Ten Best: Litchfield vs Glencoe-Silver Lake
Litchfield picked up a 58-50 road victory at Glencoe-Silver Lake over the weekend. NHR was in the building to see the John Carlson led Dragons pick up the win. The win pushed Litchfield to a 7-5 mark on the year…
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Continue ReadingLitchfield picked up a 58-50 road victory at Glencoe-Silver Lake over the weekend. NHR was in the building to see the John Carlson led Dragons pick up the win.
The win pushed Litchfield to a 7-5 mark on the year while dropped GSL to 9-4. Litchfield is surely one of the most impressive halfcourt offensive teams I’ve seen all year in terms of halfcourt execution and patience in their attack.
Each Litchfield basket seemed like a surgical dissection. Litch had a 27-13 halftime lead before letting the Panthers back in the game late.
MVP: Owen Boerema. The 6-foot-3 lefty guard has the potential to be a top 100 kid in the state in his class. His 19 points, seven boards, and three assists led the way but more importantly the maturity of his game as a sophomore stuck with all those that watched. The first thing you notice is his pretty shooting form and touch but then his attack and agile acrobatic finishes also caught the eye.
Best Offensive Performance: Brandon Nelson. Brandon has really matured from last season to this year. Plays with so much more control in terms of his when to extend a possession versus release an attempt. Totaled ten points and ten assists while also putting the game away at the foul line. He was the quarterback of the numerous halfcourt possessions that wore GSL out. Loved how he ran the team.
Best Defensive Performance: Noah Kreger. I felt like several of the Dragons defended well but Noah stuck out with his ability to laterally cut just about everything off. His pressure on the ball forced a few turnovers and definitely resulted in guys rotating the ball. He was definitely consistent plus forced nothing on offense (was also big in the possessions dissecting GSL). Kreger also hit four foul shots down the stretch and knocked out a couple shots.
Best Guy Off the Bench: Alex Gruenke. The sophomore came off the bench and hit three jumpers with a toe on the arc. Showed range and helped build the first half lead to 14 points at the break. Nice shooting reserve from the Dragons.
Best Under the Radar Performance: Jacob Litzau. The GSL big was at the foul line constantly as players weren’t able to move him inside so he was able to catch and take contact. Finished the game with eight points and nine boards.
Best Underclassmen: Boerema. He wasn’t just the best underclassmen, he was the best all around player in the game. Our limited knowledge of Owen right now means we aren’t sure exactly what level of player he is but at this point he is scoring 15 a game for Litchfield.
Best Story to watch Moving Forward: Litchfield has a chance to really interrupt the good seasons of others especially with Annandale and Watertown-Mayer coming up. They played the Royals to a three point game over Christmas break and it’s one of three games between the teams.
Best Aspect of the Environment: Loved the concessions, enjoyed the traveling Litchfield fans which was more than just friends and family, it was also passionate locals, and it was a new gym I had never been in.
Best Prospect: Boerema. His length, skill, ability to attack, and to hit with range with beautiful form, this guy is one to watch.
Other: Luke Frahm. Gave the Panthers a chance to win the game in the second half. Knocked out five quick jumpers to start the second half and two of those were three-pointers. His quick dozen points brought GSL within a point. He scored a team high 13 points. Luke is scoring 14 a game this season.