Fall Premier League Week 1 Standouts

STOUGHTON -- The 2019 Fall Premier League kicked off Wednesday night from SEA Facilities. Who stood out during Wednesday's action?   Benjamin Davis - 2020 - PG - Madison West Davis is a fun player to watch and someone that probably needs to be ranked by the end of the season. He's only about 5-foot-10, but Davis possesses a lot of speed and elusiveness with the ball in his hands. Davis did a great job of breaking down defenders, getting into the teeth of the defense, and then dropping dimes to his teammates. Loved the way Davis could look off defenders as well and then hit the opposition with no-look passes the other way. Derik Gray - 2020 - PG - Madison La Follette Gray got to the rim at will on Wednesday. The senior guard displayed terrific touch in the paint, particularly on his floater when shot blockers came over to try and impact his attempts. Gray is a fluid athlete that can get up and down in transition. Also a two-way player, Gray defended very well had a number of occasions in which he turned defense into offense on the other end. With La Follette losing two of its top three players from last season, Gray is one reason why the Lancers won't fall off as much as people think. Adam Larson - 2021 - F - Fennimore Larson has some of the better upside in the 2021 class. A 6-foot-8 sharpshooter that also has a lot of bounce, Larson is just a walking highlight. The Fennimore forward had some big dunks at the rim on Wednesday, taking people off the dribble and throwing down with authority. Larson can also get out and run the open floor and be a factor in transition. In the half court, Larson is a terrific pick n' pop 3-point shooter who can also score with a face-up game from beyond the arc as well. While he's a lanky prospect that needs to add on weight, Larson is a factor defensively, especially as a weak-side shot blocker. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Adam Larson put on a show on opening night of <a href="https://twitter.com/FallPremier?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FallPremier</a>.<a href="https://twitter.com/Adam_4_larson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Adam_4_larson</a> <a href="https://t.co/Pzxo4JkvPV">pic.twitter.com/Pzxo4JkvPV</a> — Prep Hoops Wisconsin (@PrepHoops_WI) <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepHoops_WI/status/1177284953480093697?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 26, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Cyrus Lashore - 2020 - SG - Madison La Follette The biggest surprise during Wednesday's action with Lashore. The senior guard wasn't an impact player for the Lancers last season, but looks like he could be a prospect that could open eyes in the Big Eight Conference this season. Lashore was dominant in isolation settings. A silky smooth guard with shot creating ability, Lashore pulled defenders away from the rim and just went to work. The 6-foot-2 guard has an excellent pull-up and fall away game and drilled tough shots all day long. Also a plus finisher at the rim, Lashore adjusted well to avoid shot blockers and put home some tough, off-balance layups. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Cyrus Lashore was unstoppable on opening night of <a href="https://twitter.com/FallPremier?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FallPremier</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/Cy_showtime?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Cy_showtime</a> <a href="https://t.co/IEQPZahSzA">pic.twitter.com/IEQPZahSzA</a> — Prep Hoops Wisconsin (@PrepHoops_WI) <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepHoops_WI/status/1177271287254851586?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 26, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Carson Leuzinger - 2022 - G - Monroe Leuzinger might play with two of the state's top prospects, but he has a chance for a breakout year. The 5-foot-11 guard is very skilled and smooth on the ball. One of the better shot creators in his class, Leuzinger was fantastic off the bounce, often going to a sweeping crossover that left defenders stuck in the mud. Leuzinger can play either guard spot, but he's a kid you want scoring the basketball. With maybe the best mid-range game in his class, Leuzinger is deadly when he pulls up from around 12-18 feet and gets great lift on his shot. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Carson Leuzinger is too smooth.<a href="https://twitter.com/leuzing12?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@leuzing12</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/FallPremier?