SPU Fall Classic: Morning Session New Names

I popped into the Royal Brougham Pavilion this past Saturday morning for some hoops at the SPU Fall Classic. The Classic included 15 teams from around Western Washington and one from Canada; Lindbergh, Monroe, Sumner, Olympia, Annie Wright, Stadium, Puyallup, Cedarcrest, Lummi, Archbishop Murphy, Fife, University Prep, Tahoma, Northwest, Monroe (2), and BC Provincial 16s.   These notes are from the morning session that included Lindbergh, Monroe, Sumner, Olympia, Annie Wright, Stadium, and Puyallup. Here are some notes on new players to watch that include brand new names to us, as well as some guys popping back up on our radar.    It's been a while since we last saw Winzer back on the AAU circuit with Gametime. He was with Chief Leschi last season but now gets ready for this winter with Stadium. He should add a lot to this squad with his outside shooting and playmaking ability.   He made a lot of nice plays in transition on Saturday, pushing the ball up with quick, long passes, finding cutters to the rim, and showing he can pull up and drill shots. Also was active defensively and provided good energy on both ends of the floor.     Norman was at Lincoln (Tacoma) the last time we saw him, and after spending last season at Red Rock Academy, he returns to Washington to play with Stadium.   Even at 6'0 tall, he provides some good length at his position and showed it with his ability to cover ground and burst out of crossovers, as well as disrupting play while guarding the ball. He's a pretty shifty guard who can attack gaps and showed some good ability to finish at the hoop under tight contests on Saturday.     Reger is a strong kid who could be a solid contributor for the Gators this season around the paint. He's shown some promise knocking down open midranges and even stretching out to three at times, but he looked especially promising by the rim this Saturday. He's a tough kid to move around down low and showed some nice footwork with his back to the hoop to get deep and get some high-percentage looks.     Cronk was one of the best surprises of Saturday's games. He's shown skill in years past but looks physically more ready to make an impact this season. He played big for the Bears at the Fall Classic, finishing tough takes at the cup around multiple defenders and showing patience to identify gaps and attack downhill. He capitalized on several trips to the foul line and also showed good shooting touch from the midrange off the dribble. He looks ready to be a key contributor this winter.     Greear proved to be a tough guard who found a lot of success slashing to the hoop and going right at defenders inside. He was either going to get all the way to the hoop or force someone to step up, either way, he showed some great focus and determination to finish around bodies inside and play through contact.     He's a lengthy wing who shows a lot of potential with the outside shot. He hit a few off the catch, getting his feet set and firing away. But he was also able to hit some tougher threes off the dribble using a nice step-back move that made it almost impossible for defenders to contest the shot due to his high release.     Lutthans came alive for Lindbergh against Sumner, providing some steady scoring both along the 3-point line and in the paint. He made some nice steps through traffic to get around guys and to the hoop, and also showed some potency from the corners, hitting threes. He has a pretty fast catch and release that played a big role in capitalizing on some space behind the arc.     I didn't see a ton of Lee besides his size and athleticism, but he's an intriguing new name nonetheless. Sumner struggled to get going in the game I saw but Lee is a big kid with strength who can move, is a factor around the rim, and could be a kid to keep an eye on in Sumner's front court this season as some big minutes open up from last year's team.     The Sumner guard was one of the bright spots in a tough loss against Lindbergh. He shot the ball really well from 3-point and pulling up in the midrange, proving to be a pretty solid shooter and one of their more threatening scorers in the game.

I popped into the Royal Brougham Pavilion this past Saturday morning for some hoops at the SPU Fall Classic. The Classic included 15 teams from around Western Washington and one from Canada; Lindbergh, Monroe, Sumner, Olympia, Annie Wright, Stadium, Puyallup, Cedarcrest, Lummi, Archbishop Murphy, Fife, University Prep, Tahoma, Northwest, Monroe (2), and BC Provincial 16s.

These notes are from the morning session that included Lindbergh, Monroe, Sumner, Olympia, Annie Wright, Stadium, and Puyallup. Here are some notes on new players to watch that include brand new names to us, as well as some guys popping back up on our radar.