TEN BEST: Jenison vs Hudsonville
Kwabene Kalumbula
Synopsis
The Jenison Wildcats visited the Hudsonville Eagles in Wednesday's district semi-final game. Reminiscing on just the first quarter, we can see a lot of the game as a whole reflected. The teams started out trading buckets, Hudsonville being fairly spread in their scoring while being opposed primarily by the scoring threat that is Jenison's Jacob Boonyasith. With two minutes left in the first quarter, Jenison had a 20-10 lead, but two Hudsonville shots narrowed it slightly. Then the cycle somewhat repeated for the rest of the contest. Jenison would gain a solid margin, then Hudsonville would make a few good plays to narrow, but never break, their lead. In the end, Boonyasith remained dominant while being supported by his teammates' contributions, and Hudsonville finished with a good spread but not enough to overcome the deficit. Jenison won 69-56, advancing to the district finals where they fell 50-48 to West Ottawa.
The Ten Best
MVP: Jacob Boonyasith - 6'3 - G/F - 2018 (Jenison)
Scoring thirty points to seal the playoff win in enemy territory made Boonyasith an easy choice for MVP. Very early on, he established himself as a scorer, seeming free in his shot selection. He scored mostly in one-on-one situations, dribbling around until in a position to shoot over or drive past his defender. His pull up off the dribble proved effective from both beyond the arc and the midrange and seemed to be his shot of choice. However, he showed the diversity of his offensive game by posting up or driving to the basket on several possessions. He displayed an ability to see the floor and the opportunities it offered by setting up his teammates. He also got several rebounds from which he often brought up the ball. Overall, a stat-filled, versatile performance made him an easy pick for most valuable.
Best Underclassman: Max Perez - 5'9 - PG - 2020 (Hudsonville)
There are a lot of talented point guards in the class of 2020, and the Hudsonville standout is no exception. Perez is a player willing to pass off to his teammates. However, if a scoring opportunity is not created, the ball ends up back in his hands because he is trusted to keep things under control as well as create. On several occasions, he made very difficult and unpredictable passes, often through traffic, that found a teammate in a scoring position. He also proved himself to be a scoring threat. He was second on his team with fourteen points, hitting two threes and a number of closer shots. His midrange jumper off the dribble was deadly accurate and, coupled with his deceptive eyes and handle, makes him a big threat. His is certainly a name to keep tabs on in the future.
Most Well-Rounded Performance: Colton Ritsema - 6'5 - SF/PF - 2018 (Jenison)
Colton Ritsema
(Brian Forde | Advanced Newspapers) Ritsema was Jenison's big man and, judging solely off his build, I expected him to play the role of a center. For this reason, it was a pleasant surprise to see him hit a three and even more pleasing to see two follow in the same quarter. Nine of his 11 points came from beyond the arc with the other two coming from a nice post up. Therefore, just off his broad, strong build and ability to shoot at a high consistency, he is a versatile offensive player. On top of this, he proved to be a great defender of the paint, garnering, by my count, four or five blocks. He also contributed through rebounding and hustle. Best Defensive Performance: Colton Ritsema (Jenison) At least four times Ritsema blocked opponents while they drove to the paint. He also finished with only one personal foul, a testament to the effectiveness of his contests. On other possessions where he did not block a shot, he was repeatedly there to make it difficult (again, without fouling). Best Offensive Performance: Isaac Bylsma - 6'0 - SG - 2018 (Hudsonville) Several players could have filled this category, but Bylsma is certainly among them. He led the Eagles with 15 points, scoring from all three levels as he did so. He had a few nice takes to the basket, a couple midrange shots, and one three to show his scoring versatility. Though Jenison's big man, Ritsema, was a dominant defensive force, Bylsma was pretty successful driving against him. He also made a number of nice passes. While not as much of a creator as Perez and Boonyasith, he was able to get himself the shots he wanted and lead the Eagles offensively. Best 4th Quarter Performance: Davis Magsig - SG - 6'1 - 2021 (Hudsonville) Magsig did not play a ton of minutes for the Eagles nor did he post major stats. However, in crunch time when the Eagles needed big plays, he made a few crucial ones and showed some promise. He finished with five points, the result of an outside shot and a layup in the fourth quarter. Later in the same quarter, he took a charge from a driving Boonyasith to get the ball back in Hudsonville's possession. Learning that he is also a freshman and the younger brother of some former Hudsonville talent makes Magsig another young player to keep on one's radar. Best Under-the-Radar Performance: Carter Chylek – 6'4 – SF – 2018 (Jenison) Boonyasith and Ritsema together kept the crowd entertained with their big plays on both ends of the floor. However, operating under the radar was Chylek who followed Boonyasith with 12 points. He ran the floor often and was found in transition for finishes at the rim. He also was active along the baseline and around the block within the offense and got the ball dished to him for easy inside finishes. Overall, moving without the ball and consistently converting made for a solid performance. Best Off the Bench: Drew Martinie - 6'0 - SG - 2019 (Hudsonville) Martinie was the only player off of Hudsonville's bench to play in all four quarters, and he showed his value. He had an almost immediate impact upon entering the game, getting a rebound and a nice midrange jumper soon after. Despite being outsized by most of the other players, he got several boards throughout the game. Best Trashman: Zach Moore - SF - 6'5 - 2019 (Hudsonville) Moore finished with seven points in this contest. Though he wasn't a stat-stuffer, he stood out to me with his activity on the boards. He got several rebounds to give Hudsonville second chance looks, and, two possessions in a row, he got the offensive board and put it right back up himself. This activity and the points it created were instrumental in keeping the Eagles competitive. Best Sequence: Jacob Boonyasith versus Max Perez One of the most impressive/exciting sequences of this game featured the two stars from each team. First, on his end of the floor, Perez lost his defender who slipped and made a quick move past him to hit his signature midrange shot. In response, Boonyasith received the ball in transition, drove strong, then stepped back to hit the three in his defender's face. In doing so, each got the crowded riled and showcased his respective specialty.
