2018 Jimmie Basketball Classic: Lessons learned
Finals Scores
Richland 87, Solen 37
Beulah 49, Carrington 36
Aberdeen Roncalli (SD) 68, Oak Grove 55
Ada Borup 83, Shiloh 75
Game 1
- Richland got up 10-0 to start the game. Carter Lingen, a 5-11 junior guard, hit two 3s during the run and showed a nice shooting stroke during the game. Richland showed some full-court zone pressure, they ran hard in transition. They can shoot the ball and play hard. Anyone looking to beat them will have to take care of the ball and make sure to get a hand up on outside shots.
- Solen didn’t have many bright spots during the game. They trailed 54-16 at one point during the game. They won’t be a threat in Region 5 this year. Ezekiel Tiger, 5-8 junior, could be a guard who gains all-district honors. He’s got a quick first step and was hard for an athletic Richland team to contain.
- Richland’s starting five are 5-11 Lingen, 6-2 Cole Meyers, 6-3 Hunter Lentz, 6-5 Colten Evanson, and 5-11 Gavin Reiland. Reiland and Lingen supplied most of the offensive firepower for Richland.
Game 2
- Carrington is hurting without Trey Rosenau, a 6-2 senior forward. Rosenau’s role was to do whatever it took to win. Most the time he supplied jump shots, which gave Seth Nelson enough room to operate. Without him putting up shots Carrington is looking for that floor spacer.
- Drew Page showed the potential to be a floor spacer. If he gains confidence on the offensive side it will help Carrington gain confidence, which is the main thing they need right now.
- Carrington’s biggest weakness is their depth right now. They used Nelson in the high post in the second half and it seemed to help their offense flow better.
- Beulah’s defense is one of the best in the state. They’ve held four opponents under 50 points this year. Four of those teams contain players who will be up for all-state honors. They can defend at a high level.
- Beulah’s offense is still a work in progress but the team is getting better each week. Chad Morsette is coming alive after being held to single digits in the first game. He has efficiently reached double-digits in four straight games.
Game 3
Aberdeen Roncalli was the most athletic team at the tournament. They have a lot of long athletic kids in the 6-1 to 6-3 range and they play hard, attacking basketball. They don’t like to slow up the pace. Expect them to contend for a state tournament berth this year.
Oak Grove was overmatched. Tyrell Rodriguez, a big 6-5 senior, didn’t play. Which hurt because they could have used his size to protect the rim.
Noah Swenson, a 6-6 Oak Grove sophomore, showed some nice back-to-the-basket moves. He had the best footwork in the tournament. He’ll more than likely be an all-region selection at the end of the year.
Oak Grove will improve as Coach Card gets the kids to build their skills. Right now they don’t have any experience at the guard spots. Expect them to be a lot like Hillsboro-Central Valley was last year. They are going to want to pound it inside and use their size to force jumpers.
The big question with Oak Grove is if they’ll get that dynamic guard like HCV’s Carson Hennigsgard. Henningsgard saved the offense multiple times when nothing was working for HCV and kept them in games last year.
Game 4
- Maccauley Young, a 6-9 Shiloh senior, went up against 6-8 Ada-Borup junior Mason Miller. Young won the matchup and proved he can play well against other bigs with 24 points and 15 rebs. Miller had 18 and 9.
- Shiloh and Ada-Borup both have a weakness. Sometimes their big guys don’t touch the ball. They get sped up by presses and don’t reset after breaking the press. There were times when both teams were playing four on four. Sometimes both post players were going 6-7 possessions without a touch.
- Jayden Mitzel a 6-2 junior emerged as a great second scoring option for Shiloh. But they still haven’t found a consistent third option. Mitzel looked great with 27 points and 12 rebs. He’s great at playing physical basketball and using his left hand. No one else reached double-figures for Shiloh.