PH Next BatL Shakopee: Top Hustle Players

This past weekend at the Prep Hoops Next Battle at the Lakes in Shakopee, there were plenty of skilled, talented players. These guys may not have been the most skilled or the most talented, but they were the guys who did the little things and did them well.

Alex Loveless- 5’7″ guard- MN Heat Gurley 2025

If I had to pick a hustle player of the weekend for all the players I saw in Shakopee, it would be Alex. Alex is a bit undersized, but that did not stop him from taking on the challenge of guarding the other team’s best player. Not only did a do a good job on the ball, but he was great at being in the gap and helping over from the weakside on drives. He took multiple charges and got on the ground for multiple loose balls. Offensively, he showed comfort in bringing the ball up the floor and initiating an offense. I would like to see him develop more confidence with his perimeter shooting, but if he works as hard in practice as he did this weekend, that should be no problem.

Eric Deboer- 6’2″ forward- Inspired Athletics 2025

What caught my eye with Eric was how effortless he made sliding over to take a charge look. You could tell that it was a reaction based on instinct and great coaching. Another thing that he did really well was staying vertical when contesting shots from opposing players in the paint. He uses his length well to bother opponents but never swatted at the ball, which allowed for him to avoid a lot of foul calls that I saw other players get called for this weekend. Offensively, he does a great job of crashing the boards. He may not always get the rebound, but that did not stop him from seeking out the ball time and time again. Overall, Eric is a really well-coached player and he showed signs of some good offensive skill. I would like for him to develop more assertiveness and confidence at that end of the floor.

Angelo Johnson- 6’2″ forward- Top Gun 2025

Angelo is such a hungry player and he showed off a very high motor with his play this past weekend. His team, Top Gun, was in one of the tougher pools in the tournament with eventual champions, D1 Wisconsin, and he was a big reason why his team was able to be competitive. There were multiple times where Angelo had perfect timing on his defensive rotation to either block a shot or get a steal. He has very active hands and does a good job of taking away passing lanes on the inside. he showed comfort switching on to smaller guards and attempted to take multiple charges. Offensively, he crashed the boards often and did a good job of finishing when given the opportunity. I’d like to see him develop some more comfort with posting up as he can use his frame to get easy scores on the low block.

Mikan Pelowski- 6’1″ forward- MN Select 2025 Meitz

Mikan is a good scorer inside and he has a nice touch from midrange, but what puts him on this list of the best hustlers is his passing and his defensive ability. He often found himself in situations where defenders were collapsing on I’m and did a good job of kicking the ball out to the open man. On defense, he does a good job of fighting around and denying the post entry. He also showed quick feet and the ability to switch onto smaller, faster guards. I’d like to see Mikan develop more of his guard skills since it will allow him to use his quickness to beat other forwards off the dribble.

Grady Swanson- 5’5″ Guard- ECI 2025 Winczewski

Grady is a grade-A glue guy. His ECI team was successful in part because of his effort-plays. He constantly was putting himself in positions to prevent the other team from scoring or executing by being in passing lanes and by being in the gaps in order to help. He did a good job of fighting around ball screens and held his own against players that were often bigger and stronger. I liked how he handled pressure and initiated the offense on the other end as well. I think that he could be more assertive going forward, and doing so should help his development as a player.