Hoop City Classic: Thursday Standouts
In this article:
The annual Hoop City Classic was played on December 28-30 at the Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD. In this first article, we look through the film at a couple games involving South Dakota teams. We had a SD/SD matchup and…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThe annual Hoop City Classic was played on December 28-30 at the Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD. In this first article, we look through the film at a couple games involving South Dakota teams. We had a SD/SD matchup and a South Dakota/Wyoming matchup. What makes the Hoop City Classic unique and interesting to me is seeing in-state teams versus out-of-state opponents.
Some very good and respected South Dakota teams made the travel to Mitchell to compete. That in-turn brings an abundance of talented prospects together. Prep Hoops Dakotas plans to breakdown the event extensively, covering as many notable prospects for our audience.
Let’s look at the main contributors and those prospects that standout with their physical profiles.
Ethan 52 McCook Central/Montrose 42
Sioux Valley 56 Thunder Basin (WY) 50
Taite Klumb
Taite Klumb
Like what Klumb brought to Ethan. Good length and solid athleticism combo. Played with energy and went after the ball relentlessly, diving for loose balls. A constant and steady motor that needed a body on him at all times. He was near a double-double with 8 points and 9 rebounds.
Drake Gustafson
Drake Gustafson
Drake was a tough matchup for MCM, with his solid size and motor. A clean finisher around the hoop and can step out and hit a three, which he did. Great footwork in the interior to open himself up to finish. He produced across the board and made an impact with 11 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists.
Braedon Nebelsick
Braedon Nebelsick
Braedon stands out with his positional length. Long and lanky starting wing for Ethan. Moves very well on the court. 8 points and 8 rebounds in the game. I’m intrigued to see what he’ll bring next year in his Senior season, as he can play some and has a nice physical profile to build upon.
Mason Sabers
Mason Sabers
Sabers is the starting point guard for MCM and is a main facilitator, playmaker, and scorer. Good handle on the ball, could get into the lane to score, and did see him hit back-to-back threes. He finished with 14 points.
Wiebersick is a Freshman guard that gets meaningful playing time in the varsity rotation. He’s the up-and-comer to watch for McCook Central/Montrose. Solid size as a 2-guard and plays with a sense of urgency and aggression. Had 5 points in the contest, hitting a corner three.
Rylan Gerlach
Rylan Gerlach
Gerlach is the starting point guard for Ethan. Smooth and steady with the ball. Makes great decisions with the ball and is a crisp and clean passer. Pushed the pace with the ball in a controlled manner. Thought he really handled the offense well, all while hitting shots and scoring around the hoop to finish with a game-high 17 points.
Coming into the game against Thunder Basin (WY), Max had been averaging a solid 15 ppg. The Senior guard is always a threat to score from anywhere with his deep shooting range and creative and dynamic scoring ability. He can hit off-balance and fade shots. Scored 16 points in the game.
The SDSU commit had a big game with 23 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 blocks. He showed physicality and made his presence felt in the paint, being the difference in the game. He looks noticeably stronger and was playing that way.
Ruesink made an impact with 11 points against Thunder Basin. He’s a highly-valuable asset to Sioux Valley with his physicality and toughness in the interior. A strong finisher offensively and doesn’t shy away from contact. He’s a guy that is always having a body on someone. Had a huge bucket with about 1 minute left in the game to put Sioux Valley up two points.
Jace didn’t put in a ton of points offensively, but he’s a guy I like for Sioux Valley. He’s a scrappy and high-energy player that plays big-time defense on the ball. Pressures and comes up with a bunch of crucial lose balls and seems to find the ball often