Prep Hoops Live – Top Minnesota Point Guards

<p>Minnesota was all over Prep Hoops Live in Kansas City.  Best ball handlers in the event from our state?  Here’s my group from the weekend. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="960334" first="Aidan" last="Atkins"]</strong> of Minnesota Heat Grow 17s (5’11 of Bloomington Jefferson, 2022).  The Jags went 11-9 this season which was a much better record than we expected.  A key reason for that was the team balanced and the point guard play and defensive efforts from Aidan were a big part of that.  I’ve been a fan of the way Atkins moves the ball since I saw him play against Chaska two winters ago and we’ve see him do that for Heat Grow, plus he scored 14 against a solid Illinois team on Friday night.  Aggressively used his quickness to find space and score on 6 of 9 attempts. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="958742" first="Terrence" last="Brown"]</strong> of Beyond Ball 17s (6’0 of Columbia Heights, 2022). There is no bigger gym rat than [player_tooltip player_id="958742" first="Terrence" last="Brown"].  This young man logs more minutes in the gym soaking everything up or competing than anybody out there.  When Beyond Ball was winning, Brown was breaking down defenders.  When they were off, he was watching other talent all over.  I loved the way Brown played in the win over Heat Conyers.  Down the stretch Brown made winning plays.  Defensively his help got to a block and defensive board late that helped seal the win.  His breakdown of Iowa guards helped put the ball in the hands of shooters and when his team needed a score Brown did that too. A basketball personality that just about anybody would love to have on their team. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1221176" first="Owen" last="Carlson"]</strong> of Minnesota Chill 16s (6’3 of Mahtomedi, 2023).   Chill was competing against some of the best talent that Colorado has to offer and he broke it down time and time again with his shake to the cup.  I was impressed with the control and the speed that Carlson came out of each move with followed by a high percentage shot for himself or others. I loved the Carlson push, I loved his energy, and I loved his ability to hit the second level of the defense consistently.  Scored 13 a game as a sophomore. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="962198" first="Taison" last="Chatman"]</strong> of D1 Minnesota 17s (6’3 of Totino-Grace, 2023).  One of the better weekends Taison has had.  This was an event with a long list of ranked talents and Chatman performed every bit like one of the best.  Played some on the ball, some off the ball, and overall led his team to a 4-1 weekend including 17 points over Texas Impact in the last game.  We will have more on Chatman as the week goes on. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="962207" first="Ibrahim" last="El-Amin"]</strong> of D1 Minnesota 16s (5’10 of Minnetonka, 2023).  I’ll bet I had six different coaches tell me "I love the way Ibrahim controls the team" before I got over to the Convention Center to watch him play.  And let me be the 7th person to say it, I love watching Ibrahim run a team.  It looks special and I can’t wait to see him back on the floor next winter.  Ibrahim’s decision making is so good, forces little but attacks with aggression when he sees a breakdown.  His teammates trust him so they listen and El-Amin’s control over ball movement and spacing are outstanding.  Love the jumper and I love even more how he uses screens to create space while never wasting a dribble.  We are all aware that he’s not that tall but let me tell you, if you want a player that has master control of a team in the right way, El-Amin is a player you should recruit. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="850726" first="Sammy" last="Presthus"]</strong> of D1 Minnesota Prospects 17s (6’2 of Edina, 2022).   Sammy is playing both on and off the ball for this squad but he’s spent a ton of his time playing point guard so we will keep him with this group.  First of all I loved the way Presthus pressured the basketball this weekend.  His fight to turn guys or to beat them to the angle was outstanding.  Combine the knowledge, lateral quicks, and fight to the spot and you have Sammy on defense.  It was often relentless. Then there’s the shooting touch that Presthus used to put up scoring numbers that ranked with the best on the team. We watched Presthus score 20 against Judah Nation (four threes) and another 15 versus the Eric Gordon All State who is an Adidas squad.  </p>