Mid-Week Prospect Standouts

<p>After catching three games this week, I take a look back at some of the top performers I was able to catch! The three games I watched were Eastview vs Prior Lake, Cretin-Derham Hall vs White Bear Lake, and Twin Cities Academy vs Minneapolis Edison.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="958669" first="Kenji" last="Scales"] (6’1 2022 PG, Eastview)- </strong>Kenji came into the game against Prior Lake ready to make a statement, and that statement was a 27 point performance in a win. Whether it was playing with or without the ball, Kenji was able to make an impact offensively. He had multiple threes off the catch, curling off screens and getting off a shot with his quick release. Kenji was dangerous attacking from the top of the key and getting into the paint where he could finish on his own, or kick it out to an open shooter. Defensively he sat low in a stance to apply ball pressure, and showed some vocal leadership throughout the game.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="962200" first="Jack" last="Janicki"] (6’4 2023 SG, White Bear Lake)- </strong>Coming off an impressive summer with D1 Minnesota, Jack is now listed at 6’4 and as a sophomore he may already be the most dangerous shooter in the state. Jack has the range and confidence to pull up from NBA range, and he did that multiple times in a win over CDH. His court awareness is advanced for a player his age, and he remained calm under immense pressure, while still being able to create for himself and his teammates. Jack stopped on a dime multiple times in the elbow area before whipping in passes to an open big, and was also able to get all the way to the rim for some finishes in traffic. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="957197" first="Jabari" last="Langley"] (6’2 2021 G, Minneapolis Edison)- </strong>Jabari is one of the top senior prospects in the Minneapolis City Conference, and proved that with 25 points in a win over Twin Cities Academy. He’s a calm and composed guard who excels as a slasher with the ability to finish consistently at the rim. His poise in the paint allows him to go up balanced, and then maintain that balance in air to make difficult finishes look routine. Defensively he picked up opposing ball handlers deep, and was able to make plays moving his feet and playing with active hands. He also found success jumping passing lanes and going coast-to-coast.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="850712" first="Malcolm" last="Jones"] (6’8 2022 PF/C, Prior Lake)- </strong>One of the best interior players in the 2022 class, Malcolm has been a walking double-double this season. That trend continued on Monday as he put up 23 points, 16 rebounds, and 3 blocks. He’s a powerful player in the paint, capable of winning the battle on the block before even receiving the ball, leading to some easy scores. Against Eastview he also showed that he can step out and be a threat beyond the arc, hitting a pair of 3’s. Malcolm also had a nice drive from the top of the key leading to a soft finish at the rim with his left hand.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="958693" first="Carmello" last="McNeal"] (6’2 2022 G, Twin Cities Academy)- </strong>A shifty and skilled 2022 guard, Carmello finished with 25 points last night against Edison. He played with great change of pace, and used a smooth hesitation move to blow by his defender from the wing and get to the rim. Carmello also showed some flashes as a facilitator, getting into the paint for a scoop pass to his teammate, and pulling up from the free throw line to draw up the help defender before zipping a pass to his brother around the rim. McNeal ran with Howard Pulley 15u last summer.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="957196" first="Henry" last="Shannon III"] (6’6 2021 F, Eastview)- </strong>One of the breakout players this season, Henry put up 27 points in a win on Monday. Henry’s potential had been evident over the past years during fall league, but due to an upperclassman dominated team last year, he hadn’t had the chance for extended minutes. This year he was ready to step up, and showcased his ability to dominate from the block with a quick spin move and soft finishing touch leading to multiple scores over size. He also stepped out and knocked down three 3’s in short duration, and also made a mid-range pull-up look routine. Add in his defensive versatility and explosiveness for an open floor dunk, and it’s no surprise that Henry has been hearing from multiple D3 and D2 schools as of late.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="958730" first="Carrington" last="McNeal"] (6’2 2022 G, Twin Cities Academy)- </strong>Like his brother Carmello, Carrington also put up big scoring numbers last night. The junior guard scored a game high 31 points, hitting some extremely tough shots along the way. Carrington is a major threat from mid-range, and knocked down a handful of jumpers while getting fouled on two of them. Carrington was also aggressive in posting up smaller guards, and then showing off his touch with a quick turnaround jumper. His speed in transition proved to be dangerous, and he was able to go up controlled at a fast speed for some tough finishes. Carrington was also a standout for Howard Pulley 15u last summer.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>