NHR State Tournament: 5 Takeaways From Saturday’s 15U Action
In a day filled with epic comebacks, game winners, and stellar individual performances, prospects used the big stage to shine Saturday at the Northstar State Tournament. Take a look at my biggest takeaways from the day. MacDonald Magic Strikes Late…
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Continue ReadingIn a day filled with epic comebacks, game winners, and stellar individual performances, prospects used the big stage to shine Saturday at the Northstar State Tournament. Take a look at my biggest takeaways from the day.
MacDonald Magic Strikes Late
Trailing 38-11 midway through the first half of their quarterfinal matchup, many believed the #2 seed Heat MacDonald was headed for an early exit. While many teams would have thrown in the towel, the Heat rose to the occasion using their full-court man to man defense to create turnovers and easy baskets. 6’2″ guard Cody Pennebaker suffocated MN Exposure’s guards with his ball pressure and forced them to dangerous areas on the court. Athletic wings Riley Peterson and Ryan Harvey capitalized on Exposure’s turnovers by running wide in transition for a series of fast-break layups. With only 11 seconds remaining, 6’6″ big man Evan Dushek gave Heat MacDonald the lead for good by muscling through the defense for a right-handed finish. In one of the best games in NHR State Tournament history, Heat MacDonald lived to fight another day, salvaging its state tournament hopes and advancing to Sunday’s semifinal.
Select Shoots Their Way to the Semis
Like Heat MacDonald, Minnesota Select Davis faced a double-digit halftime deficit. After surviving a 46 point Crossfire first-half blitz, Select had their work cut out for them in the second half. In the second half, the squad relied heavily on the penetration of 6’1″ Simley guard, Rj Jioklow. Jioklow was able to effectively get into the lane either finishing on his own or kicking it to 6’1″ Rosemount sharpshooter, Caleb Siwek. Trailing by one in the final seconds, Siwek buried a clutch game-winning elbow jumper that punched Select’s ticket to the semis.
E1T1 is a Serious Contender
Coming in with an 11-1 record but only ranked 12th in NHR’s 15U Rankings, many did not know what to expect from E1T1 this weekend. After today’s 3-0 showing, it is safe to say this team is for real. Floor general, Tyirece Walts is flat-out one of the best players in the tournament. It is very difficult to find a weakness in Walts’ game. In the second round matchup against MN Lightning, Walts punished the defense in the pick and roll, either using his athleticism to get to the rack or dishing it to his 6’3″ counterpart, Ayuba Berthe. Now with a record of 14-1, no team will take E1T1 lightly as Walts and company look to finish strong with two more wins on Sunday.
Fury’s Fantastic Fight
It would be a bit of an understatement saying that Fury Kaupa was a bit undermanned heading into Saturday’s action. In their first-round matchup, Kaupa had to battle off a tough West Central United team with only five players. That’s right, only FIVE!! That’s alright, Fury’s bench did thicken as they added one more, playing with 6 in their final two games. Buom Jock provided a constant source of energy for the Fury, crashing the glass on every possession for easy baskets. Fury Kaupa also relied on the scoring of Noah Karschnik, as he provided key baskets throughout the day. Although the team may have ran out of gas in their matchup against E1T1, a 2-1 run to the quarterfinals with only one sub is quite the feat.
Jaxon McDonald’s Incredible Sharpshooting
In a great second-round matchup between MN Exposure and Minnesota Magic, 2022 Magic/Chanhassen guard, Jaxon McDonald put on a show. With three minutes left, McDonald drilled a triple that evened the game at 51. Following an Exposure free throw, McDonald again freed himself for a left-wing three all the way back from Hudson that touched nothing but nylon. For an encore, with his team trailing by two and the clock dwindling down, McDonald sunk a floater at the Buzzer that tied the game at 54 and forced overtime. Even though McDonald’s 18 (10 of which were in the final three minutes or overtime) was not enough, his performance should be recognized as one of Saturday’s best.