National Open Championship: Teddy’s Saturday Notebook (Part 1)

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>This article is sponsored by VKTRY Performance Insoles - The Official Insole Provider of Prep Hoops.</em></strong><br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here's a first look at some of my top takeaways from Saturday's action at the National Open Championship up in Minneapolis.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>MN Impact wins with Playmaking</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I missed the first part of their game vs Chapman North due to some transit issues. When I got here, Chapman was trailing MN Impact by around 10 points. A lead that would not go away. Impact's play style was centered heavily around ball distribution. Each player touched the ball on almost every offensive possession. Especially when Chapman was pressing. [player_tooltip player_id='2414662' first='Colin' last='Avery'] and Erik Olson were the most notable performers when it came to this. Both showed a unique ability to put-dribble the defense and break off double teams. Avery and [player_tooltip player_id='2478376' first='Jack' last='Burke'] led the team scoring wise. Each scoring 14 points in a 84-71 win.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[program_tooltip program_id='2075704' first='MN' last='Rise'] 16U Dominates Power Circle</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>From the opening tip, the length, size, and athletic capabilities of Minnesota Rise 16u was way too much for Power Circle to handle. 6'7” F Parker Maloney was all-business in the paint and showed outstanding footwork to help free himself up. Will Bromland also started hot. He buried a handful of 3-pointers to start the game, but got aggressive attacking the rim as the game progressed. In the second half, it was [player_tooltip player_id='2119602' first='Cole' last='Jacobson']'s turn to heat up. Buried a long-range 3-pointer and followed that up with a crafty and-one finish attacking the lane. His length and size as a wing-guard gives him so much upside at the collegiate level. Rise controlled and dominated this game in all phases.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Love of the Game has Players with Upside</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While watching an extraordinary performance from Fallingstad, I got an excellent opportunity to analyze Minnesota's Love of the Game squad. They undoubtedly kept this game close and had of guys get involved. 6'2” PG [player_tooltip player_id='2402106' first='Benji' last='Dillon'] was one of them. Great footwork and ball-control for a lead guard. Broke off a pair of defenders for two 3-pointers in the opening half and moved up and down the floor at a fast pace throughout the contest. The length of 6'3” W Chris Gaiters jr gives him lots of potential. Used his long arms to his advantage and was an outstanding defender. Potential to be a three-level scorer was present, too. Amir Salmon-Walkey displayed outstanding playmaking abilities for a 6'0” PG. Racking up tons of potential assists.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>D1 MN 17U Pulls Away Late vs Fury</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Two of the top programs in Minnesota squared off in the 17U Platinum Quarterfinal Saturday afternoon. It was Fury, fumed by [player_tooltip player_id='1617724' first='John' last='Schmidt'], who had the early advantage. The 6'5” SG buried a pair of open 3's and had a dribble pull-up to start the game. Then hit a contested 3-pointer in the corner to go up some more. But the smooth shooting stroke of 6'2” combo JJ Sullivan helped bridge the gap. Shortly after, [player_tooltip player_id='1169136' first='Mason' last='Klabo'], the #1 prospect in North Dakota, got hot and really takes over the game. Explosive first step to the basket while finishing several challenging layups. Buried a very difficult corner 3-pointer to regain the D1 lead in the second half. After that, he started to create more for others. JJ Sullivan hit two more 3's to give them a 1-pt lead. Then hit his third of the half with a defender in his face. This lead would not go away, as D1MN held on for the win.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->