Battle at the Lakes Day 1 Recap
ST. PAUL — One of the premier spring tournaments, the 2018 annual Prep Hoops Battle at the Lakes kicked off on Friday. Opening night featured a few noteworthy games in 16U play over at Cretin Derham Hall High School as Wisconsin programs fared very well across the border…
Ricky Canady – 2020 – G/F – Gallo Sports Center
Canady did a little bit of everything in short work as Gallo Sports Center routed the Minnesota Pharaohs 78-28. The Racine Park standout was terrific in isolation settings, blowing by defenders and getting to the cup. Canady was even better as a passer, offering up a number of no-look passes between defenders that led to easy buckets. A 6-foot-2 sophomore that’s built like a linebacker, Canady can be imposing on the floor. This high motor prospect has a lot of value on both ends and could turn into a strong small school recruit.
Haydn Guns – 2020 – G/F – Wisconsin Playmakers Koestler
The Sparta product made a number of hustle plays for the Playmakers in their blowout win over the Iowa Cornsharks Friday night. While it was a balanced scoring attack, Guns had a key stretch late in the second half that helped blow the game open. Guns followed up on some missed transition buckets, shot the ball well from the outside, and created easy scoring opportunities by moving without the basketball. Guns finished with a game-high 14 points to lead the Playmakers in an opening night victory.
Jackson Noll – 2020 – PG – Wisconsin Academy
Noll caught fire to lead the Wisconsin Academy to an easy win Friday night. The sophomore guard connected on seven 3-pointers in the first half alone. The lefty was pulling up well past the arc and had enough confidence to let it fly early in possessions. The Cuba City standout was unconscious from downtown and just sucked the life out of the opposition, who had no answer. Putting together the performance of the night at Cretin Derham Hall, Noll definitely made a case to rise up in the next class of 2020 rankings.
Elijah Sabala – 2020 – PG – Gallo Sports Center
Sabala surprised and emerged as a potential sleeper in the 2020 class. He didn’t generate a lot of headlines during the high school season, but definitely could be a breakout performer as a junior. A skilled ball handler with strong burst, Sabala blew by defenders throughout the game en route to a blowout win over the Minnesota Pharaohs. He set up defenders throughout the game with an excellent hesitation move and got into the paint at will.