Ten Best: Cretin-Derham Hall vs. Stevens Point (WI)
The athleticism and pace provided by the Raiders ate up the thin Panthers of Stevens Point, and on a day where stud junior Joey Hauser was not his normal self, CDH capitalized. Ryan Larson and Daniel Oturu led a balanced group to a 71-68 victory that…
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Continue ReadingThe athleticism and pace provided by the Raiders ate up the thin Panthers of Stevens Point, and on a day where stud junior Joey Hauser was not his normal self, CDH capitalized. Ryan Larson and Daniel Oturu led a balanced group to a 71-68 victory that looks closer on paper than it really was.
MVP: Ryan Larson (PG, 6-0, Jr., Cretin-Derham Hall)
Ryan wreaked havoc in every way possible for the Raiders. He sliced through the Panther 2-3 zone on multiple occasions for lay-ins and finished with contact. When a defender would overcommit on his drive, his eyes were up to dish to a diving teammate. Defensively he got into passing lanes and altered the path of the ball to convert into fast breaks. An all-around big game for Larson. Scored 16 with about eight assists and a handful of steals.
Best offensive performance: Joey Hauser (SF, 6-8, Jr., Stevens Point)
Recovering from the flu and just getting acclaimated to full games again, the uber-talented Hauser struggled to find the bottom of the bucket most of the game, and with the length of Daniel Oturu in the paint, drives were not advised. Scored a hard earned 22 on a couple late treys and floaters. He’s a bear to guard when healthy though, and if you can’t match his length, you’re in for a long game.
Best defensive performance: Daniel Oturu (PF, 6-10, Jr., Cretin-Derham Hall)
His arms are longer than my whole body. It’s insane how far his reach extends. Time after time he met any Panther who dared step in the lane with a balanced body and swatted their shots out. He didn’t disappoint with the ball either, putting up 30 on the smaller Stevens Point bigs.
Best intangibles: Jake Prince (SF, 6-4, Jr., Cretin-Derham Hall)
The physical Prince got the job of guarding Hauser throughout the game and did a decent job of moving him away from the positions he wanted to get into. Hauser couldn’t get a great three-point look and Prince was the main cause of that, sticking to him like glue. He’ll become the go-to wing defender for the Raiders.
Best shooter: Drew Blair (SG, 6-3, Jr., Stevens Point)
17 points for the rangy junior two-guard, and he had to create his own shot most of the time. He knocked down three treys and used his length to finish over the top at the cup. He’s an interesting prospect that D2s could peek at.
Best under-the-radar performance: Sy Chatman (F, 6-7, Jr., Cretin-Derham Hall)
He plays really well alongside Oturu and their high-low work is pretty filthy for opposing teams to guard. Chatman crashes hard on the offensive glass with constant effort. Two inside scores and eight rebounds.
Best shooter: Jaeden King (G, 6-2, So., Cretin-Derham Hall)
Struggling to hit his mark early and only shot 2-12 from deep, but we all know Jaeden King is not afraid to let it fly, and he’s dangerous from beyond the arc. All of his attempts were feet-set, balanced and open, they just didn’t fall. Another young guy with a lot of length and potential for CDH.
Best underclassman: Jaeden King
As the only underclassman to play in the game, it’s default, but King is a promising shooter that can put it on the floor. He also works hard on-ball defensively.
Best athlete: Daniel Oturu
There’s no doubt he’s a top three shot blocker and inside presence in the metro and probably the state. He elevated too easily for dunks and rejections throughout the game and he runs the floor with a huge stride. A gigantic get for Richard Pitino at Minnesota.
Best aspect of the environment: Gym filling up
The games got better and better throughout the day and there was plenty of talent to observe on each squad. Apple Valley HS has some big bleachers, and they got full pretty early in the afternoon. Fun venue with a lot of space.