Saturday Morning Studs: Battle At The Lakes

We had some wild and entertaining basketball on Saturday morning. I was lucky and caught two overtime games. It was a fun AM of hoops. The rest of the weekend will surely be just as intriguing! Read below to see who stood out on Saturday morning.   SATURDAY AM STUDS Matt Eng Matt Eng 6'2" | PG Sioux Falls O'Gorman | 2023 State SD (2023) |6’2 G| Pentagon Schoolers Walker His new nickname should be the "Sniper from Sioux Falls"! This kid is always on, I wonder if he ever has a cold game? I love his confidence and how he is always ready to shoot. If the defense gives Matt an inch, he will drill it! Eng also scored off the bounce at the rim. If the D closes out too hard, Eng will penetrate with a scoring and/or passing mentality. Matt helped put the game on ice with some clutch free throws down the stretch.  AJ Akot AJ Akot 6'4" | SF Sioux Falls O'Gorman | 2023 State SD (2023) |6’4 SF| Pentagon Schoolers Walker This long and versatile athlete did a bit of everything this morning in the overtime victory. I liked how Akot can grab a defensive rebound and take off for the other end in the blink of an eye. He is very fast in transition. AJ is an athletic and creative finisher at the rim. He never forces and he will always make the extra pass. I like how Akot fights for rebounds and how he never gives up on a play.  Ayden Klein Ayden Klein 5'10" | SG MOC-Floyd Valley | 2023 State IA (2023) |6’0 G| Pentagon Schoolers Walker He was a complete stud this AM and Klein took over the game for a stretch in the second half. It started with a quick backdoor cut and a contested layup. Shortly after Ayden hit a triple from the left-wing. Next, Klein showed off his strength with a post up on a BLOB that resulted in a bucket. Klein is a better athlete than I realized. He really impressed me this morning. Anish Ramlall Anish Ramlall 6'3" | PG Rosemount | 2023 State MN (2023) |6’3 PG| WOTN Bertsch This kid is a DUDE. Ramlall is as skilled as point guards come. His handles are elite and his passing is accurate. Anish plays with a high hoops IQ. He is a knockdown shooter from beyond the arc and he can score in many ways on the way to the basket. This morning, Ramlall proved to be an opportunistic scorer with baskets in transition and points off turnovers.  Soren Richardson Soren Richardson 6'3" | SG Northfield | 2023 State MN (2023) |6’3 G| WOTN Bertsch This lefty stuck out to me as a shooter and a scorer. Richardson has long arms and he is a smooth athlete. He had no trouble cashing in three-pointers. Soren also showed a sweet pull-up game. He can hit from deep, mid-range, and at the cup. John Pecarich (2023) |6’2 G| Minnesota Heat PVR I liked the looks of this shooter. Pecarich has a high release on his shot and his follow-through is spot-on. He did not put up eye-popping points but you can tell that this kid has a good feel for the game. John showed a high-quality runner/floater. Besides looking like a shooter, John can also slash and score. He is a versatile offensive player with sharp skills.  Jackson Ressler Jackson Ressler 6'4" | PG Lakeville South | 2023 State MN (2023) |6’4 G| Northstar Titans Stone He helped lead his team to a 20-point win this morning. Ressler had a quality game with 10 points, 3 assists 2 rebounds, and 1 steal. He was super efficient inside the arc with 5-6 shooting. Ressler did not put up crazy numbers but he did an amazing job of taking care of the rock and running the show. Heat tried to pressure him and Jackson would not have any of that! He broke the traps and alleviated the pressure. I also liked how under control Ressler played. He knows when to go fast and when to slow down.  Trey Smith Trey Smith 6'6" | SF Osseo | 2023 State MN (2023) |6’7 F| Northstar Titans 2023 Stone  His squad had a nice win over Minnesota Heat PVR by a score of 63-43. Smith had 13 points, 4 assists, and 6 rebounds. He was efficient from the floor with 5-7 shooting. Smith is a very nice athlete that can score in the paint and from the perimeter. In the first half, Smith showed off his athleticism and hops with a powerful 1-handed slam. Smith is definitely a stud! Spencer Hall Spencer Hall 6'4" | SF Wayzata | 2023 State MN (2023) |6’3 G| Minnesota Fury Antl He struck me as an explosive slasher. Hall looked great when going downhill, and no one was going to stop him. When Spencer is near the basket, he elevates quickly. Hall is good at drawing contact and getting to the line. In overtime, Hall had a big-time steal and a score that tied the game 59-59. Spencer is a playmaker and a timely performer.  Max Shikenjanski Max Shikenjanski 6'2" | PG Stillwater | 2023 State #282 Nation MN (2023) |6’3 G| Minnesota Fury Antl Fury won their early morning game 61-59 in OT. Very late in overtime Max had a monster steal and he took it the other way for a game-winning basket. It may have not been the prettiest game for Shinkenjanski on Saturday morning, however, he stepped up when his team really needed it. Shikenjanski is gamer! Malek Wieker Malek Wieker 6'0" | CG Aberdeen Christian | 2023 State SD (2023) |6’1 G| South Dakota Attack  I thought he did a nice job of distributing the ball to his teammates. When he was dishing to shooters, Malek always hit them in the shooting pocket. Wieker has good eyes and he can deliver a pass from any angle. Malek was constantly probing the defense, this put pressure on the Fury defense. I like the demeanor that Wiker plays with.  Blake Volmer Blake Volmer 6'3" | SG Winner | 2023 State SD (2023) |6’3 G| South Dakota Attack  He was impressive slashing and scoring. Volmer is a straight-line driver that does not waste any time dancing around. He had multiple drives down and across the lane where Blake got to the rim for lay-ins. He also showed a soft floater from the middle of the paint. Volmer also scored with a sweet 15-foot pull-up jumper. He is a rock-solid FT-shooter. His active hands created TO’s and tip-steals. Volmer is a do-it-all player.  Ethan Bruns Ethan Bruns 6'6" | SF Sioux Falls Christian | 2023 State SD (2023) |6’5 F| South Dakota Attack  I like this kid’s game. Ethan scored from all three levels with a three-pointer, a pull-up jumper, and buckets around the basket. In the winter, I remember Bruns mainly scoring from inside the arc. It was nice to see him knock down a fluid three-pointer. Bruns is a tough matchup because he can do work around the basket, hit outside jumpers, and he is a very effective slasher. Ethan can score by spacing and cutting. This morning he had a great cut, catch, and contested score. Bruns also did a nice job of rebounding the basketball.  Ethan Russell Ethan Russell 6'6" | SF Aberdeen Christian | 2023 State SD (2023) |6’6 G/F| South Dakota Attack  He looked good around the basket with smooth footwork and crafty moves. Russell showed a great catch, reverse pivot, rip, and attack move. He is an efficient finisher at the cup. Ethan is a strong and gifted athlete. I always thought of him as more of a shooter & slasher. Russell showed today that he can get physical and cut for baskets.  Isaac Bruns Isaac Bruns 6'5" | SG Dakota Valley | 2023 State SD (2023) |6’4 G| South Dakota Attack  He is one of the best shooters in South Dakota. When it comes to shooting strokes, Isaac’s is darn near perfect. His shot looks the same from the FT-line, 3-pt line, and from well beyond the arc. Bruns moves well without the ball, uses screens, and he reacts to what the defense is doing. Isaac has a quick release and he can shoot over smaller guards because of his length and high release. Bruns is also a very good FT-shooter. They call this kid the "Ice Man" for a reason.