Twin Cities Team of the Week: Week 3

From breakout performances to known names putting up big numbers, Prep Hoops details 10 standouts from week three of the high school basketball season in the Twin Cities! Drew White (6'5 2020 W, St. Paul Washington)- Washington is still trying to figure out their team success, but for now Drew White has been putting up some big numbers to help keep them competitive. Though Washington suffered two losses last week, White has been proving himself as a big time player. With performances of 39 and 28 points, White is proving himself as a consistent scoring threat. He has a nice pull-up jumper, but excels at getting to the rim and using his physical attributes to finish. Drew is a sleeper prospect to watch in the City Conference this year. Elvis Nnaji (6'7 2022 F, Hopkins)- With Kerwin Walton sitting out against St. Louis Park, Elvis Nnaji stepped up to help Hopkins get the win, leading the way with 15 points. Those aren't huge numbers, but when you consider that Nnaji scored 15 points combined in his first three games, it was a breakout performance from the promising forward. Elvis followed that up at the Southside Showcase, once again scoring 15 to lead Hopkins past Nicolet. He scored in a variety of ways including a mid-range jumper, attacking off the dribble, and finishing above the rim in transition. These two breakout performances helped Hopkins pick up crucial victories, and could be a sign of more consistent performances to come from Elvis Nnaji. Shaheed Muhammad (5'11 2020 G, North St. Paul)- North St. Paul continued their juggernaut of a schedule, dropping two games to tough opponents, but Shaheed Muhammad put the metro area on notice with his electric scoring ability. Against Minnehaha Shaheed refused to back down, scoring 37 points while knocking down 10 threes. He was creating off the dribble or finding space to shoot off the ball, and his high arcing shot was hitting at a high rate. He followed up that performance by scoring 18 points in a tough fought battle against Edina. Jack Janicki (2023 G, White Bear Lake)- Jack Janicki is just a freshman, but is already contributing at a high level for a rebuilding White Bear Lake squad. They lost a lot of talent, but Jack is looking to help keep them competitive in the SEC. Last week he helped lead WBL to a 1-1 record, scoring 23 in a win over Roseville, and 22 in a loss to East Ridge. The smooth lefty guard has the ability to stretch the floor and knock down outside shots for his team, but can also attack the basket and get to the free throw line. He's one of the talented freshmen who played with DTA this past summer. Willie Wilson (6'2 2022 G, Minneapolis North)- North has dropped two games already this season, so Willie's presence in two games last week helped them grab two wins that will be key to their confidence moving forward. The smooth scoring guard put up 24 points against Minneapolis South, helping North grab their first win of the year. He followed that up with 18 in a rivalry win against Patrick Henry. With Willie playing like this, he makes North a tough team to beat. His jump shot has continued to grow in consistency, he can create for himself off the dribble, and he's a crafty finisher around the rim. Iggy Ejiofor (6'4 2020 W, Irondale)- Iggy is a guy we've known as a freak athlete and dunk contest extraordinaire, but he's starting to come into his own as a scorer this season. Last week Irondale split two games, and in the win over Forest Lake it was Iggy who led the way with 22 points. He followed that up with 19 points in a tight loss to Woodbury. Iggy is a pure hustle player who competes every second on the floor, and that leads to a lot of second chance points in the paint. He's also explosive to the point that Irondale can run set plays to set up him for an alley-oop on a backdoor cut. His pure athleticism makes him a dangerous player, and he's starting to put some production behind the potential. Reid Patterson (6'2 2021 G, Lakeville South)- Lakeville South is off to a strong start this season, and Reid Patterson is an important figure in that success. In a win over a talented Totino-Grace squad, Reid paved the way with 25 points on the night. That was followed by 19 points in a two point win over Woodbury. Reid is a sharpshooting lefty who is extremely dangerous beyond the arc, but is also so crafty attacking the basket. His change of pace when attacking makes him a difficult guard, and he has a soft touch with the left to finish. Dewayne Thompson (5'11 2021 G, Henry Sibley)- In one of the most electric scoring performances of the season so far, Dewayne Thompson exploded for 41 points! More important than the individual success? Those 41 points came in a 66-65 win over St. Louis Park, Henry Sibley's only win of the season so far. Dewayne later scored 28 points against St. Francis, though Henry Sibley ended up losing 61-59. At 5'11 he won't be the biggest guard on the floor, but he's more than capable of letting his big game speak for itself. Adam Biewen (6'5 2020 F, Robbinsdale Armstrong)- Armstrong pulled off two big wins last week, and Adam Biewen was spearheading the attack in both. Against Minnetonka, Biewen finished with 20 points, while facing off against a couple of talented forwards on that Tonka squad. Later in the week they pulled off an upset win over Champlin Park, and Biewen had another solid game finishing with 15 points. Adam is coachable, a tough defender, and mobile for his size at 6'5 making him versatile enough to play in the paint or on the wing. Biewen is also a good three point shooter which can create some mismatches due to his size. Essay Hagos (6'3 2020 G, Concordia Academy)- Essay Hagos has been putting up big numbers all year, and last week was no exception. In wins against Providence Academy and St. Paul Academy, Essay scored 33 and 28 points respectively. He has nice size at the guard spot and a frame that translates to the next level. Most impressive about his game has been his three point shot. He has a quick release which allows him to get off his shot before a defender can close out, and his range extends to well beyond the three point arc. He's one to keep an eye on as he continues to put up big numbers.