SPTS #1: ND Phenom vs. Pentagon Schoolers
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Woodbury, MN – Saturday was the opening day of the Sanford Pentagon Tournament Series. This series is an elite event with top teams from MN, ND, SD, and WI. On Saturday evening North Phenom 2023 took on the Pentagon Schoolers 2023…
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Continue ReadingWoodbury, MN – Saturday was the opening day of the Sanford Pentagon Tournament Series. This series is an elite event with top teams from MN, ND, SD, and WI. On Saturday evening North Phenom 2023 took on the Pentagon Schoolers 2023 National team and this one was a heavyweight matchup. There were over 30 college coaches checking this one out. In the stands, there were coaches from D2, D3, and the NAIA. Basically, the entire NSIC was watching this game.
This was North Dakota vs. South Dakota. Many of these players will go on and play at the next level. This was a BIG TIME matchup with SHOW TIME players. Read below to see who stood out on Saturday at SPTS #1.
Halftime Score: Phenom 36 Schoolers 36
Finals Score: Phenom 75 Schoolers 66
Phenom – Player Notes
Darik Dissette Darik Dissette 6'4" | SG Minot | 2023 State #300 Nation ND |6’4 SG| Minot
20 points, 2-4 FT’s, four 3-pointers. Di$$ette has had a big spring while picking up offers from UND & NDSU. His stock is still rising and I think Darik is about to blow up! DD put the clamps down last night on defense. He moves his feet very well on D and he forced multiple turnovers with active hands/smart anticipation. In the first half, Darik caught on the wing, sized up the defender, and drilled the triple from beyond college range. The Magician is a scary player when he his hitting triples on a consistent basis. Darik had a strong AND1 finish where he showed excellent hang time. DD absorbed the contact and finished with a smooth finger roll. In the first half, Phenom ran a set where Dissette went backdoor and Kellogg delivered the dime. Dissette finished it with a crazy-impressive 2-handed WHAM + the AND1.
Anthony Doppler Anthony Doppler 6'4" | SG Bismarck Century | 2023 State ND |6’4 SG| Bismarck Century
13 points, 3-4 FT’s, two 3-pointers. Early in the game, Doppler showed his versatility by posting up off a BLOB and finishing with a right-handed baby hook. Later on, Anthony came off an Iverson-cut for an easy layup. He is great at executing sets and reacting to the defense. He showed his skill with 1-handed passes and he always seemed to be contesting shots on defense. I liked his passing last night. Doppler showed great eyes with a diagonal pass across the lane to an open teammate. He also showed a strong & accurate 2-handed over-the-head pass. It was a 3/4 court pass and Doppler dropped it right into the breadbasket. Anthony had multiple other drive-n-dish plays. Late in the game, Doppler pulled up for an NBA 3-pointer to remind everyone of his deep range, of course, he made it. This was the best that I have seen Doppler pass & create.
Ryan Erikson Ryan Erikson 6'10" | C Bismarck Century | 2023 State ND |6’10 C| Bismarck Century
19 points, 1-1 FT’s, two 3-pointers. The UND commit was a star on Saturday night. He has great handles for a BIG. Ryan showed an awesome behind-the-back move in the open court. Erikson is a gifted passer. He threw a perfect backdoor pass from the elbow. Ryan showed his skills with 1-handed passes off the dribble. He made the extra pass to find open shooters. Ryan is a willing passer whenever a man is open. Early in the game, Erikson showed off his shooting range with a trail 3-pointer. He had many crafty and highly-impressive post finishes. Ryan is strong, patient, and he can finish with both hands at any angle. He also did quality work on the boards.
Tate Grossman Tate Grossman 6'4" | SG Harvey/Wells County | 2023 State ND |6’4 SG| Harvey/Wells County
4 points, 2-2 FT’s. He looked good with the ball in his hands. I liked how Tate beat the double team trap out of a ballscreen. He used his pullback dribble to create space and he found the open man. He also showed quick hands with a pickpocket steal. Grossman blocked multiple shots. He crashed hard and grabbed O-baords. Tate was also diving on the floor for loose balls.
Bryer Kaczynski Bryer Kaczynski 7'0" | C Wyndmere/Lidgerwood | 2023 State ND |6’10 C| Wyndmere Lidgerwood
4 points. Very tall with super long arms. His massive length helps keep slashers away from the rim. Bryer is a team player that is very unselfish.
Jaxon Kellogg Jaxon Kellogg 6'3" | PG Bismarck Legacy | 2023 State ND |6’3 PG| Bismarck Legacy
3 points, 1-2 FT’s. He did not score a ton of points, but Kellogg did everything else. Early in the game, Kellog deflected a pass that led to a Phenom TO. He also showed quick hands with a poke steal. I liked how Jaxon met attackers at the rim and went straight up. He showed a great pass on the DD backdoor dunk. Kellogg is great at slashing and finding open cutters or spot up shooters. Late in the game he showed his quick and elusive hands with a pick-pocket steal from behind. It was a nice overall game for Kellogg.
