Hidden Gems: Metro East

<p>As the season approaches, preview content begins to escalate for the 2019-20 hoops campaign.</p> <p>We’ll continue this series called Hidden Gems by naming one sleeper prospect from each team, conference by conference. Who is poised for a big season with new responsibilities? NHR details an up-and-comer from every angle, today in the Metro East.</p> <p><strong>Hastings: Colby Zak, 6-1 G, Sr. </strong>With the top three scorers graduated from the Raider roster, the points need to come from somewhere. Zak has prime position to produce at a higher rate with his experience, having scored about four buckets a game last year in the backcourt. He put together a handful of double digit games in 2018-19 and that could be a precursor to his average this season.</p> <p><strong>Henry Sibley: Dewayne Thompson, 5-11 G, Jr. </strong>Thompson now has his chance to shine after a couple years developing under Coach Carrier as an underclassman. He saw some varsity time last year and now has the ball in his hands more for playmaking opportunities as a speedy lead guard.</p> <p><strong>Hill-Murray: Kenny Larmie, 6-2 G, Sr. </strong>The Pioneers desperately need a boost and there's nowhere to go but up from a 2-22 season. They do return Larmie and Mitch Gutknecht as double figure scorers. Larmie's length on the wing makes him a tough matchup for any defender.</p> <p><strong>Mahtomedi: Cal Greene, 6-5 F, Jr. </strong>I liked what I saw from Greene at the Top 250 Expo last month, physically dominating with his hustle and big body inside for strong buckets. He'll make a strong complement next to paint presence Cole Chapman as a bruiser and offensive rebound putback guy. Expect him to put up a line something like 11/7 as a junior.</p> <p><strong>North St. Paul: Brenden Lankford-Johnson, 6-3 F, Sr. </strong>Maybe I'm stretching here since BLJ is a decently known name around the metro, but I believe we still aren't talking about him enough as a top 2020 in Minnesota. He's managed tons of player types on the court the last few years as a distributor and will continue to do so in what seems to be the big year for the Polars. Wouldn't be surprised if Brenden put up 13/7/5 across the board this season.</p> <p><strong>St. Thomas Academy: Ryan Chamberlain, 6-5 F, Jr. </strong>Another Chamberlain means another long, lanky forward with a knack for being around the ball and having ability to push in transition on a defensive board. Ryan gets a bunch of minutes added to his load with Jack Thompson and his brother Noah moved on. A big uptick in production is on the way.</p> <p><strong>Simley: </strong><strong>Ruot Jioklow, 6-1 G, So. </strong>How come I didn't hear about this youngster last season? Jioklow scored double figures in 21 of 24 games played last season for an average of 16 per contest. Bright future for the combo guard who already stands 6-foot-1. Simley won 10 games last year and can build off that with backcourt partner Breyton Busman.</p> <p><strong>South St. Paul: Marquise Gleb, 6-2 SF, Jr. </strong>Gleb is the highest scoring returner for the Packers at 17 a game and he's just a junior. Coach Matt McCollister will find ways to put him and his teammates in positions to score. That could mean a variety of on-ball and off-ball opportunities with Gleb, Alonzo Dodd and Max Wilson all possessing athleticism and offensive firepower. Gleb can also focus on more than just scoring with the extra support he has on the wings.</p> <p><strong>Tartan: Joseph Kearney, 6-3 G, Sr. </strong>His size immediately stands out, and not only his height but the force at which he drives to the basket makes a difference in his finishing. Kearney has good feel with the ball in his hands and can score with the best of them one-on-one. He rebounds well at his size and makes sneaky plays on defense. He's also become a capable outside shooter. Poised for a big senior year.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>