Summer Challenge: Saturday Standouts

<p>On day two of the Prep Hoops Summer Challenge, M14 Hoops Academy was stacked with talented prospects. Here are the eight players that caught my eye: </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="958647" first="Peyton" last="Newbern"] -- Real Phenom -- SG -- 2022</strong></p> <p>Newbern was really impressive in all aspects offensively. Standing at 6-foot-5, the shooting guard was able to use his size and length to penetrate the paint and finish in creative ways. If the lane was too packed, then Newbern was able to kick out to open teammates. Heading into the live period, I expect many college programs to take a look at Newbern. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1215287" first="Jake" last="Fiegen"] -- Full Package -- SG -- 2022</strong></p> <p>Fiegen puts so much stress on opposing teams because he doesn’t miss very many open shots. If the shooting guard gets an inch of space, the Full Package star is probably getting a shot up and it is probably going in. If any college programs are looking for a knockdown shooter, it doesn’t get much better than Fiegen. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="958687" first="Payton" last="Mogire"] -- Real Phenom -- PF -- 2022</strong></p> <p>Standing at 6-foot-10, Mogire is a power forward that can dominate inside the paint on both ends of the court. He is a really good rebounder and shot blocker. The Real Phenom PF also briefly displayed an ability to score when in the post. When you combine all of Mogire’s skills, you get a really special big man with a lot of potential. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="958641" first="Davion" last="Evans"] Jr. -- Real Phenom -- PG -- 2022</strong></p> <p>Evans is a scrappy point guard that I really enjoyed watching on Saturday. He always gives 100 percent effort, even if the game is out of reach. The 2022 point guard plays aggressive defense, as he is always swiping for steals. On offense, Evans is able to get downhill and score really well at the hoop. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1041724" first="Asanjai" last="Hunter"] -- Wisconsin Playground Club -- PG -- 2022</strong></p> <p>Wisconsin Playground Club wasn’t able to get the win, but I left thinking that Hunter’s may have raised his ceiling a bit. Hunter is a player that gives defenders a lot of problems because of his speed and ball-handling skills. The point guard is able to blow by defenders en route to an easy layup. Hunter tallied 20 points in a close loss on Saturday. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="761401" first="Marshawn" last="Robinson"] -- Wisconsin Playground Club -- SG -- 2022</strong></p> <p>Robinson has really transformed his game, and he should be getting a lot more credit for it. Earlier in his career, Robinson was mostly a defender who could use his athleticism to slash to the hoop. But now, the shooting guard is improved as a defender and much, much better on offense. On Saturday, Robinson was knocking down contested jumpers with no problem. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1157227" first="Christopher" last="Riddle"] -- Mac Irvin Fire -- SF -- 2024</strong></p> <p>Count me as a fan of Riddle. The Mac Irvin Fire small forward is so much fun to watch because he never stops trying. He is always looking to snatch a rebound, block a shot, make a layup, or get a steal. I think that he still has a long way to go in his skill development, but if he keeps the same mentality, he will no doubt find a lot of success. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1157228" first="James" last="Brown"] -- Mac Irvin Fire -- C -- 2024</strong></p> <p>I knew Brown was special when he started grabbing offensive rebounds and putting the ball back up for buckets with ease. Then I saw that he was playing up an age group and thought that he was really special. Brown is a mobile big man that can handle well and score on the block. Already holding multiple D1 offers, Brown is going to be a tough problem for opposing teams to solve for a long time. </p>