Midwest Players Classic Prospect Standouts

LA CROSSE -- One of the top in-season events annually in Wisconsin, the Midwest Players Classic returned on Saturday, featuring some of the top teams from around the state...   [player_tooltip player_id="1036734" first="Hunter" last="Hardyman"] - 2022 - SF - Darlington Just think this is still an undervalued prospect in the 2022 class. Hardyman has a lot of value at the Division 3 level given his size, length, and skillset. The 6-foot-4 wing is versatile enough to defend multiple positions. Offensively, he has a bit of an edge and plays well against contact. Hardyman can space the floor as a shooter and do a little bit off the bounce as well. In a one-point loss, Hardyman had a few timely buckets, including a go-ahead 3-pointer and a clutch bucket to pull Darlington within a point late. Kade Gnewikow - 2021 - G - Tomah Gnewikow feels like a prospect that teammates love playing with. He’s always looking to make something happen for someone else, doesn’t make mistakes with the basketball, and can generate easy offense. The lefty started the game out with a 3-pointer and then proceeded to just live at the rim en route to a game-high 17 points. Gnewikow was very in-tune with the game on both ends. He’s constantly moving and always seemed to be in the right position. Kaukauna threw some pressure at Tomah and Gnewikow not only handled it very well, but made the Ghosts pay time and time again. Jordan Hibner - 2022 - W - Monona Grove Wasn’t on our radar prior to Saturday, but Hibner is a prospect that has a chance to be ranked when all is said and done. The junior really impressed as a shot maker in a loss to River Falls. Scoring a team-high 20 points, Hibner just kept Monona Grove around all game long and did it in different ways. Hibner can catch and shoot from the perimeter, score in the mid-range falling away from the basket, and use his strong frame to create some matchup problems down low. Averaging 5.2 ppg last season as a sophomore, we’ll see if Saturday’s performance valts somewhat of a breakout campaign for the 6-foot-3 Hibner. [player_tooltip player_id="804899" first="Zac" last="Johnson"] - 2021 - SG - River Falls Johnson went for 32 points in a win over Monona Grove. The opposition threw a zone at him all day and extended it to try and take the sharpshooter out of the game. It worked in spurts, but Johnson’s ability to stay patient, extend himself beyond the perimeter, and push the tempo at every opportunity in order to not allow the zone to get set up was a difference maker. Johnson also moved really well. At one point River Falls put him in the high post and that allowed the Wildcats to blow the game open, getting Johnson catches in the heart of the defense where he could step into easy 16-foot jumpers. Committed to Division 2 Augustana, Johnson has a chance to have a great career at that level. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"> Augustana commit [player_tooltip player_id="804899" first="Zac" last="Johnson"] scored 32 points for <a href="https://twitter.com/RiverFallsHoops?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RiverFallsHoops</a> in a win over Monona Grove at the <a href="https://twitter.com/MWPlayerClassic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MWPlayerClassic</a>.<a href="https://twitter.com/zacjohnson25?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@zacjohnson25</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/WIPlaymakers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WIPlaymakers</a> <a href="https://t.co/Lz2BtOcIPg">pic.twitter.com/Lz2BtOcIPg</a> — Prep Hoops Wisconsin (@PrepHoops_WI) <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepHoops_WI/status/1350854084446867466?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 17, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Tanner Jones - 2023 - PG - Bangor Jones has a really good feel for the point guard position. A speedy, high-IQ guard, Jones was dishing the basketball at a high level in a win over Somerset. Jones moved the defense with his eyes all day, delivering on-time and on-target no-look passes. He may not take a ton of shots, but Jones plays with such good pace, defenders have to make sure they’re in good guarding position whenever he touches the ball. Jones also rebounds the ball well for his position, looking to gain possession and push immediately off a miss. [player_tooltip player_id="879989" first="Sam" last="Kick"] - 2021 - PG - Onalaska Though Kick was absolutely outstanding on Saturday. Facing one of the top guards in the state, Kick had a dominant game defensively. On the other end, Kick was the main playmaker for the Hilltoppers in a grind-it-out victory. He had a team-high 11 points and a handful of assists. Kick handled on-ball pressure well all game long. He was even able to break down a few good athletes off the dribble and create something going to the rim. Kick understands how to use a screen in the most effective way. He’s always shoulder-to-shoulder with his big and turns that corner hard in order to force the help man to make a decision. An efficient mid-range shooter off the dribble, Kick thrives in that 14-16 foot range. [player_tooltip player_id="879994" first="Carter" last="Lancaster"] - 2021 - SF - Darlington Another strong outing for Lancaster, who has just been extremely consistent over his career. The 6-foot-3 swingman came on late to rally Darlington and help briefly give them the lead with seconds to go. When the game is in the balance, Lancaster just has another gear. He becomes relentless around the rim, whether that’s catching on the block and powering through contact or getting on the offensive glass. Lancaster also dished the basketball really well once again. He’s a terrific decision maker at the high post or on the block where he can survey the floor and find cutters. [player_tooltip player_id="865843" first="Grant" last="Martin"] 2022 - SG - Menomonee Falls Martin gave Falls some nice minutes off the bench. In a defensive slugfest, Martin hit some shots that allowed the Phoenix to stay within striking distance. Onalaska did a great job of taking the stars out of the game. Martin rose to the occasion and generated offense. An undersized sharpshooter, Martin has been playing with a different confidence this season. The junior is a dangerous perimeter shooter who’s also capable of taking advantage of over-aggressive close-outs, getting defenders off their feet, and shooting in the mid-range off the dribble. [player_tooltip player_id="764106" first="Gavin" last="McGrath"] - 2021 - C - Onalaska McGrath did an excellent job of protecting the rim in Saturday’s win over Menomonee Falls. Had the North Dakota commit down for nine blocks in the victory. Anytime the Phoenix went at McGrath, they were seemingly unable to convert with the exception of a late bucket. The 6-foot-10 center timed shots extremely well and didn’t commit fouls, forcing Falls to play from outside the paint all day long. Still a very raw, but potentially promising prospect, McGrath has a lot of room to grow physically. He’s shown in the past to be a quality rebounder on both ends and shows flashes of being able to step away from the rim or score on 1-on-1 on the block on occasion. