Five Things to Know: Monticello vs Buffalo
Monticello got by a young Buffalo team 64-62 on Friday night with four guys in double figures led by Magic senior Matt Todd.
One. Some of Everything. Matt Todd had a tougher night shooting then he wanted (6 of 16 from the floor ) but he scored his 18 points with seven boards, six assists, and five steals. Todd knocked down a couple threes and made most of his foul shots but the most impressive part of this game for Matt was the way he created shots for others. Four Magic players were in double figures and the leads, ball reversals, and quick zips from Todd played a huge part. Todd can score the ball with his feet set, attacking to pull-up, and finishing in transition but I think the most impressed I was with him on Friday was the way he passed the ball. Matt Todd is starting to hear from some D1 programs seriously this winter including Cornell and Wofford.
Two. Game MVP. Six-foot-3 guard Matthew Willert scored 29 points and did it in an efficient way. This sophomore played point guard, moved the ball within the offensive flow, and then cut hard off the ball to catch and get in position to use his gorgeous shooting touch for each of his scores. There were attacks that went and some feet set shots scored too but Willert’s bread and butter on Friday was his one dribble attack into space followed by a quick and squared up lift finished with a soft touch. Rezi Useh was in good position on Matthew but Willert would lift and often fall away and still hit shots with that soft touch (everywhere from six feet to 20 feet). Who does Willert remind us of? He looks like the next version of Woodbury’s Michael Jones who is headed to Davidson.
Three. Four Doubles. The Magic isn’t all about Matthew Todd, he has some nice players around him too which is why the team is 13-2. Rezi Useh did a lot for the Magic defending the other team’s best player, he moved the ball for several shots for his teammates, and he slashed to the rim for 13 points. Carson Sawatzke hit some key shots from deep, Austin Wetter is a quality sophomore at 6-foot-4 who slashed for ten, and Shawn Sellner scored ten points (Shawn and Austin scored twice as much as they usually do). Austin Puppe and Blake Thompson made some key defensive plays and Austin is usually a key three point weapon as well that hits for double figures.
Four. Buffalo Sophomores. The Bison are 6-8 on the season and this is a team you can start thinking about as a top squad when it comes to the future. We discussed Willert who is scoring 21 a game and looks like a guy that is going to be among the top 25 players ranked in the sophomore class. Tony Dahl is another player with a lot of talent and he’s scored 16 a game this year but is injured for the second time in his young career and is missing games. Dahl and Willert look like they could be one of the better 1-2 punches in the class. Then you have Aidan Bouman, the son of former NFL quarterback Todd Bouman, who himself is an excellent quarterback but also a strong 6-foot-4 player that can play several positions. Bouman has size to be a low post player but some good skill too. Sophomore Brandon Maatz has shot the lights out this year scoring 12.6 a game and he of course is also a sophomore.
Five. The Todd Numbers. Matt is scoring 29.1 points per game this year shooting 49 percent from the floor, 87 percent from the foul line, and 44.5 percent from the arc. Todd shoots 18-19 times a game and 9-10 foul shots a contest. Matt is putting up 6.8 assists and 3.1 turnovers a game with 5.9 rebounds and 5.6 steals a game