Midwest Showdown: Teddy’s Saturday Takeaways (Part 1)

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[program_tooltip program_id='2221115' first='Midwest' last='Kings'] Begin Morning with W</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[program_tooltip program_id='2221115' first='Midwest' last='Kings'] cruised to a 9-0 start behind stellar play from [player_tooltip player_id='1625013' first='Tyrell' last='Stupca']. The 5'10” guard hit a midrange jumper and 3-pointer, and then added a smooth assist while driving to the hoop. After [program_tooltip program_id='2245199' first='Pride' last='Roc'] got back in it, a run led by Trey Hendrickson put them ahead double digits. Hendrickson did an outstanding job driving to he hoop and making plays in transition. Eli Tatugues also displayed excellent footwork with the ball and hit shots from all three levels in the opening half. Later on, you saw a playmaking side of Tatugues come alive with at least three assists to open the second half. 6'5” F [player_tooltip player_id='2104474' first='Garrett' last='Gilbert'] used a mixture of a large frame and excellent post-work to find plenty of easy buckets too.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='1625009' first='Korde' last='Roseman'] was finally knocking down shots. All of this helped [program_tooltip program_id='2075677' first='Minnesota' last='Kings'] win by 20. Tatuges scored 15 and Hendrickson scored 18 to lead the way.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Look out for [player_tooltip player_id='2304732' first='Max' last='Raimer'] on United Hoops</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>United Hoops was one of my favorite teams to cover last year, and this was my first taste of them this season. Wing/Guard [player_tooltip player_id='2304732' first='Max' last='Raimer'] was the player to watch this morning agonst 24:Up UA Rise. He knocked down a three and showed bounce with a fast-break slam. His long arms also created problems on the defensive end as he accumulated several steals and forced turnovers throughout the contest. Later in the game, Raimer brought them back in it with another deep three and a spin-move in transition. His contributions were vital to a 53-46 victory where he scored 14 pts.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Keeping up with 24:Up</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>24:Up's 2025 UA Rise squad has a mix of speed and strength I really like. Quite a few players had nice outings The first standout is [player_tooltip player_id='1539509' first='Caleb' last='Polling']. The 6'4” forward excelled at boxing out while also showing his long-ball range early on. Tanek Wankowski knocked down two three's and had 8 points. Jack Serkowski led the team in scoring after the first half off the bench. The 6'0” Muskego product showed's his capability of scoring from all three levels. [player_tooltip player_id='1539509' first='Caleb' last='Polling'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1551682' first='Asher' last='Haas'] also did their fair share of work in this matchup, with Haas knocking down a couple threes and polling doing all the dirty work. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[program_tooltip program_id='2076029' first='Wisconsin' last='Crusaders'] Select Falls to [program_tooltip program_id='2075693' first='MN' last='Crossfire']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Due to OT in my previous game, I arrived late for this contest. [program_tooltip program_id='2075672' first='Minnesota' last='Fury'] was already leading 27-16 and held a 38-27 lead at halftime. The first half was extremely balanced with 12 players total scoring. [player_tooltip player_id='2492814' first='Drew' last='Kortz'] contributed 10 points in the first half for [program_tooltip program_id='2076029' first='Wisconsin' last='Crusaders']. He hit two threes and drove baseline for two more scores. In the second half, he took a charge defensively and showed excellent awareness with the ball, causing him to rack up a pair of assists. But the best part about him is his ability to crash the boards. He snagged numerous rebounds over taller defenders in the second half and pushed the ball up at a fast pace. All this helped bring the Crusaders back. But a big run catapulted by [player_tooltip player_id='2402639' first='Taigan' last='Plowman-Tate'] put Crossfire back up double digits. He's got an excellent frame and hit multiple shots in a row. He scored 15 points for [program_tooltip program_id='2075672' first='Minnesota' last='Fury'] and hit three triples.  </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>16U Playmakers Live up to Their Name</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The [program_tooltip program_id='2076033' first='Wisconsin' last='Playmakers'] lived up to their name Saturday afternoon vs Chapman. After an outstanding performance yesterday, [player_tooltip player_id='1244808' first='Brooks' last='Hinson'] started this contest right where he left off. He nailed in three triples to begin the contest, but he really stepped up with his distribution. He got almost everyone involved to start the game. [player_tooltip player_id='1481178' first='Cooper' last='Jesperson'] also flexed some range and knocked down numerous three-pointers in this contest. He also made terrific cuts to the hoop in this one too. One last player, [player_tooltip player_id='1561966' first='Chris' last='Pohl'], stood out as a 6'7” Forward. Not only can he score through contact, but he stretched the floor for several three's this contest. But like I mentioned, it was the playmaking and distribution which really put the Playmakers ahead. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->