Prospect Spotlight: Bennett Giebels (2020 Mountainside HS)

<p>Mountainside won its first-ever playoff game in school history on Wednesday night and for the Mavericks this season, it’s definitely been a team effort. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="855889" first="Bennett" last="Giebels"]</strong> has been as big a part of the success as anyone and it’s actually the strong 6-foot-4, 185-pound wing that’s leading the team in scoring. The senior has been really happy with the way things have turned out this year and is hopeful for one more win from the Mavs on Saturday night.</p> <p>"Everyone on this team just clicks," Giebels said. "We all work together and there’s never anyone to worry about doing too much or anything. I have teammates that are so active and move around so much and are so competitive - they want to win just as much as I do, which is something I’ve never really had before. It speaks to our record right now."</p> <p>"We’ve had a lot of close games but at the end we all have the same mentality, that we need to win," Giebels continued. "And that’s what has brought us this far."</p> <p>Giebels has averaged around 13 points per game this season - and that’s exactly the point total he had against Tualatin on Wednesday night. As he has done all year - his first in the program after transferring in from Beaverton - Giebels got his points in a variety of ways, whether it was using his physical stature to create and bully defenders down low, spot up for perimeter jumpers, or get to and convert at the free throw line.</p> <p>"This season has been really refreshing for me," Giebels said. "Individually I’ve really got an opportunity to play with a lot of players with a lot of different skill sets and it’s really allowed for me to become a better player, especially a better passer. And a big part of my game is my ability to step up and hit free throws at the end of games. We’ve had about three or four games that have been decided at the free throw line at the end."</p> <p>Giebels is hoping to play at the college level but seemingly has been lost in the shuffle. A high-academic performer with a 3.69 GPA and 1290 SAT score, he’s open and willing to talk about a potential fit with anyone. "If someone comes calling, I’m picking up the phone," Giebels said. "I’m looking at any level really."</p> <p>There is certainly time for Giebels to continue making an impression - especially if the Mavericks win their next game and advance to the state tournament. "We’re a surprise to everyone, nobody really knows what they’re getting into when they come at us," Giebels said. "I don’t know if teams think that they’re just going to go right through us or if they’re really that clueless but going forward teams have to watch out for us. Not only do we run deep but we have size too. Moving forward I think you’ll see us in Chiles - I don’t see anyone below the top eight beating us."</p> <p>Giebels currently ranks as the #84 player in the PrepHoops Oregon Class of 2020 rankings.</p>