I was able to catch a pair of games at the Breakdown Community Clash at Mound Westonka on Saturday. I watched Maranatha dominate St. Cloud Cathedral and Anoka take down Mound Westonka. Here are the seven prospects who shined the…
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Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log inI was able to catch a pair of games at the Breakdown Community Clash at Mound Westonka on Saturday. I watched Maranatha dominate St. Cloud Cathedral and Anoka take down Mound Westonka. Here are the seven prospects who shined the brightest.
Bailey has been the lead scoring option for Maranatha so far this season, helping them to an excellent 14-2 record. He is a knockdown shooter from beyond the arc and showed off his smooth stroke in their win over St. Cloud Cathedral. He knocked down a pair of three-pointers in the catch-and-shoot on the wing and also did a lot of the ball handling for his team. McDonald is a gifted scorer and leader, it should be fun to watch him and the Mustangs continue their dominant season.
Reese caught fire from deep in the tight loss against Anoka. The senior forward was lethal in the catch-and-shoot in the corner and on the wings, needing to be accounted for at all times. He has very smooth mechanics and everything looks clean when he gets his shots off. He scored a game-high 27 points and has been the go-to guy for Mound Westonka these past couple of games with some injuries to key players. Vanderwilt is a prospect with good size and a reliable, knockdown jumper.
I have really enjoyed watching Peyton play ever since I first saw him in action this past summer. He turned in a solid performance in the win over Mound Westonka, tallying 11 points and 4 assists. He connected with 3 off the dribble three-pointers and looked very comfortable stepping into his shots from deep. To go along with that, he plays a very unselfish brand of basketball and is a gifted passer. Podany has been a huge part of Anoka’s success so far this season, as he manages a large portion of the ball handling duties, as well as some of the scoring load. The Tornadoes have already won more games this year than the last two seasons combined.
Ja’Rory was super tough to stop from attacking the rim with the combination of his size and ball handling abilities. Maranatha’s press was dominant all game and that gave him some opportunities to score in transition and in the fast break. He was able to get by his defenders with some smooth crossover combinations, where he would then convert some impressive acrobatic layups with either hand. Purnell and the Mustangs went on to take down St. Cloud Cathedral with ease to move their record to 14-2 behind a stacked senior class.
Donald was making plays all over the court in the win over Mound Westonka on Saturday. He was not only stealing the ball himself, but also forcing opponents to tuhe ball over, which then resulted in good transition looks for his team. Pray was tough stop from finishing at the rim and went on to score a team-high 19 points. The senior guard is a fantastic defender and played with high energy all game. Anoka has gotten off to a much better start than any other season in recent memory, coming from some great performances from Donald.
Matthew was a huge factor in Maranatha’s balanced scoring attack in the win over St. Cloud Cathedral. He attacked the basket with no fear, maneuvering around any contact, then laying the ball in. He impressed me most with his work in their press on the defensive side of the ball, coming away with numerous steals resulting in easy baskets in transition. He was a pest to opposing ball handlers all game and embraced locking up on defense. He also knocked down a pull up mid-range jumper, finishing the game with 11 points. Bluford and the Mustangs have had a phenomenal season so far and will look to make a run at the state tournament.
I was not familiar with Emanuel’s game, but he really impressed me in their tough matchup with Maranatha. He has a well-rounded offensive skill set and showed off what he can do with the ball in his hands. He attacked the rim well, finishing through contact or drawing fouls to get to the line. He also has a nice jump shot and connected with some looks from beyond the arc. Kutzera is a standout on the football field as well, committing to play at Wisconsin-La Crosse earlier this month. Cathedral has a record of 11-4 and is a top-20 team in class AA with Emanuel steering the ship.
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