Scoring thirty points to seal the playoff win in enemy territory made Boonyasith an easy choice for MVP. Very early on, he established himself as a scorer, seeming free in his shot selection. He scored mostly in one-on-one situations, dribbling around until in a position to shoot over or drive past his defender. His pull up off the dribble proved effective from both beyond the arc and the midrange and seemed to be his shot of choice. However, he showed the diversity of his offensive game by posting up or driving to the basket on several possessions. He displayed an ability to see the floor and the opportunities it offered by setting up his teammates. He also got several rebounds from which he often brought up the ball. Overall, a stat-filled, versatile performance made him an easy pick for most valuable.
Best Underclassman: Max Perez - 5'9 - PG - 2020 (Hudsonville)
There are a lot of talented point guards in the class of 2020, and the Hudsonville standout is no exception. Perez is a player willing to pass off to his teammates. However, if a scoring opportunity is not created, the ball ends up back in his hands because he is trusted to keep things under control as well as create. On several occasions, he made very difficult and unpredictable passes, often through traffic, that found a teammate in a scoring position. He also proved himself to be a scoring threat. He was second on his team with fourteen points, hitting two threes and a number of closer shots. His midrange jumper off the dribble was deadly accurate and, coupled with his deceptive eyes and handle, makes him a big threat. His is certainly a name to keep tabs on in the future.
Most Well-Rounded Performance: Colton Ritsema - 6'5 - SF/PF - 2018 (Jenison)
Colton Ritsema(Brian Forde | Advanced Newspapers) Ritsema was Jenison's big man and, judging solely off his build, I expected him to play the role of a center. For this reason, it was a pleasant surprise to see him hit a three and even more pleasing to see two follow in the same quarter. Nine of his 11 points came from beyond the arc with the other two coming from a nice post up. Therefore, just off his broad, strong build and ability to shoot at a high consistency, he is a versatile offensive player. On top of this, he proved to be a great defender of the paint, garnering, by my count, four or five blocks. He also contributed through rebounding and hustle. Best Defensive Performance: Colton Ritsema (Jenison) At least four times Ritsema blocked opponents while they drove to the paint. He also finished with only one personal foul, a testament to the effectiveness of his contests. On other possessions where he did not block a shot, he was repeatedly there to make it difficult (again, without fouling). Best Offensive Performance: Isaac Bylsma - 6'0 - SG - 2018 (Hudsonville) Several players could have filled this category, but Bylsma is certainly among them. He led the Eagles with 15 points, scoring from all three levels as he did so. He had a few nice takes to the basket, a couple midrange shots, and one three to show his scoring versatility. Though Jenison's big man, Ritsema, was a dominant defensive force, Bylsma was pretty successful driving against him. He also made a number of nice passes. While not as much of a creator as Perez and Boonyasith, he was able to get himself the shots he wanted and lead the Eagles offensively. Best 4th Quarter Performance: Davis Magsig - SG - 6'1 - 2021 (Hudsonville) Magsig did not play a ton of minutes for the Eagles nor did he post major stats. However, in crunch time when the Eagles needed big plays, he made a few crucial ones and showed some promise. He finished with five points, the result of an outside shot and a layup in the fourth quarter. Later in the same quarter, he took a charge from a driving Boonyasith to get the ball back in Hudsonville's possession. Learning that he is also a freshman and the younger brother of some former Hudsonville talent makes Magsig another young player to keep on one's radar. Best Under-the-Radar Performance: Carter Chylek – 6'4 – SF – 2018 (Jenison) Boonyasith and Ritsema together kept the crowd entertained with their big plays on both ends of the floor. However, operating under the radar was Chylek who followed Boonyasith with 12 points. He ran the floor often and was found in transition for finishes at the rim. He also was active along the baseline and around the block within the offense and got the ball dished to him for easy inside finishes. Overall, moving without the ball and consistently converting made for a solid performance. Best Off the Bench: Drew Martinie - 6'0 - SG - 2019 (Hudsonville) Martinie was the only player off of Hudsonville's bench to play in all four quarters, and he showed his value. He had an almost immediate impact upon entering the game, getting a rebound and a nice midrange jumper soon after. Despite being outsized by most of the other players, he got several boards throughout the game. Best Trashman: Zach Moore - SF - 6'5 - 2019 (Hudsonville) Moore finished with seven points in this contest. Though he wasn't a stat-stuffer, he stood out to me with his activity on the boards. He got several rebounds to give Hudsonville second chance looks, and, two possessions in a row, he got the offensive board and put it right back up himself. This activity and the points it created were instrumental in keeping the Eagles competitive. Best Sequence: Jacob Boonyasith versus Max Perez One of the most impressive/exciting sequences of this game featured the two stars from each team. First, on his end of the floor, Perez lost his defender who slipped and made a quick move past him to hit his signature midrange shot. In response, Boonyasith received the ball in transition, drove strong, then stepped back to hit the three in his defender's face. In doing so, each got the crowded riled and showcased his respective specialty.
