NHR State Tournament: Saturday Standout 17U Forwards
The Northstar Hoops State Tournament took over the metro area this past weekend with practically all the top players from all corners of the state on hand to compete. Here were some of the standout forwards at the 17U level…
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Continue ReadingThe Northstar Hoops State Tournament took over the metro area this past weekend with practically all the top players from all corners of the state on hand to compete.
Here were some of the standout forwards at the 17U level from Saturday’s action:
Zach Todd, SE MN Lightning Schwartzoff
Todd was one of the most impressive guys I saw in the tournament without doubt. He’s 6-foot-3ish with solid athleticism and a lot of strength. He’s more comfortable in the mid and high post areas of the floor than he is out on the perimeter but when he catches in that area, he’s really tough to slow down. He’s efficient with his moves and with the ball. He catches and makes quick decisions – whether it be to shoot, drive or pass to a cutter or a spot up shooter. He’s a tough-as-nails rebounder and defender and routinely got the better of bigger (taller) guys during the day.
Max McCulloch, SW MN Stars
McCulloch is out of Milbank, South Dakota but plays with the SW Stars and he’s been consistently one of their better players this spring. He’s 6-foot-4 with a nice combination of quickness and strength and he’s really tough to defend for bigs and guards alike. He rebounds at a high rate and he’s good pushing in transition off misses. He’s a very good finisher around the rim and has the body control to absorb contact and come away with 3-point plays.
Jordan Merseth, MN Rise
Merseth is a throwback land warrior big man out of Mankato East. He looks very much like a football player on the hardwood. He’s great at making early contact in the post and establishing post position and once he catches, he’s got really nice footwork and touch. He’s a space eater inside and rebounds his area well.
Tate Machacek, Matrix
Machacek is one of my favorite players in the 2020 class and while he might ultimately end up playing football (it’s easy to see why he’s a top-notch football prospect), he’s a heck of a basketball player too. He’s rock solid at so many things. His defense is terrific in that he can guard bigger and smaller guys effectively, he rebounds in and out of his area, he runs the floor, he can pass and he’s productive in an organic nature. His value isn’t from piling up points, but he also showed over the weekend that he’s perfectly capable of going to work on people in the mid and high post areas, where he’s got good touch, strong hands and nice footwork.
Morgan Culhane, MN Heat West
Culhane’s another guy who just kind of keeps producing whenever I see him play. He’s a highly energetic, athletic forward who runs the floor, hangs around the rim, rebounds and finishes. He defends hard and produces in low-maintenance fashion.
Carter O’Reilly, MN Lightning Hinrichs
O’Reilly looked really solid for Lightning Hinrichs. The Pine Island forward is aggressive, explosive and did a good job creating scoring chances and finishing in the paint. He’s 6-foot-4 and more of a faceup guy than back to basket but when he had space to operate in the high post or short corner areas of the floor, he was tough to contain.