Grassroots First Person: Tri City Thunder
In our “First Person Grassroots Recap” series we take a look at how the travel team season went for one our state’s programs.
Chris Conrad of Tri City Thunder discusses their spring and summer here!
17U
Record
33-12
Championships/Accomplishments:
Pool Play winners/Platinum bracket participants
– Adidas Select Tournament (Chicago)
– Nike Spring Showdown (Chicago)
– Prep Hoops Tournament (Minneapolis)
– KC Hardwood Classic (Kansas City)
– Las Vegas Fab 48 (Las Vegas)
– NY2LA Tournament (Milwaukee)
– Las Vegas Fab 48 Final 4
– Prep Hoops Minneapolis Sweet 16
– Adidas Select Tournament Final 4
– 2x 1-day shootout champions
Key Wins:
W vs. Powerhouse Minnesota
W vs Martin Brothers Top Team
W vs Peoples Basketball (Toronto, CA)
W vs. Chicago Lockdown
W vs. Michigan Mustangs
W vs. Team Manimal
W vs. NJH Elite (Dallas, TX)
W vs All In Athletics
Overall Thoughts on Season
The Tri-City Thunder finished the year going 33-12 while playing in some of the best tournaments in the country. Although we had a ton of success on the court, what this group has done is bigger than just on the basketball court. In an AAU landscape where rosters change like the seasons outside, our main core has stuck together their entire high school careers and that’s why it was so special to coach this team. While some teams are constructed of players from all over the state, our team was from 3 suburbs west of Chicago, but that never stopped us from the competition of playing and beating the best. For our team, it was never about any certain individual, rather it was about us winning basketball games as a team with a bunch of players who were over themselves and checked their ego at the door. We had great performances in Kansas City at the Hardwood classic going 3-1 and taking Mokan Elite down to the final buzzer losing by 3. We finished the year on a strong note winning five games while advancing to the final 4 of the Las Vegas Fab 48 tournament. We had many great individual accomplishments as Kyle King made the all-tournament team at the NY2LA tournament as well as the Prep Hoops Minneapolis tournament. This group of players made the AAU culture a better place and always respected it and played the game the right way.
Player Breakdown
Kyle King was an absolute force for us on both ends of the floor this season. He averaged 13.1 point per game, 10.3 rebounds 2.9 assist, and shot 56% from the field. He not only averaged a double-double for us but his passion and energy was evident every possession he was on the floor. Kyle is an outstanding talent and one of the top two or three bigs in the state. He has tremendous versatility for someone of his size and he’s able to score against any defender no matter their length or size.
Kyle has a tremendous passing ability when faced with pressure and can make just about any pass in the book. Perhaps Kyle’s greatest strength on the basketball court is his knowledge of the game. His basketball intelligence far exceeds someone at his age. Kyle plays the best when the stakes are highest, scoring 24 points as a junior against Purdue commit Trevion Williams or scoring 17 points and grabbing 12 rebounds against Mokan Elite this past July. Kyle can play with anyone in the country and dominate. Look for Kyle to continue to solidify himself as one of the best big guys in the state as he gets ready for his senior year at St. Charles North.
Eric Peterson took a huge step forward as an all-around player this July shooting an incredible 66% from 2-point, on his way to averaging 12.5 points per game and 2.4 steals a game. At 6’4 and very long, Eric took his game to the next level on both ends of the floor as he was our primary defender who always guarded the opposing teams best player. His athleticism and versatility on the defensive end is continuously on display as he is able to guard any position from 1-4. Eric shut down many great players including holding Ohio State commit Musa Jallow to 8 points and division one recruit Cooper Kaifes of Mokan Elite to 0 points. He has tremendous versatility on the offensive end being able to score in the paint and shoot the ball from mid and three-point range. He is a pure scorer who can go out and score twenty points on a consistent basis. His greatest strength this season is his consistency on both ends of the floor. Every game he brings it on the defensive end getting deflections and rebounds, and is always counted on to produce on the offensive end. Eric is going to have an incredible senior year for Batavia High School showing off his versatility and knack for scoring the basketball.
Zach Ludwig had an outstanding season running the show for our team. No one made a bigger jump from last season to this season than Ludwig. He showed tremendous poise and knowledge for our system. Zach is lethal when he’s in transition and his ability to score or set others up in transition is what makes him such a good point guard. He’s a good defender who can pick up point guards and make them work the entire game. Zach has a tremendous ability to impact the game in various ways as he averaged 5.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.7 assist. His stats were incredibly efficient and he impacted the game in many areas. In one game he averaged 6 rebounds, 5 assist, and 5 points. Another game he had 8 rebounds, 5 points and 3 assist and another game of 6 points, 4 assist and 3 rebounds. Those stats speak volumes to his impact for our team and without him we don’t win nearly as many games. He also showed great court awareness and vision as he finished with a highly efficient assist to turnover ratio of 1.68. Zach will undoubtedly continue his success next season running the show for St. Charles North.
