Pentagon Schoolers 16U Larsen: AAU Rewind

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This Schoolers team was coached by <em>Jeff Larsen</em> who is also the head boys basketball coach Madison (SD). This 16U squad had some nice wins over the course of the AAU season. These players all have a bright future ahead of them and they should have productive high school seasons in a handful of months. Read below for more information on Pentagon Schoolers 16U Larsen. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1526743,"width":226,"height":141,"sizeSlug":"full","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/07/PentagonSchoolers-1.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/07/PentagonSchoolers-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1526743" width="226" height="141"/></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"align":"left","fontSize":"large"} --> <p class="has-text-align-left has-large-font-size"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Q &amp; A with coach <em>Jeff Larsen</em></span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"align":"left"} --> <p class="has-text-align-left"><strong>PHD: What is your best memory from this AAU season? </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Coach Larsen</span>: "<em>Being around the boys and making great memories while seeing all the boys love the game of basketball. Winning the Sanford Pentagon Hardwood Challenge was also a big highlight.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>PHD: Can you talk about a time your team overcame adversity? </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Coach Larsen</span>: "<em>We were up against stiff competition all season and never backed down. Towards the end of the summer season, we dealt with injury and sickness and competed and never made excuses.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>PHD: Who were a few of your hardest workers and what did they do to stick out?</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Coach Larsen</span>: "<em><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1526914' first='Parker' last='Bailey']</strong> - Great Defender, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1526946' first='Chuck' last='Callahan']</strong> - Great commitment. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1526952' first='Andrew' last='Comes']</strong> - Great Energy</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>PHD: Can you talk about some of your best offensive weapons?</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Coach Larsen</span>: "<em><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1266227' first='Garrett' last='Mertens']</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1266273' first='Nic' last='Gaspar']</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1266229' first='Hudsyn' last='Ruesink']</strong>. They attacked the basketball with authority and shot it well. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1266235' first='Jayce' last='Slaba']</strong> - Controlled tempo well.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>PHD: Who was your best rebounder and why? </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Coach Larsen</span>: "<em><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1266228' first='Cole' last='Edberg']</strong>, Went after every rebound and grabbed it with two hands. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1266236' first='Isayah' last='Price']</strong> - Used his body well. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1266273' first='Nic' last='Gaspar']</strong> - Very athletic.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>PHD: Who improved the most over the season?</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Coach Larsen</span>: "<em>Everyone improved who put the time and effort in.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>PHD: When you needed a big bucket, who was your "go-to" player? </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Coach Larsen</span>: "<strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1266273' first='Nic' last='Gaspar']</strong>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>PHD: What would you say was your signature win this season? </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Coach Larsen</span>: "<em>Beating Pentagon Schoolers Vincent 16U on a last-second shot.</em>"</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"large"} --> <p class="has-large-font-size"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Pentagon Schoolers 16U Larsen - ROSTER</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:table --> <figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">PLAYER NAME</span></strong></td><td><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">SCHOOL</span></strong></td><td><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">HEIGHT</span></strong></td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1266273' first='Nic' last='Gaspar']</td><td><strong>Dell Rapids St. Mary</strong></td><td><strong>6'2"</strong></td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1526914' first='Parker' last='Bailey']</td><td><strong>Platte-Geddes</strong></td><td><strong>5'7"</strong></td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1266227' first='Garrett' last='Mertens']</td><td><strong>Milbank</strong></td><td><strong>6'2"</strong></td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1266233' first='Blake' last='Rich']</td><td><strong>Aberdeen Christian</strong></td><td><strong>6'5"</strong></td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1266235' first='Jayce' last='Slaba']</td><td><strong>Hanson</strong></td><td><strong>5'9"</strong></td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1266236' first='Isayah' last='Price']</td><td><strong>Hanson</strong></td><td><strong>6'3"</strong></td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1266228' first='Cole' last='Edberg']</td><td><strong>Centerville</strong></td><td><strong>6'0"</strong></td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1266229' first='Hudsyn' last='Ruesink']</td><td><strong>Sioux Valley</strong></td><td><strong>6'3"</strong></td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1526946' first='Chuck' last='Callahan']</td><td><strong>Madison</strong></td><td><strong>5'11"</strong></td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1526952' first='Andrew' last='Comes']</td><td><strong>Madison</strong></td><td><strong>5'10"</strong></td></tr></tbody></table></figure> <!-- /wp:table --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"large"} --> <p class="has-large-font-size"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Pentagon Schoolers 16U Larsen – SCHEDULE</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:table --> <figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">EVENT</span></strong></td><td><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">DATES</span></strong></td><td><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">LOCATION</span></strong></td></tr><tr><td>Pentagon Summer Jam</td><td>April 23-24</td><td>Sioux Falls, SD</td></tr><tr><td>SPTS #1</td><td>April 30-May 1</td><td>Minneapolis, MN</td></tr><tr><td>SPTS #2</td><td>May 14-15</td><td>St. Cloud, MN</td></tr><tr><td>Pentagon Harwood Classic</td><td>June 4-5</td><td>Sioux Falls, SD</td></tr><tr><td>Great Plains Alliance</td><td>June 29-30</td><td>St. Cloud, MN</td></tr><tr><td>Pentagon Summer Slam</td><td>July 8-10</td><td>Sioux Falls, SD</td></tr><tr><td>Pentagon Dakota Challenge</td><td>July 15-17</td><td>Sioux Falls, SD</td></tr><tr><td>SPTS Finals</td><td>July 22-24</td><td>Sioux Falls, SD</td></tr></tbody></table></figure> <!-- /wp:table -->