WFA Shootout: Top 2023 Performers

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>CG [player_tooltip player_id='1469826' first='Garrett' last='Hollenback'] (Durant)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 6-3 wing played one of the best all-around games of the day, scoring 10 points with 7 rebounds, 9 assists, 5 blocks, and a steal. He's a good athlete who plays with pace, changes speeds well, and has great body control around the rim. He rebounds at a high level, sees the floor well, and is a versatile defender who can guard on the ball well and rotate as a help defender, which is where he racked up a majority of his blocks. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>SG [player_tooltip player_id='1240074' first='Nolan' last='DeLong'] (Durant)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>DeLong had a very impressive game against Mediapolis, scoring 26 points on 10-16 shooting, including going a perfect 5-5 from behind the arc. An athletic guard who moves well without the ball in his hands, he has a quick release off the catch and plenty of range. He finishes well through contact around the rim. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>PF [player_tooltip player_id='1367394' first='Preston' last='Gillespie'] (Dunkerton)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Dunkerton was playing their first game without all-state point guard [player_tooltip player_id='1167715' first='Casey' last='Gardner'], and it took them a little while to get going, but Gillespie eventually took the game over both as a scorer and a playmaker. He finished with 24 points on 8-16 shooting (8-13 FT), 15 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals. He's a big, physical combo forward who can put the ball on the floor and get to the bucket, where he finishes really well through contact. He has great touch around the rim and has improved his ball-handling, which has opened up his offensive game. He showed impressive court vision and passing instincts. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>C [player_tooltip player_id='1367395' first='Cole' last='McDermott'] (Cascade)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>McDermott is a throwback, traditional back-to-the-basket big man with excellent hands, great footwork, and soft touch around the rim with either hand. He does a great job establishing early, strong post position and sealing his man, and he's decisive on the catch, making quick decisions on which post move to go to. Cascade struggled in their loss to Alburnett, but McDermott was impressive, finishing with a team-high 13 points. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>PG [player_tooltip player_id='1240063' first='Jack' last='Wagemester'] (Prairie)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wagemester impressed as a playmaker early in the Hawks loss to Linn-Mar, dishing out a key pretty assists in the first quarter, displaying impressive court vision and feel. He's a big lead guard at 6-2/6-3 with great length that he uses to help him get to the rim and get into passing lanes on the defensive end. He's a high IQ guard, the son of former Kirkwood coach Doug Wagemester, who showed that he can play with and without the ball in his hands, knocking down a pair of catch-and-shoot 3s with a quick release in addition to his playmaking on the ball. He's a quick decision-maker and good ball-handler. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>PF [player_tooltip player_id='1240071' first='Ian' last='Mindrup'] (Linn-Mar)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A fiery competitor with a little bit of a mean streak, Mindrup had 10 points on 5-6 shooting to go with 7 rebounds in Linn-Mar's win over Prairie. He has good footwork around the rim and a solid mid-range jumper. He's relentless on the glass on both ends of the floor and isa solid low-post defender with strength.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>SG [player_tooltip player_id='1288867' first='Da'Shon' last='Fisher'] (Liberty)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Fisher was dominant in Liberty's blowout win over Fairfield, finishing with 23 points on a perfect 9-9 shooting (2-2 3P, 3-3 FT) with 3 assists. A hyper-athletic guard who can get to the rim whenever he wants, Fairfield simply had no answer for him on the defensive end. He showed impressive body control around the rim, seemingly floating in the air while the defender rose to block his shot, then fell back to the ground while Fisher was still in the air, allowing him to get his shot off uncontested. He showed some improved confidence in his perimeter stroke, which is the next necessary step in his development. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->