Day One State Tournament Top Performers: Class A (Part 1)
In a nearly empty Pinnacle Bank Arena, the Class A Boys State Tournament started with 8 seed Elkhorn versus top seed Bellevue West. The Thunderbirds jumped out to a quick lead and had control for most of the game. Bellevue…
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Continue ReadingIn a nearly empty Pinnacle Bank Arena, the Class A Boys State Tournament started with 8 seed Elkhorn versus top seed Bellevue West. The Thunderbirds jumped out to a quick lead and had control for most of the game. Bellevue West won 55–34. In the second matchup of the day, 5 seed Creighton Prep and 4 seed Omaha Westside battled for a chance to move on to the semi-finals. Prep kept it close through the very end, but Westside was able to sneak out with a 74-70 win. These are 7 players that impressed from the afternoon slate of games.
Chucky Hepburn Chucky Hepburn 6'1" | PG Bellevue West | 2021 State #77 Nation NE (10 points, 7 assists, 5 steals)
Hepburn was calm and composed navigating through Elkhorn’s zone defense. He had the vision to see backside cutters and ability to throw spot on passes over the top of the zone to his teammates at the rim. He knocked down shots when he was left over and attacked gaps to draw the defense in and find open shooters. Hepburns poked the ball away from ball handlers and jumped passing lanes to get steals and easy points in transitions for the Thunderbirds.
Frankie Fidler Frankie Fidler 6'6" | SF Bellevue West | 2021 State NE (17 points, 8 rebounds, 4 steals)
Frankie used his size and versatility to lead the game in scoring in Thursday’s win against Elkhorn. He worked hard on the offensive glass and got a few baskets on second chance points. The 6’6 junior has a nice shooting touch. He went 6/6 from the free throw line and hit a three pointer to beat the halftime buzzer. Frankie disrupted Elkhorn with his length defensively and scored from everywhere on offense.
Louis Fidler Louis Fidler 6'5" | SF Bellevue West | 2020 State NE (11 points, 3 rebounds, 5 steals)
Louis ran the floor and consistently beat the defense down the court for easy transition opportunities. He finished contested layups and displayed good footwork around the rim. Fidler impacted the game defensively by tipping passes and causing turnovers with his length and activity.
Jadin Booth Jadin Booth 6'2" | SG Omaha Westside | 2020 State #453 Nation NE (25 points, 4 assists, 64% field goal percentage)
Booth was the high scorer of the early session and did so very efficiently. He came out of the gate hot, attacking the basket and scoring from every level. The UNO commit had 16 points by halftime. Booth has deep range and seemed unbothered by the multiple three point arcs on the court. He went 2/4 from three with both of his makes coming from well beyond the high school three point line. Booth was great in round one, he hit tough shots and finished layups through and around defenders.
PJ Ngambi PJ Ngambi 6'1" | CG Omaha Westside | 2020 State NE (19 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds)
Ngambi was the fastest player on the court against Creighton Prep. His quick first step and change of speed moves had defenders off balance all game long. He can push the ball up the court quickly with the dribble and finish in a flash if the defense doesn’t commit to stopping the dribble. When the defense commits, he can find open shooters or players running the floor in transition. Ngambi didn’t attempt a three, but showed off his smooth lefty jump shot with pull up jumpers in the mid range.
Justin Sitti (16 points)
Sitti was aggressive and attacked the rim with a purpose all game. He finished a high percentage of his attempts, got to the free throw line, and gave the Creighton Prep big men chances to clean up any of his misses. He controlled the pace of the Bluejay’s offense and hit 2 timely three point shots in the second half to keep them in the game.
Spencer Schomers Spencer Schomers 6'5" | SF Omaha Creighton Prep | 2020 State NE (13 points)
Schomers was able to score efficiently and affect the game despite tight defense from the Westside Warriors. He attacked the rim and finished tough driving layups through contact. Defensively, his size on the wing make things difficult for offenses and he is always lurking on the backside to block shots at the rim. Schomers didn’t get many open shots, but the future Bearcat hit nothing but net on a deep three from the left wing on his best look of the day.
Checkout the players that impressed from the evening slate of games in the link below!