Grassroots Preview: 17U Comets Lewis
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Grassroots season is underway and the talent pool in the state of Minnesota is incredibly spread out, meaning there should be a lot of really good, competitive clubs. Comets consistently puts out some of the best teams in the state…
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Continue ReadingGrassroots season is underway and the talent pool in the state of Minnesota is incredibly spread out, meaning there should be a lot of really good, competitive clubs.
Comets consistently puts out some of the best teams in the state and this year is no different as they’ve got multiple top-caliber teams at the 17U level. The dubbed top team is Comets Lewis which figures to be among the elite non-shoe teams in the state.
Here’s a quick look
Guards: Eli King, Tony Dahl, Noah King, Matt Willert, Nick Peterson
Caledonia and Buffalo supply most of the perimeter firepower for this group as the King brothers along with Dahl and Willert are back with the Comets again.
Noah King and Tony Dahl are arguably the most complete guards on this team as both guys excel with and without the ball, defend at a high level, rebound and make plays for themselves and their teammates. King is a widely known commodity at this point. Dahl is a little more under-the-radar but he’s a guy worth focusing on.
Willert is an elite shooter with great size on the wing and while there are other areas of his game still needing of fine-tuning, his ability to pour in points at a high rate drives his recruitment and provides this team some dangerous juice.
Peterson is another well-rounded guard from Benilde-St. Margarets who gives this team a strong, athletic piece on the wing.
Eli King is playing up two age groups again and with his combination of size, athleticism and skill, he’s one of the elite talents in the 2022 class. He’s a dynamite shooter and a terrific defender and his game will continue to evolve not just over this summer, but over the next few years.
Forwards: Noah Puetz, Calvin Sisk, Reid Gastner, Cooper Olson
Gastner is an addition to the Comets program out of Lake City and he’ll bring a multifaceted, versatile game to this team. He’s solid down low, is improving as a deep shooter and has the court sense to make plays for his teammates. He’s competitive on the glass and defends up and down the lineup. He’s a really good fit for any team given his skillset.
Sisk is a guy to watch, obviously at 7-foot-1. He’s an anchor defensively as his length in the paint is going to always bother opponents. His mobility and motor inside will determine how effective he can be on this team. He won’t be asked to shoulder a big burden offensively, rather his value will be in his ability to rebound, defend, screen and finish.
Puetz is one of the good returning forwards in the Comets program and he’s been one of the better players in the southwest corner of the state for a few years now. At 6-foot-6, he’s a solid inside-outside scorer and can defend up and down the lineup which fits in with this team extremely well.
Olson gives the Comets yet another big, athletic body up front. At 6-foot-7, Olson’s got the mobility and athleticism to make an impact defensively in and out of the paint while also excelling as a rim-runner. This will be a good opportunity for him to show he can produce after not playing a ton for a Champlin Park team that had a lot of good senior big men.