Hardwood Elite Week 1 Standouts
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Hardwood Elite’s The League is back in action for another fall season, with plenty of the state’s top prospects as well as some sleepers competing under one roof. I was in attendance for the opening night of games, and these…
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Continue ReadingHardwood Elite’s The League is back in action for another fall season, with plenty of the state’s top prospects as well as some sleepers competing under one roof. I was in attendance for the opening night of games, and these are seven prospects who stood out!
Boden Kapke Boden Kapke 6'11" | C Holy Family | 2023 State #153 Nation MN (6’10 2023 C, Holy Family)- The strides that Boden has taken athletically over just the past two months are impressive to say the least. The 6’10 junior is now taking opposing big men off the dribble from the wing/baseline and elevating to finish above the rim with ease. That’s something that I wasn’t seeing out of Boden even less than two months ago in Indianapolis. Aside from that above-the-rim ability, Boden continued to pose a threat from beyond the arc, and that shooting touch forces opposing center’s to step out of the paint and keep a hand up at all times. He showed the strength to compete through contact around the rim, and was finishing off some contested looks against a 7’ defender in the game I watched. Promising improvements from one of the state’s top 2023 prospects.
Kyle Johnson Kyle Johnson 6'2" | SG De La Salle | 2022 State MN (6’2 2022 G, DeLaSalle)- Arguably the top shooter I saw on the night, Kyle was lighting it up off the dribble. Whether it was from beyond the arc or from mid-range, if his defender sagged off at all Kyle was able to pull-up into a smooth and confident release that was hitting more often than not. The confidence got to a point where he pulled up from three on a fast break, and you just knew it was going in as soon as it left his hands. Kyle adds in some toughness on the defensive end, as he doesn’t care who he’s guarding because he simply wants to win. He’ll hit the floor for loose balls, and turn his defender multiple times with the effort to move his feet on the ball.
Patrick Bath Patrick Bath 6'9" | C Totino Grace | 2023 State MN (6’9 2023 PF/C, Totino-Grace)- Another 2023 big man that put in a strong performance, Patrick had a dominant first half in the league’s opener. Even with a 7’ defender on him, Patrick is so lean and explosive that he’s able to power both through and over that length to score at the rim. He finished efficiently in the paint, and also knocked down a couple of threes in the game I watched. When he catches on the block he doesn’t mess around trying to put the ball on the floor a ton, but instead he’ll take one strong power dribble to create an angle before elevating to score. In transition he was running the floor hard and that led to a handful of his signature two hand slams, and he was also contesting well around the rim defensively.
Marley Baah-Yeboah (6’3 2024 W, Lakeville South)- One of the underclassmen who really stood out, the sophomore from Lakeville South is an explosive leaper with some intrigue as a prospect. Although he wasn’t able to finish it off, Marley showed some impressive athleticism as he elevated to nearly throw down over a 7 footer in game 2. If he got into the space to step into a two-foot jump with some momentum behind him, he could jump out of the gym for some tough finishes. I like how he attacks the basket hard and doesn’t shy away from contact which will lead to consistent trips to the free throw line. He also has a nice release on his jumper and hit some shots outside the paint. Defensively I like his potential as his athletic ability combined with size on the wing gives him the versatility to guard the 1-3 with effectiveness. One to keep an eye on moving forward.
Terrence Brown Terrence Brown 6'0" | PG Columbia Heights | 2022 State MN (6’ 2022 PG, Columbia Heights)- Terrence continues to prove that he’s one of the most creative ball handlers in the state, as defenders constantly have a hard time keeping him in front. He’s so shifty and has a nice hesitiation into his crossover that catches his defenders off guard and allows him to get his hip in front of them to attack the basket. Even going up against size Terrence has no fear and knows how to extend the ball to avoid getting blocked by length at the rim. Although he was looking to score some on his own, he also showed some of that passing vision that had him among the state’s leaders in assists last season, as he can thread the needle and deliver an accurate pass that leads his teammates right to the rim.
Omarion Miller (6’1 2022 G, St. Croix Lutheran)- Omarion averaged just 2.7 ppg last winter for St. Croix Lutheran, but with just about everyone graduating he’ll be in for a much bigger role as a senior. Last night he showed some explosive athleticism as a prospect who can play either guard spot. He was dangerous getting to the rim and has the elevation to go up against size and often times finish off his looks in the paint. In transition he can get up and finish above the rim, and he also showed the effort to sprint back and had a big time chase-down block defensively. That type of effort in a fall league didn’t go unnoticed.
Trey Smith Trey Smith 6'7" | SF Osseo | 2023 State MN (6’6 2023 SF, Osseo)- Another standout for the green team was Trey Smith Trey Smith 6'7" | SF Osseo | 2023 State MN , a high potential wing out of Osseo. At 6’6 he has plenty of length and is an explosive athlete on the wing. One play that really showcased that athleticism was when he cut to the basket and took off for an alley-oop, caught the ball at about his chest level and had to reach back up to finish the dunk. The hang time and coordination in the air to pull off that play was impressive. He also added in a handful of threes with hand in his face, as he has a confident and accurate stroke from beyond the arc. Doesn’t look to attack the basket a whole lot, but still manages to score with efficiency. I like his potential on the defensive end as well as he has the length to get up in passing lanes and also contest shots around the rim.