Breakdown Series: Horace Standouts
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Horace, SD – The Breakdown Summer Series came to North Dakota and we had a quality group of teams in attendance. PHD swung by Horace High School to take in a couple of games. We watched Horace, Huron, and Perham.…
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Continue ReadingHorace, SD – The Breakdown Summer Series came to North Dakota and we had a quality group of teams in attendance. PHD swung by Horace High School to take in a couple of games. We watched Horace, Huron, and Perham. There was some serious talent on display. It was a great way to spend a Sunday morning, in the gym watching hoops!
See below for info on 13 players from Sunday’s Breakdown
Blake Ellwein Blake Ellwein 6'8" | SF Huron | 2026 State SD (2026) |6’8 F| Huron
He was the tallest player on the court, so naturally, Ellwein stood out. He is much more than just long, Blake is skilled and smart. On defense, the young Tiger contested, changed, and blocked shots. He picked off passes by being in the right place at the right time. Blake also played in the front of the Huron fullcourt zone press. Blake was a monster on the offensive glass, he scored several points on putbacks and he was fouled on multiple occasions when attempting to score second-chance points. He is a quick jumper with good reaction time. Ellwein was at the line often in the game against Horace. I loved how he passed out of the post. Most BIGs with that kind of talent would only care about scoring, Ellwein shares the rock. He scored in transition, with a sweet baby hook, and he cashed in a deep college range 3. Do you think Ellwein has a high ceiling? ABSOLUTELY!
Brady Westphal Brady Westphal 6'2" | SG West Fargo Horace | 2025 State ND (2025) |6’0 G| Horace
I was impressed with his vision when slashing to the rim. If Mr. Cool did not have a look, he always found a teammate spotting up. He is a shooter but Brady is also a creator and passer. I like how Westphal catches ready-to-attack, rips, and he covers a good amount of ground with his 1st step. He gave great effort, got on the floor, and grabbed hustle o-boards. The southpaw also showed a sweet floater from the baseline.
Carter Evanson Carter Evanson 6'0" | PG HHS | 2026 MN (2026) |6’0 G| Horace
Scroll to the bottom of the page to see his game-winning buzzer-beating three-point shot. His nickname is Easy Money but he is also CLUTCH! Carter looked good hitting triples off the dribble and catch. I was impressed with his handles and shake. Evanson is better and more creative off the bounce than I originally thought. His ball skills are also impressive, Easy Money threw and delivered 1-handed passes with accuracy. When slashing, Evanson found shooters and he produced around the cup with a finger roll finish. He is becoming more of an all-around scorer. Evanson produced points with an O-board tip-in, many 3’s, and he scored in transition on back-to-back possessions after he stole the ball. I loved his AND1 finish when he protected the ball with his body, took the hit, and finished with his left hand. Easy Money plays like he loves the game and the more I watch him, the more skilled he looks.
Cole Rueter (2025) |6’2 G| Perham
This Yellowjacket is crafty with the ball in his hands. Rueter can knock down the 3-ball and he does so with a high-arcing and soft shot. I liked how Cole spaced the floor and caught ready to shoot. Before the Breakdown, I heard that Rueter was a shooter and that certainly looked to be the case when I watched.
Colton McNeil (2025) |5’11 G| Huron
He stood out with his slashing and penetrating. McNeil scored multiple times off the bounce. Early on, he had an impressive diagonal slash across the lane and he finished it with a sweet finger-roll in traffic. Colton sprinted the floor and he played fast. McNeil showed his playmaking with an AND1 transition score. He helped the Tigers pick up a double-digit point victory over the Hawks from Horace.
Gage Aanenson (2024) |6’1 G| Perham
He looks like a fundamental player with sharp handles. Aanenson is a strong guard and an effective slasher. He looks to be a capable 3-pointer shooter. I loved how Gage talked his him, he has to be a leader for the Yellowjackets. I thought he did a nice job on defense as well. From the looks of things, Aanenson will be one of the lead guards for this Perham squad.
Holden Hegg (2024) |5’11 G| Huron
He stuck out to me as a hustler. Hegg brought the juice to the Sunday AM game! I thought his effort was impressive after a 3.5 hour bus ride on a Sunday morning. Holden showed good strength and concentration when scoring through contact.
Isaac Christiansen (2024) |5’7 G| Horace
This was my first time ever watching Teddy. He looked to be a solid shooter. Christiansen hit a triple and a 15-foot baseline J off the catch. I like that he did not force any shots. Teddy played hard, tipped a pass, and dove o the floor. Coach Cummings must love his effort. It is always nice when a role player can knock down a few shots.
Kolton Ogle (2024) |6’0 G| Huron
He was very active on the glass and he rebounded well on both ends. Ogle gave the Tigers many extra possessions with his effort on the O-glass. He produced points via slash-n-score and from beyond the 3-point arc. I liked the looks of his shot in the catch-n-shoot game. Kolton plays with a good feel for the game.
Mason Happel (2024) |5’9 G| Perham
He can score from every level. Happel hit from 3, mid-range, in the paint, and from the free throw line. Mason showed a nice pull-up J and he lets it fly from deep with a quick trigger. Late in the game with 11.2 seconds left on the clock, Happel knocked down two crucial FT’s when the game was on the line. I imagine that Gage will be a serious scoring threat for Perham this coming season.
Mike Siffoi Mike Siffoi 5'8" | PG Horace | 2024 State ND (2024) |5’10 G| Horace
He was the best player on the court at times. Siffoi is a quick, fast, and explosive athlete. His on-ball defense was impressive, Mike pressures the ball and he can still keep his man in front. His sprinter speed led to a transition score. In the halfcourt, Siffoi got two feet into the paint often and good things happened. He showed his strength when finishing and he got to the line. Mike also cashed in a 3-ball ball when spacing, catching, and shooting. He is more known as a pull-up jump shooter, but he looked good off the catch. What I was most impressed with was Mike’s offensive rebounding. He grabbed many and he high-pointed the ball. You have to love when you have an undersized guard that crashes and produces on the glass.
Moose Diomande Moose Diomande 6'3" | SF Horace | 2024 State ND (2024) |6’3 G/F| Horace
He shot the ball well from 3-point land but Moose was a difference-maker with his deflections, turnovers, and rebounding. The Hawks were missing their BIG and Moose stepped up when I was watching. He also blocked a couple of shots and dove on the floor on multiple occasions. His 3-point shot was smooth, accurate, and in-rhythm. Moose also scored in traffic after penetrating past the D.
Trace Wenz (2025) |6’0 G| Huron
He is another Tiger that played, hard, fast, and he brought it on both ends. Wenz stood out on the defense side when I was watching. He has extra-active hands and they found the ball often. Trace can space the floor and knock down three-pointers as well.