NHR State: 17U Stock Risers

Ryan James June 7, 2021 @ 02:10 PM

Today we discuss a list of players that in my opinion have made a big jump when it comes stock risers: moving from what we thought they may be, to a higher level. [player_tooltip player_id="958665" first="Jacob" last="Butler"] of Minnesota Heat Grow (6’6, 2022, Minneapolis North). I believe that [player_tooltip player_id="958665" first="Jacob" last="Butler"] has the talent to someday have a basketball scholarship at a four year school. That’s been my thought since April of 2020 when I reviewed a lot of his film and now that he continues to get taller and stronger, I believe it even more. Guys love to play with Jacob because he will defend a two guard and then switch off later in the game and guard a five, and do it with effort. He moves the ball well but can hit with that lefty stroke plus has good ball handling skills at his size. Butler has the talent to be a scholarship player at some point. [player_tooltip player_id="532569" first="Andre" last="Gray"] of Real Phenom (6’3, 2021, Minneapolis North). Last summer Andre was a first team All 17U player and we were talking about him in articles like this. His winter was up and down until he finished strong earning Class AA All State Tournament Team honors. Now we are in the spring and as Gray decides if he is going to go to a junior college or a prep school, we need to discuss him as a stock riser once again. Andre led the Real Phenom to the title game putting together a 12 of 16 shooting, 29 point performance mixing basket attacks with pull-up jumper makes. And it’s not like he did that against chumps, quality scholarship level 2022 kids weren’t able to guard him. This is a division one basketball player. [player_tooltip player_id="958680" first="Kyle" last="Hrncir"] of WOTN (6’5, 2022, Farmington). WOTN is on a good, hard working team that wins games and Kyle is the best player on that team. In watching a part of two WOTN games this weekend I saw Kyle put numbers on the board against good players from Select Ohnstad and Heat MacDonald. Watching Kyle go against good players and get the better of them has made be a believer that Hrncir can either be a guy that goes into the MIAC and gives a team good production early OR he’s a player that could give an NSIC team good minutes in a role throughout his career. I haven’t seen a four on a team be able to guard Kyle consistently all spring. [player_tooltip player_id="958683" first="Mason" last="Lund"] of Comets Belka (6’6, 2022, Sartell). I’ve moved from Lund being a player that could possibly be a scholarship guy to thinking that Lund is a player that at some point should be getting quality scholarship money to play for a four year school. The biggest thing is his production in a big agile frame. There hasn’t been one game this spring that I’ve watched that Mason didn’t have a solid stat line. Has to be defended by a bigger body but most bigger bodies can move with Lund’s offensive attack. Mason plays hard, he boards, he knocks down shots, and guys follow his lead because Mason is always productive. At 6’6 with wing skill, sounds like a scholarship player someplace to me. [player_tooltip player_id="796948" first="Brandon" last="Melchior"] of Heat MacDonald (6’10, 2022, Elk River). Melchior has the size. His low post skill is quite quality. There are two things that have to work for a scholarship school after that: 1) consistency of productivity against good teams, and 2) a team that will use a traditional low post five. Melchior has a lot of post moves to his game that finds him space to score. This weekend he played well throughout the weekend against some of Minnesota’s better 17u teams, and he did it in the low post, and Brandon set the ball screen and moved with it well. Brandon has that low post old school skill but he also works hard and knows how to position in the modern day ball screen game as well. [player_tooltip player_id="958715" first="Pharrel" last="Payne"] of Select Ohnstad (6’9, 2022, Park of Cottage Grove). Payne is making his case as the best big man in the state of Minnesota. It’s a battle to see who that truly is, but this weekend Payne led his team to an event title and did it with constant results. This weekend cemented what I already expected, that [player_tooltip player_id="958715" first="Pharrel" last="Payne"] is a high major basketball player. He has the motor, the size, the length, the agility, and the consistent productivity. Even more, he has a high ceiling. This is a junior who hasn’t even turned 17 yet. [player_tooltip player_id="1143878" first="Leo" last="Torbor"] of Select Ohnstad (6’3, 2022, Park Center). Torbor had a strong winter playing for James Ware at Park Center. His junior season put him on the map. Earlier this spring it became clear that Torbor has the athletic ability to play at the scholarship level. Leo has a level of athletic ability - incredible lateral quick, explosive lift, excellent speed, great body control - that few have. What was needed next was the consistent productivity. That consistent productivity was there all weekend long as Select pushed to a weekend championship.