Back for another week, the Summit Summer League took to PSM Fieldhouse on Wednesday night with some tighter battles, but in the end it was Team Bloom putting up the 2-0 record on the week with Team Deming and Team Riikonen at 1-1 each, while Team Prokop went 0-2.
In Team Bloom’s second game – a win over Team Riikonen – they produced 97 points, a rare flirt with 100 in the history of the Summit Summer League.
So what are some takeaways this week? Bounce is changing it up a bit to talk about some individual player takeaways this time around.
ZEN SZAFERSKI, BISHOP LUERS
After missing Week 2, Szaferski didn’t look like he missed any steps at all as he shined with Team Deming in both of their games. Szaferski was the one this week that did a little bit of everything and really showed not only his court vision, but his ability to get the ball ahead on the break and keep Team Deming running every time he was on the court. That vision is among the best we’ve seen in the SSL this year. In the his first 5 minute segment played in game 2, Szaferski tallied 7 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists just to show how diverse his game was quickly this week.
NOLAN SHUTT, ANGOLA
Shutt missed Week 2 as well, but got his feet back under him quickly in Week 3, especially in Game 2. Shutt scored quickly for Team Prokop in that game and was a steady presence throughout the game, ending with 8 points. The Angola sophomore showed off a quick release and an ability to kind of stalk the perimeter without the ball in his hand, waiting for his opening.
CARTER MIDDLETON, CARROLL
After struggling a bit in the first week of the league, Middleton has continued to show why he is so highly thought of in the high school season. The league is built on adaptability and once Middleton got his feet under him in the SSL, he has been a star. His offense is clean, he moves well with the ball and his change of pace and direction really stood out on Wednesday night. He finished game 1 with just six points but scored 22 in game 2 including a first half buzzer beater. Middleton as a downhill scorer looked pretty dangerous this week.
TITUS SCHULTZ, HUNTINGTON NORTH
If the work that Schultz does in this league doesn’t impress you yet, you are not paying enough attention. He is just a hustler on the court, but clearly is having a good time working with his teammates and friends every game. More often than not he has a smile on his face as he attacks any given game and Wednesday he showed great prowess in scoring at all three levels. Things in the SSL just are clicking for Schultz.
ELLIOT CUMMINGS, BLACKHAWK CHRISTIAN
Cummings is another kid that has found his stride in Weeks 2 and 3. He opened up Week 3 with a 17 point effort including seven points in the first five minutes for Team Prokop against Team Riikonen in game 1. He knows how to run the floor and fill lanes, he worked well off his point guard to create spacing in both games and knocked down a couple of shots from deep. Seeing him get comfortable in this league is a very good sign for the Braves this winter.
JACKSON EVERITT, WARSAW
Everitt is a name that is mostly unknown in the area as he heads into Warsaw’s machine as a freshman. But what he showed Wednesday was a calmness with the ball in his hands. He averaged 7 points per game on Wednesday, which is solid but the fact that he didn’t get sped up and didn’t play like a freshman was an important stand out, especially for a team that didn’t get a win in Week 3.
CARSON WALTKE, EAST NOBLE
Is there a better pull up midrange shooter than Waltke in the area? Well if Wednesday is what we judge by, no. Waltke hit early and often in game one and then followed it up with another solid game two. But in game one, he flexed that often overlooked midrange game in the first few minutes to help Team Bloom to an early lead that they’d maintain throughout. In game two, he did a lot of the same, living from 12 or so feet and in, but he also got up on the fast break to slam one down. Waltke was perhaps Week 3’s best player in the SSL and that comes considering that in Game 1, he was often double teamed on every catch and still managed to find ways to create openings to score.
JAYDEN PHILLIPS, ANGOLA
There were things about Jayden Phillips that were really important in standing out for a second straight week. In Game 1, he scored 9 and he knocked down a couple of threes in Game 2, but scoring isn’t the biggest part of his game in this league. He showed off a great speed and ability to change direction offensively. Defensively, he was a ball hawk Wednesday, coming away with several steals including four in Game 1, but also just harassing ball handlers as the on ball guy and as the help or double team defender.
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