Midwest Showdown: Teddy’s Saturday Takeaways (Part 2)

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1089684' first='Stevie' last='Clark'], [player_tooltip player_id='1142142' first='Jaquan' last='Johnson'] Power Wisconsin Playground 17U to Victory</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After a slow start against North Star Titans, point guard [player_tooltip player_id='1142142' first='Jaquan' last='Johnson'] took command of the offense and led Wisconsin Playground on a 17-2 run. He was superb at attacking the rim and had a tip-in to go along with some baseline scores and transition points. He could not be stopped. [player_tooltip player_id='1089684' first='Stevie' last='Clark'] also made several early contributions too. The 6'4” point guard&nbsp; had eight points to begin the game and displayed tons of explosiveness driving towards the hoop. A fast break slam and a pump-faking finish inside kept this a very enticing game. To close out the half, [player_tooltip player_id='1142142' first='Jaquan' last='Johnson'] banked home a three.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Clark had two more ferocious slams in transition to open the second half. This, and plenty more, eventually gave [program_tooltip program_id='2076029' first='Wisconsin' last='Crusaders'] a double digit lead. [player_tooltip player_id='1142142' first='Jaquan' last='Johnson'] flexed tons of strength to power past a taller defender too. He truly showed no fear and was an X-Factor to a comfortable win. [player_tooltip player_id='1089684' first='Stevie' last='Clark'] scored 26 points to lead all scorers. [player_tooltip player_id='1183048' first='Kaleb' last='Jackson'] also had a big second half and scored 18 total points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>First Look at 2024 [program_tooltip program_id='2075467' first='ET21' last='Buckeyes']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This was my first look at Evan Turner's [program_tooltip program_id='2075467' first='ET21' last='Buckeyes'] squad. They had a hot start to the contest with [player_tooltip player_id='1428948' first='Ryan' last='Runaas'] knocking down two outside shots and making a quick transition find in the opening minutes. [player_tooltip player_id='1436161' first='Cale' last='Cosme'] had no problem getting going too. He makes his smaller height something he can be great with by shifting past defenders for scoring opportunities inside. He also hit a pair of deep threes in the early stages too. All this gave ET21 a comfortable lead at halftime.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Northwest Elite would not go away. A big run led by [player_tooltip player_id='1142143' first='Dallas' last='Wallin'] made this a two point game. The 6'5” guard hit three straight triples to catapult this run. Bot only was he excellent from outside, but he displayed outstanding post moves on the interior too. His fourth triple of the half finally put Northwest Elite in front. But each time they inched closer, [player_tooltip player_id='1436161' first='Cale' last='Cosme'] stepped up, and the game went into OT. 6'8” Big Man [player_tooltip player_id='1598775' first='Thon' last='Bill'] had two crucial buckets and a block to help seal the win for ET21. [player_tooltip player_id='1436161' first='Cale' last='Cosme'] scored 19 and [player_tooltip player_id='1428948' first='Ryan' last='Runaas'] scored 16.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>WI Playground 2026 Dominates South Dakota Elite</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Now here's a good chance to look at the Wisconsin Playground 2026 squad. [player_tooltip player_id='1561908' first='Grant' last='Hardy'] started the game strong with four points and an assist in the opening minutes. [player_tooltip player_id='1781157' first='Rashad' last='Davis'] also had a terrific start with a three and a backboard assist. Although smaller, he's super crafty with superb footwork and ball vision. It took no time for Wisconsin Playground to be up 20 on South Dakota Elite. Much of that also had to do with [player_tooltip player_id='1481179' first='LaTrevion' last='Fenderson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1749722' first='Jakari' last='Smith']. Both forwards showed tremendous bounce and each threw down a pair of dunks in the first half. Fenderson was the first player in double figures when he hit a spot-up three. He remained consistent with some put-back finishes and some stellar defensive play too. Jaco Broeske had a big second half with 10 points. He displays excellent length and mobility down low and was a major factor to a blowout win.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Foundation Athletics Splits Saturday Doubleheader</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Spent my final game of the day watching the 16U Foundation Athletics squad coached by a basketball player at my college. Earlier in the day, they picked up a 55-43 win over Chapman South. Edgerton products [player_tooltip player_id='2346660' first='Jack' last='Fox'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1729222' first='Olin' last='Zellmer'] combined for 29 points in that contest. In the game I watched, they had a slow start. But [player_tooltip player_id='1729222' first='Olin' last='Zellmer'] used his speed to get a handful of transition points to keep them in it. The game was tied in no-time Zellmer knocking down shots from several areas of the floor. Guard Miles Hinderman also made a handful of plays, including a flashy behind-the-back assist. Defensively, [player_tooltip player_id='1908469' first='Cole' last='Langer'] frustrated opponents on the boards and displayed lots of physicality and strength on the low block. Despite not pulling away with the win, there's plenty of promising players on this team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->