Week Six’s Standout Prospects

Max Wagner January 12, 2021 @ 10:08 AM

With week six of the high school season wrapped up, I take a look back at some of the top performers I saw play. All seven players on this list I saw play either in-person or on film. Devin Griffin (5’11 2022 PG, Westosha Central)- Once again being recognized for his play this season, Devin impressed in a big win over Elkhorn. He continues to produce on the offensive end in an efficient manner, using his chance of pace to get into the paint where he’s shown to be a crafty finisher. Devin does such a good job of reading his defender, and then making smart decisions with the ball based on what’s given to him. He’s also a gifted passer who makes the simple passes, but can also thread the needle for difficult passes that lead his teammates to the basket for easy buckets. Finished with 23 points and 5 assists in a win for Westosha Central. [player_tooltip player_id="879981" first="Kamari" last="McGee"] (6’ 2021 PG, Racine St. Catherine’s)- One of the top floor generals in the state, Kamari proved to be too much for Dominican in St. Cats’ big win on Thursday. At the high school level he’s simply too physical in the paint for most players to handle, finishing through contact with ease around the rim. He also showcased his shooting range, knocking down a high percentage of his threes. Due to his quick first step, defenders are forced to choose to play him tight to take away his shot, or sag off to protect the rim, making him a difficult matchup. Kamari was also providing defensive intensity as well on his way to 26 points and 7 rebounds. [player_tooltip player_id="994392" first="Marcell" last="Drone"] (6’6 2021 PF, Sheboygan South)- One of the more under-the-radar forwards in the 2021 class, Marcell had a strong senior debut last week. Marcell has nice length, and is a strong and athletic player who can dominate in the paint. Offensively Marcell was facing constant double and triple teams, as De Pere made it their focus to stop him from scoring. Marcell still managed to power through those defenders for some difficult finishes, and also impressed by attacking off the dribble from the wing. Defensively he showed great timing to contest/alter shots in the paint, and came up with two big blocks as well. He also dominated on the glass, high pointing the ball and securing it. Marcell finished with 21 points and 8 rebounds on the game. [player_tooltip player_id="801135" first="Steven" last="Clay"] (6’5 2022 W, Menomonee Falls)- Menomonee Falls is one of the hottest teams in the state right now, and it was [player_tooltip player_id="801135" first="Steven" last="Clay"] who had a big game to help them take down Brookfield Central. The long and versatile wing was scoring the ball at a high level, leaking out in transition for some explosive finishes while also attacking the basket to score in the half-court. Steven added in a deep three, and a difficult mid-range shot coming off a spin move to help him finish with 29 points in the win. One of the top 2022 prospects in the state. [player_tooltip player_id="988981" first="Landon" last="Van Calster"] (6’6 2022 W, Freedom)- Was my first time watching Landon play with his high school team, and came away impressed as he helped them pull off a win against Martin Luther. At 6’6 he has more size than most wings at this level, and he used that size advantage to put together some impressive passes over the top of defenders. Although it isn’t fully reflected in his assist numbers, Landon was constantly making the extra pass for an open look, and was constantly setting his teammates up with clean looks. Landon was also a threat from deep, knocking down 3-4 attempts from range, and shooting an efficient 6-8 overall from the field on his way to 18 points. He also came up clutch down the stretch, with a key steal and lay-up, as well as icing the game at the free throw line. [player_tooltip player_id="804898" first="Brandin" last="Podziemski"] (6’6 2021 SG, St. John’s NW Academies)- The nationally ranked prospect put up some ridiculous numbers in a blowout win over Kenosha Christian Life on Saturday. Brandin was putting on a show in transition, finishing above the rim, weaving through defenders to get to the basket to score, and dishing off some no look passes to his teammates. He also shot the ball consistently from beyond the arc. Defensively he racked up a total of 9 steals, and had a few highlight plays swatting opponents’ shots off the backboard. Finished with 39 points, 9 steals, 7 assists, and 7 rebounds. Austin Balck (5’11 2021 PG, Freedom)- A deep sleeper in the 2021 class, Austin impressed with his ability to handle the ball and dish out assists in a win over Martin Luther. Austin was a very deceiving ball handler, able to lull his defender to sleep and then crossover and accelerate the other direction to get to the rim. He showcased an impressive lay-up package as he finished in a variety of ways, including a high arcing floater to finish over size. I really liked his ability to get into the lane and look-off the help defender before dishing it off to an open teammate at the rim. His timing on his passes was perfect, as he was constantly hitting his teammates in perfect stride to the rim. Austin put up 12 points and 8 assists in the win.