Hard Work Finals: Opening Night Standouts

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. -- Standouts from opening night of the Prep Hoops Hard Work Live finals...   Dustin Beauprey - 2021 - PG - Wisconsin Crusaders Beauprey posted 20 points in a blowout win over Minnesota Rise in 16U play. The Mountain Top Christian Academy standout has put on some noticeable muscle since last season and was much more aggressive as an attacker. Beauprey used his added strength well, delivering body blows to defenders and maintaining course going to the rim. Also a strong facilitator, Beauprey dished out a handful of assists. Beauprey displayed outstanding patience in the paint, allowing plays to develop, and finding teammates near the rim for easy buckets. One of the state's top sleepers, Beauprey continues to play well against upper-level competition despite hailing from a small school and cemented his status as a top 40 prospect in the state. Shilo Bowles - 2020 - PF - Wisconsin Rap Bowles may be a kid that ends up going the Prep/JUCO route after high school, but if a small school, perhaps even a Division 2 gets him, it could be a nice steal. Bowles is undersized at 6-foot-5, but has a long, athletic frame, which allows him to play bigger than his size. A glass eater on both ends, Bowles racks up rebounds and kills opponents with second-chance buckets. A kid that can run the floor and also shoot from the outside a bit, Bowles is developing some scary versatility. He led Wisconsin Rap to a win over the QC Ballers with a team-high 16 points. Ryan Claflin - 2020 - F - Wisconsin Crusaders Calflin is only picking up steam this summer. Holding a couple of Division 2 offers, Claflin may not have scored a ton in a win over Michigan Tranzition, but definitely impressed the 10-plus college coaches in attendance. The 6-foot-6 combo forward is extremely aggressive in a variety of areas. He's not the strongest kid on the floor, but constantly battles for rebounds and loose balls and isn't afraid to stick his face in the fan. Offensively, Claflin continues to expand his skillset. He can bring the ball up the floor, hit pick n' pop 3's, and play with his back to the basket a little bit. A prospect we still have underranked, expect Claflin to push for a top 25 spot when the rankings get updated in August. Steven Crowl - 2020 - C - WOTN Crowl scored 15 points on a perfect 6-of-6 shooting as Wear Out the Net picked up an upset victory in the first round. The budding senior forward just had too easy of a time offensively. On the block, he just worked defenders, including a smooth baseline spin that led to a dunk. Crowl was also 2-of-2 from 3-point range and had a couple of impressive transition buckets. Defensively, Crowl protected the rim at a high level and forced the opposition to play from the outside. Holding offers from Colorado, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, Crowl appears to be one of the top hidden gems in the Midwest. Gerald Gittens - 2020 - PG - Wisconsin Rap The Quad City Ballers had no answer for Gittens, who led a second half rally to give Wiscosnin Rap some much-needed breathing room en route to a tighter than expected opening round victory. Gittens went isolation and got to the rim at will against the defense. When help came at the rim, Gittens converted some fancy finishes, hanging and absorbing contact around the rim. Scoring 15 points in the victory, Gittens is still pretty rim oriented with a scoring mindset. He's got some scholarship qualities, especially his athleticism and finishing ability in traffic, but if he can develop a consistent jumper and transition into being more of a floor general, his stock will evlevate in the eyes of college coaches. Jacob Hefle - 2020 - G - Wisconsin Surge Hefle scored 16 points in an easy win over Hustle Hard. Continuing to put up strong numbers in July, Hefle has been one of the bigger sleepers on the Prep Hoops Circuit. He may not look the part, but the the Germantown guard has plenty of game and is gaining confidence. He averaged just under seven points per game last season for the Warhawks, but appears to be in store for a breakout senior season. Hefle contributes a nice blend of scoring and facilitating to the floor and can play either guard spot effectively. While he's a quality decision maker on the ball, Hefle often slides to the wing and can be deadly as a catch-and-shoot presence. John Lovelace - 2021 - SF - ABC Young Lions Lovelace's stock continues to rise. The Tosa East product came out and dominated from the opening tip against North Dakota Phenom, leading the ABC Young Lions to an easy victory. Lovelace scored all 19 of his points in the first half and the game was well over with by that point. A 6-foot-5 junior has intriguing length and bounce, Lovelace is just scratching the surface. His long wingspan allows him to score easily in the paint, even if he's being pushed from the rim. Lovelace can also step out and shoot the basketball from 3-point range and was quite the weapon in transition, out-running defenders to easy buckets. Davonte McAlister - 2020 - G - Wisconsin Starz Elite A kid we didn't know about, but will be a new addition to the rankings in August, McAlister showed some exciting things in a Friday afternoon win over Inspired Athletics. McAlister plays with supreme confidence on the offensive end. A strong and quick guard, McAlister has plenty of shake and explosiveness on the ball to either get to the cup or create space for a jumper off the dribble. Riley Murphy - 2020 - G - Wisconsin Crusaders Murphy got hot at the right time to help the Crusaders advance to the next round. The Seymour native knocked down five triples on Friday, including a few key 3-pointers after halftime to complete the rally. Murphy is only about 5-foot-11, but his unlimited range makes him a threat from just about anywhere on the floor. After a rough first half while being hounded by some physical defense, Murphy did an excellent job of regaining his composure and not letting the lack of fouls calls come his way, frustrate him offensively.