Las Vegas Meet Minnesota! – 5 Players to Watch
Minnesota teams have historically made long tournament runs in Las Vegas and this year opportunity is everywhere as the 17U teams make their final run.
There are 22 teams from Minnesota playing in 17u events out in the desert and these are teams that will draw college coaching crowds. Who do we think could put together a big run? Here are some names to watch:
D1 Minnesota: Jamison Battle
If you look at twitter you will have noticed that Battle has built himself double figure options at the D1 level. Teams need confident shooters and a player like Battle at 6-foot-8 is unique. It also helps that Jamison had one of his best games as a 17u player when D1 Minnesota took the Compton Magic to overtime in New York and lost. Battle and D1 Minnesota crushed Under Armour squad G3 Grind 88-53 last night in the Las Vegas Summer Showcase and today they face Team Eleate and Hoop City Elite who has Trendon Watford and James Wiseman.
The Battle Offer List: San Diego, George Washington, Lehigh, Wofford, Northern Kentucky, Air Force, Milwaukee, Canisius, Montanta
Howard Pulley: Courtney Brown
The Panthers don’t tip off for the first time until around 7pm tonight and their Vegas Classic schedule is against beatable opponents Shooting Stars Red, Cali Elite, and FOH Seattle. This will be an important run for Courtney Brown who this week picked up scholarship offers after giving Pulley double figure numbers in the KC Hardwood Classic. Long and athletic? Yes. Quick Bounce to make plays? Yep. High effort guy? His D and rebounding speak for itself. Skills? I will say it again, the three point percentages in EYBL and this summer stack up well.
The Brown Offer List: Nebraska-Omaha, Denver, Western Illinois, Milwaukee, Drake, North Dakota
Minnesota Fury: Cole Nicholson
Cole scored 23 a game as a junior leading his high school well past what anyone expected them to do this winter. Now the 6-foot-4 power wing wants to continue to build options for his future with a strong final run in Vegas. The Minnesota Fury are playing their first game now as we speak against Tom Cruise and the Houston Top Guns. Tomorrow they face the Southern California All Stars and FBC Perris. Cole will have his chance to show D1 schools that his combo of strength and skill produces consistent results.
The Nicholson Offer List: Minnesota State-Moorhead, Winona State, Minnesota-Duluth, Missouri Western
Minnesota Comets: Isaac Fink
All right schools, it’s time. Isaac is coming off a very, very good week playing in front of several college coaches at the NY2LA Summer Jam and we are looking at him to maybe be that next guy to get a D1 offer in Minnesota. Fink shot the ball very well in Milwaukee leading the Comets in scoring six different times. Games of 24, 23, 27, 16 and others versus a solid schedule. The Comets have already played twice beating Saints Basketball by 14 and KDC International by 26. They face the Bahamas Jaguars tomorrow morning.
The Fink Offer List: Minnesota-Duluth, St. Cloud State, Sioux Falls, Augustana, Minnesota State-Moorhead, Northern State
Minnesota Select: Malik Willingham
Malik is my pick for the best player in Minnesota without a scholarship offer. He’s a Waseca shooting guard that has put up monster numbers consistently who sees the play well off the pick and roll and shoots the snot out of the ball. Type of guy that hits 5-6 threes regularly in a game. People say, “is it grades” and I’m told that’s not a concern so, it’s time for this young man to earn some opportunity! Select one by a point this morning over Iron Athletics and now they face A-Train Magic tonight.