SPU Fall Classic: Morning Session Stock-Risers

I dropped in on some fall hoop action at Seattle Pacific University on Saturday morning for their SPU Fall Classic. They hosted 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. Now, let's get to some stock-risers from the event.    Hedman should play a key role as a secondary perimeter scorer. He showed off a nice stroke from three Saturday, making shots off the catch, off the dribble, on the break, and in the half-court. He has a little extra length on his wingspan that gives him a pretty high release and allows him to shoot over defenders. Hedman also made a few key dishes for assists off the PNR and surveying the floor from the perimeter.     Vindivich is a guy who you can count on to play hard and aggressive on both ends. Saturday, he was also on point from long-range, taking advantage of space and knocking down at least three treys in their first game. He also had a number of strong takes to the rim, setting one up with a quick crossover then firing down the lane to convert an and-one while falling away from the rim. He has some big energy out there and can really energize his side at times.     Zapata is highly underrated at his current ranking and will be a key guy for the Bears this season. He's a good athlete, a solid slasher, and can shoot a bit, but his main strength is his ability to find space and play on balance while attacking from different areas. He was splitting defenders and showing some real strength and late burst on drives to finish in high-traffic areas on Saturday, and should be one of their relied upon seniors this winter.     Here's a kid who never tries to do too much or play outside of his game, but is ready to go, is engaged throughout possessions, and just makes plays with his awareness and toughness. He had some nice follows for tip-ins on the offensive glass, made hard cuts down the middle to bail teammates out of pressure and get to the rim, and is a strong kid with the ball who can finish in the paint and handle some contact.     Monroe is a team that could make some noise this year and Prohn is a kid who can really drive their offense with his shot-making. He was on in their first game, sinking in jumpers and leading the way to a win over Lindbergh. And he showed some toughness in their second game against Puyallup, getting to the paint, converting with crafty spins, and finishing from tough angles. He'll be a kid to watch on a tough Monroe squad this winter.     Jones was one of the more impressive kids at the Fall Classic but it's really no surprise at this point. He's just a tough kid to cover 1v1 with his quickness and ability to attack either direction. He was consistently getting into the paint and to the rim, showed great creativity in the air to finish or dish, and was a playmaker on both ends of the floor.     He's a wiry forward who used good patience and some strength down low to avoid defenders or finish through swipes and fouls. He's pretty effective from the blocks but also showed he can work downhill from further out, mostly working to his right but also turning defenders and just working them deep down the paint. Nasinec also hit a couple of threes, showing some potential to work further out this winter and bring some more versatility to his game.     He was their leading scorer last season, and it would be safe to assume he fills that role again this winter, but Lindblom showed some real toughness and grit this past Saturday. He's a worker defensively, scraps for loose balls and long rebounds, and doesn't give up on the play. He missed a layup in their first game, and while the rest of the team ran back, Lindblom ripped the ball away from the guy who got the board and put it in for the bucket.     He was highly successful putting himself in space around the rim, both on the break, late in transition, and getting behind the defense in the half-court. He shot an incredibly high percentage because of his work to get open right by the rim and to fill lanes on the break, and has some good athleticism to finish high at the basket.     Put together a really nice game against Sumner on both ends of the floor. Was a solid playmaker on the break, has the athleticism to get the board and push the ball, and was really looking to draw defenders in and then kick it out to shooters. He rebounded on both ends, blocked several shots, and used his length to get in passing lanes. He also found some space in the corners to knock down triples. Huff looked like a real game-changer out there and could be a guy who takes off and hits his stride this season.

I dropped in on some fall hoop action at Seattle Pacific University on Saturday morning for their SPU Fall Classic. They hosted 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.