Breakdown Summer State: Best Point Guard Performances
The massive amount of talent and potential in one fieldhouse on Sunday made it a summer highlight so far for players, coaches, fans and media. The Lindbergh Center played host to the Breakdown Sports USA Summer State all day, showing off the ridiculous range of basketball ability all throughout Minnesota.
We break down the top performers at Summer State position by position this week at NHR. Here are the standout point guards:
Tommy Jensen (6-0, Sr., Lakeville North) – What a gamer Tommy is. Physically his height is on the lower end but man is he cut and strong. Stays in front of his opponent defensively and anticipates angles of attack he needs to get to. With the ball in his hands Jensen is as sure-handed as it gets; he doesn’t turn it over and keeps the even-keel approach every possession. The Panther general has a lot of consistent teammate help and that makes his job simple so he can do it at a high level. He is willing to barrel straight through a defender and can maintain his balance for tough finishes. “Bulldog” is the word that comes to mind when describing him and he’s a prospect many in the MIAC are really into.
Lu’Cye Patterson (5-11, Jr., Brooklyn Center) – Never a dull moment watching Lu’Cye run his offense and play the brand of basketball as an orchestrator that you love to see at a young age. That brand is of the NBA variety: get the whole lineup in a rhythm by balanced distribution and spot-on passing while taking open and efficient shots, then if necessary take over late-game when the score demands it. Patterson’s feel for the floor and where everyone is and will be is absolutely unlimited. His sneaky athleticism lets him poke around in the paint to grab loose balls and rebounds and push in transition. Not many high schoolers can be legitimate triple-double threats every game… Patterson is one of the few.
Sam Nissen (6-1, Sr., Prior Lake) – A slew of colleges at every level are taking their looks at Nissen because he’s one of a handful of shooters in the state that just doesn’t miss an open look. Lots of attention is sent to phenom bigs Robert Jones and Dawson Garcia, which gives Sam space in the cracks to throw daggers at defenses. His playmaking at point guard is coming along this spring/summer and is poised for a ton of interest in July with Fury Wilde. D1s will get their licks when Sam checks out some Patriot League elite camps later this summer.
Drake Dobbs (6-0, Jr., Eden Prairie) – Pace is the name of the game for Eden Prairie’s headbanded floor general. Drake’s elevation on his pull-up jumper is unrivaled. He’s another guard with transition skills that just seem to transcend a game to push a lead from 6 to 15 in a blur. His cast of shooters and reliable finishers gives him ability to pick and choose his spots because wherever he throws the ball someone is there to capitalize. EP is a preseason top 3 team in AAAA with an all-junior rotation and it’ll he Drake’s job to keep the Eagles consistent over the next two seasons.
Ryan Dufault (5-11, So., Waseca) – Another year of offensive firepower at Waseca begins. Primary ballhandling and creating for others comes from the 2021 guard Ryan Dufault. I saw Ryan play as a 14U guy at the Future Stars Classic last year and his speed was just far superior than his opponents with the ball in his hands. His vision is two steps ahead which allows him to send assists to his top scoring options Malik Willingham and Andrew Morgan at terrifying pace. Class AAA is in for an outstate treat with Waseca and Ryan running point.