Minnesota Open Period – Future Standouts

<p>I was able to catch three games over the course of this past weekend’s Minnesota Open Period, and these players caught my eye as potential breakout prospects over the next year or two.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="850705" first="Blessed" last="Barhayiga"] (6’9 2022 C, Osseo)- </strong>Though he didn’t play huge minutes for Osseo in their win over Coon Rapids, there’s a lot to like about this intriguing post prospect. He won’t impress with speed or explosiveness, but he moves well for his size and works hard running rim-to-rim. On the glass it’s hard to find someone who outworks him, as he’s constantly fighting to get position and rebounds out of his area. One play that stood out was a quick burst to attack the rebound and snatch it over an opposing player before quickly elevating again to finish at the rim with his off hand. With his effort and raw frame, [player_tooltip player_id="850705" first="Blessed" last="Barhayiga"] has a lot of potential to develop into a standout prospect.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="958660" first="Jaden" last="Wollmuth"] (6’5 2022 PF, Richfield)- </strong>Another 2022 post that caught my eye? That would be [player_tooltip player_id="958660" first="Jaden" last="Wollmuth"] of Richfield. Richfield boasts a well balanced starting five, but Wollmuth made his presence felt with an advanced touch finishing in the paint. He has a big frame that allows him to power through defenders, but also showed some finesse in his game, hitting a soft fade-away jumper from outside the lane for two of his 11 points against Fridley. I liked his patience on the block, and awareness to always go up balanced to complete at a high percentage.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="957228" first="Christian" last="Crockett"] (5’9 2021 PG, Fridley)- </strong>[player_tooltip player_id="957228" first="Christian" last="Crockett"] is a guy who I could see having a breakout senior season. He reminds me a bit of [player_tooltip player_id="721909" first="Jordan" last="Jones"], who averaged 14 ppg as a junior and exploded for 23.3 ppg this past winter as a senior. Christian has a similar frame at 5’9, is ultra shifty handling the basketball, and can pull-up from well beyond the three point line. Finishing with 21 points against Richfield, Christian proved nearly impossible to stay in front as he’s just as quick with the ball in his hands as he is without it.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="962201" first="Maxsamus" last="Wilson"] (6’3 2023 G, South St. Paul)- </strong>A top-5 player in the 2023 class, Maxsamus displayed the traits that make us think he’ll be a dangerous player down the road. Maxsamus has a high level of confidence, and it shows in his three point shot. He has no fear hitting over a closeout, and knocks down his jumper off the catch or bounce. Perhaps what makes Maxsamus special was his advanced passing vision, and ability to put the ball exactly where it needs to go. He was hitting defenders off cuts, penetrating and kicking out to shooters, and launching deep outlet passes to teammates streaking up the floor all game long against Kasson-Mantorville. An exciting young guard talent.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="850720" first="Don" last="Ferguson"] (6’ 2022 G, Osseo)- </strong>Another promising piece in Osseo’s loaded 2022 core, [player_tooltip player_id="850720" first="Don" last="Ferguson"] has a great feel for the game at a young age. He’s known as a deep shooting threat offensively, but what caught my eye against Coon Rapids was the effort he played with on the defensive end. Ferguson was picking up his man immediately at the half court line, and earned a five second call isolated on the opposing point guard. That defensive effort matched with his shooting touch and ability to get to any spot on the floor with his handle make him a player to watch his next two seasons.</p> <p><strong>M.J. Galimah (6’1 2022 G, Coon Rapids)- </strong>Currently unranked, M.J. Galimah looks like a prospect who could see his stock rise over the next 12 months. One of the fastest players I’ve seen in the 2022 class, Galimah made his presence felt in transition with the ability to beat defenders up the floor and finish at the rim. From what I saw against Osseo, he’s at his best attacking the basket to score or find an open teammate in the paint, and is such a smooth athlete going up to finish. He finished below his average with 7 points on the night, but the physical attributes and finishing abilities of M.J. Galimah make him a name to know down the road.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="958679" first="Mitchell" last="January"] (6’ 2022 G, Richfield)- </strong>Another consistent contributor for Richfield, [player_tooltip player_id="958679" first="Mitchell" last="January"] had a solid performance against Fridley, finishing with 9 points in the win. Mitchell showed elite speed darting up the floor in transition and is an unselfish passer when he turns the corner and gets in the lane. He has a crafty finishing ability once he gets inside, but also showed the stroke to knock down open three pointers. A really quick guard who plays with intensity on both ends.</p>