Tecumseh @ Saline: 5 Takeaways
RECAP On Tuesday evening, Tecumseh went to Saline for an SEC crossover game. Saline set the tone early, taking a 10-1 lead on off early triples by Logan Evans and Peter Jacobsen. The Hornet game plan was obvious: Get Griffin Yaklich in the lane off…
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On Tuesday evening, Tecumseh went to Saline for an SEC crossover game. Saline set the tone early, taking a 10-1 lead on off early triples by Logan Evans and Peter Jacobsen. The Hornet game plan was obvious: Get Griffin Yaklich in the lane off the dribble and let him create for himself and his teammates. And it worked. The Tecumseh defense struggled to slow him down, and Yaklich delivered assist after assist. In the 1st quarter, Tecumseh was flustered by Saline’s ever changing defensive looks. After 1, Saline led 16-6.
In the 2nd quarter, Tecumseh showed life early. JJ Arbini drove to the bucket with force, getting to the free throw line. Saline responded with more relentless defensive pressure. They never tired, playing all 10 active players on their roster by the 5:24 mark in the 2nd quarter. Tecumseh was tiring, and allowed 10 quick points to close the half. Saline led by a 36-8 margin.
In the 3rd quarter, Saline continuously swung the ball around the perimeter, reversed it, and beat Tecumseh’s rotations for open looks from 3 point range. In the post, Tecumseh’s Michael Rine showed a ton of heart. He battled for rebounds, giving Tecumseh 2nd chance opportunities. It just wasnt enough, as Yaklich continued to dominate the game, racking up assists and points.
Saline led 52-16 at the start of the 4th quarter. Saline went with a youth movement in the final quarter, often playing 4 sophomores and 1 junior. Rine continued to work for Tecumseh, setting an example for his younger teammates. Saline rode out the lead and went home with a 57-22 victory.
5 TAKEAWAYS
Saline’s defense continues to improve.
Over the last 3 years, Coach Fosdick has developed a defensive culture at Saline. With an extremely young squad, you can see the defense develop. Against Tecumseh, they were relentless applying pressure. Coach Fosdick threw multiple defensive looks at Tecumseh as well, keeping them guessing all night. Peter Jacobsen, Griffin Yaklich, and Logan Evans spearhead the attack.
Tecumseh’s JJ Arbini is a prospect to keep an eye on over the next 3 years.
Arbini is a 6’0″ sophomore that showed some skills against Saline. He’s a wing that was pretty reliable with the ball in his hands. Arbini showed a quick first step followed by a bulldog straight line drive to the right. He played through contact and got to the free throw line. With some development on his left hand and jumper, Arbini could develop into a really nice prospect.
Griffin Yaklich (6’3″, 2020, G) showed why he’s a top 20 guard in the class of 2020.
Yaklich was unstoppable last night. He drove to the basket at will. Yaklich showed he could finish, racking up 15 points. What was even more impressive was his passing off the dribble drive. Yaklich routinely dished to open shooters behind the arc. He drew the defense and threw pinpoint passes to cutting teammates.
Michael Rine is a tough kid who plays with heart.
Tecumseh had their back against the wall all night. It would have been easy for a high school athlete to pack it in early last night, but Rine never even considered it. In fact, he battled even harder. Rine was active on the glass all night and gave Tecumseh a good number of 2nd chance opportunities. Rine ended the night scoring 7 of Tecumseh’s 22 points.
Saline could end up going 11 players deep all season.
The Hornets have a young squad with just 2 seniors. They have 4 juniors, 4 sophomores, and 1 freshman. Saline played all 10 active players by the 5:24 mark in the 2nd quarter. 8 of the 10 scored. With their high energy pressure defense, this could keep players fresh all game.