NHR State Tournament: Friday 15u Standouts
The NHR State Tournament commenced on Friday evening and I was in Burnsville taking in some of the 15u Division opening-round games. Here’s a look at some of the standouts from the action on Friday night in the south Metro.
Paris Booker (MN Heat-Fleury)– Booker is an athletic 6’2” guard out of Burnsville that was able to slash into the lane at will against UVA Boston and finish with regularity, finishing the contest with 15. His defensive intensity set the tone for this squad, as they only surrendered 12 points in the entire game!
Breyton Buysman (MN Select-Rush)– Buysman is an aggressive wing defender and can hurt you in multiple ways on the offensive end. The Simley product hit three triples to go with a handful of finishes at the rim for 15 points on the night.
Mekhi Collins (Team 1 Tyus)– The 6’3” Collins, from Mankato, showed off his leaping ability on Friday night. He continuously flew over his opponents to snatch down rebounds as well as convert many athletic finishes on the fast-break. Collins had 14 in their opening-round victory.
Jordan Doe (MN Heat-Fleury)– A feisty 5’9” guard from Coon Rapids, Doe showed that he can score on multiple levels. He carved his way into the lane with a quick first step and found his way to the basket on numerous occasions, also knocking down three from beyond the arc to finish with 16 points in a lopsided contest.
Finn Diggins (West Central United)– I’ve watched Diggins a number of times this summer and he has always impressed me with his array of “old-school” post moves. They were on display again tonight, however, what caught my eye was the handful of times that he brought the ball up the court for his squad. The 6’5” forward from Perham showed that he is a sound ball handler that can step out of the lane. Diggins had 18 in their contest.
Jackson Loge (Team 1 Tyus)– The combination of 6’6” size, sound footwork, and fluid movements that Loge possesses are well above average in this division. Loge, from Morris, altered many shots on the defensive end, maintaining verticality and letting his size do the work. On the offensive end he displayed a soft touch around the basket to go along with his sound footwork. He had 10 in their victory.
Zach Longueville (MN Select-Rush)– The guard out of St. Croix Lutheran was the sharpest shooter from deep of the night, canning four from range in their opening-round game. He showed good handle on offense and was a pesky on-ball defender. He had 18 points on the night.
Cade McGraw (Team 1 Tyus)– McGraw was a magnet for contact all night, notching six of his 15 points from the charity stripe. Standing 5’9”, the point guard from Shakopee is adept at using his body to shield the ball at the point of contact and finish with the proper hand.
Jaeten Pedro (D1MN Prospects) – A very versatile player, the 6’3” guard/forward from East Ridge did a little bit of everything for this squad. He is an active defender, getting up into the passing lanes and creating deflections, handling the ball on offense, slashing to the bucket, and hitting shots from range. Pedro finished with 11 points in their loss to Team 1 Tyus.
Sam Votava (West Central United)– The 6’0” guard from East Grand Forks has the ability to play both guard spots, as well as defend them, and can score on all levels. On his way to 18 points on the night, he connected on a pair of three-pointers, hit a mid-range jumper, finished in the paint, and converted at the free throw line.