5 Takeaways: Wesclin vs Waterloo
Monday night at the Mascoutah Tip-Off Classic the season opened up with Wesclin and Waterloo. Wesclin took home the victory by a final of 67-60. Here are our 5 Takeaways: Wesclin vs Waterloo breaking down the contest.
Wesclin Tried to Give Game Away Late
It seemed like Wesclin had the game all squared away several times in the second half, but they made some really bad decisions. Multiple times they forced up shots when they didn’t need to take anything other than a wide open layup. Committed some bad fouls and had some turnovers that let Waterloo back in the game. They will need to keep their poise late in games to consistently win. Part of that might be that they don’t have a true point guard.
Wesclin Will Live by Three and Die by Three
This group really likes to shoot the ball from the perimeter! Over and over again they drove to kick to shooters. When they are hitting from deep Wesclin will be a very tough team to beat. They have a variety of options from deep with Mick Stephens, Brandon Courtney, Hunter Ottensmeier, and Nate Brede all being capable of hitting shots on occasion.
Solid Core for Wesclin
Those four players above make up a solid core for Wesclin to build around this season. 6’5” senior Hunter Ottensmeier is a physical forward that is active on the interior bringing toughness. Thick bodied forward that is a solid passer. Brandon Courtney has size at 6’4” with a projectable frame. The shooting guard isn’t a true point guard, but initiates the offense. Moves well without the ball and is active on the offensive glass. Nate Brede might be their top long term prospect at 6’6”. The junior is a face up four man that is projectable. Good length and will need to add strength. Soft touch around the hoop and hit a three.
Eli Dodd is Go to Scorer for Waterloo
For Waterloo their 6’5” senior wing Eli Dodd will be the show for them! He has quality size on the perimeter and can put the ball in the hoop. The small forward is a good slasher that has long strides. Not the greatest athlete, but knows how to get buckets. Scored on a backdoor alley-oop. Also showed some potential on his jump shot. Dodd had 20 points in the loss. Small college prospect.
Early Season Plenty of Room to Grow
Both teams showed flashes of their upside, but also displayed some areas that need to be worked on as the season goes along. That is usually how it is early in the season. We look forward to seeing how these teams develop over the next few months.