Breakdown Sports Fall League: Top Performers (Week 1)
The four week fall league hosted by Breakdown Sports kicked off this past Sunday, with a majority of the top teams in the metro taking part. Northstar Hoops was in attendance watching some of the action, and we give you…
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Continue ReadingThe four week fall league hosted by Breakdown Sports kicked off this past Sunday, with a majority of the top teams in the metro taking part. Northstar Hoops was in attendance watching some of the action, and we give you some of the top performers from week one.
Detavius Frierson (6’4 2020 G, Park Center)- Detavius had two strong performances against a pair of top-5 AAAA teams, but did so with his ball skills, and not primarily his athleticism. A freak athlete, DT is known for throwing down thunderous dunks (which he did a few times), but he really impressed with his ability to run the point and distribute to teammates. Detavius also had a strong day shooting the ball, knocking down outside shots at a high percentage. He seemed a lot more confident in the jumper, and it showed in his release. With his ability to defend, score around the hoop, and next level athleticism, if Frierson can carry over this shooting success into the season, he could see his stock as a prospect rise.
Cameron Steele (6’8 2020 F, Minnetonka)- Steele recently committed to Division 1 Abilene Christian, and he showed off his versatile offensive skill-set in a victory over Minneapolis North. Steele was stepping into three point shots with confidence, and with his size, it’s rare to find a player that can match his height and guard him on the perimeter. To compliment that outside game, Cam was able to take the ball inside and score from the block. He capped off the victory over North with a two handed dunk to kill any chance of a late comeback. Look for Cam to put up big scoring numbers for Tonka this year.
Camden Heide (6’5 2022 W, Wayzata)- After Camden’s performance over the weekend, it’s safe to say the nationally ranked sophomore has ice in his veins. Two overtime games against Shakopee and Robbinsdale Armstrong? That made for two overtime game winners from Camden Heide. He hit a corner three with 17 seconds left to knock off Shakopee, and in the next game he hit a baseline floater at the buzzer to defeat Armstrong. Camden gets a lot of hype for his ability to fly above the rim for dunks, and rightfully so as he had some powerful slams against Armstrong, but he also has a mature feel for the game. He doesn’t try to force his game, and excels at capitalizing on the chances the defense gives him. Heide’s acceleration in the open floor is scary, as he can go from 0-60 in the blink of an eye to beat defenders up the floor.
Mario Sanders (6′ 2022 PG, Minneapolis North)- Mario Sanders is stepping into a big role on a young Minneapolis North squad, and he looked up to the task against Minnetonka. Despite being one of the smallest players on the court, Rio can get to the rim with ease and finish around height. His quickness also made a difference on the defensive end, as he was able to jump passing lanes to get the Polars running in transition, where they can be extremely dangerous. After playing primarily at the JV level as a freshman, Sanders will have ample opportunity to run the point for a young and talented team.
Tyree Ihenacho (6’4 2020 G, Prior Lake)- Tyree proved why he’s a Division One committed guard this past weekend, helping lead his team past Park Center. He runs the floor so smoothly with the ball in his hands, weaving in and out of traffic with ease to make his way to the rim. His ability to play fast, and get his team playing fast, was key in beating Park Center, as the Prior Lake break was constantly beating the Pirates up the floor. Tyree also showed off a consistent outside shot, as well as his usual soft touch to finish around the rim off the drive. He’ll combine with Dawson Garcia this year to form one of the state’s most dangerous duos.
Tre Holloman (6’2 2022 PG, Cretin-Derham Hall)- The Raiders, missing three of their likely starters for the upcoming season, still managed to compete with Park Center. What was one of the main reasons they kept the game so close? Tre Holloman’s ability to beat his defender off the dribble and finish at the rim. If Tre got even a small amount of momentum going towards the rim, he was going to blow by his man and complete at a high rate around the rim. Through contact or over height, Tre still found ways to put the ball in the basket. One play that stood out was after missing a lay-up that he took some contact on, he picked up his man full court, stole the ball, and went right up the court to finish the layup. The outside shot wasn’t falling like he would have liked, but Tre still managed to put up numbers with his aggressive play.
Josh Brown (6’3 2020 G, Park Center)- Josh looks vastly improved in both his skill level and confidence from last season. He had always had the smooth shot from beyond the arc that connects at a high rate, but now he’s starting to take defenders off the dribble and finish at the rim. The threat of his shot from beyond the arc forces defenders to step out on him, giving Josh the opportunity to attack. Even during the periods of time where Josh wasn’t scoring, the constant threat of him from the outside helped to stretch out opposing defenses, giving his teammates more space to score around the rim. That spacing will help his team greatly, as Park Center is full of length and athleticism that excels around the basket.