NY2LA Spring Extravaganza: Friday Night
Prep Hoops was at the main site of the NY2LA Spring Extravaganza giving you the run down of top Minnesota performances as well as key moments from talent within the NY2LA Basketball League.
Top Five Performances
One. Many division two schools and a few division one programs stopped by to see 6-foot-9 Justin Balcome of Alexandria (Comets Servaty). What’s the draw outside of the 6-foot-9 size and length? Justin has the type of frame that can get stronger yet retain his agility. And oh yeah, he can shoot! With range. Balcome had 15 points in the opener including a pair of threes and a 17-footer. He cooled off in half two but the form and potential were on display. When he adds core strength to his frame his game will be so much tougher to stop.
Two. The Comets Elite size. South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska-Omaha, Drake, and others were watching this team because of size Joseph Hedstrom and Brevyn Spann-Ford. Teams like St. Cloud State, Augustana, Bemidji State, Minnesota-Duluth, Minot State, Northern State, and Southwest Minnesota State were also there watching and Mitchell Plombon was likely their name of the night.
Three. So what did they do? Joseph Hedstrom expectations are up! This is a guy that was hoping for more minutes during the high school season and they came late when he improved. Hedstrom averaged 11 and six last weekend and there was a coach who expected more in Dallas (that’s a good thing when those are expectations are up). Hedstrom had a tough first game in Dallas but was very good the rest of the way scoring 17, 15, and ten. Last night? Surely wanted two or three shots back but Hedstrom still had thirteen and seven giving his team one of the greatest backside post to post cut, seal, target give, catch, shoulder turn, and finishes you will see. The guy is minimum at ten offer low major guy. Minimum.
Plombon? Let’s take your pick among favorite moments. His seventeen points (my total which is better) included four types of scores: the face-up quick first step attack that bigs can’t keep up with, the spin move out of the post or after a face-up dribble, the putback, and the off-ball cut, catch, and finish. Mitchell is simply quicker than other bigs and quicker off his feet.
And Brevyn. Football or basketball? Which is it? Who knows. Only he knows what he wants to do. He will have hoops options. When you take three charges, grabbed eight physical boards after coach challenged him to get them all, and five scores.
Four. This is a Minnesota site but our Prep Hoops tags allow us to reach out to other places like Michigan where 6-foot-4 wing Djuan Seal resides. This REACH Legends producer was purely unstoppable against the Comets. Nobody could move laterally to keep in front, they couldn’t rotate to stop him, and they couldn’t get back to get in front of him to stop the transition attack. Too damn fast and athletic plain and simple (not artistic to say that but the truth is better than art sometimes). Seal hit three treys among his seven of ten shooting and seven of ten foul shooting for 24 points.
Five. Saving the best for last and that was Luke Martens of Minnesota Select’s top squad (Luke is from Apple Valley). What he did late in the game for Select on both ends is maybe the best two way game winner sequence I’ve seen in a long, long time. On the defensive end late he made a powerful box-out hit to secure and push the ball for a teammate score, had a steal, and then had the game winning deflection in the final second. Not to mention he’s an elite Minnesota defender. On the other end Luke used a fake to move the defense into a late attack, he used a dribble to move the defense and then reversed the ball to score, Luke attacked to finish late, and then hit three foul shots with a second to go that was the game winning score. Kid is a winner.
So this begs the question all asked, what level can he play? My mind quickly runs through the three levels. D1, kid would be the most perfect walk-on ever because of the way he works and he could get used at his size (6-foot-3 and strong) in moments. D2? Defensively and size wise? Yes. Halfcourt offensive decisions? Yes. Needs to shoot better from the perimeter (27 percent as a sophomore, 30 percent as a junior) and if he does that, it could come. D3. Without a doubt would likely be frosh of the year.
Five Notes
- Gavin Bates (Sibley East) had an awful first shooting game for Comets Servaty but he still produced. A lot. Played point guard most of the game with four assists, led the game in rebounds with nine, hit a clutch shot late, and showed off the high IQ game that is just a shade of his near 4.0 grade point average status in the classroom. Can play multiple positions.
- Samuel Skaggs out of Indiana won a game for MBA Select with his corner three in overtime. Huge shot.
- The potential for Cire Mayfield to be an amazing defender is without a doubt there. He’s so quick with the ball, so quick laterally, love the way he showing potential right now. One of the best surprises of the spring.
- The Comet guards had their worst outing of the year. The four of them combined for 4 of 20 shooting and had just as rough a time defending. That said, Trevor Kaiser gave them a bit of a lift with two foul shots and free throws.
- I feel like Jordan Belka from Rogers makes a great tandem with Balcome. Belka is a high IQ face-up four man that hit two threes and also hit double figures. Coach’s kid who plays in an educated way.
- REACH Legends also got big games from guard David Hearns and forward Quinn Blair. Blair is a 6-foot-6 thick body forward that can play on the perimeter because of his touch and passing ability.