Hard Work Region Finals: 15U 5 Takeaways from Saturday
Second round and Sweet Sixteen action took place Saturday at Bloomington Jefferson. Throughout the day I saw a lot of competitive basketball and prospects using the big stage to boost their stocks. Take a look at my biggest takeaways from…
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Continue ReadingSecond round and Sweet Sixteen action took place Saturday at Bloomington Jefferson. Throughout the day I saw a lot of competitive basketball and prospects using the big stage to boost their stocks. Take a look at my biggest takeaways from the day.
Lightning up the scoreboard
A fantastic second round fast-paced game featured the Minnesota Lightning against Heat MacDonald. Led by the Austin trio of Emmanuel Manyuon, Gage Manahan and Victor Idris, the Lightning applied pressure using their 1-2-2 defense to force turnovers and score in transition. Manyuon was a problem all day for Heat defenders. The 2022 Austin guard is a great ball-handler with a scorer’s mentality. He finished with 22 points, including, two transition layups that sealed the game. On top of that, Justin Wohlers was stellar from beyond the arc, scoring 24. In addition to his smooth jump shot, Wohlers used his strength to finish well through contact. A well-rounded effort from the Lightning their highly-competitive 72-65 victory over the Heat.
The Jon Haakenson show
Heat’s newest member, Jon Haakenson is a very impressive prospect. The 6’3″ lead guard was dynamite for Heat MacDonald in their game against Minnesota Lightning, scoring 24. For an encore, Haakenson hit a buzzer-beater that propelled his squad past Oakland Elite. Jon uses his long strides to beat defenders up and down the floor, resulting in transition baskets. On top of that his silky smooth stroke is a great complement to his speed which keeps defenses on their toes. Haakenson Played JV last year for Maple Grove but has the talent to be a key varsity contributor this year for the Crimson.
Prolific Playground
In their two wins by a combined 40 points, Wisconsin Playground Black made a statement, proving they are serious contenders for Sunday’s championship game. Following a 20 point second-round win, it seemed that Playground was in for a test against a tough Team Future squad, only clinging to a seven-point halftime lead. In the second half, Playground created separation, playing stout defense and getting out in transition for easy scores. Guards Casey Verhagen and Jack Campion did a tremendous job of setting up teammates, including a rim-rocking alley-oop to Maximus Nelson. Even though Playground is loaded with talent, they are unselfish and do a great job of moving the basketball. This is a very dangerous team coming into Sunday.
Defense Wins in AAU
I was extremely impressed with the suffocating defenses of Hopson Elite and Team Flyght Ohio. Both teams apply a ton of ball pressure, creating countless turnovers throughout the day. Team Flyght Ohio held a talented ET21 Buckeye team to only 41 points, forcing a lot of difficult shots. The length of Jacob Conner was a serious factor all game. The 6’6″ stretch 4 from Alter Bishop disrupted a handful of shots, and even stepped out for a trey. Team Flyght Ohio guard, Rico Colter and Hopson Elite guard Steven Mccoy are mirror images of each other. Both players are nightmarse for offenses and do a great job of moving their feet laterally. On offense, the two did a great job of handling the ball and controlling the tempo throughout Saturday’s games.
Future’s Fight
Although Team Future fell in the Sweet Sixteen to eventual runner-up Wisconsin Playground Black, I was really impressed with the squad’s performance. In their game against Oakland Elite, Davis Olson was cash from deep, scoring 12 of his 18 points from beyond the arc. Dejuan Echoles is a throwback big man that has the strength of a middle linebacker and barrels through opponents for offensive rebounding position. Echoles was a force inside, finishing with a double-double. Even when Future trailed Playground by double-digits Echoles kept competing until the final whistle.