NY2LA Spring Extravaganza: Friday Night
Team Notes The beating that Heat Vang put on ECI relates how good this Heat Vang team can be as a unit. They were up on ECI 39-11 at one point, they won 57-27 as the game was shut down…
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The beating that Heat Vang put on ECI relates how good this Heat Vang team can be as a unit. They were up on ECI 39-11 at one point, they won 57-27 as the game was shut down with 3 minutes to go, and they forced D1 offered Siman Sem into a 0 for 9 game. That’s quite impressive especially considering that Shayne Frost was in street clothes. This time has a really nice mix of players with Chase Grinde and Parker Fox playmaking on the wing, Tim Leo having the best game of any post on the floor, Will Whitmore doing a nice job playing extra minutes, and Dominic Bledsoe defending and playing his role. Sean Sutherlin also did a nice job providing a third wing playmaker. This is a team I can see putting together some really good chemistry and having a good year.
Grassroots Minnesota, Team Sizzle, Sizzle Nation as was on the jerseys. They faced a Young and Reckless team from Illinois that had several coaches looking on and they beat them by double figures. The Illinois kids simply couldn’t keep with the pace of JaQuan Sanders-Smith, Xavier Johnson, and Jalen Suggs. This trip combined for 48 points while Steffon Mitchell had a double-double of 14 and 10 and 2018 Aaron Gill had five dunks overall. Coaches on the baseline? Who cares! Sizzle Nation burned the court out-running the Illinois kids.
Minnesota Select has six 17U kids and four 16U kids playing up this year. It’s a team that has several guys working on potential with Mitch Ohnstad and several guys that have potential that needs to be tapped. Select started well against the Wisconsin Blizzard going on a 7-0 run to start the game but they then went nine minutes without a field goal and were all of a sudden down double digits. It was a tough game for the blue and white that was called by NY2LA difference of scoreboard rules but Jordan Thompson had nine points on three treys.
Player Notes
Parker Fox (Mahtomedi/Heat Vang). Many are curious about Parker because of his length, explosive bounce, and size at about 6-foot-6 as a wing. He spent most of the game against ECI moving the ball making the right pass and getting open shots for teammates. Parker was fouled often early and then had an explosive two hand dunk that nearly brought the backboard to the ground. He scored a dozen and did it efficiently while UND, USD, and NDSU as well as several NSIC schools watched close.
Chase Grinde (Spring Grove/Heat Vang). Chase was likely the name of the night knocking out three treys early and scoring 14 in a shortened game against ECI. The 6-foot-3, maybe 6-foot-4 Grinde has a strong frame but a playmaking mindset who scored with feet set and an off a dribble getting to space, shrugging contact, and completing. His name was taken down by several in the NSIC who watched the Heat closely.
Tim Leo (Blaine/Heat Vang). Against ECI the Blaine 6-foot-7 big was the most productive player with size on the floor. Tim moved his opponents both on the block and when the shot went up using strength and leverage to create space to make plays. He was more physical than his opponents and it resulted in three scores and several boards. One of the better games I’ve seen him play.
Ty Miklowski (Select Ohnstad/Burnsville). The 6-foot-4 2018 from the Blaze had a couple scores but his potential is what caught our eye. Ty has some of the longest arms, biggest hands, and biggest feet you will see making you think he could grow a lot more. Will he or won’t he, you never know but he also has a good frame and moves well. Was in the Burnsville rotation as a sophomore scoring 5-6 a night and now Mitch Ohsntad is mentoring his game.
Steffon Mitchell (Grassroots MN/Shakopee). Had a tough night from the field early that improved as the game went on and led to Steffon recording 14 points and ten rebounds. Good enough that every mid and low major in the building seemed to ask about his game on Friday. His ten rebounds was most impressive because of the physical nature of his battle around the basket. Outfought Illinois players for many boards.
JaQuan Sanders-Smith (Grassroots MN/Mpls North). Had 17 and the majority of them were in transition push. Sanders-Smith is that guy that loves to take any opposing bad shot, turnover, or whatever and make it a rapid push the other direction for results. Explosive first step, covers a ton of ground with each attack, strong guard so he isn’t knocked off balance at this level.
Sean Sutherlin (Irondale/Heat Vang). Sean is an interesting player because he is a guard with skilled in a big frame at 6-foot-3. He’s smooth and in control. The type of player that will feast off the attention of the Fox explosion and Grinde shooting. It will be hard to guard him on the opposite side plus Sean is also good ball handler comfortable in his push in transition, dependable as a secondary ball handler, and quality in rotation attack.
Jalen Suggs (Grassroots MN/Minnehaha Academy). The word I would use for Jalen is composed and mature. His 17 points Friday night weren’t as flashy as much as they were timely and precise. For a 2020 Suggs was able to pick spots of attack against an immature defense and make that struggling defense pay with a one dribble pull or a one dribble attack to the rim. Scored in transition, forced only one shot, made an NBA length trey, and put a mature 17 on the board. Minnesota and Iowa State were in the crowd to watch Jalen (in terms of who they were watching from Minnesota).
Jordan Thompson (Select Ohnstad/Tartan). It was a nightmare of an evening for Select but Jordan was one bright spot with his ball pressure and three made treys. Select struggled greatly against a mature and well coached Blizzard squad but Thompson was able to pressure the ball into mistakes and high wing entry passes. Offensively Thompson knocked out three shots behind the arc with his lift into a quality release.
Notes
- Ryan Larson scored on close to the basket floater to give Pulley a win over Ray Allen Select 17U. Great win for the Pulley 16U club and you have to credit Coach Braziel on a fantastic play draw up before the game winner.
- Larson, Matt Todd, David Roddy, Christian Kelly, Goodnews Kpeogel, and Courtney Brown make a nice group to work with for Coach Braziel.
- Minnesota, Iowa, Iowa State, and Illinois were the high majors lurking the courts while USD, NDSU, UND, UWGB, Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Drake, Northern Illinois, were among the numerous other D1 schools watching. NSIC schools included Minot State, U of Mary, Northern State, Augustana, Upper Iowa, SMSU, Minnesota State-Mankato, St. Cloud State, Wayne State, Minnesota State Moorhead, were among the NSIC schools seen.
- Ade Murkey is playing for the Minnesota Magic and some teams circled him as a 2016 to go watch.