Impressive Players: Two Games Two States

Tonight I watched one North Dakota game and one South Dakota game. We will be looking at the top players from those two games. 1st game (ND): #9 Thompson @ #3 North Border. Two Top 10 teams and they are both in Class B Region-2. The Thompson Tommies came into this game with a 7-2 record. The North Border Eagles came in with a perfect 7-0 record. 2nd game (SD): Lennox @ West Central. The Orioles from Lennox are a Class A team and they are in Region 4. The Trojans from West Central are a Class A team and they play in Region 3. Lennox record before tonight, 9-1. West Central Record tonight, 5-3. Scores 1st quarter - Thompson 18 North Border 10 2nd quarter - Thompson 36 North Border 22 3rd quarter - Thompson 49 North Border 35 4th quarter (final) - Thompson 66 North Border 50 1st quarter - Lennox 12 West Central 19 2nd quarter - Lennox 14 West Central 31 3rd quarter - Lennox 33 West Central 47 4th quarter (final) - Lennox 49 West Central 66 <img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/01/ImpressivePlayers-300x187.jpg" /> <h4>Top Tommies</h4> [player_tooltip player_id="1135525" first="Kyle" last="Odenbach"] (2022) |6-4 F| 22 points, 1 three-pointer, 3-3 fts. This big lefty is a bear. Kyle is thick, strong, and he moves well. When in the post, Odenbach likes to attack with his right shoulder. He scored many physical baskets in and around the paint. Kyle is great at creating space for himself. When his teammates are attacking, Oddenback will move to the open space to get a pass for a good look. His strong AND1 finish was impressive. Odenach showed a perfect cut off a UCLA screen that led to the basket. He also cashed in a 3-pointer. Odenbach was problematic on defense around the hoop. Kyle was the best player and difference-maker in this game. [player_tooltip player_id="1145544" first="Jake" last="Starcevic"] (2024) |6-2 G| 11 points, 1 three-pointer, 2-2 fts. He does not look or play like a 9th grader. Jake is strong and physical. He impressed me with his footwork around the basket. He showed a nice spin move and patience when he had the rock in the paint. Starcevic looked confident and smooth at the charity stripe. To end the first half, Jake showed great determination on a drive and finish before the buzzer sounded. In the second half, he continued to impress and looked smooth finishing around the basket. [player_tooltip player_id="1165392" first="Karter" last="Peterson"] (2024) |6-4 F| 4 points. Karter is a big strong post that does not look like a freshman. He scored the first basket of the game with an O-board putback. I like how Peterson is a willing passer out of the post. Karter is a physical rebounder and he has good footwork in the post. I also liked the fact that the big man dove on the floor for loose balls. Brayden Wolfgram (2024) |5-8 G| 12 points, 1 three-pointer, 3-3 fts. He had a huge first half with 10 of his points coming there. Brayden was a spark plug! For just a sophomore he looked really good attacking the basket. Early in the game, Wolfgram drove baseline and he had an AND1 finish. Shortly after he scored off a drive down the middle of the lane. He also took a charge. Brayden’s 3-pointer came from college range. He impressed me with a slash and dish to Odenbach. Wolgram did not play like a 5’8 sophomore, he had a great game. <h4>Top Eagles</h4> [player_tooltip player_id="1126978" first="Ayden" last="Stainbrook"] (2023) |6-4 F| 13 points, 3-3 fts. Early in the game, he had a great 1-handed pass to Cosley for a bucket. Throughout the game, Ayden grabbed multiple offensive rebounds. He showed smart defense when going straight up and not swatting at the ball. He had another blocked shot later in the game. Stainbrook also took a charge in the post. When Ayden gets a defensive rebound he is great at kicking it ahead for up-tempo looks. When he does not have the ball he always runs the court hard. Ayden showed his versatility with a sharp cutting basket and a floater off a BLOB. In the post, he showed a nice double-move that ended in a baseline spin and a kiss off the glass. [player_tooltip player_id="1050261" first="TJ" last="Cosley"] (2023) |5-11 G| 13 points, 1-2 fts. He looked like the fastest player on the court tonight. Cosley does the majority of his damage in transition or by slashing to the basket. He is not just looking to score, TJ wants to facilitate. He drove many times and set some teammates up for open looks at the hoop or a wide-open jumper on the perimeter. He is also a quick and smart cutter on offense. I liked when he cut across the lane, caught the pass, and faded away for a quick jumper. I really liked the looks of his fake-crossover move that led into a 17-foot jump shot. On defense, he took a charge. TJ also picked off and created multiple turnovers. [player_tooltip player_id="1159584" first="Jaxen" last="Johnson"] (2022) |6-5 