Championship Saturday Stars: Part 1

<p><em>Saturday brought the 2020-2021 Nebraska High School Basketball season to a close as champions were crowned in all six of the classes in Nebraska. After an excellent week of action on the court in the capital, Saturday’s championship action was a fitting conclusion to an excellent winter on the hardwood here in the Cornhusker State. Here are some players whose performances on Championship Saturday stood out. </em></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="890576" first="Jacob" last="Sjuts"] - 6’5 Junior (Humphrey/Lindsey Holy Family) </strong></p> <p>A double-double in a state championship-winning performance would be special, but how about a 20/20 game with a state title on the line. HLHF junior forward [player_tooltip player_id="890576" first="Jacob" last="Sjuts"] did just that in the first game of the day on Saturday notching 24 points and 20 rebounds in the Bulldogs’ Class D1 state championship victory over Howells-Dodge. It was an efficient performance scoring as well for the 6’5 junior who finished 8-13 from the field and 8-9 from the free throw line. 7 of his 20 rebounds were on the offensive end. Sjuts is incredibly strong around the basket both finishing and especially in rebounding. Throughout the week he displayed some mid-range game as well as some crafty finishing moves at the rim. He’s got great length for his size and just plays smart. Sjuts had a great week for the D2 state champions, as did his twin brother Jason. Both brothers will certainly be names to watch over the summer and into their senior campaigns next winter. </p> <p><strong>Daniel Frary - 6’6 Senior (Auburn)</strong></p> <p>Daniel Frary is very versatile for 6’6. Throughout this week in the Class C1 state tournament, he showed some finesse and skilled finishing ability in the paint offensively. On the defensive end, Frary blocked shots, and defended well all over the court with the ability to defend both inside and outside on the perimeter thanks to his athletic ability. His athleticism was also on display when he went up and finished some dunks in multiple games this week. In the C1 state championship game Frary tallied 14 points to lead Auburn in scoring as well as 9 rebounds on the game. Frary is a very fundamentally sound player who always makes the right play. </p> <p><strong>Ryan Binder - 5’11 Junior and [player_tooltip player_id="1031581" first="Maverick" last="Binder"] - 5’11 Freshman (Auburn)</strong></p> <p>There were three Binders on the roster this season for the Auburn Bulldogs. Brothers Cam and [player_tooltip player_id="1031581" first="Maverick" last="Binder"], and their cousin Ryan. [player_tooltip player_id="890465" first="Cam" last="Binder"] has been known as one of the better shooters in the state of Nebraska thrughout his time at Auburn, and Adams Central defended him incredibly well on Saturday preventing him from even attempting a field goal on the day, this opened the door for the other two Binders to step up for the Bulldogs. [player_tooltip player_id="1031581" first="Maverick" last="Binder"] and Ryan Binder both finished with 11 points on the game. Maverick made two 3 pointers on the game reminding those of us in attendance that shooting runs in the family. Junior guard Ryan was the glue guy all week for Auburn, playing tough and scrappy on both ends of the court. He battled for rebounds on Saturday as well, finishing with 7 for the game. Ryan Binder is more of a slashing guard who is definitely not afraid to finish through contact. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="890473" first="Kaden" last="Glynn"] - 6’1 Senior (Beatrice) </strong></p> <p>Following an impressive finish to the Orangeman’s semi-final victory over Waverly where he finished 8-8 from the foul line to ice the game for Beatrice, [player_tooltip player_id="890473" first="Kaden" last="Glynn"] still had one last moment to remember to close out his basketball career. The 6’1 senior is committed to play football at Morningside College, but he showcased his abilities on the court throughout state tournament week. In Saturday’s Class B final against Elkhorn, Glynn hit the shot of the day, a 3 pointer right in front of Beatrice’s bench right before the buzzer to tie the game and send it to overtime. Glynn showed his ability to drive to basket and finish strong, as well as an ability to draw fouls. He made big free throws all week long and also was one of the best passers I watched the entire week. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p>