Game Report: Pius X VS. Millard North

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On the opening night of the 2023-2024 High School basketball season in Nebraska, Prep Hoops was in attendance for a Class A matchup between St. Pius X and Millard North. Read about how the game went, who stood out, and more below!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Even with the absence of '24 G [player_tooltip player_id='1253971' first='Elijah' last='Gaeth'], Millard North was able to cruise to a dominant road victory over Pius, 79-59. [player_tooltip player_id='1580107' first='Derek' last='Rollins'] led the Mustangs with 18 points, while [player_tooltip player_id='1131121' first='Neal' last='Mosser'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2135006' first='Grant' last='Urbanek'] both chipped in with 14. Mosser and Urbanek went a combined 7/13 from behind the arc. Junior PG [player_tooltip player_id='1926211' first='Amari' last='Rahaman'] had a great game, as he finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Defensively, the Mustangs were in sync all night, making life really difficult for Pius. It is no secret that Millard North has all the necessary pieces to make another run for a state championship this season. They return their top three leading scorers from a year ago, and have a couple of under-the-radar players who are ready for breakout seasons. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Despite the loss, Pius X got some strong contributions from several guys. [player_tooltip player_id='1253970' first='Treyson' last='Anderson'] (NDSU Commit) had a game high 21 points. [player_tooltip player_id='1926214' first='Parker' last='Kelly'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2134467' first='Kellan' last='Humm'] both finished in double figures for the Thunderbolts as well. As the season progresses, Anderson will get a lot of attention from opposing defenses. Pius' role players will play a large part in how much success they will have this season. Even with the loss to a really strong Millard North squad, the Thunderbolts have high expectations for this season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1580107"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":["override_image"],"_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":2286849,"_player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":"field_62f141137ead9","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"u003cp style=u0022text-align: rightu0022u003e[player_tooltip player_id='1580107' first='Derek' last='Rollins'] was the best prospect on the floor last night, as he dominated the game on both ends. Offensively, Rollins is a serious mismatch problem because of his size, strength, and toughness. While he is the biggest guy on his team, Rollins does a lot of work on the perimeter and in the mid post. He can take taller, slower defenders off of the bounce to the rim or step back and create separation with a mid range or three point jump shot. In addition, whenever a smaller defender is guarding Rollins, it is almost a guaranteed two points in the low post. Defensively, he did an excellent job last night. Rollins is athletic and strong enough to guard bigger players, but is also quick enough to stay with shorter guards. He is the leading scorer from a 23 win team a year ago. Rollins has already established himself as one of the premier players in the state, but will look to have another monster season.u003c/pu003e","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["1131121"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":["override_image"],"_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_player_featured_image":2286850,"_player_evaluations_1_player_featured_image":"field_62f141137ead9","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"While [player_tooltip player_id='1131121' first='Neal' last='Mosser'] is known for his ability to shoot the basketball, his playmaking stood out in a big way Thursday night. He finished with 5 assists in addition to his 14 points. Pius' defensive game plan was to limit Mosser's looks from deep. Whether he had the ball or not, he faced pressure all night long from the Pius' guards. Mosser remained composed and made the right play with the ball in his hands. In the recent months, Mosser has picked up a couple of DII offers, and a PWO from Nebraska-Omaha. Look for the unsigned senior's recruitment to continue to unfold.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["2135006"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":["override_image"],"_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_player_featured_image":2286854,"_player_evaluations_2_player_featured_image":"field_62f141137ead9","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='2135006' first='Grant' last='Urbanek'] had a breakout performance Thursday night. Even after a strong summer with NBDA, last night was the best he's looked. Urbanek went 4/6 from three point range, and had a break away dunk in the second half to put the game out of reach. In addition to his offensive output, Urbanek's defense was elite. His on ball pressure and quick hands forced several turnovers. Urbanek also had two nasty chase down blocks in transition that got the crowd out of their seats. The unsigned senior guard turned several heads last night with his performance. If he keeps his play up, he should see a boost in his recruitment late. Urbanek seems to get better each time I see him play.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["1926211"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":["override_image"],"_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_player_featured_image":2286856,"_player_evaluations_3_player_featured_image":"field_62f141137ead9","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='1926211' first='Amari' last='Rahaman'] did so many things well last night. While he was no where near the tallest person on the court, Rahaman hauled in 11 rebounds. That is exceptional for a point guard. He also finished with a quiet but efficient 12 points. When the ball was in Rahaman's hands, good things happened. His ability to facilitate and get to the paint is next level. Rahaman is a solid and consistent point guard that deserves more attention. His play will be crucial in helping Millard North win big games this season.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["1253970"],"_player_evaluations_4_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":["override_image"],"_player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_4_player_featured_image":2286859,"_player_evaluations_4_player_featured_image":"field_62f141137ead9","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='1253970' first='Treyson' last='Anderson'] was a monster in the paint last night. He finished with a game high 21 points, while also collecting a large amount of rebounds (especially offensive). Anderson‘s size and college ready frame make him hard to move and keep up with down low. A lot will be asked of him this season, especially if Pius wants to make a deep run in Class A. The North Dakota State signee looked really sharp and will have an immediate impact next season in the Summit League if he continues to progress. There is no question he is one of the top players in the state of Nebraska.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_5_player":["2134467"],"_player_evaluations_5_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":["override_image"],"_player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_5_player_featured_image":2286864,"_player_evaluations_5_player_featured_image":"field_62f141137ead9","player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"The most recent Concordia (NE) commit, [player_tooltip player_id='2134467' first='Kellan' last='Humm'], had a solid game last night for Pius. He showcased his ability to shoot, as he knocked in a couple of threes near the volleyball line. However, he did not settle, and got to the rim for a couple of easy buckets as well. Humm's scoring and outside shooting ability will help open things up for his other teammates by spreading out the defense. Humm is poised for a big senior season.","_player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_6_player":["1926214"],"_player_evaluations_6_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_6_override_profile_image":["override_image"],"_player_evaluations_6_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_6_player_featured_image":2286867,"_player_evaluations_6_player_featured_image":"field_62f141137ead9","player_evaluations_6_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_6_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='1926214' first='Parker' last='Kelly'] looked really sharp last night for Pius. He was one of three Thunderbolts to finish in double figures, as he finished with 12 points. While he is still a relatively unknown name in Nebraska, he has the potential to change that this season. Kelly had some tough takes to the rim and a couple of athletic finishes. Defensively, Kelly played with a ton of pride and energy, never backing down from any matchup. He is the perfect fit for this Pius team because he can impact the game in a lot of different ways. I really enjoy watching Kelly play, and hope to check him out more in the future.","_player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":7,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-656a3c0465459"} /-->