F| 7 points,1 three-pointer, 4-10 fts. I liked the way that he sprinted the floor. There were many times that Thompson would score, and Jaxen would be the first player down the court on the other end. Johnson looked aggressive battling for rebounds, he grabbed multiple O-boards. Jaxen stepped out and drilled a 3-ball. [player_tooltip player_id="1126980" first="Kyler" last="Moore"] (2022) |6-1 G| 17 points, 5 three-pointers. He looked good tonight, this has to be the most minutes that Moore has played this year. On defense, he showed his anticipation skills by picking off a pass. Kyler showed hustle with offensive rebounds and a transition basket. He showed skill with precise 1-handed passes. In the second half, Moore got hot and hit four 3-pointers. <h4>Top Orioles</h4> [player_tooltip player_id="812188" first="Jackson" last="Arlt"] (2022) |5-10 G| 12 points. I liked his backdoor cut to start the second half. He was running the floor hard in the second half and he was fouled twice on fastbreak layups. Arlt calmly got to the line and cashed in all four FTs. He showed good court awareness when attacking, Jackson found an open shooter for a triple. Arlt showed off his own shooting with a college range 3-bomb. Carter Van Houten (2022) |6-0 G| 9 points. I liked his effort when he took a charge. Van Houten is a shooter, all his points came from beyond the arc. This lefty has a smooth stroke and he did his damage by catching in-rhythm passes and cashing home the triple. [player_tooltip player_id="1266222" first="Porter" last="Ihnen"] (2024) |6-5 F| 9 points. He was in foul trouble and the Trojans really seemed focused on trying to shut the star sophomore down. For being 6’5, Ihnen has awesome handles and ball skills. Porter is a long and versatile player that can be a PG or post-up. He also can shoot it from beyond the arc. I liked how Porter found the open man when he was double-teamed. He showed off his touch with a backdoor pass to start the second half. Ihnen is a good rebounder with his long arms and persistence. He can also protect the rim and he blocked/contested shots tonight. Connor Eich (2023) |6-2 F| 8 points. He had a good-looking shot when he hit his 3-ball. Connor also made a nice play with a physical finish at the rack. He was fouled and Eich cashed in both FT’s. <h4>Top Trojans</h4> [player_tooltip player_id="968204" first="Jacob" last="Krempges"] (2022) |5-11 G| 6 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals. He is a top-notch athlete that had many impressive finishes. I like this kid’s game. He also dropped multiple dimes when attacking. His short pull-up J in front of the rim and tough body control finish were beautiful plays. Carter Schmeichel (2023) |6-1 G| 4 assists, 2 steals. He was a hustler all over the court. He took a couple of charges and he had an AND1 finish. Carter is full of effort and NRG! Grafton Stroup (2022) |6-0 G| 18 points, 4 rebounds. He is a very fine athlete. Grafton had multiple fullcourt hustle layups. Many of his points came from breakaways and the fact that Stroup is super fast. Grafton had a really tough finish at the basket when he was blanketed by the D but he hung in the air long enough and he shot it home for 2-points. He also showed a very nice jump shot. His athleticism was on display with an O-board, putback, AND1 tip-in. Of course, Stroup cashed in the FT. He sliced through the defense all night. Grafton showed that he can shoot it, with a 3-pointer in the fourth quarter. Braden Dierickx (2022) |5-10 G| 7 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists. He looks to be a hard-core on-ball defender. Braden is a hustler and a fireball. Dierickx is lightning quick. He had an AND1 finish, a sweet back cut, and multiple nice drive and kicks plays. Braden Herr (2022) |6-4 F| 5 rebounds. He looks to have good hands and he does not force the issues on offense. Herr moves the ball well and he spaces the floor. When he was on Ihnen, I thought Braden did a nice job. His length will be a huge asset for West Central when they play bigger teams. Dillion Jackson (2022) |5-11 G| 12 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists. He is a big, strong, and aggressive guard. On defense, Dillion looked good picking off a pass. Jackson showed off his range with a deep triple. He impressed me with his mid-range jumper, it was soft and smooth. He ran the floor hard and he was rewarded with a pass from a teammate and Dillion turned it into two points. I loved his shot fake, crossover step, and lefty-finish. Jackson was very impressive tonight. Jack Linneman (2022) |5-10 G| 9 points. He looks to be a shooter through and through. Jack looks good stepping into the shot and letting it fly with confidence. I thought his footwork looked good as well. His ability to knock down 3-balls will keep the defense honest.