Max’s Saturday Prospect Standouts

<p>In the first full Saturday of action this season, I was able to watch three games throughout the day. I started off with Eden Prairie vs St. Louis Park, then Bloomington Jefferson vs Wayzata, and finally Minneapolis North vs DeLaSalle. These are seven of the prospects who stood out most!</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1144095" first="Miles" last="Smith"] (6’2 2022 SG, Eden Prairie)- </strong>A player who wasn’t previously on my radar, Miles definitely impressed in an EP win. At 6’2 he has solid positional length, and no shortage of confidence letting it fly from beyond the arc. St. Louis Park was making it a priority to shut down some of EP’s interior scorers, so Miles took over with his ability to score from beyond the arc. The junior lefty knocked down five 3’s, and had another basket attacking from the wing to blow by a bad closeout. Miles finished with a team high 17 points, and has been a double figure scorer this season.</p> <p><strong>Chiddi Obiazor (6’5 2023 SF, Eden Prairie)- </strong>Wasn’t Chiddi’s best scoring performance, but he showed the efficient scoring ability that has him looking like one of the better 2023 wings in the metro. Whether it was off a pick &amp; roll or attacking from the wing, Chiddi got to the rim with ease and he showed a nice understanding of angles to get his shoulder in front of his defender to create clean looks. He has an intriguing blend of strength and agility packed into a 6’5 frame that allows him to operate as a wing or as a post. Chiddi finished efficiently in traffic and elevated for an alley-oop slam on his way to 11 points in a win.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="774739" first="Paris" last="Johnson"] (6’4 2021 SG, St. Louis Park)- </strong>One of the top unsigned two-guards in the 2021 class, Paris is long, athletic, and is a skilled scorer. He’s a major threat from mid-range, and showed that with a dominant first half performance pulling up from 15 feet and hitting consistently. Once Eden Prairie adjusted to that, he started attacking the basket and went coast-to-coast to score on multiple occassions. During the second half he struggled to get clean looks, but still finished with a game high 20 points as he kept his team competitive for the majority of the game.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="850703" first="Camden" last="Heide"] (6’6 2022 W, Wayzata)- </strong>In another win for a red hot Wayzata team, it was [player_tooltip player_id="850703" first="Camden" last="Heide"] who led the way with 20 points. One of the most impressive aspects of Camden’s game was how he didn’t force anything offensively. If he got a steal or leaked out in transition, he used his speed to accelerate to the rim, but also knew when the gaps weren’t there and to initiate the half-court offense. He also shot it efficiently from beyond the arc, making defenders pay for giving him too much space. On the defensive end he’s able to recognize when to elevate and go for a block, or when to stand his ground and take the contact for a charge. </p> <p><strong>Daniel Freitag (6’1 2024 PG, Bloomington Jefferson)- </strong>One of the top defenders I’ve seen in the 2024 class, Daniel is also a key contributor on the offensive end for Jefferson. Defensively he sits low in a stance, moves quick laterally, and has great instincts to pick the right moments to pick his opponent’s pocket and go the other way in transition. He was tasked with guarding a nationally ranked wing, and a scholarship level point guard in the same game, and did a good job with both of them. On the offensive end he handles it well under pressure, has advanced passing vision to make difficult passes look routine, and uses his quickness to get to the rim and finish through contact. Scored 11 points against one of the top teams in the state.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="774807" first="Evan" last="Boyd"] (6’3 2021 G, DeLaSalle)- </strong>[player_tooltip player_id="774807" first="Evan" last="Boyd"] has been having an impressive year for DeLaSalle, and although they came up short in the end to Minneapolis North, he put together a solid performance. At 6’3 with athleticism that has continued to improve each year, he has scholarship level physical tools for a shooting guard. Against North he showcased his ability to score at multiple levels, with a smooth shooting touch from three and an accurate pull-up jumper from mid-range. I liked his maturity on the floor, and ability to be a contributor on both ends. Scored a team high 13 points.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="850709" first="Willie" last="Wilson"] (6’2 2022 G, Minneapolis North)- </strong>[player_tooltip player_id="850709" first="Willie" last="Wilson"] is the type of player who makes the game seem so easy. He has a high skill level, but his basketball IQ and feel for the game allow him to play with high efficiency, taking advantage of what the defense is giving him, and finding ways to help his team win. Against DeLaSalle he scored in the post, attacked the basket from the wing, and had some transition plays where he got all the way to the rim or was able to dish it off to a streaking teammate. Defensively he’s a hard worker who never takes a play off, and just wants to help his team win. Finished with a game high 18 points on Saturday night in a win.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>