Success on the football field and the basketball court – part II

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Continuing with our focus on multi-sport athletes, we stay on the hardcourt and highlight six more athletes who prove you don't need to specialize to be a top athlete in your sport.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["641133"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"u003ca href=u0022https://prephoops.com/minnesota/u0022u003e2nd prephoops.com u003c/au003eThompson has the ideal build for a pocket passer. He is long and athletic – a good combination in basketball, too. He has a strong arm, but what is most impressive is his deep throws are consistently accurate. Often, Thompson drops his deep balls right in the bucket – making his passes extremely catchable for his receivers. He isn't a running quarterback, but he moves remarkably well in the pocket and will keep the ball on the read option when that is the read. Thompson tends to feel the pressure and can make slight adjustments in the pocket to keep defenders off him. He has the arm strength to push the ball deep while on the move. He is in shotgun most of the time, but unlike many quarterbacks today, he goes under center, too.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["362276"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"u003ca href=u0022https://prephoops.com/minnesota/u0022u003e143rd prephoops.comu003c/au003e Wagner has a great combination of power and athleticism. He can collapse the edge from the right tackle position, shortening the corner for his running backs and getting to the second level or getting out wide on a sweep. He is one of the rare tackles who can pull across the formation on a sweep when he starts on the back side – showcasing his speed. The junior is agile enough to pick up a secondary defender from his initial block. In addition, he can stay with smaller defenders in the open field. All that athletic ability doesn't take away from his power – when asked to, he can bury defensive linemen one-on-one.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["234867"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"u003ca href=u0022https://prephoops.com/minnesota/u0022u003e132nd prephoops.com u003c/au003eSwinea runs the ball from the traditional running back spot and as a Wildcat quarterback. His length and speed stand out immediately, but his ability to use those long strides and still make quick cuts in small spaces set him apart. His ability in the open field is especially evident when returning kicks – he returned one to the house in 2023. I wouldn't say he is a power runner – speed and quickness are his best assets, but he will break a tackle if he isn't squared up. He will also run a pass route and catch the ball out of the backfield. He is a two-way player and uses his length and instincts well as a deep safety. I couldn't find updated statistics for Swinea on the basketball court, but he averaged 14 points a game early in the season for the Trojans.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["641139"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"u003ca href=u0022https://prephoops.com/minnesota/u0022u003e104th prephoops.com u003c/au003eLankfard is a complete football player. He has good speed when running the ball from the quarterback spot. But his vision in the open field is what sets him apart. His vision compliments his ability to make quick cuts at full speed. He has solid power in his running. He isn't going to truck many defenders, but an arm tackle rarely brings him down. His athletic ability in the open field makes him a danger with his feet and allows him to gain separation, allowing him to use his strong arm to push the ball deep down the field. While his biggest asset is his legs, when Lankfard stands in the pocket, he throws a solid deep ball. As a corner, he is a physical hitter with good ball skills. On the court, he was off to a great start – averaging nearly 20 points a game during the season's first month.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["234907"],"_player_evaluations_4_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"u003ca href=u0022https://prephoops.com/minnesota/u0022u003e217th prephoops.com u003c/au003eOwens has great man-to-man coverage skills. He can get in the hip pocket of receivers and shadow them all around the field. The junior has solid ball skills and gets his hands on plenty of passes. He adjusts well to the ball when in the air. His closing speed allows him to break up passes and makes him a factor in the running game – closing on ball carriers. Owens is not looking to make 'business decisions.' He is coming in low and with bad intentions. On offense, the junior runs the read option well, and when he decides to keep the ball, that speed and power translate into his running style. He makes solid reads in the running game and knows when to pull the ball down and run during a passing play. Not just a runner, Owens throws well on the move and has good arm strength to throw deep – even when on the move.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_5_player":["485214"],"_player_evaluations_5_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"u003ca href=u0022https://prephoops.com/minnesota/u0022u003e15th prephoops.com u003c/au003ePodany has an effortless throwing motion. He never looks like he is throwing the ball hard, but plenty of power is behind his throws. He moves as well in the pocket as any quarterback in the state. His mobility is a way to buy more time to make an off-scheduled throw and is a weapon in the running game. In the open field, the junior has good speed and the quickness to make defenders miss. His abilities to throw the deep ball and throw with power off his back foot will get all the notice, but I liked the touch he puts on throws underneath. He often hits crossing routes that require him to feather the ball over a linebacker but under a defensive back. He must have some juice on the ball, too, because the throw has to get there before the defensive back closes in to make a play. He has that same touch when throwing fade routes into the end zone. He is averaging nearly 19 points per game on the basketball court with eight boards.","_player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":6,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65bfbce739ff0"} /-->