Week Five’s Standout Sleeper Prospects

<p>With week five of the high school season wrapped up, I take a look back at some of the top under-the-radar prospects I saw throughout the week. All prospects listed I was able to watch either in-person or on film.</p> <p><strong>Devin Griffin (5’11 2022 PG, Westosha Central)- </strong>With how well Devin has been playing this winter, he shouldn’t remain under the radar much longer. A traditional floor general, Devin has all of the tools as a facilitator, leader, and defender that coaches love to have in their point guard. Outside of leading his conference in assists, Devin proved that he can score the ball in a win over Kenosha St. Joseph. Devin used his deceptive quickness, handle, and change of direction to attack the basket where he’s a crafty finisher around the rim. Griffin finished with 20 points in the win for Westosha Central.</p> <p><strong>Logan Kowalski (6’8 2021 F/C, Kettle Moraine)- </strong>A nice looking post prospect out of Kettle Moraine, Logan showcased athleticism, footwork, and touch to score around the rim. Logan showed that he has some explosive ability to rise up and finish above the rim, and was also a presence on the glass. Offensively he had the footwork to create his own shot when isolated in the post, leading to some high percentage looks. He also elevated for a nice mid-range jumper on his way to 10 points in a tight loss against Waukesha West.</p> <p><strong>Tommy Tilley (6’ 2021 PG, Whitnall)- </strong>An under-the-radar point guard putting up some solid numbers for Whitnall, Tommy Tilley impressed in a win over South Milwaukee. Tommy is a solid athlete with nice lateral quickness to sit on defense and defend opposing ball handlers, but also uses that quickness and his handle to create when attacking the basket. Tommy finished at the rim consistently, but also used his penetration to draw a help defender and dump it off to an open teammate around the rim. He finished at the rim and knocked down perimeter shots on his way to 21 points on 8-10 shooting from the field.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1111385" first="Peter" last="Skogman"] (6’5 2021 W, Waukesha West)- </strong>Peter came into the game against Kettle Moraine shooting 11/25 from three, and used his length and that shooting ability to make an impact in a win. Peter has some solid mobility for his size, and used that to move off the ball and shoot off the bounce. He was hitting from mid-range and three, and put in an all-around impressive game on his way to 14 points. Peter also hit the biggest shot of the game, a corner three with just a second on the clock to give his team a 58-55 lead for the win.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1036033" first="Vinko" last="Polovic"] (6’7 2021 F, Franklin)- </strong>Vinko got off to an inconsistent start to his senior season, but has appeared to have found a rhythm moving forward. Vinko scored 29 points over two games, shooting 4-8 from three and 11-21 from the field. The lanky forward can play the 3 or the 4 spots due to his length and mobility, and was scoring inside and out throughout the week. He knocked down some catch-and-shoot threes, but was also creating off the dribble and attacking the basket to score in the paint with touch. Vinko has the physical abilities and shooting touch to be a contributor at the next level, and as he becomes more adjusted to an increased role this season, his production should start to reflect that.</p> <p><strong>Ethan Safar (6’2 2021 W, Burlington)- </strong>A key player for a solid Burlington squad this year, Ethan Safar had a strong showing against Racine St. Catherine’s. Ethan is a physical wing who brings a toughness factor to the floor on both ends. He’s able to bang on the block for some tough buckets, but also has a really nice mid-range game that he’s able to get to off limited dribbles. The 6’2 senior ended the game with a team-high 14 points.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="801159" first="Greg" last="Kemp"] Jr. (6’5 2022 F, Menomonee Falls)- </strong>In the two games I saw, Greg did a great job of impacting the game without scoring the basketball. Defensively he’s Menomonee Fall’s biggest player, often tasked with guarding opposing posts with more length than him. Greg did a good job of contesting everything in the paint, going straight up to avoid fouling and often blocking or altering opposing shots. He also put in max effort on the glass on both ends of the floor, ending possessions for the other team while keeping possessions alive for his own. While others may get more credit for putting up big point totals, Greg was also a key reason for Menomonee Falls winning both of their games last week.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="994504" first="Jacob" last="Dietz"] (6’3 2021 W, Neenah)- </strong>In a hard fought battle against Pewaukee, Jacob put in a solid all-around performance. Offensively he finished with 21 points, showing his shooting touch from range but also battling inside for some physical finishes through contact. I also liked his ability to post up smaller guards to score, or be patient and use his vision to find cutting teammates from the block. That vision led to him finishing with 5 assists on the game. A really versatile player, Dietz is averaging a team-high 14.7 ppg for a ranked Division 1 program.</p>