#PHHardWorkRegionFinals: Saturday PM Sensational

Plymouth, MN – I was at the palatial palace better known as Wayzata High School on Saturday afternoon and evening. I witnessed entertaining games and I came across a ton of talented players. Who played well? The answers are below... <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/07/hardworkregionfinals-1.jpg"><img class="alignnone wp-image-1512210" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/07/hardworkregionfinals-1-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="145" height="145" /></a> <h4>Saturday Sensational</h4> [player_tooltip player_id="1067654" first="Sean" last="Murphy"] |6’1 PG| Iowa Barnstormers 2023 Black He has ball-on-a-string handles and Sean was always in "attack mode". His go-to move seemed to be the behind-the-back move. His pull-up jumper is a thing of beauty. Murphy knocked down multiple threes throughout the game. He showed excellent hustle when grabbing an O-board and scoring with his left hand. His stepback jumper was spot-on and he looked like Steve Nash at times. Murphy attacked hard when coming ball screens and he hit jumpers. This kid is a PLAYER! [player_tooltip player_id="1288881" first="Noah" last="Johnson"] |6’4 F| Iowa Barnstormers 2023 Black Talk about an athlete! Noah sliced through the defense and scored at the rim athletically. Johnson is a quick jumper that gets to the rim in a hurry. He showed his craftiness when he posted up and hit a fall-away jumper. Noah also scored when posting up on a BLOB. Johnson elevates well and can get his shot off over most defenders. I liked his baby hook and explosive playmaking ability. Noah has a very high ceiling. [player_tooltip player_id="963746" first="Matt" last="Eng"] |6’2 G| Pentagon Schoolers 2023 Walker 11 points with three 3-pointers. When attacking the defense, Matt showed a very nice hesitation move that he used to freeze the D and sneak past them. He was a gamer down the stretch. When the Schoolers needed a bucket, Eng put the team on his back and hit a crazy-tough step-back three-pointer. It seemed as if he made up his mind that he was going to score and there was nothing the D could do. He created just enough room for his buttery smooth shot and the OG kid delivered. Eng also had a sick drive and score late with 38 seconds left in the game. He finished it with a finger roll to put the Schoolers ahead for the time being. You want the ball in this kid’s hands during crunch time. [player_tooltip player_id="1390906" first="Zander" last="Benz"] |6’7 PF| Pentagon Schoolers 2023 Walker 12 points. The BIG man played great again. Benz was a beast in the paint. He had numerous scores on putbacks. Benz showed excellent timing with tip-ins. He showed his passing ability with a lob to Muirhead. Zander did work off the bounce, he slashed across the lane ad scored with a running hook shot. He played excellent and scored around the rim in tight spaces. Zander played with heart/grit and he willed the team to an OT win. [player_tooltip player_id="963749" first="Elliot" last="Whitney"] |6’0 G| Pentagon Schoolers 2023 Walker 8 points with two 3-pointers. The playmaker from Lincoln was constantly probing and putting pressure on the Coulee defense. I liked how he penetrated and kicked to Klein for a 3-pointer. Whitney did his fair share of damage from behind the arc in key moments. The defense gave him a bit of room and Elliot pulled up for a triple from the top of the key that he knocked down. With 4 minutes left in the game, Whitney hit another monster 3-pointer when the Schoolers needed a basket. Whitney did a nice job all game of taking care of the rock. Every possession is important in an OT game and Whitney made winning plays. [player_tooltip player_id="1295267" first="Gavin" last="Muirhead"] |6’7 PF| Pentagon Schoolers 2023 Walker 16 points. Early in the game, Gavin impacted the game with O-board putbacks. It looked like he is coming off a trampoline when he went up to the rim. Muirhead scored the first 6 points of the game for the Schoolers. Muirhead showed off his shooting range with a deep 2-point jumper late in the game. Gavin showed his execution on BLOB lob-score. He also had a lob flush later in the game. One of his biggest plays was late in the game when he WHAMMED home a lob dunk. Gavin also had a big-time block near the end of the game. Much like the rest of his team, Muirhead is a clutch performer. [player_tooltip player_id="1265477" first="Tate" last="VanOtterloo"] |6’4 G/F| Pentagon Schoolers 2023 Walker 11 points with three 3-pointers. This was the best that I have seen Tate shoot from the perimeter on the PH Circuit. His shot was fluid and accurate. Some people might consider him a forward, but on Saturday night Tate showed that he can be a smooth shooting wing player. He also had steal, blocked a shot off the backboard, and he played solid post defense against the opposing team’s star player. [player_tooltip player_id="1022499" first="Bennett" last="Fried"] |6’6 PF| Coulee Country 2023 16 points with three 3-pointers. He is an aggressive cutter that finishes with impressive hang time. At 6’6 with long arms, Bennett can get his shot off