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Grand Forks Herald
Which UND basketball newcomers have stood out at practice?
- Story byGrand Forks Herald
- Which UND basketball newcomers have stood out at practice?
Oct. 20—GRAND FORKS — It's hard to predict exactly what UND's starting lineup will look like when it opens the season against Minnesota on Nov. 2.
The Fighting Hawks added four freshmen and seven transfers this offseason. Seniors Zach Kraft and Josh Jones are the only returning starters.
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Plus, the lineup will almost certainly be subject to change throughout the season. Only two players who started in last year's season-opener against Alabama — Eli King and Garrett Anderson — were still in the starting lineup by the end of the season.
"We had some guys that impacted winning, that made winning plays, that were terrific players, too," head coach Paul Sather said. "We've got a long way to go to figure out who we are, but I like what we can become."
With that in mind, the Herald asked Sather and three players — Kraft, Jones and transfer guard Luke Winkel — which newcomers have stood out at practice.
Here are a few of the standouts.
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Jayden Moore
Sather and all three players mentioned Jayden Moore, a 6-foot freshman guard.
Moore is a three-star recruit from Hopkins, Minn. He was also a three-star wide receiver who received offers from the likes of Baylor, Illinois, Iowa and Kansas State.
"Honestly, Jayden Moore," Kraft said when asked which young players have stood out. "He just has a nice feel. He can pass the ball and find open guys."
Jones said Moore "plays really hard."
When asked who has been the toughest to guard at practice, Winkel singled out Moore and Tyler Wagner, the sophomore guard who transferred in from Austin Peay.
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"Jayden Moore is very good at breaking people down off the dribble and finishing at the rim," Winkel said.
Moore broke the Minnesota boys high school career assists record last season, eclipsing 1,275.
Moore and Winkel will likely help UND replace the production it lost at point guard this offseason.
"I just feel like Jayden Moore is going to be a guy at the point guard," Sather said. "We're going to have him on the floor a lot. ... I've just been really impressed with Jayden Moore. We're going to need (Winkel and Moore), just the way we play, the style of play that we have."
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Tyler Wagner
According to Jones, Wagner is an excellent shooter.
Wagner, a 6-foot-6, 200-pound guard, played limited minutes during his freshman year at Austin Peay. However, he shot 38.6% from 3-point range in his 23 appearances off the bench.
"Tyler Wagner's got a high release," Winkel said. "He can shoot it from anywhere. It's very consistent."
Wagner averaged seven minutes per game with the Governors. He was a prolific scorer in high school, highlighted by a 60-point performance against Blaine on Feb. 5 that set the school record at Champlin Park High School.
Wagner was a three-star prospect who was recruited by the Hawks in high school.
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"He didn't play a ton at Austin Peay last year, but he's a guy that has the same ability to shoot the ball as Zach Kraft does at about (6-foot-6)," Sather said. "A little bit more size, where you can have him and Zach on the floor together. So you've got two pretty high-level shooters out there at the same time."
Jayden Thomas
Sather, ever-the-coach, made sure to mention essentially every player when asked who has impressed out of the offseason additions.
A comment about Jayden Thomas, however, stood out.
"The other guy that really stands out, a guy that we didn't really have last year, is Jayden Thomas," Sather said. "He's more of a natural four, hyper athletic, can guard multiple positions, rebounds really well, but he's a high-level finisher. Not a guy that's a volume shooter from three, but has a really good way about how he cuts, how he attacks, and he's a tremendous finisher and rebounder and offensive rebounder."
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Thomas is a 6-foot-7, 205-pound junior forward from Austin, Texas. He spent the last two seasons at Lee College, where he averaged 9.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.1 steals, 1.0 assists and 0.7 blocks per game as a sophomore.
"I've been really impressed with JT," Jones said. "Super athletic, plays above the rim, crashes really hard."
Samuel Hincapie
The Hawks added a lot of size in the transfer portal.
Winkel is the only transfer shorter than 6-foot-6.
Samuel Hincapie, a 6-foot-6, 200-pound senior, is one of the long guards who has impressed Sather so far, specifically with his offensive upside.
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"Sam Hincapie has been a guy that, from an offensive standpoint, maybe does a little bit more than what I thought he would," Sather said. "He's a long 6-6, kind of a longer strong athlete, but attacks the rim, finishes well. But his ability to pass and find the open man has been good, and I think he's a guy that, defensively, as he keeps learning the system, he's going to continue to get better because he's just got a really good, versatile way about how he can play defense, too."
Hincapie spent his first two years at Lake Land Community College before transferring to Le Moyne as a junior.
At Le Moyne, a Division I program in Syracuse, New York, Hincapie averaged 4.9 points, 2.1 rebounds and 0.7 assists. He averaged 15.5 minutes across 30 games.
