Grassroots First Person: Illinois Bears
In our “First Person Grassroots Recap” series we take a look at how the travel team season went for one our state’s programs.
Today we look at the Illinois Bears 15U and 17U groups!
15U Record
17 -8
Championships/Accomplishments
1st Place in the St. Louis Show Me Showdown
Key Wins
Semi Final game of the St. Louis Show Me Showdown- Parker Wolfe drove to the basket for a buzzer beater.
Overall Thoughts on Season
We met our goal of preparing these young men for 2018-19 varsity basketball season. Several of our kids will get some good varsity minutes as sophomores. As expected, the competition was very good this season and we played well most of our games. One of the key take a ways for the boys is to close out final minutes of the game with protecting the ball and making free throws. We could have easily added 4 more wins to the season. The boys will learn from these experiences and excel in the future. Overall, coaching staff was very pleased with individual development and the importance of team playing.
Standout Performers
Mathew Deters- 6′-3″, 230 lbs. power forward really surprises teams with his leg speed and quick hands on defense. Mathew finished around the rim much better and is developing a 3 point shot to round out his offensive game. Mathew is the hardest working kid on the court and never lets his teammates down on effort.
Parker Wolfe- Parker was our court general. Parker finishes at the rim amazingly for his size. He can take full contact, hang, and finish. He successfully completed several 3 point plays this season with his blow by capability. Parker is a kid any coach would love to have on the court in key situations.
Jordan Hardiek- Jordan is sneaky fast and has great ball handling skills. His 3 point perimeter shooting was a great success on our dribble, drive, and dish out shots. He consistently knocked down shots when we needed scores this season. Jordan has great foot work and his on the ball defense gave teams trouble with several steals and layups.
17U Record
20-17
3-1 Making Semifinals at Adidas All-American
3-3 in Dallas, Played Well
0-4 in Minneapolis, Only had half the team
2-2 Gateway Challenge
2-2 PrepHoops Showme Showdown
3-2 Next Level Invitational
3-2 Louisville, Played Well
Thoughts on Season
Team never had our full roster of nine players all season. Hard to get rolling with six or seven players, but we still competed with most of the teams. NY2LA Association was a great experience. In Dallas and Milwaukee we were a middle of the back team and always in games.
Standout Performers
Bryson Bultman – Our do all player all year. Very consistent in all categories. 6’5” pure point guard from Nashville. He was a mismatch against any team we played. He shot well, got to the rim, rebounded well, and was an outstanding passer.
Austin Rager – This Mt. Carmel wing played in about 2/3 of our games. Our team could compete with more of the top tier teams when he was present at our games. 6’5” forward can get to the rim, rebound, and score from anywhere on the court.
Wyatt Krohne – 5’9” shooting guard from the 1A state camps from Okawville. He was the MVP of the state championship game. Pure shooter from anywhere past the three point line. Dead eye shooter at any range. Led our team in threes. Great defender.
Keith Kiner – This Chester 6’5” swing man can jump out of the gym. Hit threes and is a great rebounder. Had a solid summer, but when he was on he could dominate the game.