NHR State: Best of Saturday

<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Toughness Wins</h2>   The [program_tooltip program_id='2075672' first='Minnesota' last='Fury'] Zurn squad is competing this weekend without [player_tooltip player_id='2362161' first='Matthew' last='Johnson'] (who was just offered by Wyoming), without [player_tooltip player_id='2433532' first='Max' last='Beeninga'] (committed to Minnesota State Moorhead), and without their coaches (parents are leading the way). But this seven man unit wanted to play, and they got an overtime win over an improving Minnesota Gold team.   The reason the Fury won the game? Toughness.   When you see [player_tooltip player_id='2424180' first='Grant' last='Hansen'] defend you see a guy that is going to battle to avoid being screened. Some guards get picked off on a ball screen, but Hansen looks like he is going to fight to the death to get over that screen and make sure the ball goes elsewhere. Love his defensive effort AND Hansen hit two huge threes in the second half that brought the Fury back.   Then you have [player_tooltip player_id='2140675' first='Owen' last='Brezinski'], another player that refuses to be screened. The Fury went with four forwards and Alex Healy down the stretch and that meant Owen at point forward. Owen handled the job with long possessions, a couple scores, and a couple creations that led to the win including the shot of the game: a [player_tooltip player_id='2052332' first='Trey' last='Theis'] corner three made that proved to be the game winner.   Toughness Won.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Jordan Successes </h2>   [program_tooltip program_id='2821775' first='Buffalo' last='Legacy'] knocked off Heat GVR and moved on to the 17u Elite Eight on Saturday, and they did it 70-60 being the team that moved the ball better to get better shots.   At the forefront of this Buffalo team effort ([program_tooltip program_id='2821775' first='Buffalo' last='Legacy'] is made up of Buffalo High School players) was [player_tooltip player_id='2397563' first='Thomas' last='Jordan'], a 2028, and his brother [player_tooltip player_id='2126866' first='Matthew' last='Jordan'], a 2027 guard. Buffalo lost [player_tooltip player_id='2400077' first='Eli' last='Hegle'] to an injury so that has put the Jordans in even more of a playmaking role. We've seen [player_tooltip player_id='2126866' first='Matthew' last='Jordan']'s passing abilities all weekend but Thomas matched him in the Heat win as both players had four assists.   The Heat tried to be physical with Thomas but the sophomore matched all of that physicality with a nose to nose approach. He took the Heat physicality and then threw 25 points on 8 of 17 shooting, 12 rebounds and those four assists right back at the opponents. Matthew knocked out all six of his foul shots to score 16 points and [player_tooltip player_id='2830425' first='Lucas' last='Phillips'] stepped up to give eight points and eight boards in support.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Olson's Touch</h2>   Robbinsdale Armstrong shooter [player_tooltip player_id='2813485' first='Alex' last='Olson'] was on full display on Saturday knocking out SIX threes in the Real Phenom Horn game with Southwest Minnesota Stars. Olson has grown to about 6'3 and he's stronger than when I first saw him a year and a half ago against Eden Prairie. There is range to his jumper and he is really good at moving off the ball to set up a shot with the right angle to the passer.   Olson averaged ten points a game as a sophomore but injuries and a strong senior group led to a 7.5 point per game junior average. After seeing Olson this weekend, I think he has a big senior year coming up at Armstrong.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">NHR State Notes</h2>   In defeat, [player_tooltip player_id='1874863' first='Izayah' last='Cook'] put forth a 20 point, 11 rebound double-double against Buffalo. Regardless of how tough Buffalo made some of the Cook shots, the St. Cloud Tech talent spun through the defense to score, he stepped back to score, and he physically went through Buffalo to score. Izayah was 8 of 15 from the floor and Cook was forced into some difficult attempts that he completed.   We had a quality introduction to Southwest Minnesota Stars forward Josiah Hoftyzer who is a 6'5 forward from Southwest Minnesota Christian. In a one score win over Phenom, Josiah had a 12 point, nine rebound game simply out-working everybody on the floor. And this is a player that averaged 21 points and nine rebounds a game as a junior shooting 48 percent with a solid percentage of 36 at the arc.   East Ridge forwards [player_tooltip player_id='2382065' first='Blake' last='Jones'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2417891' first='Evan' last='Carter'] play for Hoop Troop and their all around efforts is something I left the gym with as a big positive. Blake was a competitive, no nonsense battler that had 17 points on 7 of 11 shooting with four assists while Carter supported with 11 points on five of six attempts with five boards. A pair of Raptor workers.   A big reason [program_tooltip program_id='2076003' first='West' last='Central United'] beat Hoop Troop was the three threes and the two scores at the rim from Brooks Crockett down the stretch. With so much focus on Romeo and the two ball handlers, Hoop Troop seemed to lose Crockett and his corner threes were massive momentum turners for the WCU win. Crockett is from Northern Cass High School in North Dakota.   When it comes to tough playmakers, [player_tooltip player_id='2382519' first='Eston' last='Bethel'] has to be one of the first names out of the mouth when talking 16u. He is on the court to compete and he takes no smack talk from opponents without a response. Hoop Troop was in his ear and he came back with his own words, his seven assists, four steals, 15 points on 6 of 10 shooting and a 64-63 win putting his team in the quarters of a stacked 16s division.   Another playmaker that caught my eye on Saturday was [player_tooltip player_id='2140620' first='Gus' last='Vollmuth'] of Minnesota Gold and Bloomington Jefferson. Vollmuth's mentality on the floor is business, its stoic and it's productive. Leads good ball movement with steady play but also changed the game with WCU hitting three early threes on his way to a 16 point game.