UP Game of the Week: Kingsford @ Marquette

<p>First place in the Great Northern UP Conference, an undefeated record on the line, multiple college commits, a National Dr. Dish Player of the Week Nominee, and a couple of front-runners for UP Mr. Basketball...It's Basketball in the UP, and it's about as good as it gets. Kingsford travels to Marquette this Friday for a game with a lot riding on it, let's dive right in.</p>   <p></p>   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Team Overview: Marquette </h2>   <p>Marquette has been on a nice streak of wins after suffering a couple of close losses to TC West and TC Central in early December. The first thing that jumps out on the scouting report with this squad is size, they are big, and they have excellent wing spans across the entire line-up....a defensively-minded coach's dream. As I study film on them I also notice a lot of depth, in many instances 8 deep before the halfway point of the 1st quarter. That makes them a team that is really able to hold it together and pour it on later in the game. The starting lineup consists of: [player_tooltip player_id='2262437' first='Jaxon' last='Jurmu'], Kyler Sager, [player_tooltip player_id='2471674' first='Jacob' last='MacPhee'], Zach Leonard, and Connor Fierstine; backed up by very consistent bench play of Henry Wood, Ford Richardson, and Pavel McCutcheon. </p>   <p>I want to throw out a couple of player evaluations of some unsigned kids that college coaches should be taking a look at--from both squads. </p>    <p class="text-gray-700">Zach (feature image) sits on a starting 5 of one of the better Marquette teams we've seen in a while. Zach is athletic and mobile with a huge wing span, which makes him an excellent defender. Studied quite a bit of film from the Iron Mountain game and noticed his keen ability to create separation. Excellent teammate and great energy.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Tall and scrappy. Another student-athlete on a very good Marquette squad who could be ready for the next level. Connor does a lot of items that do not necessarily make it to the stat sheet but are very important. I watched him away from the ball a lot, and for every turnover that Marquette created, he was a part of a lot of them. Always on the floor and always after loose balls. Deep in the 3rd and 4th quarters is where this young man shines, as he is in excellent shape. I credit it a bit to his coaching tree as I know Coach Ledy has a very rigorous strength and conditioning program, as does the entire Sentinel athletic organization.</p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Team Overview: Kingsford</h2>   <p>Kingsford has been hitting on all cylinders this season. They are fighting through some injuries, but have plenty of depth and skill to work through a lot of those scenarios. Mr. Basketball front-runner [player_tooltip player_id='2058663' first='Gavin' last='Grondin'] is the heart and soul of this team, but the high level of talent does not stop there. Teammates [player_tooltip player_id='1504837' first='Morgan' last='Sleik'], Jack Olson, [player_tooltip player_id='2129505' first='Jett' last='Buckley'], Jack Kriegl, and [player_tooltip player_id='2520268' first='Owen' last='Olkkonen'] (among many others) play at a VERY high level of basketball. </p>   <p>Let's take a look at some scouting reports of some recently added players: </p>    <p class="text-gray-700">Been wanting to write on Jack since the end of last season. I watched Kingsford twice in the tournament last year, first when they blanketed the Sault in regionals and then when they lost the quarter-final squeaker to FPC. Jack is a very integral part of this seasoned team. He's quick and very versatile around the top of the key. He and Grondin work well together on a pesky defense that has held their opponents to average under 37 points per game. He is a great shooter and has a very quick release. Jack will be tested well against one of the best backcourts in the UP with Marquette.</p>     <p class="text-gray-700">Kingsford is a bit banged up in the frontcourt and Owen will need to step up in the paint tomorrow evening. This might be one of the bigger tests of this young man's career as he will be the big down low against Marquette's very seasoned [player_tooltip player_id='2471674' first='Jacob' last='MacPhee']. We'll see how well he responds in his "next-man-up" role...I'm certain he will handle it well. He is tall and athletic and comes from an excellent basketball pedigree. He can also handle the ball well and does an excellent job in the middle aiding in the press break. Kingsford will need Owen to have a big night tomorrow if they plan to carry the W. </p>    <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Keys to Victory</h2>   <p>Both teams enter this game hungry for a win, Marquette looking to avenge two early season losses, and Kingsford looking to bounce back from last year's two losses to the Sentinels. This will be a close game throughout and I think whoever can save enough gas in the tank near the end (and stay out of foul trouble) will come out on top of this one...we'll also be keeping a close eye on bench play and bench points. </p>   <p></p>   <p>I'll be circling back early next week with a preview of the race for UP Mr. Basketball...stay tuned.</p>

First place in the Great Northern UP Conference, an undefeated record on the line, multiple college commits, a National Dr. Dish Player of the Week Nominee, and a couple of front-runners for UP Mr. Basketball...It's Basketball in the UP, and it's about as good as it gets. Kingsford travels to Marquette this Friday for a game with a lot riding on it, let's dive right in.