Week Nine Review: Top Performers Tony Saw
In this article:
Corder Noun Harder IA #174 PG #44 HEIGHT 5'9" POS PG CLASS 2024 View Profile Corder Noun Harder Twitter State: Iowa School: Lynnville-Sully Club: Iowa Intensity Noun Harder has established himself as one of the better pass-first point guards in…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingNoun Harder has established himself as one of the better pass-first point guards in 1A basketball, but it was his scoring that was on display in the Hawks’ win over Belle Plaine, going for 16 points on 5-12 shooting (1-5 3P, 5-6 FT). He’s small, but he’s strong and he uses that strength to finish through contact around the rim. He’s a quick guard with good handles who can break down the defense and force them to collapse on him, and he’s a really good passer who sees the floor at a high level. In addition to being able to finish through contact at the bucket, he showed a nice floater game, finishing over bigger defenders with a nice tear-drop.
Mitchell Miller Mitchell Miller 6'2" | SG Lynnville-Sully | 2024 State IA
Mitchell Miller Mitchell Miller 6'2" | SG Lynnville-Sully | 2024 State IA
An off-ball wing with good size and length, Miller showed a smooth, quick release on his jumper which he pairs with strong off-ball movement. He does a nice job getting his feet set and ready to shoot off the catch, and he showed some ability to put the ball on the floor and create looks for himself as well. In the Hawks’ win over Belle Plaine, he had 11 points on 4-12 shooting (2-5 3P, 1-2 FT) to go with 5 rebounds, 2 steals, and a block.
Riley Simmons
Riley Simmons
The term “farm strong” applies to Simmons, a big, physical forward with soft hands who does a great job establishing position on the glass and on his post touches. He does a good job keeping the ball high on his touches and after pulling down rebounds, and he showed some good court vision and passing instincts out of the post. He does a good job staying vertical and contesting shots without fouling as well. On a night in which most of the Plainsmen struggled, Simmons stuffed the stat sheet, finishing with 16 points on 5-9 shooting (1-2 3P, 5-8 FT) to go with 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, and 4 blocks in their loss to Lynnville-Sully.
The future Upper Iowa wing’s all-around game was on full display in North Linn’s win over Marquette Catholic, stuffing the stat sheet with 14 points on 5-11 shooting (2-6 3P, 2-2 FT), 5 rebounds, 7 assists, and 4 steals. A 6-4 wing with a huge wingspan, he makes it really difficult for opposing players to get clean looks against him, contesting shots without fouling and getting into passing lanes. He showed more confidence and comfort in both his ball-handling and passing against the Defenders, finding open teammates routinely and getting the ball into their shooting pockets with his passes.
Highlights
Betenbender has improved quite a bit over the last year, turning himself from a reliable catch-and-shoot, 3-and-D guard into a really good all-around player for the Lynx. He showed much more confidence in his ball-handling and ability to create looks off the dribble for himself and his teammates throughout North Linn’s win over Marquette Catholic, finishing with 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists. He’s a good on-ball defender with quick hands and feet, and his improved offensive skill set could garner some interest from small schools in the area.
Bechen, like Spencer Roeder Spencer Roeder 6’5″ | PF Maquette Catholic | 2025 State IA from Marquette, battled some early foul trouble to put together a really good all-around game for the Lynx in their win over the previously unbeaten Defenders. A tough, physical lead guard who has really started to fill out in the upper body, he uses that strength to get to the rim for finishes and is able to pair that ability to get to the bucket with a really good mid-range game to be a dominant scoring threat from all three levels. He sees the floor extremely well and plays with great pace, changing speeds to get by defenders, and changing direction without losing any speed. He’s highly efficient, scoring 20 points on 7-11 shooting (plus 6-8 FT) to go with 4 rebounds and 4 assists.
Drew Ries
Drew Ries
An undersized 5-11 forward, Ries was fantastic off the bench for the Lynx, especially in the first half, scoring 13 points with 6 rebounds. He has a nose for the ball and is a tough and athletic forward who competes on the glass on both ends of the floor. He showed good touch around the rim as well as some ability to step out and stretch the floor, making both of his 3-point attempts. He’s also a solid defender who positions himself well.
Still is tiny, listed at 5-6, but he has one of the fastest releases on his jumper that I’ve seen this season, and with range that extends well beyond the high school line, he’s still able to get to his shot when he wants. He pairs that quick release with great off-ball movement, good ball-handling, and really good footwork that he uses to create that tiny bit of additional space to get to his jumper. He had 17 points on 6-13 shooting, going 5-12 from behind the arc, in the loss against North Linn.
A big, athletic 6-4 combo forward who can do a little bit of everything on the floor, Kettman had 8 points and 13 rebounds against North Linn, controlling the glass on both ends of the floor. With his size, strength, and athleticism, he can defend multiple positions, and he’s a solid finisher around the rim.
Highlights
Roeder got into early foul trouble in the Defenders’ loss to North Linn, picking up two fouls in the first 3:45 of the game, and that seemed to take him out of rhythm a bit. He scored 11 of his 13 points in the second half, including 9 in an impressive third quarter to help Marquette close the gap. A 6-5 wing with a pure stroke from the arc, he showed improved ball-handling and playmaking on Friday night, dishing out 4 assists and he could have had a few more if his teammates had finished. He rebounds well on both ends of the floor and is a long, switchable, mobile defender. He had 13 points on 5-14 shooting, and although he didn’t knock down a 3 in the loss, he showed good form with a high release and great rotation on his jumper. He can help a Division III team in a few years, and could work his way up into Division II/NAIA conversation with a strong spring and summer.