Class A Check-In: Lincoln, Part 1

Class A basketball will be as competitive as it’s ever been in Lincoln this upcoming season. I wanted to take some time to highlight key players from a few Class A teams in Lincoln that I got to see over the past few months. I also wanted to give a mini-preview of what I expect from each squad this upcoming season as they prepare for an exciting battle to see who’s the king of the city. Lincoln Pius X Key Players to Watch: [player_tooltip player_id="1235575" first="Brady" last="Christiansen"], [player_tooltip player_id="981708" first="Sam" last="Hastreiter"], [player_tooltip player_id="1023539" first="Jack" last="Hastreiter"], [player_tooltip player_id="981700" first="Jared" last="Bohrer"], [player_tooltip player_id="1253970" first="Treyson" last="Anderson"], Jackson Kessler Pius should be one of the top teams in the state this upcoming season. They return an incredible amount of talent and even added some great talent as well. All eyes will be on Sam and [player_tooltip player_id="1023539" first="Jack" last="Hastreiter"], these senior twins will both be playing division one basketball next year and will be a nightmare for coaches to plan against this season. They are both three-level scorers and at their height and skill level, there will be very few matchups that they won’t be able to take advantage of. [player_tooltip player_id="1235575" first="Brady" last="Christiansen"] had a breakout summer and should have an uptick in production, the same goes for a guy like Jackson Kessler. [player_tooltip player_id="981700" first="Jared" last="Bohrer"] is a senior guard that transferred in from Southwest, he’ll be game-changing with his defensive intensity and marksmanship from all over the court. Expectations should be high with this squad. Lincoln High Key Players to Watch: [player_tooltip player_id="1165694" first="Justin" last="Bolis"], Marcellus McCulley, [player_tooltip player_id="1141525" first="Andrew" last="Gaines"], [player_tooltip player_id="1018736" first="Bryson" last="Faines"], [player_tooltip player_id="1165695" first="Collin" last="Nick"] I expect a much more competitive Links team this upcoming season. Guys like [player_tooltip player_id="1141525" first="Andrew" last="Gaines"] set the tone this summer by playing smothering defense as soon as guards crossed the court. He was able to press players in this manner because he had big men [player_tooltip player_id="1165694" first="Justin" last="Bolis"] and [player_tooltip player_id="1018736" first="Bryson" last="Faines"] waiting down low to block and alter every shot thrown their way. The team’s offense is behind its defense right now but Marcellus McCulley will be more than capable of getting a bucket for the Links this year. The lefty is a relentless attacker that got to the line at a good rate this summer and knocked down his three-point opportunities. The player with the highest upside on this squad is big man [player_tooltip player_id="1165695" first="Collin" last="Nick"]. He’s got great scoring touch around the rim and will be able to stretch the floor for the guards to get more driving lanes. Lincoln Northeast Key Players to Watch: [player_tooltip player_id="981714" first="Zander" last="Beard"], [player_tooltip player_id="1018713" first="Porter" last="Bazil"], [player_tooltip player_id="1183637" first="Carlos" last="Valdez"], Christian Winn, [player_tooltip player_id="1235615" first="Gatran" last="Gatnoor"] The Rockets will be looking to take another leap this season. [player_tooltip player_id="981714" first="Zander" last="Beard"] is near the top of my breakout list and will be the heartbeat for this team. [player_tooltip player_id="1018713" first="Porter" last="Bazil"] is poised to make a leap as well and could be one of the best players in the state if he puts it all together this year. Valdez and Gatnoor played on the same AAU team this summer and both were high IQ players that consistently made the right play on both sides of the ball. Christian Winn is a player I really liked when I saw him play this summer. He’s a 6’3 guard with some length and a crafty handle. He had some nice finishes inside and wasn’t afraid to go get a bucket when he needed to. This team is looking to make a statement this season, look for them to give teams trouble every game and win some huge ones along the way. Lincoln East Key Players to Watch: [player_tooltip player_id="982462" first="Brayden" last="McPhail"], [player_tooltip player_id="1235581" first="Joe" last="Marfisi"], [player_tooltip player_id="1052926" first="Carter" last="Tempelmeyer"], [player_tooltip player_id="1273920" first="Isaac" last="Mickle"], [player_tooltip player_id="1023545" first="Jared" last="Townsley"], [player_tooltip player_id="1253990" first="Carter" last="Mick"] Year in and year out Coach Campbell puts together competitive basketball teams that are scrappy on defense, this year should be no different. The biggest obstacle will be replacing former All-State guard [player_tooltip player_id="890474" first="Carter" last="Glenn"] and the Spartan’s deep group of guards should be up to the task. The trio of senior guards (McPhail, Marfisi, and Mickle) are all capable shooters and absolute dogs on the defensive end. [player_tooltip player_id="1052926" first="Carter" last="Tempelmeyer"] will be a name to watch for them this season as he comes off another solid summer on the AAU circuit, he can score from all three levels and should be poised to make a big impact this season. [player_tooltip player_id="1023545" first="Jared" last="Townsley"] continues to get better and will be a versatile forward for the Spartans. [player_tooltip player_id="1253990" first="Carter" last="Mick"] is one of the best shooters in his class and has added some more to his offensive game since I last watched him play. This team will be a very tough out as always.