NHR State Tournament: Sunday 15U/16U Difference Makers
Whether it is playing on the main court, in front of larger crowds, or tasting the fruitful flavor of a state championship, Sundays seem to mean just a little more to the average grassroots player. Take a look at…
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Whether it is playing on the main court, in front of larger crowds, or tasting the fruitful flavor of a state championship, Sundays seem to mean just a little more to the average grassroots player. Take a look at which 15U and 16U kids stepped up on NHR’s biggest stage.
Will Tschetter (2021) Heat Tauer/Stewartville
In the championship game against WOTN, the statistic that pops out is Will’s 27 points. Yes, Will was dominant inside, using his quick leaping ability for putback finishes, but I was more impressed by Tschetter’s versatility. On defense, Will used his long wingspan to contest every shot, making it impossible for WOTN to get off a lot of clear looks. Also, at one point, Schetter, at 6’8″ brought the ball up comfortably in transition and dished it to a teammate for an open three. Don’t get me wrong, Tschetter is an elite inside scorer, but his ability to impact the game in a variety of ways separates him from other players in his class.
RJ Jioklow (2022) Select Davis/Simley
RJ is a special guard. Jioklow is so aggressive driving to the lane, using his strength to finish tough baskets. In the first half of the 15U state championship, Jioklow had two powerful and-one finishes. In both the semifinal and championship games on Sunday, Jioklow made the game easier for his teammates, either coming up with big baskets or distributing to his teammates. His 17 in the championship game helped hold off E1T1.
Mitchel Jaskowiak (2022) Select Davis/Glencoe Silver-Lake
Mitchel is a head coaches’ dream and an opposing forward’s worst nightmare. The 6’3″ power forward is all effort all of the time. When a shot goes up, it is imperative that defenders put a body on Mitch because if he catches you off guard, he will chastise you with backbreaking offensive rebounds. Jaskowiak is a proven finisher in the paint and can use his muscle to bully weaker defenders. Jaskowiak also displayed the clutch gene in the 15U semifinal matchup against Heat MacDonald, as he calmly buried four critical free throws in the final 30 seconds. Jaskowiak’s tough play is a major reason to why Select Davis took home the hardware.
Braeden Carrington (2022) E1T1/Park Center
Carrington is definitely a prospect to watch in the future. At 6’2″, the Park Center guard has great length for his age and is deadly from beyond the arc. In the 15U championship, Carrington punished Select early and often, starting the game off with 8 quick points, including an NBA-range three. Throughout the game, Carrington continued to attack aggressively, finishing with 19 points while scoring via a variety of threes and transition layups. If Carrington continues to develop and work on moving without the basketball, he could be a major challenge for Northwest Suburban coaches in the upcoming years.
Dayne Wojcik (2022) Wear Out The Net Erickson/Red Wing
Similar to Jaskowiak, Dayne is a strong, hard-working post. Along with his ability to rebound, Dayne is a very intelligent basketball player. In the first half against E1T1, Dayne took advantage of the defender’s over-aggressive play and smartly slipped a backscreen for a bunny. I was most impressed with Dayne after the Red Wing forward battled through two defenders and drew a foul on an offensive rebound, then in the following possession, delivered a nice pass to his teammate for an and-one finish near the end of the first half. Dayne is a grinder and uses his grit and intelligence to wear down opponents.