10 Best: Oskaloosa 58 at Norwalk 59
Norwalk — We came to this came because there was loads of talent under the same roof – they did not disappoint. It was the now-wily veteran Luke Vaske who was hero in the end, calmly knocking down his second…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingNorwalk — We came to this came because there was loads of talent under the same roof – they did not disappoint.
It was the now-wily veteran Luke Vaske who was hero in the end, calmly knocking down his second of two free throws to break a 58-all tie with 1.7 ticks to play – the junior ended the game with 16 points.
Luke Vaske calmly nails the pressure-packed second FT. Norwalk wins by one, 59-58 #iahsbkb pic.twitter.com/GD5coCBLbs
— TJ Rushing (@TjRushing) January 7, 2017
But it was Norwalk freshman Bowen Born who stole the show here tonight, netting 22 points — including 13 in the second quarter alone — and connecting on three straight triples late in the first half to give Norwalk a lead they would not again surrender.
Norwalk frosh Bowen Born just hit back-to-back-to-back triples and has 13 pts in 2Q so far -this kid is incredible #iahsbkb
— TJ Rushing (@TjRushing) January 7, 2017
Oskaloosa is a team that could be very dangerous come February and March. It is chock-full of talent, and puts a ton of length and height on the floor. Cole Henry and Jack Moore are a dynamite duo – each of them finished with 14 points. And freshman Xavier Foster — who has Iowa, Creighton and Iowa State offers — showed flashes of brilliance on more than one occasion.
Xavier Foster's first shot of the night is money 3 from top of key, then a devastating block on other end, smashed against glass #iahsbkb
— TJ Rushing (@TjRushing) January 7, 2017
Team Scoring
Oskaloosa 16 15 16 11 — 58
Norwalk 14 20 14 11 — 59
Individual Scoring
Oskaloosa (58) — Cole Henry 14, Jack Moore 14, Jared Kruse 10, Spencer Tucker 8, Rian Yates 6, Xavier Foster 5.
Norwalk (59) — Bowen Born 22, Luke Vaske 16, Trent Moritz 10, Tyler Endres 8, Jake Endres 3.
MVP: Bowen Born (Norwalk)
For a good portion of the second quarter, I was shaking my head in disbelief; that’s how good this kid was tonight. I couldn’t tell if I was watching Steph Curry or a Norwalk freshman at times; ok, that might be a stretch, but you get the point. His scoring spree in the second quarter was crucial, as it gave Norwalk its first lead since very early in the first quarter; and the Warriors would never look back.
Play of the Game: Trent Moritz Late Bucket
The 6’8 center was very efficient in this one, shooting at a high percentage around the rim and knocking in both of his free-throw attempts. But no shot was bigger than with 1:20 left in the game, Norwalk up one, when Moritz used his great height to legally reach over an Osky would-be rebounder to grab an offensive rebound and then swiftly bank a shot of the backboard for his ninth and tenth point to the game. That sequence gave his Warriors a three point lead, and some cushion.
Best Offensive Performance: Bowen Born
He was putting on a ball-handling and shooting clinic (coincidentally, I use to go to his dad Michael Born’s clinics when I was a kid), and though he’s just 5’9, he was crafty and skilled enough to seemingly do whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted. He was doing it from long range in the first half, and his three straight 3s were critical, changing the complexion of the game. But he was getting to the rim and creatively scoring in the second half, what’s more impressive is he was doing it against a very tall and lengthy Oskaloosa squad. He’s a special player.
Best Defensive Performance: Xavier Foster
There were certainly moments when the high-major Division I prospect looked like the freshman that he is, but there were times when he made your jaw drop too. One moment in particular was in the first half, when a Norwalk player appeared to have an easy lay-in, but instead, Foster — with his immensely long arms — came from entire other side of the lane to not only block the shot, but slam it against the backboard — you know, like you see in the pros.
Best Shooter: Bowen Born
This was easy, and considering Luke Vaske and Spencer Tucker were on the floor, that’s saying something. But Born’s ability to get off a quick shot, with little space and incredible precision is off the charts. He’s going to make a ton of 3s before his career at Norwalk is finished.
Best Intangibles: Spencer Tucker (Oskaloosa)
We could give this to Born, but you already know about how special he is by now. So let’s go with the savvy Oskaloosa point guard Spencer Tucker. He’s a slight 5’7, but man can he can play. He’s as good as anyone his size could be at getting of clean looks from deep, and making accurate passes. But his sly and aware defensive play was most eye-catching. He’ll jump a passing lane and pick you off if you’re not careful.
Best Sidebar: Freshman Phenoms
We don’t have our rankings out yet for 2020, but we’ve seen Born enough, and know about Foster enough, to safely say they are likely the top two freshman in the state. After tonight, with Born’s dazzling display and Foster’s moments of brilliance, we’re even more confident they are the best two frosh Iowa. What a treat to watch these two budding stars on the same court.
Clutch Performer: Luke Vaske (Norwalk)
In most any other circumstance, Vaske would have gotten much more ink by now, because he was pretty darn good tonight, and certainly instrumental in the win. But his shining moment was at the free-throw line with 1.7 ticks to go; the first of his two attempts had already rimmed out, and then Osky called a timeout, Vaske calmly knocked in a the second and avoided the roll of the dice that would have been overtime.
Story to Watch: Xavier Foster Develoment
As dominant as Foster was during brief moments of the game, there were several times where he made it very evident he was a freshman – that’s to be expected. It will be interesting to see how quickly he becomes the dominant player he’s bound to become. His smooth stroke from deep, his vast wingspan and his ability to alter seemingly any shot is why he’s a high-level prospect. How long until he’s able to dominate at the high school level? Likely not very long at all.