La Crosse Summer League: Week 3 Standouts

The La Crosse Central Summer League is spread over three facilities in La Crosse, WI. I spent my evening at Viterbo University and floated between the five courts of action there. A number of players caught my attention, but these individuals rose above all for recognition from the week three slate.    In my opinion, Becker is due for a significant jump in his ranking position as we evaluate the class of 2026. He is a strong, well-conditioned athlete who is fluid and intelligent on the hardwood. Becker averaged over 15 points per game for the Blugolds last winter as a sophomore and is poised to expand on that in the upcoming season. In the final round of play last evening, he dropped 27 points, including five triples. He adds intense defense and uses his leaping ability to rise up on jump shots and secure rebounds. He'll use the left or right and will hesitate, spin or use a straight-line drive to finish through contact. Logan does all of this while also involving his teammates as a facilitator and skilled passer.     While Berget is a bit under 6'0", he makes up for that with grit and a determined style of play. He has a solid build and will not shy away from contact when driving to the hoop. He can convert through hard contact and uses his agility to either make the bucket or dump off to a teammate, often with a dash of creativity. He is also a sniper from long distance. The left-hander shot 45.8% from beyond the arc in his sophomore campaign and knocked down more than a handful of threes in the two games I watched last evening. Berget has a quick cross-over and will use shot and ball fakes to get the defender off balance before penetrating with either hand, although he does take advantage of his strong left when the opportunity is there.     I've had a chance to watch Munson play several times this summer and he is at the center of the action for North Crawford on the regular. He has some length for a 6'1" player and uses that well when creating on the drive. Munson can score from all three levels but appears to have a drive-first mentality. He can beat his opponent off the dribble and, when not completing the play himself, he will find an open teammate and make the pass. He defends well on-ball and will swipe or punch out steals if the ballhandler gets too lax. He is also an asset to the Trojans on the glass, hauling in 5+ boards per game.     Rhead returns to the Spartans as the leading scorer from last season. The stout 6'4" senior also pulled down 12 rebounds per game and had that skill on full display at Viterbo University. He easily scored at least 10 points off of rebounds and added a couple of threes to approach 20 points in the game I watched. He runs the floor and will add a few buckets by getting out front on the break. Rhead uses his size to take advantage of mismatches in the paint and can power through similar-sized opponents. Frankly, there is nothing overly flashy about his game, but he gets the job done with a workmanlike demeanor. There is a lot to be said for that when many players would be sure to do everything they can to let you know they average a double-double.     I've had the opportunity to watch Zastoupil play over the past several years and he has continued to develop and evolve his game each season. He earned solid minutes for Tomah as a sophomore and has started to implement skills on the perimeter that will serve him well as he moves forward. He does not shoot from beyond the arc frequently, but his ball-handling is solid and he showed some nice penetration moves, including a smooth spin into a midrange bank shot. Michael has always been competitive on the floor and is now bringing increased coordination and athleticism to bear. He put this on display with a powerful two-handed flush in traffic. He works hard on defense and continues to improve his ability to guard outside of the paint.

The La Crosse Central Summer League is spread over three facilities in La Crosse, WI. I spent my evening at Viterbo University and floated between the five courts of action there. A number of players caught my attention, but these individuals rose above all for recognition from the week three slate.