Week Two’s Standout Sleeper Prospects

<p>With week two of the high school basketball season wrapped up, I take a look back at some of the top under-the-radar prospects I saw play throughout the week!</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="774852" first="Jack" last="Hernandez"] (6’9 2021 C, Hopkins)- </strong>It’s rare to see someone go from playing JV to starting on the #1 ranked team in Class AAAA, but that’s exactly what Jack’s work ethic has led to. One of those players who’s always giving 100% and is a positive teammate to have, Jack showed off his tough around the rim and even knocked down a three on his way to 11 points. He did a good job of scoring off the pick &amp; roll, and even made some nice high-low passes to cutting teammates around the rim. With his energy on the defensive end and high IQ on the offensive end, he’ll play a key role for Hopkins as they look to make a run at a state title.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="957203" first="Dewayne" last="Thompson"] (6’ 2021 G, Tartan)- </strong>Going up against a tough South St. Paul team, Dewayne made an impact on both ends of the floor with his quickness and intensity. In both transition and half-court he simply found ways to get to the rim where he could finish at full speed or pull-up for a floater. One play that really stood out saw him score on one end of the floor, then sprint back on the defensive end to block an attempt at the rim. He finished with 23 points on the night proving he can go up against any guard in the conference.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="958742" first="Terrence" last="Brown"] (5’11 2022 PG, Columbia Heights)- </strong>Now taking on a key role for one of the more talented teams in Class AAA, Terrence controls the tempo for his team. He scored an efficient 7 points by taking smart, high percentage shots and knocking them down at a high rate. His passing vision led to him finishing with 7 assists, as he was able to get into the lane and dump it off to a teammate around the basket, or make a quick swing pass on the perimeter to find one of his shooters. Brown handled the ball well under pressure, and ran the offense with the poise of a true point guard. I also liked the way he competed on the defensive end and fought through screens.</p> <p><strong>Morgan Moore (6’4 2021 SF, Maple Grove)- </strong>Morgan Moore has quietly been putting up strong numbers for Maple Grove, averaging 15 points and 10 rebounds to start the season. At 6’4 he has some solid length and athleticism on the wing, and he does some damage in the paint. He’s a high effort player who crashes the boards for rebounds in bulk, and does an exceptionally good job of creating second chances for his team. Against Osseo he just kept on finding space around the rim for open looks, and he finished them off at a high rate as he went for 19 points in a win.</p> <p><strong>Terrence Roberts (5’9 2022 PG, Holy Angels)- </strong>One of the top performers from a game against Columbia Heights featuring a lot of talent, Terrence impressed with his shifty handle and ability to create his own shot off the dribble. He’s a really quick player who changes his pace well to either create space for a pull-up, or blow by his man to get to the rim. Terrence utilizes a floater to score over size, and showed no fear absorbing contact as he went up to finish. One play that really stood out was his confidence pulling down a rebound, then posting up an opposing point guard 2 inches taller than him, using his physicality to back him down before elevating to finish.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="958668" first="Aj" last="Burns"] (6’1 2022 W, Tartan)- </strong>I really liked [player_tooltip player_id="958668" first="Aj" last="Burns"]’ defensive versatility due to his quickness at 6’1 plus his long arms allowing him to guard a handful of spots. Against a South St. Paul team without much length, AJ could be used to guard the 1-5 with effectiveness. He protected his rim with the length on one end, and offensively he was a threat to get to the basket where he could glide to the rim and finish. He finished with 12 points providing effort and production on both ends of the floor.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="957232" first="Elijah" last="Williams"] (6’1 2021 G, Columbia Heights)- </strong>Elijah was one of the top scoring threats in a talent-filled matchup against Holy Angels, and he was arguably the most efficient player in the whole game. He’s so crafty in the lane and is able to get to the rim in a variety of ways in the half-court, or attack under control in transition. Elijah attacks with patience and uses change of speed to get into the lane where he can score with touch. I was also impressed with his ability to knock down the mid-range shot with consistency on his way to 19 points in a win.</p>