.</p> <p><strong>Toby Miller</strong>, 6-foot forward, 2022, Lyndon:</p> <p>In a really weird game, Miller stood out for Tigers. Lyndon slowed the game to a crawl, which kept it close, but limited opportunities for everyone. When the Tigers did try to score, it was Miller who was finding holes in the Hillsboro zone. He hit 6-10 shots and finished with 14. He was the only Tiger with more than 5 points.</p> <p><strong>Philip Doebele</strong>, 6-foot-3 forward, 2022, Hanover:</p> <p>Doebele stepped up this to fill the graduation void, and has been really productive. He stuffed the stat sheet Friday night against Bucklin with 10-16 shooting for 23 points and 13 boards. He didn’t show it Friday, but he can fill it up from deep too.</p>