Hall of Fame Classic: Jack’s Best of the Best
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I was at Anoka-Ramsey Community College on Saturday to watch a pair of games with New Ulm vs Columbia Heights being canceled. Robbinsdale Armstrong took down Jefferson and Blake fell to Cherry. Noah Sundquist MN #77 SF #18 HEIGHT 6'3"…
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Continue ReadingI was at Anoka-Ramsey Community College on Saturday to watch a pair of games with New Ulm vs Columbia Heights being canceled. Robbinsdale Armstrong took down Jefferson and Blake fell to Cherry.
Noah had a breakout game on Saturday and could not miss from the field. He was finding success scoring in a variety of ways and is super versatile as a player. He could not be stopped from attacking the rim, showing off his athleticism on some acrobatic finishes at the basket. He is an exceptional athlete and can hang in the air to convert on double-clutch layups through traffic. He showed off his ability to score from the perimeter as well, knocking down three-point looks off the catch. Sundquist also connected with a turn around one-legged fadeaway in the mid-range, which seemed like a heat check. He had 30 points in the win.
Isaac arguably had the most impressive performance I saw on Saturday. I had the chance to watch him a couple different times this past summer and was always impressed with offensive skill set. Well that was on full display in the matchup with Armstrong, as the freshman guard nearly had 20 points in a low scoring game. He found success inside, always attacking the rim at full speed. When he gets there he can rise up for a finish or use touch to hit a floater over the defense. Feller plays super hard and has a ton of potential.
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Grayson did all he could to keep his team in the game, but ultimately fell short against Cherry who is the number 1 team in class 1A. He looked great conducting the Blake offense, scoring in different ways while playing unselfishly. He did a fantastic job of feeding his big men inside, as well as his shooters on the perimeter for open looks. He is a relentless attacker and converted on some tough finishes at the basket. He looked comfortable shooting off the dribble in the mid-range as well. He finished the game with a team-high 22 points and a handful of rebounds and assists.
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I admired the energy that Seth brings when he is on the floor and he was a game changer in Saturday’s win. He is very athletic and was flying around the floor whenever he was in the game. The senior guard was fun to watch when he got going following forced turnovers in transition, including a missed dunk that would have been the best of the season I have seen that he was so close to flushing home. He welcomed any contact on drives to the basket, regularly drawing fouls and getting to the free throw line. Newbern also knocked down a tough mid-range jumper off the dribble on his way to a team-high 20 points.
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Marcus heated up late in their matchup with Armstrong, almost willing his team to a victory. The Bloomington Jefferson offense ran through him and he impressed with his ability to take a defender one-on-one to go get a bucket. Sometimes this happened late in the shot clock, where he could then connect with a tough look, sometimes off balance. He is a true three level scorer, doing most of which creating himself using the dribble. Horton is one of the most underrated scorers in the state and totaled 20+ in Saturday’s loss.
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Noah caught fire early in Saturday’s win, totaling 24 points at the final buzzer. He did the majority of his scoring damage from beyond the arc, letting it fly whenever the defense gave him enough space. He was always prepared to shoot on kick out passes from teammates and was automatic from the corner and wing. The sophomore guard/forward is also super strong and used that strength to grab rebounds and play solid defense inside. I saw him grab an offensive rebound, then battle through contact for an and-one finish.
Desmond took Saturday’s game over late, ultimately leading his team to a hard fought win. He did not do much scoring in the first half, but still positively affected the game for his team. He is a trustworthy ball handler and impressed me leading the Armstrong offense. He is a high IQ player and had an incredible one-handed bounce pass to a cutting teammate for a score. He did most of his scoring from three-point land, catching fire when shooting off of passes from teammates. He connected with three second half triples and can also convert at the basket with touch. Ware had 15 points in a back and forth second half.