Zach Robinson continued to prove why he is one of the best shooters in his class, making 96 3-pointers and shooting 54% from 2-point range. Zach is a pure scorer who averaged 10.9 points per game. Zach’s greatest strength this season is his ability to shoot over pressure. Zach has a quick release and can make shots consistently with a hand in his face. His ability to shoot over pressure and make teams pay is something you don’t see from a lot of shooters today. He has tremendous range from the three-point line and can shoot efficiently off of the dribble as well. Robinson showed he can score in a variety of ways by being a deep threat and having the ability to get to the rim and finish. He has a unique ability to stretch a defense and that allows him to have so much success scoring the basketball in many ways. Zach showed great versatility playing all three positions including handling the basketball at times. He takes care of the ball and has good passing vision as he averaged 2.4 assist per game. Robinson is going to have a great year scoring and lighting it up from the 3-point line for St. Charles East.
Alec Champine had a tremendous July shooting 58% from 2-point and 49% from the field overall. He continued to show his ability to get to the rim and has one of the best floaters of anyone out there. He averaged two assist and one steal in the month of July and was heavily relied on to shut down some of the other teams primary players. Alec had 15 games this season where he had multiple steals and rebounds in a game. Alec’s greatest strength is his speed and athleticism. He is the fastest player on our team and uses that to his advantage in getting to the rim and wearing people out on the defensive end. Alec was a huge threat for us in transition and has really good passing vision when he drives to the basket. Alec is highly coachable and has contributed heavily to this team the past few years. Alec is a veteran varsity player who enters his third year as a varsity player for St. Charles East. Alec will be a force this year on both ends for St. Charles East during his senior year.
Cade Callaghan had a great season for us scoring and rebounding the basketball. He shot 49% in the lane for and averaged 7.0 points per game. Cade has excellent post moves down low and can score turning to both shoulders. His craftiness and array of moves on the block allow him to score over size and length.
Cade is a mismatch nightmare with his ability to stretch the floor. He can hit a shot on the block and the next possession hit a three-pointer. Cade is capable of going off at any time while having games of 24 points off of 9/12 shooting and another game with 18 points off of 7/18 shooting. He is fearless and gives his all every single time he steps on the court. His greatest strength is his toughness and ability to score from anywhere on the court. He is incredibly active for a forward and is constantly running the floor and scoring in transition. Every team needs a player like Cade because he never backs down from anyone and brings toughness to our team every game. Cade is going to be a crucial part for St. Charles North next year as he continues to show his toughness and ability to stretch the floor.
Brendan Dal Degan is one of the best shooters in the state of Illinois! Brendan had an incredible month of July as he made twenty-seven 3-pointers in our last three tournaments. During the Kansas City Hardwood Classic, Brendan went 11/16 from beyond the arch in one of the best tournaments in the country. That included games of 5/6 scoring 15 points and 3/4 scoring 10 points. Brendan stood out as an elite shooter in July proving that his greatest strength is being able to do more than catch and shoot. He is highly efficient shooting off the catch, shooting off of screens and shooting off of the dribble. Brendan also proved he is more than a shooter with his ability to bring the ball up and get the team into our offense. He can play all three-guard positions and impact the game in all three spots. Brendan is a coach’s dream because he never takes a possession off and is all about how he can help the team. We don’t have as much success in July if it weren’t for Brendan’s shot making ability. Brendan can shoot with the best of them and will continue to shoot lights out for St. Charles North next season.
Ben Young was the lone addition to the Tri-City Thunder this year and he fit in like he had been here for years. Ben averaged 6.7 points and proved he can score inside and out. He has a pure shot for somebody of his height and has the ability to stretch the floor and create mismatch problems. He is very efficient from the field and can light up the scorebook in a hurry. Ben had games of 24 points going 4/4 from 3-point and 3/5 from 2-point. He had another game of 19 points going 7/10 from the field. Ben has become a threat down low scoring on the block and using his frame to score down low. He can really create mismatches for teams and stretch the floor with his ability to shoot and score down low. He is a very tough and physical rebounder on both ends and was constantly making effort plays to get us a defensive or offensive rebound. Ben is exactly what you would want in a teammate, he’s unselfish, coachable and we’re proud to call him a member of the Tri-City Thunder. Ben is going to be a huge factor for West Aurora next year.