NHR State: Friday's Best

The 9th Northstar Hoops Report State Tournament tipped off Friday night with talent on all five courts and an array of Prep Hoops eyes watching close. Who played well in the games I saw? Here is Friday’s Best. [player_tooltip player_id="958739" first="Peyton" last="Belka"] of Comets Belka (6’1, Guard, Rogers). [player_tooltip player_id="958797" first="Will" last="Pool"] had the shot of the night but he doesn’t get that shot off in comfort if Peyton doesn’t send him a snap reversal at the top of the key that landed on Pool’s hands perfectly. It was a great pass and another of Belka’s team high four assists. Belka also knocked out a pair of treys. Noah Bonnick of MN Jazz (6’2, Guard, Waconia). My number one takeaway from Friday night is that Noah Bonnick is way better than I was aware of. Noah could be a really good player at the D3 level based on what I saw last night. He was an All Conference player for the Cats this season and was a game MVP last night beating Heat Conyers. The Jazz play with more effort than their opponent and Bonnick is a big part of that. He secured nine rebounds plus went at the rim for 19 points on 7 of 14 shooting. Late in the game Bonnick attacked with hunger scoring three clutch buckets highlighted by an And1 that put the game away. Talented player. Camden Carter of Magic Premier (5’11, Guard, BSM). Carter deserves some space here because he plays so hard. When it comes to guys that play hard, Carter is in the upper 99th percentile. If he’s guarding you your triple threat better be strong and it would be wise to reverse the ball quick as getting past him is a serious chore. He grabbed seven boards out-fighting much bigger Comet Belka players and he scored eight points on four shots. Constant effort guy that is fun to watch. [player_tooltip player_id="958672" first="Amir" last="Everett"] of Magic Premier (6’1, Guard, DeLaSalle). In the Magic P/Comets B game, Everett was the most all around productive player on the floor. His ball pressure made good shots hard to come by for the Comets as they rarely had a chance to get in a comfortable spot. Everett also out-fought bigger players for his seven boards, he moved the ball for a game high five assists (many of which went to high school teammate [player_tooltip player_id="958777" first="Kyle" last="Johnson"] who scored 13 points), and scored in double figures himself. Had a steal - push to score - charge take - hit a three sequence in four possessions (combined). Such a strong contributor with many items not being box score numbers. Samir Jones of MN Jazz (6’2, Guard, Bloomington Jefferson). When we talk Jazz we talk effort. And when we talk effort, how about a guard grabbing 11 rebounds and flying the other way with most of them to go at the rim. Rarely did Samir force anything - scored 11 points on 5 of 9 shooting - but the effort to attack off the quick transition helped the Jazz get quality shots the other way. Brought a lot of energy to his team. [player_tooltip player_id="1144115" first="Carson" last="Koch"] of Heat Conyers (6’2, Wing, East Ridge). The Raptors have a lot of positions open in their rotation next year and based on the shooting I saw form Koch last night, he could be an eye to keep an eye on. Kock knocked out four threes and scored a team high 18 points. The shooting touch is of course important but I loved how hard Koch worked to get open so he could catch and knock down chances. Jeremy Kolb of Heat Lewis 16s (5’11, Guard, White Bear Lake). Kolb is another skilled player in the upcoming WBL junior class that is quite skilled. He was the one player from the Heat that was able to go against a bigger, quicker team and still find his way to space to make plays. Used a pair of dribbles well to get to spots to get shots up occasionally beating the moving defense to the paint for pull-ups. Scored 14 versus the top Comets squad. [player_tooltip player_id="962249" first="Eli" last="Laposky"] of Comets Elite 2023 (6’1, Guard, Pequot Lakes). In a simple description, I would call Eli a confident playmaker. He’s coming off a Sophomore All State honored season leading his team to an 18-3 record and has followed that up as the top playmaker for the Comets. The Comets were locked in a battle with Heat Lewis until Eli went on a 10-point burst that included a pair of threes (one off a reversal, one on his own creation) and finishing some contested attacks. Impressed with the way Eli impacted the game in so many ways. Also interested in seeing how far he can push the Pequot Lakes program in the future because there is a lot of room for growth for him and his team after a 3-loss season. [player_tooltip player_id="958683" first="Mason" last="Lund"] of Comets Belka 17s (6’6, Forward, Sartell). Lund is an active, bouncy player at 6-foot-6 with physical gifts that stand out for his team. Sometimes it’s Lund closing out and contesting or getting a hand on a shot. Other times it’s rebounding efforts (he’s led his team in boards each time I’ve seen his team play this year). Lund has a quality shooting touch - hit a clutch late three to help beat the Magic - and his quickness allows him to get by other big players with or without the ball. Comets Belka had to scrap to get their Friday night win and Lind was the most consistent player totaling a dozen points and six boards on five of ten shooting. Joe Meath of MN Jazz (6’4, PF, Waconia). Minnesota, meet your 2022 Dennis Rodman. Incredible position defense always active, always getting to the right spot, and always getting to his help taking away opposing attacks. In addition, Meath’s fight for the basketball around the cup is awesome to watch. His feel for the carom is better than yours and he will two hand rip it down, tip it away so he can secure, fly into the pack to board, or just beat you up and then take it. He grabbed 15 rebounds and took three shots. That’s a Dennis Rodman type guy. [player_tooltip player_id="958797" first="Will" last="Pool"] of Comets Belka 17s (6’3 Wing, Buffalo). Will is a shooter, and it’s not a complicated statement. He’s a guy that teams have to locate quickly or they are playing with fire. Pool made three treys Friday night and his third was the biggest 17u shot of the evening as it went at the buzzer to beat Magic Premier. [player_tooltip player_id="962232" first="Isaac" last="Severts"] of Comets Elite 2023 (6’6, Forward, Bemidji). Physically there was nobody on the court that could match the size, quicks, and effort of Severts in the opener. He’s just so active on all ways. Big effort on the glass, runs the floor hard, defends with effort, etc. Last night he totaled 15 and 7 early in a 20 point blowout win. The majority of the point production was powering through bodies around the basket but it also included a tripe. As Severts continues to mature he’s going to get strong and become an tougher to deal with. You take that with the effort he gives, ceiling could be high.