Breakdown Sports Fall League: Top Role Players (Week 1)

The Breakdown Sports Fall League kicked off its four week season this past weekend, and Northstar Hoops was there to catch some of the action. The league is filled with some of the state's elite talents, but which of the lesser known prospects excelled in their roles? NHR dishes out seven names worthy of recognition. Al Flemming (6'4 2021 F, Cretin-Derham Hall)- A major sleeper prospect in the 2021 class, Flemming came off the bench for CDH and made an impact with his shooting range. He saw minutes sparingly at the varsity level last year, and looks ready to take on a bigger role now as a junior. A long and lanky wing-forward, Flemming has a high release on his shot that makes it hard to defend, and he knocks them down from deep at a consistent rate. Look for him to come off the bench for the Raiders this year and make an impact with his shooting and his length on the defensive end. DeMeiko Anderson (6' 2022 G, Minneapolis North)- DeMeiko is part of a very talented 2022 class, and the sophomore guard will likely carve out a role for himself off the bench this season. He is a lanky player and he provided a scoring spark for North against Minnetonka. Coming off the bench, Meiko showed off his shooting touch from distance, knocking down a couple of threes. With a dominant big man, and a handful of guards that all excel at scoring around the rim, DeMeiko's shooting touch will be called upon to add some versatility to the North offense, and open up space for the rest of the team to get to the hoop. Jalen Cain (6'1 2023 G, Minnetonka)- Though right now he is simply carving himself out a role for Minnetonka's varsity squad, Jalen Cain is a name to know for the future. Jalen was in the secondary lineup for a Minnetonka team that subbed 5-in and 5-out in equal intervals, and he performed well in the time he got. During his time on the floor he knocked down a corner three, and had a crafty lay-up on the baseline for an and-one. Though those were his only two buckets during the game, he showed off advanced ability to get to the rim off the dribble, and has a bit of flair on a team that was very fundamentally sound. Jalen could find himself acting as a scoring spark off the Minnetonka bench this winter. Malcolm Jones (6'7 2022 PF, Prior Lake)- Malcolm Jones is another prospect who could develop into a really good player as an upperclassmen, but for now he's looking to excel as a secondary big alongside Dawson Garcia. Against Park Center Malcolm finished his chances around the rim with efficiency, even knocking down a baseline jumper to go along with the post finishes. A strong-framed 6'7 forward, Malcolm ran the floor exceptionally well for a young player of his size, which led to some easy buckets for himself, as well as some assists to his teammates in the open floor. His presence inside gives Garcia the freedom to roam around the perimeter, and on the defensive end he can also be used to help keep Garcia out of foul trouble when defending a dominant big man. He won't be the main guy for Prior Lake just yet, but Malcolm Jones did a lot of the dirty work to help Prior Lake take down Park Center. Josh Lewis (6' 2020 G, Park Center)- Park Center may have the deepest group of guards in the state, and among that depth is senior Josh Lewis. Josh's efforts aren't something that will show up in the box score, but he makes an impact in the outcome of any game he's in. Over two games against Cretin-Derham Hall and Prior Lake, Josh was the guy picking up opposing point guards full-court, and making them work every possession. Even when he's not coming up with steals, he's a constant pest on defense that helps to disrupt the opponents offense. On the offensive end he didn't score a whole lot, but had a few strong takes to the hoop that resulted in buckets. Hezekiah Iyawe (6'5 2020 F, Robbinsdale Armstrong)- Hezekiah is an ultimate glue guy for Armstrong. He brings them size, energy, and is willing to do the dirty work on both ends for a team that lacks in star power, but consistently competes with top teams. Like most guys on this list, Hezekiah wasn't putting up huge numbers, but he made the most of his chances to finish around the basket. He also made the most of his size and long arms to pull in rebounds in bulk. Hezekiah constantly beats his man up the floor on both ends, a testament to his hard working nature, and dove on the floor multiple times for loose balls. Jack Tauer (6'2 2021 G, Cretin-Derham Hall)- Speaking of glue guys, Jack Tauer was doing a bit of everything for CDH against Park Center. Despite not being the quickest of players, Jack's effort and understanding of defensive positioning allowed him to poke a few balls free for turnovers on defense. On offense he was able to exploit gaps in the defense, maneuvering his way through the lane for two finishes at the rim. He didn't knock down any of his attempts from outside, but he's a guy that CDH can rely upon to hit the open jumper. The Raiders were missing a few key pieces, so it's hard to know exactly how he'll fit into the rotation come winter, but he looks ready to provide crucial minutes for a top-5 level team in Class AAAA.