Midwest Collision: Wisconsin Preview

<p>With the Prep Hoops Circuit returning to Minneapolis this weekend, Prep Hoops Wisconsin previews the event by listing some teams and prospects to keep an eye on: </p> <p><strong>Teams to watch: </strong></p> <ul> <li><strong>ABC Young Lions Black 17U </strong></li> </ul> <p>This is a squad that has really impressed this summer. A couple of weekends ago at the Midwest Showdown, ABC won the hard work bracket. Led by [player_tooltip player_id="804902" first="Jayden" last="Jackson"], this is a team that could do some damage in Minnesota this weekend. </p> <ul> <li><strong>JH1 Elite 17U </strong></li> </ul> <p>With a couple of sponsored programs participating in this tournament, I would advise you not to overlook JH1 Elite. They don’t have the stars that other teams have, but they still win games. [player_tooltip player_id="880038" first="Sam" last="Ludwig"], Ethan Parker, and [player_tooltip player_id="880007" first="Josh" last="Crubaugh"] will head to Minneapolis with a chip on their shoulders. </p> <ul> <li><strong>Wisconsin Playground Club 17U</strong></li> </ul> <p>A squad that has enough talent to take home a championship this weekend, Playground will look to prove themselves as one of the top squads in the midwest. [player_tooltip player_id="804897" first="James" last="Graham"], [player_tooltip player_id="701965" first="Cade" last="Meyer"], and [player_tooltip player_id="879981" first="Kamari" last="McGee"] have all played well for PGC this summer. </p> <ul> <li><strong>Wisconsin Crusaders AD 15U</strong></li> </ul> <p>This is a very good team that has a chance to impress on a big stage. At the last two Prep Hoops tournaments, [player_tooltip player_id="981201" first="Levi" last="Birkholz"] and Andrew Verhelst have led the Crusaders to some nice victories. </p> <ul> <li><strong>ABC Young Lions Black 15U </strong></li> </ul> <p>The Young Lions were very impressive at past tournaments. [player_tooltip player_id="1018019" first="Amillion" last="Buggs"], [player_tooltip player_id="953956" first="Luther" last="Smith"], and [player_tooltip player_id="963146" first="Logan" last="Arndt"] combine to form a formidable trio. ABC is very capable of making a deep run this weekend. </p> <p><strong>Prospects to watch: </strong></p> <ul> <li><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="804893" first="David" last="Joplin"] -- SF -- D1 Minnesota 17U</strong></li> </ul> <p>Whichever school ends up landing Joplin will get a player with the potential to develop into a star. The 6-foot-7 small forward can score from all three levels, play good defense, handle the ball well, and make explosive plays above the rim. With D1 Minnesota, Joplin has played great this summer. </p> <ul> <li><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="804902" first="Jayden" last="Jackson"] -- SG -- ABC Young Lions Black 17U </strong></li> </ul> <p>It doesn’t matter what situation Jackson is in, he always is doing the right thing. The shooting guard always helps his team win games. Jackson plays hard, takes good shots, and is constantly looking for ways to involve his teammates in the game. If he decides to play basketball in college, Jackson will be a great player</p> <ul> <li><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="880038" first="Sam" last="Ludwig"] -- G -- JH1 Elite 17U</strong></li> </ul> <p>Going up against a loaded PGC 17U team a couple of weekends ago, Ludwig didn’t flinch. The guard went right after the stars of Playground. He is a strong prospect who has no trouble finishing through contact at the rim. His game isn’t flashy, but you have to give the guard a lot of credit. This summer, he has found a way to play productive basketball.</p> <ul> <li><strong style="font-size: 1rem;">[player_tooltip player_id="801141" first="Casey" last="Verhagen"] -- PG -- Wisconsin Playground Club 16U</strong></li> </ul> <p>I really liked how Verhagen played at the Midwest Showdown. As always, the point guard excelled as a floor general. He also played terrific defense, getting multiple steals that led to transition buckets. College coaches need to keep an eye on Verhagen in August. </p> <ul> <li><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="981201" first="Levi" last="Birkholz"] -- SG -- Wisconsin Crusaders AD 15U </strong></li> </ul> <p>Going into the summer, I had never seen Birkholz play. However, after watching him participate in two tournaments, I can now see why he was included in the original 2023 class rankings. Birkholz is an athletic guard who can get buckets from all three levels. If he plays well again, Birkolz's stock will continue to rise. </p>