Hard Work Finals – Greg’s Friday Notebook (16u)

<!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Diamond Hoops and Wisconsin Wizards in an Instant Classic</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As the opening tipoffs took place across the three venues hosting the 2024 Prep Hoops Hard Work Region Finals, Court B at Bloomington Kennedy High School was in for a dandy. Both teams played well-connected, active defense and moved the ball well offensively. Their similarities in team-oriented style, along with closely matched talent, made for a tightly contested game throughout. There were a few players on both teams who stood out, including [player_tooltip player_id='2406622' first='Caleb' last='Irlbeck'], [player_tooltip player_id='2375323' first='Blake' last='Risler'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2406762' first='Brandon' last='Wagner'] for Diamond Hoops and [player_tooltip player_id='2499892' first='Jonny' last='Cotter'], [player_tooltip player_id='1561906' first='Mason' last='Hoffer'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1561910' first='Peyton' last='Powers'] for the Wizards. A one-point game at the half, Diamond Hoops stretched the lead to five mid-way through the second period before the Wizards charged back to tie it up. In the end, it was Diamond Hoops with the narrowest of victories at 42-41.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Shout Out to the Officials</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Coaches are known to "work" the officials and fans can get chirpy, especially in close games - of which there were many - but I didn't see or hear much of either of those things in the course of the three hours of play I took in. That's because there didn't seem to be much to argue about when it came to the officiating. Knowing that some like to disparage the men and women who commit their time and talents to the game so that our young athletes can compete, I wanted to give a tip of the cap on a job well done by those I saw and I'm sure those I didn't as well. As you take in the games today, don't forget to thank the officials for their dedication and hard work. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">College Coaches are on the Lookout</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In case you didn't see it on the tournament website (<a href="https://events.prephoops.com/info?event_id=926&amp;website_id=1">2024 Hard Work Region Finals | Prep Hoops</a>) there are coaches registered for the #PHHardWorkFinals from the following colleges: Augustana, Concordia-St. Paul, Minnesota Crookston, Minnesota Duluth, Minot State University, St John's University, St. Cloud State, St. Olaf College, University of Mary, University of Sioux Falls, UW-Stout, UW-Superior, and Winona State University. I saw members of the Winona State staff, including head coach Todd Eisner, on hand at Bloomington Kennedy. Saturday will be a great day to make impressions on the representatives from these teams and others who may join today. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">[program_tooltip program_id='2110787' first='Wisconsin' last='26ers'] Dominate</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Not all the games on Friday night were nail-biters. The 26ers, made up of players from the La Crosse, WI area, were dialed in for their first contest of the tournament. Players up and down the roster contributed in a variety of ways and as a unit, they played a stifling brand of defense that held their opponents to 15 points on the night, while putting up 68 of their own. [player_tooltip player_id='1890447' first='Logan' last='Becker'], [player_tooltip player_id='1561933' first='Alex' last='Berget'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1561937' first='Landon' last='Michlig'] all scored in double figures for the 26ers, who take on [program_tooltip program_id='2076001' first='Wear' last='Out the Net'] Hannah on Saturday. WOTN is coming off a 12-point victory in their opening round game. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Standout Quick Hitters</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='2391900' first='Markell' last='Causey'] (Bradley Elite 2026-1), who stands 5'10", may not grab your attention at the outset, but he surely will as the game progresses. The strong, shifty and slippery guard has exceptional quickness and outstanding leaping ability, which he uses to take on larger opponents when driving to the bucket. If he's in the open court, he has the speed to blow-by defenders and is also adept at using screens to free himself up in half-court sets. Defensively, he's a menace. Quick hands, always poking, swiping and generally making life miserable on whomever he is guarding. </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='2406622' first='Caleb' last='Irlbeck'] (Diamond Hoops 2026) stood out to me at the Prep Hoops Midwest Showdown in Appleton in the spring session. I had him as a scorer, but he did so much more tonight at the Hard Work Finals. He was extremely active on the defensive end, blocking shots, securing steals and drawing a charge. He was active on the boards and continued to show his ability as a scorer. </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='1560869' first='Banyaan' last='Omot'] (Minnesota Lightning 2026 Dahl) is impressive, as you will see by his powerful two-handed flush in the cover photo for this post. As a relatively new scout from Wisconsin, I was not dialed in on this prospect and, even before the dunk, he immediately caught my eye. He moves well without the ball and works hard whether in the post, on the perimeter or when D'ing up. To further showcase his athleticism, he had a run-down block, exploding above the rim to pin the ball on the backboard, just a few plays after his throw-down. </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>[player_tooltip player_id='1561910' first='Peyton' last='Powers'] (Wisconsin Wizards 2026) is a player I've had the opportunity to see since middle school ball. He stood out then and still does today, especially when it comes to putting the ball through the cylinder. Powers, who is also quick to find an open teammate with a crisp pass, had to be one of, if not the leading scorer for the Wizards. He scored from three, on dribble drives, runners and by getting out front on breaks. </li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list -->