Breakdown Sports Fall League: Week 2 Standouts
The Breakdown Sports fall league was once again in action this weekend, and Northstar Hoops was able to catch games at both Hopkins and Concordia St. Paul. These are the players who stood out! Muja Burton Muja Burton 6'4" |…
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Continue ReadingThe Breakdown Sports fall league was once again in action this weekend, and Northstar Hoops was able to catch games at both Hopkins and Concordia St. Paul. These are the players who stood out!
Muja Burton Muja Burton 6'4" | SF Columbia Heights | 2022 State MN (6’4 2022 SG, Columbia Heights)- The long and lanky wing prospect was at his best for Columbia Heights against Osseo, making plays in transition and in the half court. Muja showcased his smooth stroke from three, but was also impressive battling on the offensive glass and picking up some second chance buckets in the paint. One of his best plays saw him take the ball in transition before hitting the last defender with a long euro-step leading into a finish. Strong offensive performance from Columbia Heights’ top returning player.
Donald Ferguson Donald Ferguson 6'1" | SG St. Cloud Tech | 2022 State MN (6’ 2022 PG, Osseo)- Didn’t get the chance to see Donald play at all as a sophomore as he missed time with an injury, but I really like the strides that he’s appeared to take in his game. He looks longer and more athletic than before, and he handled the ball really well when put under pressure. Against Lakeville North he started to take over in the first half, knocking down threes, finishing at the rim, and making smart decisions in transition that led to easy buckets for himself and teammates.
Hassan Kamara Hassan Kamara 6'4" | SG Columbia Heights | 2022 MN (6’4 2022 W, Columbia Heights)- Hassan Kamara Hassan Kamara 6'4" | SG Columbia Heights | 2022 MN had his usual aggressive offensive playstyle in a win over Osseo, causing havoc as an isolation scoring threat. Hassan looked really good beating his man off the dribble and finishing in traffic around the rim, and once the defenders started to sag off on him, he made them pay by knocking down threes. While he was previously more of a catch-and-shoot threat, he showed improved shot creation off the dribble, and had a couple of nice step backs. Hassan also took a key charge late in the game.
Tyirece Waits Tyirece Waits 6'1" | PG Osseo | 2022 State MN (6’1 2022 CG, Osseo)- Was my first time getting to see Tyriece in a while, and he impressed with that quick burst to accelerate and get to the rim. He’ll lull defenders to sleep with a slow start, and then just flip a switch and blow right by him. Against Columbia Heights he showed off some explosive ability with a transition dunk, and against Lakeville North he had a few impressive finishes that saw him hang in the air and absorb contact before scoring.
Camden Heide Camden Heide 6'7" | SF Wasatch Academy | 2022 State #129 Nation UT (6’6 2022 W, Wayzata)- Camden Heide Camden Heide 6'7" | SF Wasatch Academy | 2022 State #129 Nation UT once again finds himself on this list as he put in another strong performance in a win over East Ridge. He’s put on a noticeable amount of muscle since his sophomore season, but still has the same explosive burst that he had before. Camden looked really good pulling up from three off the dribble, knocking down a few deep shots in the second half. The handle also looked a lot tighter as he was able to create space to shoot or blow by his man and get to the hoop.
Alex Mattes Alex Mattes 6'3" | SG East Ridge | 2023 State MN (6’3 2023 G, East Ridge)- This was my first chance getting to see how Alex fits in with East Ridge’s varsity team, and he impressed with a smooth scoring ability. At 6’3 he has some nice length as a guard, and proved that he can handle or play off the ball. Alex finished at a high level around the rim, and was also consistently hitting the three ball when given too much space.
Jalen Cook Jalen Cook 6'4" | SG Park Center | 2021 State MN (6’3 2021 SG, Park Center)- Fresh off a commitment to Minot State, Jalen Cook Jalen Cook 6'4" | SG Park Center | 2021 State MN was aggressive on offense in a win over Cretin-Derham Hall. He looked extremely confident firing off threes with a hand in his face, while making a good percentage of them. Jalen had a quick release to get his shot off immediately after the catch, and once he got into a rhythm he was hard to stop. Cook also did a good job of accelerating to the basket and extending to finish.
Xavier White Xavier White 6'6" | SF Hopkins | 2021 State MN (6’7 2021 SF, Hopkins)- Xavier has the look of a player ready to breakout as a senior. The opportunity for increased responsibility is there, and in today’s matchup against Waseca he looked ready for it. He looked a lot more fluid handling the ball and using the dribble to create space for his three point shot. Due to his high release point he’s able to shoot with limited space, and he knocked down a few jumpers with that high arcing stroke. Xavier also impressed as he played with an edge, and threw down an impressive one hand slam in transition.
Ryan Dufault Ryan Dufault 5'11" | PG Waseca | 2021 State MN (6’ 2021 PG, Waseca)- Waseca matched up with Hopkins in an intense game, and it was Ryan Dufault Ryan Dufault 5'11" | PG Waseca | 2021 State MN ’s strong second half that helped Waseca pull away in the end. The lightning quick floor general was weaving in and out of the Hopkins defense, creating openings for his teammates, while also exploiting gaps to get to the rim and finish with that dangerous left hand. He’s able to float in the air and extend to finish, or absorb contact and adjust his body to score through the defense. Ryan makes plays at a speed that most guards simply can’t, and that’s what makes him so dangerous.