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FallPremier</a> <a href="https://t.co/QlajTAAEt5">pic.twitter.com/QlajTAAEt5</a> — Prep Hoops Wisconsin (@PrepHoops_WI) <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepHoops_WI/status/1177606001895378944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 27, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Jake Martin - 2021 - C - Whitewater Martin is starting to come along nicely as a prospect. One thing you can't teach is size and Martin (6-11) has plenty of it. This off-season, Martin has done a great job of figuring out his roles on the floor and trying to dominate in them. The junior center sticks that big frame under the rim and hunts offensive boards. Martin has also gotten much better in the post and was fantastic and sealing defenders in no man's land under the rim. Martin needs to finish better in traffic, but does have a soft touch around the rim. With his massive size, there are just certain matchups defensively that Martin can't handle, specifically opposing bigs that force him to play away from the rim. But teams who need a traditional center and an imposing force inside should start taking a look here as Martin has made some solid progress over the last six months. Cade Meyer - 2021 - PF - Monroe Still feel good about Meyer in the No. 2 spot. Granted, he wasn't facing anybody in the post that was anywhere near his skill level, but the Monroe standout just continues to get better and better and expand his game in a hurry. Meyer was scoring from all three levels on Wednesday and was much better as a face-up scorer and post-up prospect than we'd seen previously. The 6-foot-8 forward was also killing opponents from 3-point range and looks extremely confident as a shooter. Would like him to be more active as a rebounder and shot blocker given his size and athleticism as Meyer is a state high jump champion. It may take until the spring, but the high major offers will come. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"> 2021 Cade Meyer dominated opening night of <a href="https://twitter.com/FallPremier?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FallPremier</a>. Offers from Green Bay and Milwaukee. <a href="https://t.co/KqWCp1b5v8">pic.twitter.com/KqWCp1b5v8</a> — Evan Flood (@Evan_Flood) <a href="https://twitter.com/Evan_Flood/status/1177250927574749199?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 26, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Lance Nelson - 2021 - G - Monona Grove Monona Grove will have a complete makeover from last season. Expect Nelson to be one of the bigger breakout performers in the Badger South, given that there's a lot of people that just don't know about him yet. A skilled, high-IQ guard, Nelson makes the right basketball play almost every time down the floor. He's a pass-first guard, but can definitely create his own offense. Nelson has a terrific step-back jumper that he probably doesn't use enough. Nelson can shoot from the outside and take the ball strong to the basket. He's probably more suited for the point guard and playmaking seems to come to him more naturally, but Nelson looks like a player who can potentially carry a team and orchestrate the entire offensive flow. Jackson Noll - 2020 - PG - Cuba City If your hand is down, you've already lost as a defender. Noll can hit shots from the hallway if you give him room and all but did that on Wednesday. It's obvious that Noll is a gym rat. At 5-foot-10, he's learned to compensate for any height deficiencies and is very confident in what's he's doing offensively. He's always been a shooter with extended range, but Noll continues to add more to his game. In the spring/summer, we saw the improved handles and break you down ability. Noll has figured out that defenders are going to sit on his left hand. He's showing more willingness to drive right and shoot with the ball starting in his off-hand, which can be uncomfortable for a lot of players. We also saw more of his in-between game on Wednesday. Rather than trying to challenge shot blockers or get caught under the rim, Noll had a feathery touch some floaters from a few feet out. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"> Jackson Noll opening night highlights from <a href="https://twitter.com/FallPremier?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FallPremier</a>.<a href="https://twitter.com/jackson_noll?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jackson_noll</a> <a href="https://t.co/R8ERZ3g9JM">pic.twitter.com/R8ERZ3g9JM</a> — Prep Hoops Wisconsin (@PrepHoops_WI) <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepHoops_WI/status/1177618068954071046?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 27, 2019</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Isaiah Stewart - 2020 - G - Madison La Follette Stewart looks a lot more athletic and explosive than he did a year ago. The senior guard was all gas and no brakes during Wednesday's action. As soon as he came into possession of the basketball, Stewart was looking to make something happen. When defenders tried to cut him off or impede his progress to the rim, Stewart left them in the dust with euro-steps or hesitation dribbles. Also a standout defender, Stewart locked up really well and created a handful of turnovers. Jaxson Zibbel - 2021 - G - Waunakee We didn't know about Zibbel heading into Wednesday, but he's certainly a prospect that could help change Waunakee's fortunes next season. The lefty can absolutely shoot the rock. Zibbel got hot and stayed hot, and it didn't matter where he was shooting from. Zibbel also has an extremely quick stroke which he was able to get off even when defenders crowded him. While he is a sniper, Zibbel is tougher in the paint than expected. He took advantage of over-aggressive defenders by putting his head down and getting to the rim, where he was able to finish off some off-balance layups against contact.