Preseason Men’s Team Preview – Milbank High School
Garrett Mertens – SF/PG, 6’2″ Mertens is a physical point forward who has some offensive IQ off the charts that is mixed with the ability to drive and finish at the rim, making him one of the more lethal players…
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Continue ReadingGarrett Mertens – SF/PG, 6’2″
Mertens is a physical point forward who has some offensive IQ off the charts that is mixed with the ability to drive and finish at the rim, making him one of the more lethal players we see today. He is very active with his hands when he is on defense and often can force the ball out of the offensive player’s hands to lead fast breaks for his team to generate some explosive levels of offense. This in turn is what makes him so deadly when he gets the ball in his hands since not only can he play great defense but also set up the offense to have a productive possession and allow him to dish out the ball to whoever is open. His court vision impresses me with his ability to almost invasion where everyone can go and how to score on every play, simply great. Mertens is a great playmaker and someone who you would love to have take the keys of your offense and take them to the next level with his ability to manage an offense. Mertens if going on to the college level will more than likely shift into a PG role, and with his lanky arms and ability to use his upper body to drive, he would thrive at that level.
Jaxson Wildung – SF, 6’2″
Wildung is a defensive wing and can do so much with that title that is hard to quantify what he does on the court, especially on the box score. What Wildung does is mainly be the guy who matches up with the backcourt best player and sticks on them the entire game to not let them get any sort of defensive rhythm going. How he does this is also quite impressive with he can have complete control of his body and make adjustments on the fly on whether to defend low or high or how to make them take bad shots. As well as a wing he can give you some serviceable levels of shooting all across the floor but he has a smooth midrange jumper that he can pull up and shoot from anywhere in those spots. Wildung is a defense-first player that works hard when he is on the court and will always give you great pressure to make the other team grind down and simmer out.
Joe Schulte – PF, 6’4″
Schulte plays an old-school style of back to the basket bully ball where he uses his size and ability to move defenders out is his way with his strength to be a beast in the paint. Every time that he gets into the paint you know what is going to happen, he will get the ball in the post and back defenders down until he does a stutter step for a layup or spins around for a quick bucket. His jump shot is not the main focus of his game, and that being able to use smart back moves and exploit mismatches with screens that his teammates set up for him. Not to mention Schulte works the best when he is off the ball, being able to get set up and create his own shots since he can often move past defenders before they even realize it. His defensive prowess is something else that should be noted, being a lanky shot blocker is something that he also has in his bag, and can lock down the lane.
Tice Mursu – C, 6’5″
Mursu is the prototypical modern-day center that can do it all by being a force in the paint and a stretch 5 who can take some shots out on the perimeter, making him a nearly unguardable center for this reason. His shooting is really what I see that can set up him apart, he has a long wing span at his 6’5″ frame and while his jumper might be on the longer side, he can drill some shots from beyond the arch. Mix that with his ability to post up inside and be a mismatch for players that try to contain him and you have an underrated player who can do so much for his team. His defense is also top-notch while being a Grade A shot blocker and being a stifling force in the paint that can stop slashers and big men from getting anything going in the game. Overall, Mursu is a solid all-around player who can do a variety of things for this team, and he will be a critical piece for them to be successful.