Prep Hoops Explosive: Friday’s Prospect Names to Know

The Prep Hoops Circuit is built on discovering prospects around the country and today our team discovered several names performing at a high level. 

Caedmon Bontrager Caedmon Bontrager 6'8" | PF Leo | 2022 State IN of Team Teague.  Caedmon’s potential as a division one prospect is one of my biggest takeaways from Friday in Dallas.  Bontrager visited VMI and Morehead State last month and he’s also one of the reasons Army (West Point) has been such a constant at Prep Hoops events.  Those schools are ahead of the curve as the 6’7/6’8 Bontrager is a modern day active big that can move his feet around screens away from the basket plus board in bulk around the basket.  High percentage, quick twitch finisher in the paint that is quick off his feet and tough to contest.  Every bit of a several offer mid-major area player I would say. 

Nate Borchardt Nate Borchardt 6'1" | PG Lampasas | 2022 State TX of Nike Pro Skills Red.  No matter the situation on Friday, Nate was producing with that torching shooting release.  Borchardt led his team to an over time win over a Washington team by hitting five threes and scoring 24 points, and then later in the day won a game in walk-off fashion (mercy rule score to make it 20+) with a three.  What grabs my attention is his focus.  This is a player that just comes at you locked in on what his touch can do to a team and where the score stands in relation to every shot that comes off his hand. He will be one of the steadier players we will see this weekend. 

Gabe Jobe Gabe Jobe 5'10" | SG Edina | 2022 State MN of D1 Minnesota Prospects.  Gabe Jobe is used to having some big name players around him, and working with them to be a highly productive scorer within the offense.  During the high school season Jobe plays with Sammy Presthus and Brady Helgren, and then in the summer he’s with a nice collection of quality players on the Prospects.  If Jobe can find space within an offense, he can completely pick apart a team with his scoring touch. At 5’10 Jobe combines his three point touch (usually off of quick cuts to catch and hit) with a hard charging basket attack seeking out the alley before the defenders can close. Love the fire he plays with which drove him to be the 20.5 point per game scorer he was this past winter. 

James Locke James Locke 6'3" | SG Carl Albert | 2021 State OK of Team Buddy Buckets.  Buddy Buckets knocked off the Tulsa Hawks in a convincing way and playing a really big role was James Locke James Locke 6'3" | SG Carl Albert | 2021 State OK .  He pieced together plays throughout that game that mattered.  He may not have been the flashiest guy but the things James did in terms of making the right reads offensively with each pass, and making the right calls on defense to get to the right spots, they mattered in a big way.  Locke rebounded six times, he knocked down all of his foul shots, made a three, and played in control regularly.  The Tulsa Hawks rarely took a good shot and Lock’s defense was a big part of that.  James is also an elite level student so those schools looking for a highly efficient player that also gets in done in the classroom can give him a call. 

Reid Neumann of BTI.   I love the way Reid, a 6’6 wing, sets himself up to shoot the ball at the arc.  He looks to be one of the smarter players curling a screen, popping out off a pick, or sprinting the floor all to catch and knock down a high releasing 40 percent plus three point shooting touch.  With good size, a pretty stroke, and consistent numbers we’ve seen the past two weekends Reid Neumann is a shooter that already has some division two offers, and could land more opportunity in the near future. 

Mike Quick Jr of Oklahoma Wolfpack.  The fearlessness of a Mike Quick Jr basket attack is something that college coaches wrote down in their notes with a big check by it.  At 6’4 or 6’5 Quick is a guard that comes down hill at you looking for contact to absorb before completing the play.  If the help steps to Quick, that’s fine he battles through it.  If not, Quick bounced to the rim for a couple dunks.  And at his size Quick handles the basketball quite well meaning he can be the guard pushing in transition, he can be a main ball handler at times, or he can be your slashing wing. 

Adren Roberts Adren Roberts 6'5" | SG Somerset Canyons | 2022 State FL of Judah Nation. The length of Roberts is just incredible.  He’s got long arms that stretch to the point of getting him in position even when at times he’s not in great defensive position.  Roberts is a nightmare to try and shoot over when he’s closing out on you or when you think you have a window to get to when he’s defending you and the next thing you know that window is quickly gone.  Roberts is an active rebounder that can play the four because of his length in a 6’5 frame, and because he is so active.  An excellent forward piece to go with the talented Judah Nation guards. 

Jamari Simpson of Rush Athletics. Simpson is a player that I think we should all learn more about.  At 5'11 out of Moscow High School in Washington, Jamari is a 2022 guard that had the single best scoring day of any player at the event.  At times Jamari put the team on his back scoring the five (maybe six) threes he did on his way to a 36 point game.  Not only did Jamari carry that offensive lead mixing a beautiful pull-up with a catch and hit touch at the arc, but he also created for others as the lead guard.  Simpson's performance was special and it will be interesting to see what the follow up is. 

Joel Speckman Joel Speckman 6'8" | PF Chaparral | 2022 State CO II of P.L.U.T.O. Prospects. At 6'8 and skilled, Speckman has division one offers already, and he could quickly add to that list this weekend.  Joel is so good with a dribble or two facing the basket and when he's moving off the ball teammates found him for a high rate of quality finishes. Joel uses his body so well to finish and despite athletes rotating to him around the basket, Speckman was always in control to finish the play.  A definite up and comer in this event.