NHR State Tournament: Top Rebounders
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. This tournament had no shortage of high-end big men and it…
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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.
This tournament had no shortage of high-end big men and it is no coincidence that the championship teams and runner-ups at the 17U and 16U levels both defended and rebounded at a high level.
Here were some of the top rebounders from the tournament:
Andrew Morgan, Heat Tauer 16U
Morgan is part of the two-headed paint monster that makes Heat Tauer one of the best 16U teams in the state. The Waseca forward is a rebounding machine on both ends of the floor and produces at a high level without needing a high volume of touches and usage. He’s certainly capable of scoring in the post too, but Morgan does a great job cleaning up the trash around the rim, using his strength and explosiveness to convert on second-chance opportunities. Defensively, he’s not a huge shot-blocker, but he’s a very good back line defender and he ends possessions at a high rate, owning his area and doing a great job pursuing rebounds all the same.
Jacob Jennison, MN Matrix 17U
Jennison was one of the standouts performers of the weekend and the most impressive thing about him is just how fluid and athletic he is for a 6-foot-11 kid. He moves really well, he jumps well and he’s aggressive on the glass. He doesn’t collect double digit rebounds accidently, he pursues the ball on both ends of the court. He does a good job not chasing blocks on defense, and he was good at finding a man to put his body on before going to securing a board.
Josh Streit, WOTN Bertsch 16U
Streit was another one of the top big guys from the tournament and similar to Jennison, he’s a lot more fluid and athletic than typical 6-foot-8 guys. He’s not awkward. He’s got a big, strong frame (It wouldn’t surprise me if he earned a lot of college football interest down the road) and uses it to control the paint. He showed some offensive skill over the weekend, but his greatest strength is still his ability to impact the game on the glass. He’s very good at working his way into position for offensive rebounds and put back buckets and on defense, he’s got the strength to hold his position inside and the athletic ability to pursue misses off the rim.
Isaac Soumis, Northern Lakers 17U
Soumis was one of the standout defensive guys I saw over the weekend in large part because he combines great length with quick-twitch explosiveness you rarely see from 6-foot-8 people. Soumis is raw on the offensive end of the floor, but his production comes from running the floor and hitting the offensive boards. He’s a menace in the paint because of his length but I was impressed with how little an affinity he showed for chasing blocks. He’s capable of contesting shots, then finding misses and clearing.
Grant Manke, MN Lightning Schwartzoff
Manke was one of the bigs that had a hard time scoring on Soumis – though Lightning did get the win over Lakers – but his ability to control the glass was equally as impressive. The 6-foot-5 Bangor, Wis. product has impressive strength, a great understanding of angles and positioning and a motor that runs hot.