The Full Court Press: WBL, Tapp, Randolph & Rockford’s 7-Footer
At NHR we do our best to cover the state corner to corner and that is what Full Court Press is about to do. Cover key basketball items from around the state of Minnesota. The Bears Get a Big W…
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Continue ReadingAt NHR we do our best to cover the state corner to corner and that is what Full Court Press is about to do. Cover key basketball items from around the state of Minnesota.
The Bears Get a Big W
White Bear Lake’s program has been growing year by year but for the team to take the next step they needed to prove they can beat one of Section 4AAAA and SEC’s best. And they did it.
Let’s go back to the season opener. White Bear Lake – a team with several quality seniors that have played together for many years – started the year beating Cambridge by 20. WBL also knocked off North St. Paul (who just beat DeLaSalle) by three heading into their big game with the Cretin-Derham Hall Raiders.
The Bears had a serious advantage with Jeremy Beckler inside. His one hand turn-arounds and the low post face-up scores were things CDH couldn’t slow down. Beckler scored 18 as did Samuel Schwartz who not only produced the points but he was the ex-factor in terms of matching the Raider explosiveness. CDH beat somebody middle? Schwartz pinned their shot off the glass. Raiders closing on the attack? Schwartz was quick enough to get to spots to make plays. Then you add in the crisp passing of both Schwartz and Isaac Tessier (Isaac scored 14 with several assists).
Schwartz and Beckler have both been 20/10 guys this year with Tessier leading in assists at seven a game plus scoring in double figures. Next up for the Bears is another big game, the highly ranked Mahtomedi Zephyrs tonight. Is WBL ready to handle the pressure now that they are just as much the hunted as they are the hunter? Tonight will tell a lot.
Rockford’s 7-Footer
When Luke Pepin was lost to injury because of an ACL injury things looked bleak at Rockford. Only guard Nick Manthana had any varsity experience when the season started. So far Rockford is 2-2 on the year (lost to ranked Holy Family, crushed HLWW and Heritage Christian) with Manthana scoring over 17 a contest.
What has helped the team is the emergence of 7-footer Calvin Sisk. Sisk is a junior who is every bit of seven feet tall and off to a nice start. Sisk has become better every day this season plus he is still growing taller. Sisk is averaging ten points, seven rebounds, and five blocks per game. Sisk runs the floor fairly well and he gets off the ground better than you would expect. Sisk is pictured below.
Randolph Moves into the Top Ten
The Rockets crushed Cleveland recently 82-47 putting them at 4-0 on the season. Six-foot-3 senior Carsyn Gunderson leads the way for this team scoring 27 in the win over Cleveland. He opened the season with 28 and scored 19 in a win over Kingsland. Fellow senior Andrew Wenstrom is also off to a great start averaging in double figures.
Randolph plays Medford tonight and then has a huge game taking on Grand Meadow for the lead of the Southeast Conference tomorrow evening.
Hayfield Surpasses Last Season
A year ago Hayfield won five of 23 games. It was a struggle but good players earned experience. Seven games into the 2018-19 year the Vikings have already surpassed last year’s win total (they are 6-1). They’ve exercised previous demons by defeating NRHEG and WEM among others.
The major difference between last year and this year? Mason Tapp. Who is Mason Tapp? A 6-foot-4 senior who broke his leg a year ago and missed most of the season. Tapp averaged 11 a game as a sophomore but has since grown three inches and is now one of the toughest players to guard in southern Minnesota.
Tapp is scoring 23 points a game and using his length and agility to lock down the opposition plus go the other way to throw down highlight reel dunks that are a regular on the sports shows in both Rochester and Austin. Best part of Tapp is that he has guard skills from his youth to go in this long wing body.
Northern Sleeper
A northern player to know is Isaac Falk-Stoskopf, a 6-foot-5 wing from Warroad High School. Isaac is averaging 18 points, nine rebounds, and four blocks in two games. Falk-Stoskopf has to do a lot of work in the post for his team but is also showing skill to the arc.