Preview: Prep Hoops Hard Work Finals 16U

<p>Breaking down the field at the Prep Hoops Hard Work Finals from a Wisconsin lens…</p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>THE FAVORITES</strong></span></p> <p><strong>Wisconsin Crusaders</strong></p> <p>This group has consistently played at a high level since they stepped on the floor for the Rock Spring Classic in March. Led by top 10 sophomore [player_tooltip player_id="981201" first="Levi" last="Birkholz"], the Crusaders have made a case to be arguably the best 16U team in<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/04/Alex-Sherwood1.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1171115" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/04/Alex-Sherwood1-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /></a> Wisconsin.  [player_tooltip player_id="1024438" first="Alex" last="Sherwood"],  [player_tooltip player_id="1138443" first="Andrew" last="Verhelst"], [player_tooltip player_id="981202" first="Ethan" last="Heck"], [player_tooltip player_id="1139019" first="Cole" last="Uhlenbrauck"], [player_tooltip player_id="1200581" first="Elijah" last="Meerstein"], and [player_tooltip player_id="1138440" first="Caleb" last="Glaser"] have all boosted their stock over the past several months as well, making this a deep and talented squad capable of taking home the 16U title.</p> <p><strong>Team 1848</strong></p> <p>An explosive scoring team that plays an uptempo brand of basketball, Team 1848 has quietly been one of the top AAU squads in the Midwest. Their 1-2 punch of [player_tooltip player_id="1043749" first="Emmett" last="Lawton"] and [player_tooltip player_id="1024443" first="A.J." last="Lieuwen"] will give defenses fits.  They’ve also got a couple of under the radar, high value prospects in [player_tooltip player_id="1139642" first="Vincent" last="Vandervest"],  [player_tooltip player_id="1043748" first="Ethan" last="Wall-Atim"],  [player_tooltip player_id="981150" first="Seth" last="Miron"],  and [player_tooltip player_id="1141633" first="Connor" last="Pytleski"] who can rise to the occasion when their number is called.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><strong>DARK HORSE CONTENDERS</strong></span></p> <p><strong>Team Haliburton</strong></p> <p>Picking up [player_tooltip player_id="1089679" first="Nas" last="Beamon"], the second-ranked freshman in Wisconsin, Team Haliburton is a young, but loaded squad. Two other top  2024’s, [player_tooltip player_id="1203602" first="Sekou" last="Konneh"] and [player_tooltip player_id="1142118" first="Amari" last="McCottry"] give Team Haliburton arguably the top trio in the entire field.<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/07/Jamiir-Allen3.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1241141" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/07/Jamiir-Allen3-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /></a></p> <p><strong>ABC Young Lions Black</strong></p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1012675" first="Jamiir" last="Allen"] and [player_tooltip player_id="963146" first="Logan" last="Arndt"] are a tough backcourt to stop.  Two guys that can go get a bucket on their own consistently, Arndt and Allen form a pair of top 50 sophomore prospects. The ABC Young Lions have plenty of quality role players as well, including [player_tooltip player_id="1138284" first="Anthony" last="Carter"] and [player_tooltip player_id="1200579" first="Will" last="Gardner"].</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><b>SURPRISE TEAM</b></span></p> <p><strong>Chapman Basketball Academy McCabe</strong></p> <p>CBA features a number of players poised to make noise during the 2021-22 season. Big man Chris Djursavic is just scratching the surface and is the go-to man in the middle. Matthew Thisle is a blue collar sniper who affects the game in a lot of ways. [player_tooltip player_id="1254288" first="Jack" last="Riley"] and Dominic Pitts are two others to watch on this squad.</p> <p>Others to Watch: PrideRoc, Wisconsin Crusaders Select, Wisconsin Starz, Coulee Country, Kevon Looney Power 5, Chapman Basketball Academy Elite</p>