Prep Hoops 2K21: Jack's Midwest Standouts

The Prep Circuit’s final live period event took place in Indianapolis this weekend and I was there to help cover the event. The Prep Hoops 2K21 had some of the top teams from across the country, and a lot of them were both shoe company and elite independent teams from across the midwest. Here’s a look at some of the standouts I saw from those teams. [player_tooltip player_id="932765" first="Reed" last="Sheppard"] | 6’3” WG | Midwest Basketball Club ’23 <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/04/20210430_191524.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1182500" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/04/20210430_191524-300x155.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="155" /></a> Sheppard had crowds and college coaches following him all over the place this past weekend, as the 6’3” off guard out of Kentucky was one of the most prolific scorers while playing up in the 17U division. He’s a lights out shooter from deep with great confidence and deep range, but he also showed that he can put it on the deck and is a crafty scorer from multiple levels. He has a great feel both on and off the ball and a high IQ, and he has a killer mentality that means he can take over a game when he gets it going. [player_tooltip player_id="926898" first="Mitchell" last="Rylee"] | 6’7” PF | Midwest Basketball Club ’22 <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/07/Rylee-Mitchell.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1253479" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/07/Rylee-Mitchell-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> Rylee made a name for himself this weekend as he played extremely well and I was shocked to find out that he doesn’t have a division one offer yet. However, his performance in front of a number of division one schools could change that, as he showed he’s a versatile forward who can score it in a number of ways and rebounds very well despite being slightly undersized. He has good touch out to the three-point line, he’s athletic and can finish above the rim and he plays well in traffic. Ben Southerland | 6’7” F | Midwest Basketball Club ’22 <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/09/BenSoutherland-e1620076762275.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1056723" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/09/BenSoutherland-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /></a> Southerland has quickly become one of my favorite players since watching him in Birmingham and now in Indianapolis, as he’s the type of player who can make an immediate impact at the next level if he’s put in the right system. He has good length and a great skillset as he can knock down shots from deep and in the midrange, he can put it on the deck and get to spots where he can score over smaller defenders and he’s an excellent passer as well. He’s an underrated athlete who can play in transition and he has great feel and instincts on both ends of the floor. Jacob Myers | 6’1” CG | Midwest Basketball Club ’23 <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/07/Myers-Jacob.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1253480" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/07/Myers-Jacob-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> Myers is a fun player to watch that I’ve gotten the chance to see multiple times now, and one thing he can do is really play and score it off the bounce. He’s shifty with the ball in his hands and can create space and make shots from multiple levels, he gets hot quickly and has takeover ability as a scorer and he has a competitive and mean streak about him that is easy to love. He can make plays for others and has good feel off the bounce, but he’s wired to go and is a nightmare to have to match up with. [player_tooltip player_id="769659" first="Leland" last="Walker"] | 6’1” PG | Team Teague ’22 <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/07/Walker-Leland.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1253481" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/07/Walker-Leland-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> Walker, who will be heading to Hargrave this season where he’ll play on the post grad team, has the innate ability to create for himself and others off the bounce and has a unique style to his game. He plays with good pace and changes speeds and directions well, he’s a crafty scorer that can finish in the lane and through traffic and he has good vision as a playmaker as well. He’s a tough kid who competes on both ends of the floor and he’s supposedly shown big time improvement over the past few years. [player_tooltip player_id="643490" first="Rasheed" last="Jones"] | 6’6” WG | Team Teague ’22 While the two guards on Team Teague were the ones everyone was talking about, Jones showed that he’s an intriguing prospect with his mix of size, athleticism and skill on the perimeter as well. He’s a high motor wing who can get downhill and finish above the rim, he’s a good rebounder and defender and he can knock down shots from deep as well. He currently holds an offer from New Orleans but he should have more on the way as he has big time potential moving forward. [player_tooltip player_id="1152903" first="Amar" last="Augillard"] | 6’5” WG | Young & Reckless Brim ’21 Augillard is an available prospect who I think would thrive with a postgrad year, as he is a strong wing with a good motor and a solid skillset to go along with it. He’s athletic and plays above the rim when he gets downhill, he showed good form and consistency as a catch and shoot guy and he is surprisingly shifty off the bounce too. He is productive in a number of ways and brings it on both ends, and with an extra year of development and exposure he should have division ones knocking down his door.