Marquette-Arrowhead Prospect Standouts
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MILWAUKEE — The Al McGuire Center and Marquette University played host to an intriguing non-conference matchup between Marquette and Arrowhead on Saturday. In a game that lived up to the hype, Arrowhead stole a last-second win at the buzzer… Bennett…
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Continue ReadingMILWAUKEE — The Al McGuire Center and Marquette University played host to an intriguing non-conference matchup between Marquette and Arrowhead on Saturday. In a game that lived up to the hype, Arrowhead stole a last-second win at the buzzer…
Bennett Basich Bennett Basich 6'3" | SG Arrowhead | 2024 State WI – 2024 – SG – Arrowhead
A lot was asked of Basich on Saturday. Not only did he need to carry Arrowhead’s offensive attack, but he also needed to defend Marquette’s best player, a fellow Division 1 recruit. While he left some points on the board on some shots he’d like to have back, it was still a big day for Basich, who tallied a game-high 23 points on 8-of-19 shooting. Basich was 4-of-11 from downtown, but hit a couple of big ones during Arrowhead’s two rallies. Somehow, Basich just never ran out of gas. He also finished with nine rebounds, eight assists, two steals, and a block. Basich did a good job of taking what the defense gave him. If you let him walk into a triple, he’s gonna pull-up and knock it down. Deceptively strong and athletic and able to play under control, Basich loves to take contact en route to the rim and plays through it exceptionally well.
Highlights
Jace Gilbert Jace Gilbert 6'5" | PF Arrowhead | 2024 State WI – 2024 – PF – Arrowhead
If you don’t have a matchup for Gilbert, it could be a long night. Once again, the Iowa State football commit changed the game for Arrowhead, who fed the 6-foot-6 senior time and time again in the second half. His big body with outstanding footwork and touch in the post causes so many headaches. Gilbert chipped in with 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting. He also grabbed nine rebounds. While the stats say Gilbert didn’t have any blocks, he wiped away a handful of points off the board, including a big stop in transition where he was able to beat the ballhandler to the stop, wall-up, and force an off-balance miss.
Thad Hoffman – 2024 – SF – Marquette
Once again, Hoffman ended up being a huge x-factor for Marquette with his all-around activity. The senior wing just changes the game when he comes in by busting his butt which leads to easy buckets, winning 50-50 balls, and generating momentum. Hoffman had 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting and two steals Both of his takeaways led to buckets on the other end. He’s a determined defender, active rebounder, and athletic kid. At 6-foot-3 with a muscular build, Hoffman may only average seven points per game, but he makes winning plays and shoots 55.3 percent from the field, including 14-of-25 from 3-point range.
Sam Leoni – 2024 – G – Arrowhead
The final stats aren’t going to wow anybody, but everyone in the gym saw Leoni’s impact on Saturday. Marquette is one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the state. Leoni was a big reason why the Hilltoppers only connected on eight triples — many of which came during their final run of the game. For reference, the last time I watched Marquette, they hit 22 triples. Leoni did a great job of running Marquette’s snipers off the 3-point line and being there on the catch. Offensively, Leoni added eight points (2-2) and three assists. He also had a key stop late that ended up being a difference maker.
Nolan Minessale Nolan Minessale 6'5" | SF Marquette | 2024 State WI – 2024 – SF – Marquette
Minessale finished with a game-high 23 points. The St. Thomas commit also had the go-ahead basket with under a minute to go that was nearly the game-winner for Marquette, going high off the glass while driving to his right. Minessale was 9-of-18 from the field, including 9-of-15 inside the 3-point arc. The bouncy, long, high-upside wing did surprised with his passing ability. Minessale dished out six assists against a traditionally tough Arrowhead defense. Grabbing nine rebounds as well, Minessale was active, competitive, and just showed up everywhere throughout the game. Thought he helped himself and his team a ton as well with his timely back-cuts. The highlights are cool, but Minessale is very underrated at reading the eyes of his defender and cutting to the basket with dribble penetration for easy buckets.