Saturday, November 29, 2008

The Rebels Start The Season

Here are a few of my observations from the teams 4 game scrimmage (Benilde, Braham, Monticello and Rogers) today at Monticello High School. The team has great speed, quickness, athleticism but lacks any significant height on the front line. An uptempo style of play may best benefit this group to help offset their lack of size. Though the front line lacks height, they have good strength, toughness and versatility.

I left today’s scrimmages with the impression that the key to the Rebels season rest clearly on the shoulders of post player Blair Dittrich.

Here are the team’s top 8 players and what you will see from them this season:

· Jasper Duberry (Jr) Guard - returns to be the point guard (last years point guard Zerrick Fuller did not return) for the team after playing on the wing last year. Duberry made the Breakdowns Fab 40 Juniors list and had a very productive off-season. The most notable things I noticed about this returning slashing guard is that he has added 3-point range shooting and better open court decision making.

· Scott Theisen (Sr) Wing - brings back his incredible 3-point shooting range and accuracy. Theisen who is listed on the Breakdowns Top 100 Seniors list is one of the best shooters in the state and looks like he might have grown another inch or two. Theisen is now putting the ball on the floor and attacking the basket for nice mid range jump shots.

· Josh Pella (Jr) Post - brings his much needed body, strength and his ability to play larger than his 6’4 frame. Pella runs the floor very well and has great range on his jump shot and is able to step out to the 3-point line and consistently knock down 3’s. Pella appears to have added some strength and muscle mass from the summer, which the team will need on the front line.

· Kyle Zimmermann (Jr) Post – this returning starter brings back his craftiness around the basket, toughness and intelligence. Zimmermann’s versatility will be stretched this year, as he will be needed more on the front line do to the Rebels lack of size. Zimmermann is currently practicing but not playing as he is recuperating from a back injury and should be back in a few weeks.

· Tyler Munneke (Sr) Guard – played some varsity minutes last year and will give the team another good perimeter shooter and heady player. Munneke brings good on ball defense and a stableness that the team will need.

· Brandon Marquardt (Jr) Guard – will come off the bench with a toughness and quickness that will keep the team playing at an up-tempo. Marquardt is a strong player (one of the top running backs in the state), good passer and has the ability to get to the basket.

· D’Andre Williamson (Jr) Post – easily the Rebels biggest and strongest player who will see some starts and playing time because of the Rebels lack of front line size. Williamson is a banger, good rebounder and bruiser type player. Williamson lacks the skill level or talent to be a productive player, which makes Dittrich an important player for the Rebels.

· Blair Dittrich (Jr) Post - an athletic 6’3ish 200 pound strong under size post player with good skills, footwork and strength. One of his best attributes is his great hands, which is why he was a starting wide receiver on the Rebels football team. Dittrich has good touch around the basket, plays within himself and gets up and down the court. Look for him to progressively get better and make the adjustment to varsity basketball. Dittrich should get some starts and play more significant minutes as the season progresses.

My initial starting line up would be: Duberry (1), Theisen (2), Zimmermann (3), Pella (4) and Dittrich (5).

The Jr Varsity team (minus six juniors playing up on varsity) looks like they will have a productive season as the school has one of the deepest junior classes in the state. Look for sophomore TJ Okafor (the teams only sophomore) to get some quality playing time as the season progresses.

No comments: