11/12 House Basketball Semifinals: Players to Watch

by Stephen Barston

I'm back. Just for this one time. Trust me.

But anyway, the 11th and 12th grade House Basketball season is nearing the climax, with four teams remaining. There are certainly some star players who have propelled these squads into the semifinals, but there are also some individuals who don't receive the credit they truly deserve. I have selected one player from each of the four teams left that may not get a lot of attention on the House scene, but that you should certainly watch for tonight in the DHS gyms.

Lakers: Patrick Winter, Junior
Winter hustled his butt off last night in the Lakers' victory over the Nets. Besides nailing two clutch three-pointers, he was also spotted diving on the floor, dishing out assists, and grabbing boards. Winter is the ideal sixth man for this squad, complementing the duo of seniors Brendan Donohue and Zach Basu with an outside presence on offense and tenacious defense at the top of the zone. Look for him to stifle the Travers/Rehm combo tonight and perhaps contribute to a Laker victory.

Heat: Will Bloomer, Senior
Bloomer will probably be the tallest man on the court tonight, and he will inevitably provide a dominant post presence against the smaller Laker squad. Besides senior Matt Vossler, the Lake-show lacks some serious height, with junior John Mackie reeling in the majority of the boards. If Bloomer can maintain his physicality and continue to clean up the misses of Travers, Rehm, and the rest of the perimeter shooters on this Heat squad, it will surely be another advantage for a team coming off an emotional win over the #1 seeded Wizards.

Mavericks: Henry Soule, Junior
Soule, who plays JV basketball at Greens Farms Academy, is another versatile option for perhaps the team with the most depth in the entire league: the Mavs. Junior Sam Bowtell runs the show down low, and fellow junior Danny Siemers commands the point, but Soule is crucial to this team's success, especially on the fast break. He runs his lanes well and forces his way into the paint with his patented euro-step. It looks something like this, and it's deadly. Look for Soule to also command the paint on D, where his jumping ability makes him a threat to rotate over and swat away any weak stuff. Sort of like this. Seriously, watch out for him.

Nuggets: Nicky Wildish, Junior
Wildish was stifled last night in the Nuggets cruise over the Jazz, but he also didn't have a lot of scoring opportunities. The runner-up for sixth man of the year in 11/12 House brings a passion to the game that is unmatched by anyone in the league, let alone anyone else on his team. He pushes the fast break, he dives for loose balls, and he looks good doing it; admit it: that headband is fantastic. If he can get into space during the transition, senior point guard extraordinaire Austin Crane should be able to rely on Wildish as another valuable scoring threat against a physical Maverick defense.