PLAYERS TO WATCH
Minn St. Mankato - Jason Byers, PF
Although junior Byers is not among scoring leaders, his presence on the court might make the biggest difference in the outcome of games. A converted SF now playing PF with an overall rating over 800, Byers has elite Athleticism (94) and Defense (100) and brings top speed (71) to a post position. While he is just 6
th on the team, averaging 8.5 points a game, Byers has also found a way to contribute in other ways, collecting 1.5 steals a game while committing less than a foul a game.
San Francisco St. - Paul Sexton, SF
As an honorable mention All-American, junior SF Paul Sexton has turned into a leader and an all-around contributor for San Francisco St. off the bench, leading the team in scoring (13.0/PPG), while adding 6 rebounds a game and a team leader 1 block/game, while also dishing out more than an assist each game. What is impressive about Sexton is that versatility that allows him to function as a guard or post player as necessary, with both adequate speed and ball handling skills along with rebounding to create match-up problems. His elite ath (84), def (93) and LP (89) are what help him establish an advantage against other tired or inferior opponents when he comes off the bench.
Lock Haven - Terry Johnson, C, 1
st Team All-American
With the third highest overall rating in D2 at 830, Johnson is the foundation of Lock Haven and dominates to post, averaging almost 13/PPG while pulling down over 8 boards a game. Combined with PF
William Judd (rating of 800+ and 100LP), Lock Haven have a truly remarkable front court duo. What makes Johnson so difficult to defend is that he has such good rating at both LP (86) and PE (68). While he hasn’t shot any 3’s, the 68 at PE is exceptional at Center and help his accuracy against tough defenses, where he is hitting at about a 55% clip. Add in 100 Rebounding and you have a center that will cause a lot of problems for opponents.
Benedict - Bernard Stang, SF
Fifth year Sr Bernie Stang in the early season finds himself among D2 scoring leaders with over 18 PPG. With the speed of a guard (79), Stang causes mismatches at SF, while he has the athleticism (86), stamina (83) and FT shooting (B-) to capitalize. To illustrate, Stang has only committed 5 fouls in 6 games, while he has hit 30 of 41 FTA. While he has the ability to hit outside shots with his 87 perimeter rating, he has not taken an 3’s this season, concentrating on being disruptive and causing fouls, with a 58 post rating which is deadly when paired with that speed.
Quincy - Jesse Hamburg, SF, 2
nd Team All-American
Thus far this season, Hamburg ranks 6
th in scoring in D2 with more than 20 PPG. With PG
Gregory Knight setting him up, Hamburg’s 99 PE rating has caused lots of trouble for opposing defenses. What gives Hamburg an edge in addition to the elite perimeter skills are the speed (87), stamina (100) ball handling (84) and FT (B) which make him a lot more than a typical 3pt specialists. He does stretch the court in taking nearly half of his shots behind the arch, but his elite stamina help him to be highly effective in the waning minutes of games.
Seattle - Tyson Almeida, PG
Ranking 7
th in D2 in scoring, Almeida is averaging right at 20 PPG. Not only is he Seattle’s premiere scorer, but he also averages 3.7 assists a game, 1.7 steals a game, and a surprising contribution on the boards with 3.7/game. While Almeida isn’t elite from the perimeter (74) and shoots just over 30% from the arch, his other skills are what make him impactful. Solid athleticism (75) and speed (87) to pair with good defense (74) and elite passing (88) give him an advantage over many others as the first things team have to contend with at the critical PG position.