St Francis Scrimmage Standouts

It is outstanding to have well rounded multi sport athletic programs. However one challenge it does present is getting ample practice time and game preparation for schools whose football programs advance to the state finals. It's a quick one week turnaround that multiple high level basketball teams have had to navigate. Including defending Division 1 state champion Warren De La Salle.   Up north Traverse St Francis is another program in that predicament. They got after it quickly in a 24 hour period. On Friday night they traveled to Cadillac to take on one of the top teams in the entire region. Then on Saturday afternoon hosted a thee team scrimmage with a good Hudsonville squad. Along with an underrated Richmond squad.   Following are five standouts from the Saturday action. I did not attend the scrimmage in Cadillac on Friday.   [player_tooltip player_id='985667' first='Wyatt' last='Nausadis'] 6-4 2023 Traverse City St Francis Best prospect in the gym by a pretty wide margin. Appeared to take a bit to shake off the football rust. Nevertheless it was impressive when he decided to impose his will physically and take over a game. Was going up against some very good competition on the day in point guards [player_tooltip player_id='1359511' first='Brayden' last='Szamrej'] (Hudsonville) and Marcus Thompson (Richmond) Hudsonville was playing the southpaw hard to the left. Adjusted well using the opening to create passing lanes for his teammates (see below) Was more assertive offensively in the second game as he got into a little bit of a squabble with the Richmond backcourt. If the perimeter shot falls consistently there is not going to be much Northern Michigan defenses can do. Is simply that advanced physically. Holds a Grand Valley offer and is generating Division 1 interest.   Drew Breimayer 6-4 2023 Traverse City St Francis Speaking of good shooting. Breimayer simply shot the lights out on Saturday. This wasn't just a case of a guy getting hot. Showed a smooth and easy release from beyond the arc. But also showed increased physicality by making some plays at the rim. Including a nice tip in. Also looked a big taller. Used the ole eye ball test to bump him up to 6-4 after including him in the top 40 prospects in the region a few weeks ago. We'll see what the official program says. I put him at #32 on that list. If he plays this season like he did Saturday. He might make that placement look way too low.   [player_tooltip player_id='1077678' first='Mason' last='Dykstra'] 6-4 2023 Hudsonville As you would expect from their gridiron exploits. Traverse St Francis has some next level beef along their front line. Not very tall but very strong and thick. That type of matchup plays right into Dykstra's hands. Competitive but skilled player had a good game against the host school. While he can bang with the best of them. Has a soft touch around the basket. Also runs the court well and is a clever cutter off the ball. Wide frame allows him to set good screens. Good pick and roll partner who plays off of [player_tooltip player_id='1359511' first='Brayden' last='Szamrej'] nicely. Has been well tested in grassroots basketball the last few years with the Grand Rapids Storm and MBA. Lack of vertical explosion might limit his options at the next level. But could be an intriguing small college four man.   Joe Miller 6-3 2025 Hudsonville While Dykstra is the present. If you have been following me the past few months you know I am high on the future of the Hudsonville program. That is mainly because of the backcourt of Szamrej and 2026 Jovaan Daniels. But they are not alone in this endeavor. Miller is bouncy wing wing with enough length to play in the frontcourt as well. But what stood out on Saturday was the outside shooting. Really got hot from beyond the arc and showed a confident release with no wasted motion. If that is a consistent part of his game he has a very bright future. Because within the Eagle offense. The open looks are going to be there. Already makes plays easily at and above the rim.   [player_tooltip player_id='1431576' first='Karl' last='Stevens'] 6-3 2023 Richmond (pictured) Similarly to when I first saw him at the Bank Hoops All State camp in the fall. Got off to a very slow start. Struggled to find his spots against Hudsonville. But came alive in the final game of the day against the host squad. Like most players. Things really started flowing when the outside shot started falling. Has an unorthodox release. But it is not slow or easy to block. The shot opened up driving lanes that he used his athleticism to exploit. Has an athletic well built frame that can absorb contact on drives. Also is a good ball handler for his size. Could have a big senior season and emerge as an underrated prospect statewide.

It is outstanding to have well rounded multi sport athletic programs. However one challenge it does present is getting ample practice time and game preparation for schools whose football programs advance to the state finals. It's a quick one week turnaround that multiple high level basketball teams have had to navigate. Including defending Division 1 state champion Warren De La Salle.