Wisconsin Freshman Showcase: Team 10 Evaluation

The amount of freshman talent was off the charts at The Champion Center on Saturday. This week I will be going through evaluations of the four teams that I covered continuing with Team 10.    One of the handful of Old Abe freshmen that made the trip, Brieske had a good showing at The Freshman Showcase. Solid guard who showed good handles, the ability to finish in the paint with contact, and active hands on defense. Brieske is the type of lead guard that does everything well including crashing the boards and knocking down open jumpers from 19 feet and out.     Leitz was a player that really stood out in the 3-on-3 session showing great handles and a nice bag of hesitation moves. Not the biggest guy on the court, Leitz knows how to use his quickness to create space for a pretty look midrange. In the 5-on-5, he was able to step out and knock down a few 3's showing an added layer to his game.     Antonio, a 5-10 GB Southwest product, flashed some nice potential and is definitely a player to watch at an up-and-coming program. Bouncy, athletic player that gets after it, on defense, moving his feet well and easily gets over screens. Offensively, while a bit streaky, Antonio showed three-level scoring ability knocking down floaters, tough contested layups, and a few from 20-21 feet.     Scherrer comes across like a coach's dream player. Plays hard, knows where to be defensively away from the ball, and uses good court vision to make the correct read. Offensively he showed the ability to get downhill and finish through contact and made some nice passes to cutting teammates.     While only listed at 6-1, Ruesch is a solidly-built forward who plays hard and very physical. Solid in the screen-and roll, Ruesch does a nice job of sealing his defender and uses strong hands to make contested catches finishing effectively around the rim.     One of the better all-around players that I had the chance to cover, Kleinsmith impressed with his play on Saturday. A true three-level scoring weapon, Kleinsmith was in his bag showing great handles, a nice right-to-left spin move resulting in an And-1, nifty footwork on a turnaround stepback jumper, and multiple three's in the first game I watched. Defensively is where, in my opinion, he set himself apart blocking several shots including where he chased down a fastbreak dunk attempt getting the block and then finishing with a layup, on the other end, over a taller defender.     Kelbel, 6-2, from Altoona was on my radar coming into the Freshman Showcase and he did not disappoint with his play. A very good athlete, Kelbel was one of the better players, without the ball in his hands, moving very well and finding open pockets in the defense. When he did have the ball, he showed the ability to get to the hoop, at will, finishing in a variety of ways including over and through contact. One of the, more dynamic finishers, Kelbel showed a nice up-and-under lefty finish, a Euro up-and-under, and a variety of crossovers that left the defense looking foolish.     One of the harder workers, that I watched, Fogltanz does all of the little things that could earn him varsity minutes this winter. He crashes the boards, moves his feet well on defense, and does not give up on any possessions. A good athlete who was at his best running out for fastbreak layups, Fogltanz has all the makings of a player that will help the Lancers for years to come.

The amount of freshman talent was off the charts at The Champion Center on Saturday. This week I will be going through evaluations of the four teams that I covered continuing with Team 10.