Minnesota Open Period - Max's Standouts

I was able to catch three games over the course of this past weekend’s Minnesota Open Period, and these are the prospects who stood out! [player_tooltip player_id="850711" first="Joshua" last="Ola-Joseph"] (6’5 2022 W, Osseo)- In what was likely Josh’s best game of the season, he stole the show against Coon Rapids, finishing with 36 points. One of the top overall prospects in the 2022 class, Josh showcased great movement off the ball, cutting backdoor for good looks around the rim and a handful of alley-oop finishes. He plays so much bigger than 6’5, with an impressive wingspan and explosive leaping, allowing him to pull down rebounds in bunches. Counting offensive rebounds alone he likely had a double-double. One of the most impressive takeaways from this game was Josh’s effort on the defensive end, picking up full court immediately after putting the ball in the hoop. A high ceiling prospect who D1’s will want to keep on their radar. [player_tooltip player_id="774836" first="Lamar" last="Grayson"] (6’ 2021 G, Richfield)- An electric scorer who has seen his stock consistently rising over the past 6 months, Lamar had an impressive game against Fridley. As shifty as they come with the ball in his hands, Lamar was creating good looks with ease on the way to a game high 29 points. He has the explosive first step that allows him to beat the initial defender, and he has no fear going up to finish against size, able to hang in the air and contort his body to finish in creative ways. Off the bounce he gets good elevation on the mid-range jumper allowing him to get off his shot with a hand in his face. [player_tooltip player_id="958636" first="Alonzo" last="Dodd"] (6’2 2022 G, South St. Paul)- Holding an early offer from Morgan State, the electrifying guard out of South St. Paul looked to impress even more low-mid major D1’s against Kasson-Mantorville. Dodd put up 30 points and 5 assists, using his aggressive style of play to weave between defenders, getting to the rim at will. Alonzo is one of the best I’ve seen at being able to draw contact without hindering his ability to finish, and that showed as he was able to go to the line 13 times. With a continuously improving outside jumper and the ability to change speeds in the blink of an eye, Alonzo is nightmare to guard and will be grabbing the attention of scholarship coaches the next two years. [player_tooltip player_id="850721" first="Benard" last="Omooria"] (6’ 2022 PG, Osseo)- Benard is regarded as one of the top point guards in the 2022 class, and for good reason. The lead guard has a great feel for the game, and advanced change of pace that allows him to beat defenders with a simple hesitation move. Though the 8 points he scored against Coon Rapids aren’t eye catching, he displayed the ability to pick his spot and get to it, finishing with a smooth pull-up jumper from mid-range. Benard recognized his team’s size advantage in the paint, and was able to feed his bigs with accurate passes over the top of the defense leading to multiple scores. [player_tooltip player_id="774764" first="Jace" last="Bigelow"] (6’3 2021 G, Kasson-Mantorville)- A lanky guard with great size, Jace displayed a versatile scoring game against South St. Paul that will have Division 2 schools watching him closely. Listed at 6’3 but appearing even taller on the floor, Jace has the length to get up a shot over the closeout, and he knocks down his threes consistently. All game long he did a great job of recognizing where the defender’s momentum was taking him, and using it to blow by his man and get inside. Jace displayed a multitude of crafty finishes around the rim scoring both off the bounce and receiving after a hard cut to the rim. The off-ball movement and ability to score in multiple ways caught my eye over the weekend. [player_tooltip player_id="774874" first="Isaiah" last="Casey Hammond"] (6’7 2021 F, Richfield)- Isaiah is a player whose stock we’ve seen steadily rising, with a unique combination of length, mobility, and effort. Against Fridley the 6’7 junior put all of those traits to good use, fighting and winning the battle for position on the block early and often, leading to quick turns over the left shoulder and soft finishes inside the paint. He won’t wow you with an array of post moves, but he doesn’t need to as he’s so good at establishing position on the block. The soft finishes with the right hand led to 22 points while shooting a high percentage. A forward we could see breakout as a senior. [player_tooltip player_id="774816" first="Marquise" last="Gleb"] (6’2 2021 SF, South St. Paul)- A Swiss army knife type of player, Marquise does so much for South St. Paul, and it showed this past weekend against Kasson-Mantorville. He proved himself as an inside-out scoring threat, finishing around the rim through contact while stepping out and knocking down some outside shots as well. His strong frame allows him to clear out space with a hard box-out and pull in rebounds in bunches, often leading to second chance points on the offensive end. I loved the way he competes on the defensive end, having no problem winning the battle on the block or switching off a screen and guarding a point guard on the perimeter. Marquise is the type of player willing to do anything to help his team win.