William Ware William Ware 6'7" | SF Bismarck Century | 2023 State ND |6’7 F| Bismarck Century
8 points. Ware impressed me with his cutting in this game. In the first half, Ware caught in the corner, attacked the closeout, got into the lane, and finished with a smooth 8-foot floater. In the second half, William had a nice cut and finish off an Erikson dime. Later in the game, Ware showed great hustle and athleticism with a breakaway 2-handed SLAM + the AND1.
Carson Yale Carson Yale 6'9" | PF Des Lacs Burlington | 2023 State ND |6’9 F| Des Lacs Burlington
6 points. He started the game with a backscreen lob bucket to get things rolling. In the second half, Yale flashed high post, caught, took two dribbles, and fished at the cup for 2-points. A bit later, Yale had a smart vertical cut that he finished with a powerful 2-handed SLAM. Later in the game, Carson battled for a rebound, he secured it, and he kicked it the ball ahead to Ware for another Phenom dunk.
Schoolers – Player Notes
Joe Sayler Joe Sayler 6'4" | SG White River | 2023 State #295 Nation SD |6’3 SG| White River
15 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal. He is a freak athlete, there is no question about that. Sayler can get a shot off anytime that he pleases with a pull-up or stepback. Joe showed excellent effort with a hustle-steal. I like his court awareness in the first half when he was driving, saw two help defenders, and kicked it to an open teammate for a 3-pointer. On the first Schooler possession, Sayler came down the court and nailed a volleyball line 3-pointer. Later in the game, Sayler hit another deep triple with a hand in his face.
Oliver Vincent Oliver Vincent 6'1" | PG Sioux Valley | 2023 State SD |6’1 G| Sioux Valley
9 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks. He was a stat stuffer on Saturday night. I liked how he moves his feet on D and how quickly he can recover. Vincent has sneaky and fast hands that result in tips, steals, and deflections. Oli showed two amazing behind-the-back passes for good looks. The first was to an open 3-point shooter in the corner. The second was a behind-the-back bounce pass to an open teammate on the wing. Talk about skill! He also has a killer crossover and an admirable fake-cross. I liked the looks of his jumper with a corner triple. Oli took two charges in this game. The last came around the 2:30 minute mark. Oli took a big hit which resulted in a bloody nose. Vincent is always willing to sacrifice his body for the team.
Spencer Barr Spencer Barr 5'11" | PG Aberdeen Central | 2023 State SD |5’11 G| Aberdeen Central
14 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 5 steals. His stat line was impressive. I love the way Barr changes speeds. He can go from 0-60 in no time. In the first half, a Phenom player was attempting to post up Spencer. He quickly maneuvered around the post and stepped in front of the pass for a steal. He showed a smooth shooting stroke with a corner 3-ball. Barr ran the floor hard and scored in transition. He showed quick hands with a strip steal on a hopeful 3-point shooter. Late in the game, Spencer had back-to-back steals that led to Schooler scores. He also cashed in another triple late in the game.
Alex Dvorak Alex Dvorak 6'1" | PG Dickinson | 2023 State ND |6’0 G| Dickinson
15 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists. He showed off his shooting ability early in the game. Dvoark has a great in-rhythm pull-up game. Before halftime, Alex showed his range with a college depth 3-ball. Dvorak made another nice three with inside-out ball movement. I liked his unselfish dish in transition that led to easy points for a Schooler. His hesitation move was impressive. Dvorak is an athletic and creative finisher, he showed an impressive scoop-shot with a defender all over him. Late in the game, Dvorak had another awesome drive and he dropped a nice dime to Jensen.
Damon Wilkinson Damon Wilkinson 6'10" | C De Smet | 2023 State SD |6’9 PF| De Smet
2 points, 5 rebounds. His only points came from a dunk. Wilkinson did a nice job on the O-glass. I liked his physical post-up. Damon showed an effective shot-fake that drew the defender in the air. This brought Wilkinson to the line. I like his patience and feel for the game.
Jacob Vandeweerd Jacob Vandeweerd 6'8" | PF Canton | 2023 State SD |6’8 PF| Canton
2 points 4 rebounds. He looks like a good outlet passer, Jacob gets the ball out quickly and early. It was easy to see that the C-Hawk is a strong player. I liked Jacob’s physical post up on a BLOB, he caught and finished smoothly.
Aiden Jensen Aiden Jensen 6'9" | PF Madison | 2023 State SD |6’7 F| Madison
6 points, 3 rebounds, 3 blocks. I like the looks of this lanky and long athlete with extra-long arms. Aiden had an athletic baseline drive-n-finish with a defender on his back. He showed accurate deep outlet passes. Jensen showed his strength with a strong AND1 finish from the block.
Ethan Cheeseman Ethan Cheeseman 6'4" | SF Hanson | 2023 State SD |6’4 SF| Hanson
2 points. He showed off his athleticism with a transition basket. Cheesseman finished with a spin move that showed amazing body control. In the second half, Ethan showed good eyes with a drive and dish to Jensen.