2020 Sleeper Post Prospects

The 2020 class in Minnesota is loaded with quality big men, with the likes of [player_tooltip player_id="532352" first="Dawson" last="Garcia"], [player_tooltip player_id="846104" first="Dain" last="Dainja"], [player_tooltip player_id="846105" first="Ben" last="Carlson"], and [player_tooltip player_id="721823" first="Steven" last="Crowl"] dominating the state this year. But there are also plenty of college prospects flying under the radar. All of these players are ranked outside the top-90 of our 2020 rankings, but have the potential to play at the next level. [player_tooltip player_id="846159" first="Cole" last="Chapman"] (6’10 2020 C, Mahtomedi)- The highest ranked prospect on this list coming in at 97 in our top-250. At 6’10 it’s clear he has the size to play at the next level, with a stronger frame than a lot of players his size. Although he’s not the most skilled big man, Cole has showcased a variety of moves on the block, including a nice up-and-under move that gets defenders jumping. On the other end he’s difficult to move on the block, and is a high effort rebounder. Cole has also shown that he can knock down the occasional outside jumper. [player_tooltip player_id="721953" first="Marcus" last="Brown"] (6’7 2020 PF, South St. Paul)- South St. Paul was much improved this year, and [player_tooltip player_id="721953" first="Marcus" last="Brown"] was their anchor in the paint all year. Though he’s still pretty raw skill-wise, Marcus brings plenty of length and athleticism to the table. He finished the season averaging 9.8 ppg as a cleanup guy inside. He runs the floor well leading to some easy buckets in transition, and is a strong finisher around the rim. With his type of frame, his best basketball lies ahead of him. Riek Riek (6’8 2020 C, Rochester Mayo)- Riek doesn’t boast an impressive statline, but what he does on the court is more than impressive. He’s not an explosive athlete or the most agile big, but he has great hands to catch dump off passes and post feeds, and is a strong finisher inside. He can also knock down mid-range jumpers on the baseline, or step out and knock down threes if you play off of him too much. Riek is a very aggressive rebounder on the defensive end, and he chins the ball hard to secure and maintain possession. Evan Lind (6’7 2020 C, Bloomington Jefferson)- I first saw Evan in fall league action a few months ago, and came away impressed with his athleticism at his size, and his smart shot selection. He doesn’t force much inside, and instead picks his moments to score, leading to consistently high field goal percentages. Lind is strong enough to finish through contact, and fearless when going up to finish (evident by when I saw him nearly put two defenders on a poster off a backdoor cut). He finished his senior year scoring 9.4 points per game, including three games of 22+. [player_tooltip player_id="721919" first="Hezekiah" last="Iyawe"] (6’5 2020 C, Robbinsdale Armstrong)- Hezekiah looks like the type of undersized center that would be a great fit at the D3 level in the local MIAC. He’s an extremely intelligent player and is as hard a worker as you’ll find, absolutely scrapping for loose balls and rebounds on both ends of the floor. Hezekiah runs the floor hard, battles for post position, and is a great finisher going up with his left hand. Iyawe was part of a well-balanced offense at Robbinsdale Armstrong, and managed to average 13.8 ppg as a consistent scoring threat and the main rebounder for his team. [player_tooltip player_id="721884" first="Lukas" last="Dunford"] (6’7 2020 C, Eden Prairie)- Unfortunately Lukas was only able to play in 7 games this season, but what we saw in his limited time on the floor, as well as his AAU time, makes us believe he can compete at the college level. He has the size at 6’7 to translate into the post in college, and is an intelligent and hard working big. He’s not a major scoring threat, though he did score a season high 9 points against an Edina team that features multiple high level post prospects. If you’re looking for a post player that can defend and pull in rebounds, Lukas is worth a look. [player_tooltip player_id="721938" first="Brody" last="Kriesel"] (6’6 2020 F, East Ridge)- [player_tooltip player_id="721938" first="Brody" last="Kriesel"] took a big step forward this season, moving into the starting spot at power forward, and was an impact player all year. He brings energy and intensity to the floor, as well as confidence to score on the offensive end. He averaged 10.6 ppg using a variety of three point makes, open floor scores, and back to the basket finishes. A tremendous compeititor, most of his best games came against the best competition (17 against Minnehaha, 20 against Edina, 18 against CDH). Brody also grabbed about 6 rebounds a game playing alongside [player_tooltip player_id="846105" first="Ben" last="Carlson"].