Pella Christian Tests Norwalk In Cross-Divison MatchUp

Pella Christian and Norwalk matched up in a cross-division matchup on January 27, and the contest was very competitive. Both teams had many young, talented prospects display their elite skills. Let's get right into the most standout prospects from this game.    Trey Steinkamp had an impressive performance throughout this game. He scored from all three levels. He got to the rim at will and was especially great at drawing fouls on his drives. He was elite at driving through contact and using his body to force calls. At the rim, he showed an ability to score around tough angles and through thickets of defenders. He hit many layups in this game while surrounded by defenders, which displayed his elite touch as he had to fit his layups around many contests. He hit these shots at a high clip even through traffic. This is the main reason he drew so many fouls in this game. His midrange scoring was also very impressive. He was elite at getting to his spots with his nice footwork and patience. He showed an ability to spin either direction and hit fadeaways around the free-throw line. This was a very efficient shot for him in this game, and his defenders struggled to stop him from getting to this shot as he hit many tough pull-ups. His threat as a driver, coupled with his deceleration, made his midrange scoring incredibly difficult to bottle up. He also stretched the floor from three in this game off the catch. He was elite as a defender as well. He was always very engaged with his matchup and very physical, not allowing penetration. He also moved well with his opponents' drives to the rim and even stuffed a layup from an opponent.     [player_tooltip player_id='2809468' first='Henry' last='Smith'] displayed his elite ability to score through contact in this game. He scored through contact with his elite size and strength. He went up and through contact while maintaining balance, which allowed him to finish and get and-1s around the rim constantly. He was elite as a play finisher in this game. He was the main option that his team wanted to find on drop-off passes. His touch and patience under the rim were the reasons for this. If you found him in position under the rim, it was likely you would gain an assist. His footwork and body control were also very impressive. He attacked the rim at full speed, executed a graceful spin move around his defender, and then finished through hard contact. This shows his balance and fluidity. He was also great as a rebounder in this game. He used his frame and length to come down with many boards on both sides of the glass, while also being a great defender throughout this game.     Devan Runner was a sniper in this game off the catch. Devan offers elite size and skill as a shooter. His height and his fluid, quick release allow him to shoot over contesting defenders. He hit multiple threes off the catch in this game and showed a lot of confidence from outside. He was very efficient on his shots in this game. He mainly got his threes from the pick-and-pop action, where he set solid screens and then popped into space, getting himself open and creating more space for his teammates. His shooting ability was very difficult for his opponents to account for. He was also great and very versatile as a defender. His size and great defensive footwork allowed him to lock up both down low and out on the perimeter, where his size and length proved to be difficult for his opponents to deal with.     [player_tooltip player_id='2898192' first='Andrew' last='Abbott'] displayed his versatile skill set at his size in this game. For starters, he was super impressive as a passer. He used his height to see over the defense in the middle of the floor, where he was very adept at probing the defense and finding cutters with crisp bounce passes. He created many open looks for his team with his elite playmaking vision and feel. Along with this playmaking ability, he was great at scoring around the rim. His footwork and his use of his solid frame to bump defenders and create space made him a constant threat around the rim. He finished over defenders with his soft touch on his post hooks. He also finished many plays around the rim by just being in the right position at the right time, showing his knowledge of space and his high feel. He was great defensively as well. His size was always a deterrent for drivers heading to the paint. One-on-one, he was great at locking down in the post. He did this by staying vertical and not biting on fakes, while also remaining physical with his matchup and not allowing any space or comfort for his opponent.     [player_tooltip player_id='2419755' first='Tillman' last='Papcun'] was elite in the paint in this game. He got to the rim throughout this game and finished many difficult layups at high speeds. He was great at initiating contact with his body and bumping his defender off balance, which led to many efficient looks for himself around the rim. His dribble pickups were very difficult for his defenders to guard. He was great at doing a high dribble pickup into a Euro step, which created angles for himself around the rim, allowing him to finish through traffic with his soft touch. He was great off of two feet as well. Again using his body down low, he would jump off two feet and finish up and through contact consistently. This skill helped him draw a heap of fouls at the rim. He also hit a three off the catch, showing his shooting ability. He did all of this while being a very impactful defender in the passing lanes, collecting many steals.

Pella Christian and Norwalk matched up in a cross-division matchup on January 27, and the contest was very competitive. Both teams had many young, talented prospects display their elite skills. Let's get right into the most standout prospects from this game.