Top performers from NW D4 Regional Semis
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The Division IV regional semifinals all took place on Tuesday night and I made the trip up to Bowling Green State University to check out the NW region action. The games played were Marion Local Vs Patrick Henry and Convoy…
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Continue ReadingThe Division IV regional semifinals all took place on Tuesday night and I made the trip up to Bowling Green State University to check out the NW region action. The games played were Marion Local Vs Patrick Henry and Convoy Crestview Vs Mohawk, in this article I’ll break down the top performers from these two games.
One of the most talented underclassmen in northwest Ohio, Niekamp is just starting to scratch the surface of what he can become. A fluid athlete at 6’8, Niekamp has plenty of skill to play on the perimeter and attack. Knocking down a corner 3-pointer showed his shooting ability and Niekamp brought the house down with a transition slam dunk in the second quarter. Still has a ways to go in terms of consistency and producing against top competition but Niekamp is getting better each time I watch him play and his upside is through the roof. This is a prospect college coaches will really get to know either this summer or next.
The twin towers in the paint for Marion Local were too much for Patrick Henry to handle as Niekamp and Knapke got what they wanted in the paint. Just outmuscling the PH bigs on numerous occasions, Knapke is a load for Division IV teams to handle. Knapke crashes the glass hard and blocked a couple shots at the rim. Still struggling to explode off the ground vertically, Knapke will look to work on his explosiveness and quickness this offseason. While he’s improved in both areas, there’s still room to grow if Knapke is going to defend in space at the college level against pick and rolls. Regardless of his college potential, this is one of the most productive bigs in Division IV as he’ll look to bring Marion Local’s storied program back to the state tournament with one more win.
One of the more impressive freshmen I’ve seen this season, Hieber was getting face guarded by Marion Local in the second half to make sure he didn’t get a clean look from the outside. A big time shooter, Hieber knocked down a couple 3-pointers and mid-range shots. Still needs to develop physically, Hieber will be much more dangerous with an off-season in the weight room where he can focus on getting stronger and quicker. Already has a lot of skill with the ball on the perimeter, I’m excited to monitor his development over the next three years.
Highlights
With a pull-up jumper about 15 seconds into the game, Etzler set the tone that Convoy Crestview used to charge past Mohawk and get a 20-point victory to advance to the regional championship. Etzler was money on pull-up jumpers all game and got downhill and kicked to a handful of teammates who were ready to make shots from a variety of spots on the floor. Etzler does a great job as a leader on both ends, communicating defensively and controlling the tempo offensively. Ohio Northern is getting a quality point guard to help their program.
One of the guys I was most excited to watch on Tuesday, Sheets did a lot of damage in the paint, scoring on the undersized Mohawk defense. With his back to the basket Sheets was tough to stop and he did a good job of making himself available when the Crestview guards would attack the basket. I’d want to see if Sheets can also space the floor with a jumper, but he was productive on the interior that I left the game impressed with his performance.