Who to Watch at the Top of the R26 Bracket: Pickford vs. Brimley

Rolling through Division 4 in Northern Michigan, and this game piqued my interest. A month ago, I thought Pickford was a shoo-in to plow all the way into QF13. But after the district final games that brought these two respective teams together, I am rethinking that. I'll dive more into that in some evaluations below.    <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/15654140/Trey-Lynn?_gl=1*1d5jxpb*_ga*MTUyMDM1ODAzNS4xNzI0OTM4MDM0*_ga_29LPHS2HWC*MTc0MTExODMzMy43Ny4xLjE3NDExMTgzMzguMC4wLjA." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Trey Lynn</a> (featured image) had a monster night against Newberry in the District 101 championship game, lighting up the points column with 44. I listened to this one on the radio and then went back and watched it on NFHS. The common denominator of his performance was his unselfish play—something you don't usually say when someone puts up that many points. There are rumblings that this young man is being looked at by some next-level coaches in basketball and baseball, and with an unselfish disposition, I would expect him to do well at the next level. Trey was hit with first team All-Conference in the EUPC as well as Defensive Player of the Year. He also recently entered various record books for steals (more to come on that).     <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/20645335/Cooper-Jones?_gl=1*1ugkn0r*_ga*MTUyMDM1ODAzNS4xNzI0OTM4MDM0*_ga_29LPHS2HWC*MTc0MTExODMzMy43Ny4xLjE3NDExMjA2MTEuMC4wLjA." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cooper Jones</a> has had a nice year this year on varsity. I listed him as 6'3", but standing next to him, I have to think it's closer to 6'4". I listed Cooper as a PF, but he usually finds his comfortability in the wing position extended along the free-throw line. He has a nice touch to his shot and seems to flourish running the triangle from the block to the elbow. Cedarville bodied up Pickford in the District 102 championship game, and it slowed their tempo. Brimley will need a similar performance from Cooper and company if they plan to advance past a very fast and physical Pickford team. A note on Cooper's accolades: he was selected to the EUPC's All-Conference 2nd team.     Eli has just been selected as the Eastern UP Conference Player of the Year, and I don't think there was even a close 2nd. If you've ever watched him, you will notice he is by far the hardest working kid on the floor. His tempo seems to resonate throughout the rest of his team, as they all respond well to his effort. He had an MVP performance last Friday in the district final game, helping lift Pickford past the Islanders. I expect him to stand up big tonight and put up another POY performance.     <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/16444399/Owen-McConkey?_gl=1*dreg03*_ga*MTUyMDM1ODAzNS4xNzI0OTM4MDM0*_ga_29LPHS2HWC*MTc0MTExODMzMy43Ny4xLjE3NDExMTk1MzUuMC4wLjA." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Owen McConkey</a> showed up big last week as well. He doesn't always light up the stat columns that draw the eyes, but he does Yeomen's work on defense. Has great footspeed and can cover and see the floor very well. Pickford is a very downhill team; they hustle on both sides of the court, and Owen is the tip of the spear in that department. I expect to see a solid defensive performance out of Owen tonight. Owen was recently selected as an Honorable Mention of the EUPC All-Conference squad.     <a href="https://www.hudl.com/profile/18190641/Kaden-Wiltfong?_gl=1*mzekbu*_ga*MTUyMDM1ODAzNS4xNzI0OTM4MDM0*_ga_29LPHS2HWC*MTc0MTExODMzMy43Ny4xLjE3NDExMjA2NDEuMC4wLjA." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kaden Wiltfong</a> is another one of the unsung heroes on the Pickford squad. He has a nice stroke to his deep ball and tends to like to shoot shots from the elbow extended all the way deep into the corner. His long wing span also helps his team execute their trap defense with complete tenacity. Kaden rounds out the starting 5 of a very talented and athletic Panther squad. Kaden also earned a nice HM spot on the EUPC all-conference squad.    This matchup will really come down to who wants it more. For Brimley, Derrick Carrick will also need solid minutes and help Brimley keep their turnovers low. Pickford's trap defense can be quicksand, but with guard-patience, it can be broken. For Pickford, they will need to stick to what got them here: speed and athleticism. They also missed a lot of bunnies in their last game and will need to clean that up and finish strong around the rim.

Rolling through Division 4 in Northern Michigan, and this game piqued my interest. A month ago, I thought Pickford was a shoo-in to plow all the way into QF13. But after the district final games that brought these two respective teams together, I am rethinking that. I'll dive more into that in some evaluations below.