South Dakota Open Period – 2021’s Five Best
What five juniors stood out the most during last weekend’s South Dakota Open Period? We run you through those names and why they stood out now! ***I added a 6th who deserved to be on the list as well. Paul…
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Continue ReadingWhat five juniors stood out the most during last weekend’s South Dakota Open Period? We run you through those names and why they stood out now!
***I added a 6th who deserved to be on the list as well.
Paul Bruns of Dakota Valley (6’4 SG). Weekend one of “is Paul Bruns a nationally ranked talent?” answered the question with a resounding “Yes!”. The confidence with which Bruns scored 35 points against a top five level team was headline worthy. Play him with a guard, Bruns is too big and often more skilled than the smaller player. Play him with a guy his size and Paul is usually more agile and that player cannot defend him at the arc. Paul is a high percentage shooter making 48 percent of his attempts overall and 42 percent at the arc and that is known. But the way Bruns moves the defense with his footwork and hands allowing him to get space to catch and create is matured as if Bruns is a junior in college. Paul is outstanding moving off the ball.
Jakob Dobney of Vermillion (6’0 PG). In an important playoff game Jakob Dobney was at his absolute best. His 18 points, eight steals, five rebounds, and four assists was a sharply impressive stat line but there were plays not in the box score that were even more important. His fight over a screen for that led to a steal and a transition basket late and prior to that he made the opposing lead guard uncomfortable all game. Twice Lennox tried to cross him over but Dobney was so deep in his stance he stole the ball or stopped the advance. Jakob also did a great job sucking in defenders with his attack opening up teammates both at the time, and in the future (as defenders become more aware of the attack).
Brady Fritz of Winner (6’2 SG). Few players are as quick to their second move as Brady Fritz. Fritz used his jab step, his crossover, and the ball fake to shift the initial defender and the second move to attack the basket was often met by the help defender. Another edge Fritz has is a quick leap off the floor. Brady is able to hang that much longer or get off the floor just quicker than his player allowing for a clear vision finish. And when players began playing back from Brady he knocked out a pair of long mumpers.
Jackson Hilton of Brandon Valley (6’4 SG). So what do you call Jackson Hilton? A productive basketball player. We saw Jackson handle the ball commonly for his team and we noticed Hilton knock down four threes in a big game. Hilton didn’t have a great year shooting at the arc but he has the ability to be a game changing shot maker. Jackson was defending the ball handler at one point and then five minutes later he was guarding a 6-foot-6 four man.
Connor Libis of Dell Rapids-St. Mary (5/9 PG). Connor’s speed with the ball is the main thing I will take away from this game. Defenders look scared with every Libis dribble resulting an instant dropping of the defender’s foot putting them in a bad position. In transition players simply were not able to sprint back and turn to a position that could chance the speed of the angle of the Libis attack. When Connor changes directions he often gets to his pull-up by the time the defender has fought back to balance. Then defensively Connor has the potential to be a ball pressuring menace. That speed simply is too difficult to move with often making up for the lack of height of an average guard. Another thing that helps Libis? He has some of the deepest range in the 2021, likely in all the Midwest.
Colin Rentz of Dell Rapids (5’11 PG). Rentz is one of the better transition juniors I saw not only last weekend but all winter, in any state. His speed up the floor followed by the high percentage playmake was completely memorable. Colin’s vision and IQ of where to attack and the space to move to scores for himself, and the perfect passes to teammates on the move, all made by a player fighting for the title of “best true lead guard in the class”. Colin is simply moving in a different lane, at a different speed than everybody else on the floor.