Ten Best: Grand Rapids vs. Brooklyn Center
Multiple games on Saturday’s Super 60 Showcase slate proved to be down to the wire. The unfamiliar matchup of Thunderhawks/Centaurs was no different, as two teams with two contrasting styles of play went at it for all 36 minutes. Grand…
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Continue ReadingMultiple games on Saturday’s Super 60 Showcase slate proved to be down to the wire. The unfamiliar matchup of Thunderhawks/Centaurs was no different, as two teams with two contrasting styles of play went at it for all 36 minutes. Grand Rapids prevailed 69-64.
Slow-paced early on because of GR’s ball-control halfcourt game, Brooklyn Center never got chances to leak fast breaks. Jake Skelly commanded the offense for the Thunderhawks while Devonta Prince answered with attacks to the cup. A very quiet first half from GR big Brock Schrom but he explodes in the second and sparks the run to lead his squad back from an 11-point deficit. Some very balanced scoring in this one and young guys showed up to support the known names.
MVP: Jake Skelly (PG, 6-1, Sr., Grand Rapids)
I’ve heard great things about his game. He’s a little undersized strength-wise but his finishing ability was unparalleled in this one. He frequently utilized UCLA cuts to the block for height mismatches on the smaller BC guards and imposed his will from there. Overall Skelly scored 28 points and dished a couple pretty dimes to Schrom late. A great NAIA pickup.
Best offensive performance: Devonta Prince (SF, 6-4, Sr., Brooklyn Center)
Last time I saw Prince play, he settled from beyond the arc and never got his uptempo style in rhythm. With 6-7 center Brock Schrom guarding him, Prince’s handles and quickness got him a few easy isolation buckets to help jumpstart the BC offense. Also knocked down two balanced triples. 16 points total.
Best defensive performance: Rudy Tahir (G, 5-8, Fr., Brooklyn Center)
Tahir was quiet early on the offensive end, but he’s a waterbug guard that can sneak up on you in a hurry. A big reason Schrom had just one FG in the first half was the digging effort from Tahir when the ball entered the post. He swiped three steals and contributed eight points down the stretch for BC.
Best rebounder: Brock Schrom (C, 6-7, Sr., Grand Rapids)
He’s a very physical and strong kid. D3s up north will be fighting for him hard. Schrom tallied two points in the first half but came alive late for three resounding dunks and many two-handed boards. Even Prince’s athleticism couldn’t keep up with the fundamentalist that Brock Schrom is. 19 points, seven rebounds in the win for him.
Best underclassman: Lu’Cye Patterson (PG, 5-9, Fr., Brooklyn Center)/Adreone Sprinkles (SF, 6-2, So., Brooklyn Center)
Patterson’s patience in finding seams to attack is crazy good for a freshman. He connected with Prince and Tahir for some easy drop-off cuts in the second half and also showed he’s a threat with the ball too. 16 points. four assists.
Sprinkles is a nice blend of quickness and broad shoulders. He’s physical on the wing and has some range as well. He posted 12 points mostly on backcuts and rim attacks. These two youngsters will be a big part of BC’s success for years to come.
Best under-the-radar performance: Nate Seelye (G, 6-3, Jr., Grand Rapids)
Seelye is about the best third scoring option you can find. He has great length and smarts on both ends. He was perfect on several attempts from 15 feet and finished with ease on three-on-two advantages. 18 points and 4 boards for the junior. I think he should be watched closely by those D3/NAIA schools up north.
Best prospect: Deshawn Pickford (G, 5-11, Sr., Brooklyn Center)
Another veteran performance from Pickford proves he can be reliable every game. Schools like that consistency a lot. Ten points on aggressive rip drives from the top and strong rebounding and defensive plays throughout the game as well. Jucos should be on him fast.
Best play: Schrom/Prince answer each other
Devonta Prince crossed up the GR defense for two emphatic slams. Brock Schrom didn’t like that. He positioned himself for two dropoffs from Skelly for jams in the final three minutes to propel the Thunderhawks into the lead for good. Seeing two very different styles of play go head-to-head was fun to watch for everybody involved.
Best coaching decision: Skelly mismatches
With at least two inches on whoever was guarding him, Jake Skelly and his coach immediately saw the post-up opportunities down low. He cut off an elbow screen to finish easily over the top of the Centaur guards and had a putback in the final minute to put the Thunderhawks permanently in the lead.
Best storyline moving forward: Is the class of 7AAA legitimate?
So far the Thunderhawks are the sole squad above .500 in section 7AAA and are 3-0 against those foes. Their path to the Target Center looks easier than others. But are they for real when it comes to the State Tournament? This win is their first against a respectable metro team. Schrom and Skelly will have to do work if GR wants to be considered a contender.