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"> North Dakota commit [player_tooltip player_id="764106" first="Gavin" last="McGrath"] had himself a block party at <a href="https://twitter.com/MWPlayerClassic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MWPlayerClassic</a>.<a href="https://twitter.com/gavinmcgrath13?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@gavinmcgrath13</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/coachcraigkowal?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@coachcraigkowal</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/WisconsinPGC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WisconsinPGC</a> <a href="https://t.co/AvLdzsnYCE">pic.twitter.com/AvLdzsnYCE</a> — Prep Hoops Wisconsin (@PrepHoops_WI) <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepHoops_WI/status/1351195270906839046?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> [player_tooltip player_id="1117209" first="Quinn" last="Miskowski"] - 2022 - G - Aquinas One of the more skilled small school prospects we’ve seen this season, Miskowski is a nice looking guard. Like the way he comes off screens and sets help defenders up with a hesitation dribble and then hits gaps with a purpose. Miskowski utilizes change of pace really well. Defensively, he displayed some excellent lateral quickness, sliding his feet and closing off driving lanes. Miskowski plays the point for Aquinas, but can shoot it off the ball. Not a guy that needs to take a lot of shots to be effective, Miskowski did an excellent job of drawing defenders and kicking out to open shooters. Melvin Ortiz - 2021 - G/W - Somerset Ortiz has a scoring mentality. Physically, he doesn’t look like a shake and bake player, but Ortiz has a ton of sauce and make-you-miss ability on the ball. The 6-foot-1 senior just toyed with defenders at times, breaking down people with ease and getting to the rim or creating a ton of space for his jumper. Ortiz has a strong frame and is also a physical offensive rebounder. A slasher who can play in traffic, Ortiz finished with a game-high 24 points in a loss to Bangor. Gavin Proudfoot - 2022 - PF - Luther Proudfoot patrolled the paint on both ends of the floor real well against Aquinas. Offensively, the junior forward won early, setting up shop and establishing position before the ball even touched his hands. Proudfoot didn’t do anything flashy, just drop his shoulder into the chest of the defender and finish through contact. Probably went unnoticed, but defensively, Proudfoot made Aquinas play outside the paint. The 6-foot-7 junior was alert and aware, offering weak-side help when his teammates got beat off the bounce. Proudfoot had a game-high 14 points in a low scoring win over Aquinas. [player_tooltip player_id="879988" first="Preston" last="Ruedinger"] - 2021 - PG - Lourdes Academy Was easy to appreciate Ruedinger’s performance on Saturday. The senior guard didn’t shoot the ball as well as he’s capable of, but continued to stick to his guns, not force anything, and let the game come to him. Even without his shot going down, Ruedinger was able to lead Lourdes Academy to a big win over Darlington, dishing out more than a handful assists. When it was time to step up, Ruedinger got to the bucket with 3.1 seconds left to lift the Knights to the win. Ruedinger can put up big numbers without dominating the ball. He’s not a guy that takes a ton of dribbles, but instead plays within the flow of the offense, and works tirelessly off screens. He finished with 18 points in Saturday’s victory. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"> Highlights of 2021 point guard [player_tooltip player_id="879988" first="Preston" last="Ruedinger"] from <a href="https://twitter.com/MWPlayerClassic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MWPlayerClassic</a>.<a href="https://twitter.com/RuedingerP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RuedingerP</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/LAKnightsBB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LAKnightsBB</a> <a href="https://t.co/pNvcDzlalN">pic.twitter.com/pNvcDzlalN</a> — Prep Hoops Wisconsin (@PrepHoops_WI) <a href="https://twitter.com/PrepHoops_WI/status/1350604008117952512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 17, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Bennett Sherry - 2021 - F - Verona Foul trouble erased a potentially strong game for Sherry, but he certainly flashed in a loss to Hudson. The senior has intriguing size at 6-foot-6. Built more like a small forward, but has some unique footwork when he gets around the rim. A lanky prospect who can shoot and put the ball on the deck, Sherry can create matchup problems. Sherry picked up his fourth foul early in the second half, so we didn’t see a ton after he got off to a great start, but he certainly looks like someone that small school programs will want to track this season. [player_tooltip player_id="1037868" first="Carson" last="Sippel"] - 2022 - G - Kaukauna Sippel had some very good moments against Tomah’s zone. Despite the loss, the junior guard looked really good off the dribble, weaving his way through traffic and cutting up the zone like a knife. Sippel had a team-high 16 points in the nightcap and also had two steals defensively. A plus-athlete with plenty of speed on the ball, Sippel thrives in transition on the AAU circuit. It was nice to see him do some new things in the half court and get Kaukauna going at times during a tough offensive night.