Rumble Up North Saturday Standouts: 17U Forwards

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Top Teams from all over the country were in the metro area this weekend for the Prep Hoops Rumble Up North. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Here are some of the players who looked good from 17U play on Saturday:</span></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="774858" first="Shane" last="Stevenson"], MN Rise</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Stevenson is an impressive inside-outside forward prospect who has played at a high level over the last two grassroots seasons with a monster junior high school season sandwiched in there. At 6-foot-6, he’s got the kind of ball skills and athleticism that make for a matchup nightmare. He shot it well from the 3-point line Saturday, and when he’s doing that, the opposition is in for a long game because he’s always going to be an impact player attacking the rim and cutting off the ball. </span></p> <p><strong>Jack Leifker, Minnesota Heat - Bohrer</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Leifker was a bright spot for Heat Bohrer Saturday, showcasing excellent defense and solid offensive skills. The Spring Lake Park forward is active and strong on the defensive end of the floor, matching up with opposing big guys and winning with physicality and understanding of leverage. He moves his feet, and does a great job fighting for post position, denying easy passes and pushing guys off their desired spots. He contests well without fouling and has a quick second jump to rebound his area. On the offensive end of the floor, he’s a solid screener, a willing passer and has good footwork in the mid-post to create his own shot. </span></p> <p><strong>Evan Hoy, MN Crossfire - Jorgenson</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hoy was buried behind some talented frontcourt pieces last year with STMA but he played like a guy who wants to see big minutes next winter. He’s 6-foot-7, bouncy, athletic and active on both ends of the floor. There were some moments where he gets a little lost but the effort and energy were consistent and he’s got some tools to make a big impact on both ends of the floor. He scored in the post, showcasing solid footwork and he has the ability to elevate and finish at the rim with ease. On the defensive end of the floor, his mobility allows him to stay in front of smaller guys when he gets switched onto guards, and protect the rim while also potentially altering shots on the perimeter. </span></p> <p><strong>Tarik Lyob, MN Lockdown</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lyob doesn’t have great height or length, but he had a lot of good moments Saturday for MN Lockdown on both ends of the floor. He’s smart on the defensive end of the floor, playing with a great understanding of leverage and how to make opposing offensive players uncomfortable. And he has a sneaky ability to get into the paint off the dribble and either finish over longer guys or find open shooters. </span></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="774748" first="Broden" last="Lien"], D1 Minnesota</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lien plays on a stacked D1 Minnesota squad where he is far from a featured option on the offensive end of the floor - something he’s always been on different teams - so he has to find ways to impact the game without the offensive workload. And he looked great Saturday doing a variety of things to help his team continue to pile up wins. He’s an excellent overall defender, both on his own man - he’s capable of guarding smaller or bigger guys all around - and in help situations. He’s excellent helping and recovering, and rebounding out of his area. Lien still has a diverse offensive game, and he shows it in doses, knocking down perimeter jumpers, getting to the rim off cuts and crashing the offensive glass. </span></p>