Dale Brown Classic: Impressive Seniors

Minot, ND - We had 7 games at the Minot State Dome on Tuesday. It was a great day of hoops. In this article, we are taking a look at the 12-graders that stood out on Tuesday in the Dale Brown Classic.   Tuesday Games   TGU 30 vs. Stanley 60   Hazen 51 vs. Westhope-Newburg 49   DOUBLE OT Velva 74 vs. St. John 67   Four Winds-Minnewaukan 51 vs. Dickinson Trinity 40   Powers Lake-Burke 60 vs. Beulah 71   Shiloh Christian 73 vs. Thompson 65   Our Redeemer's 32 vs. North Star 53   Impressive Seniors   Cal Sorenson (2023) |6'0 G| Stanley   He had a very nice game in the blowout win for the Blue Jays. Multiple times, I saw Sorenson diving on the floor for loose balls. You have to love that kind of hustle. Cal scored multiple baskets in transition that showcased his speed and effort. He finished with a scoop shot and a fingeroll on multiple occasions. Sorenson showed his strength with an AND1 finish and he knocked down the FT to complete the old-fashioned 3-point play. It was a good showing for Sorenson   Laramie Smith (2023) |6'4 F| Stanley   He showed off his playmaking ability when blocking a shot, dribbling coast-to-coast, and scoring with an AND1 finish. Talk about a versatile player! Smith also made a nice slash-n-score down the right side of the lane and he finished with a soft kiss of the glass. Laramie was physical around the basket and he drew many fouls in the second half. Smith helped the Blue Jays pick up a large margin victory in game #1 of the Dale Brown Classic.   Rylan Van Inwagen (2023) |6'1 F| Hazen   He finished the game with 5 points but Rylan hit one of the biggest shots in the game very late in this contest. His late 3-ball extended the Bison lead up to 4-points and it put the comeback out of reach for the Sioux. Rylan's other score came in transition. Apparaently, Van Inwagen is a gamer!   [player_tooltip player_id='1138817' first='Talan' last='Batke'] (2023) |6'2 G| Hazen   He had a monster 4th quarter and was instrumental in the Bison win. Batke was deadly from the FT-line and looks very confident from there. When attacking the basket, Talan scored with a beautiful floater that he kissed off the glass. When slashing, Batke showed a dirty hesitation move that he used to keep defenders off balance. He scored with an AND1 and Talan cashed the FT for the old school 3pt play. He knocked down a triple in the 2nd quarter, he picked up loose ball steals, and he got to the line often. Batke was impressive when scoring a tough shot vs. a double team at the rim. Batke was one of the best guards at the Dale Brown Classic.   Kaison Kaylor (2023) |5'10 G| Hazen   He scored 8 points in the win. I was impressed with Kaylor's blocked shot. He was back peddling to try and keep a defender in front, the shot went up and Kaison quickly elevated and got a hand on the ball to erase the shot attempt. He also took a charge. Kaylor scored with jumpers and buckets around the rim. Kaison looks to be an important role player for the Bison.   Noah Erickson (2023) |6'1 G| Our Redeemer's   This lefty has a nice-looking shot from beyond the arc. Noah knocked down multiple triples last night. I liked his craftiness around the rim when grabbing an O-board and how he finished with a reverse layup. On defense, he reminded me of a DB when stepping in front of a defender to pick off a pass. Erickson finished the game with 12 points.   [player_tooltip player_id='1138746' first='Jay' last='Wanzek'] (2023) |6'7 PF| Shiloh Christian   He came off the bench and had an immediate impact. Wanzek got in the game and scored a physical basket on the first possession. Shortly after, his shot was blocked, but Wanzek stayed with it, grabbed the ball, and scored with a putback. Jay is a big & strong forward that takes up space and he uses his body well. He blocked shots and protected the paint. He scored via a vertical cut down the lane. I love seeing a BIG man that is an active cutter. He showed off his skill with an amazing shot and head fake around the rim. This got the defense off the floor and Jay scored with ease. Wanzek did not just score in the paint. He also cashed in three 3-pointers and he was the game-changer for the Skyhawks.   [player_tooltip player_id='1186849' first='Jack' last='Koppelsloen'] (2023) |5'11 G| Beulah   20 points, 2-3 FT's, and 4 triples. He was hot last night and Jack helped the Miners win big. He looked like a shooter last night. Jack did not hesitate and his shot looked fluid. He was always in rhythm when shooting. Jack looked very good in transition and he is very fast up and down the court. He had little trouble scoring after contact. Koppelsloen is a crafty kid that can finish in a variety of ways, I liked the looks of his reverse layup. Jack was impressive on Tuesday.   [player_tooltip player_id='1050257' first='Tyson' last='Enget'] (2023) |5'10 G| Powers Lake-Burke   22 points, 8-9 FT's. He missed 1 free throw early, but other than that, Tyson was automatic from the line. I did not hear how many steals/TO's Enget created but it was many. He has great anticipation, it was easy to see why Enget is a STUD football player. Many of this All-State guard's points came in transition. Tyson is fast and he never slows down, he was always attacking. After the Miners scored, Tyson would push really hard and multiple times he scored or created a good look after a Beulah score. He is explosive and electric off the bounce. Tyson has no trouble splitting a double team and he can finish in a wide variety of ways. His handles were impressive and he has great vision. Get ready for another All-State season from Mr. Enget!   Gracin Schroeder (2023) |6'0 G| Powers Lake-Burke   14 points, 5-8 FT's, 1 triple. He got to the line often and was smart about drawing contact. Gracin played hard and he got up the floor in a hurry. He scored multiple baskets in up-tempo situations. Schroeder looks to have a soft jump shot with the ability to hit from deep. He is a nice compliment to Enget.   [player_tooltip player_id='1138899' first='Kelson' last='Keja'] (2023) |5'5 G| Four Winds/Minnewaukan   He looks to be a great rebounder for his size. Keja is great at holding his box out and then attacking the ball. He is also aggressive on the offensive glass. Kelson is great at pushing the tempo and I love the way that he kicks the ball ahead in transition. He had many long outlet passes that showed off his passing accuracy. Keja was also good about attacking off the bounce and creating shots for others. He showed his creativity when scoring with a double-clutch AND1 basket. Keja is a vital piece of the puzzle and he looks to be the engine that drives the FWM offense.   [player_tooltip player_id='1138806' first='Brayton' last='Baker'] (2023) |6'4 G/F| St. John   He is a long athlete and a playmaker. Baker had multiple athletic and impressive scores around the rim. He also cut from the backside of the zone for a catch and score. He showed good footwork when catching at 15 feet, reverse pivoting, and hitting the J. I really like his hesitation move. His long arms allowed Baker to score over and around defenders. He had a clutch slash-n-score in OT to help get the game to double OT. Brayton looks like an All-Region type player.   Tuff Longie (2023) |6'0 G| St. John   I like the looks of his jump shot. He looks like a cool customer with his J. Longie showed a sweet shot-fake stepback jumper from 16 feet. Tuff has an easy release on his shot. He should provide a nice scoring punch for the Woodchucks this season.   Caden Belgarde (2023) |6'1 PF| St. John   He was an All-State lineman in football and he looked tough on the hardwood. Caden is thick and strong. He was in the right place at the right time with multiple O-board putback scores.   Ethan Decoteau (2023) |6'4 F| St. John   He is a long-armed player with a smooth game. He blocked shots and rebounded well. Ethan scored with O-board putbacks, I liked his patience when maneuvering the defense. Decoteau hit multiple 3-balls with pull-ups and in the catch-n-shoot game. Ethan also distributed a couple of nice dimes when slashing against the zone.   Grayson Greybear (2023) |5'11 G| St. John   He is another Woodchuck that showed a high-quality jumper. He cashed in from deep with smooth shooting mechanics. I liked his hesitation move when attacking off the bounce. Grayson showed athleticism when finishing with a double-pump bucket in double OT. He will be a serious player to watch in Region 4.   Kyle Sandy (2023) |6'3 PF| Velva   He was a horse on the glass in this game. Sandy scored many points with offensive rebound putbacks. Even when he was boxed out, Sandy found a way to get his hands on the ball. His strength was on display with an AND1 bucket. Sandy is a tough kid and a clutch performer. The play-by-play announcers called him a "garbage man" because Kyle was constantly cleaning up the boards. Sandy had a great game on Tuesday.   Payton Bodine (2023) |6'2 F| Velva   He had a nice turnaround jump hook and scoring in traffic did not look like a problem. Bodine also had a big steal in OT and his transition score in double OT helped the Aggies seal the win in the tightly contested game. Bodine looks to be an aggressive rebounder.   Preston Kraft (2023) |6'0 G| Velva   This lefty is a serious threat from 3-point land. He knocked down multiple 3's and his biggest came in double OT. Kraft can finish with both hands and he knows how to get to the FT-line. He scored with both hands at the rim and he also scored after contact. Preston provides the Aggies with a nice scoring option. You have to love a lefty with a scoring mentality.

Minot, ND - We had 7 games at the Minot State Dome on Tuesday. It was a great day of hoops. In this article, we are taking a look at the 12-graders that stood out on Tuesday in the Dale Brown Classic.