any time that he pleases. He scored off the bounce and he was lethal from beyond the arc. I like the way that Fried moved without the ball. He gets his shot off quickly and smoothly. Bennett is a quick leaper that is efficient with the ball. He is a big-time recruit and he showed that on Saturday. [player_tooltip player_id="1409364" first="Peter" last="Lattos"] |6’7 PF| Coulee Country 2023 17 points with three 3-pointers. He is a big strong and tough forward. He looks as if he would solely be an interior player because of his size and strength. However, Lattos shoots it well from behind the arc. He gets his shot off with a quick flick of the wrist. Peter can also bang in the lane. Lattos was a bear on the boards he scored with an impressive O-board tip-in. He also handles it well for a BIG man. If you want a tough BIG, Lattos is your man. [player_tooltip player_id="1339995" first="Soren" last="Anderson"] |6’5 F| West Central Wildcats 2023 He played great on Saturday afternoon. Soren got to the FT line often and he scored from all levels. He uses his body to draw contact. Anderson is a smart player that uses shot fakes and multiple dribble moves to keep defenders off balance. He showed great finishing ability when he took a hard hit and still finished. Soren rebounded well by timing the ball off the rim and refusing to be boxed out. I loved his 2-foot finish that he completed with a scoop shot. Soren showed craftiness with a hangtime reverse layup in transition. It was a nice showing by the Yellowjacket. [player_tooltip player_id="1492613" first="Ian" last="Fahje"] |6’7 F| West Central Wildcats 2023 There is a reason why coach Gullingsrud calls him a "stretch 4". Ian knocked down multiple 3-balls when hitting trail transition 3’s and when picking and popping. Fahje showed great footwork when shaping up, I like how he did the work before the ball got to him. Ian showed impressive passing ability. When he was doubled in the post he kicked the ball out to shooters. He also slashed, drew help, and found open teammates. [player_tooltip player_id="962264" first="Kaden" last="Pieper"] |6’3 G| West Central Wildcats 2023 He is a good-sized guard with strength and skill. I like the looks of his jump shot. Pieper knocked down a nice fall-away jumper from the elbow. His footwork was perfect when coming off a flair screen. Piper set his defender up, caught, and shot it with fluidity. He also looked good with aggressive cuts from the backside of the defense. Dylan Bainbridge |5’10 PG| West Central Wildcats 2023 He is a stud PG from Wheaton. Bainbridge is ball strong and smart. He pushes the tempo and kicks the ball ahead when there are opportunities. He knows when to slow things down and get good looks. He always knows when and where to find the hot hand. I really liked him in the ball screen game. Dylan came off the screen, drew help, and found the popping shooter. Dylan also has a killer crossover that left defenders in the dust. On one particular occasion, he got to the rim, was fouled, and finished a left-handed AND1 bucket. Bainbridge is going to be a complete stud in Class A this coming year. [player_tooltip player_id="1220381" first="Anish" last="Ramlall"] |6’3 PG| WOTN 2023 Bertsch He stood out right away when I walked into the gym by hitting two quick 3-pointers. Ramlall has textbook shooing form. There is a reason he keeps getting college offers. Anish has all the tools to be a great PG at the next level. Ramlall handles it beautifully and he directs traffic like a true leader. I was impressed with his slashing and scoring. Ramlall refused to be stopped, he found a way to the bucket and he finished with his left-hand multiple times. He got game, that is evident to everyone that watches Ramlall play. [player_tooltip player_id="1288827" first="Tyler" last="Boegeman"] |6’1 PG| MN Crossfire 2023 6 points with two 3’s. He stood out as a point guard in control. I liked the looks of his handles and court vision. Tyler had many assists when slashing past the defense. He had multiple accurate bounce passes where he led his teammates perfectly. I liked how Tyler pushed the tempo and directed traffic. When shooting he showed extended range. Boegeman nailed a smooth top-of-the-key triple to show off his jumper. The Shakopee kid looks to be the real deal. [player_tooltip player_id="1341717" first="Simon" last="Morgan"] |6’3 SF| MN Crossfire 2023 10 points. He scored physically at the cup. Morgan explodes to the rim when finishing. He was excellent at cutting and scoring. I liked how he moved without the ball. He also scored with O-board putbacks. Morgan was a beast around the rim. He was also tough off the bounce. Simon looked good when slashing and kicking to teammates. Payton Lambrecht |6’0 G| ABC Young Lions 2023 White This kid is a cool customer on the court. Payton first impressed me with a sweet lefty pull-up jumper from 15 feet. A bit later he sliced and diced through the traffic and finished with a double-clutch inside left-hand finish. Lambrecht also had a deep lane drive that he finished with a soft layup over a big defender. The cool lefty also drilled two 3-pointers. Payton finished with 16 points.