Minnesota Top 250 Expo: Under-The-Radar Frontcourt Performers

<p>The Minnesota Top 250 Expo displayed hundreds of basketball players for many coaches, scouts and spectators to see. Listed below are a handful of prospects that jumped out with their consistejt and efficient play, but aren’t necessarily household names across the state.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1150578" first="Tyler" last="Smith"] (6-4 2022 PF, Rochester JM) - </strong>The undersized four-man that loves to crash the glass is one of the most underappreciated archetypes in the game, and Tyler fit the description and put up big numbers doing the dirty work Saturday. In a conglomeration of multiple games we saw him play, Smith established his body in a spot to corral offensive boards for putbacks, and he finished with touch against proven rim protectors.</p> <p><strong>Drew Burau (6-5 2022 F, Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted) -</strong> A strong track athlete, Drew’s motor doesn’t tire easily, and he’s shown steady improvement recently in ball skills. He has a great wingspan and good vertical to keep himself in rebounding scrums. He draws contact at an exceptional rate as well.</p> <p><strong>Stephen Kesti (6-8 2022 C, Spring Lake Park) - </strong>The Panthers replenish the frontcourt with more agile and smooth big men, and this senior center will have plenty of impact. Kesti glided around the floor to adjust his offensive spacing where needed and what caught my eye most was a relocation to the corner on a teammate drive that ended in a quick release three-point make.</p> <p><strong>Zach Herrmann (6-4 2022 PF, Maple River) -</strong> Low-maintenance big men often won’t get highlight reels, but they can rack up the numbers in a hurry by running the floor and anchoring the paint. Maple River’s Zach Herrmann was as active as any forward I saw at the Expo, using his length to bother driving opponents and completing tough contested finishes inside against eager defenders. His strength and physicality will be a load to deal with down in southern Minnesota.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1280433" first="Alex" last="Organ"] (6-6 2022 PF, Northfield) - </strong>One of the more consistent producers in the paint during the games I saw this weekend. Organ’s wide shoulders and quick acceleration in the open floor make him an asset defensively and at 6-6 he has a highly projectable body for a forward/center.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="958745" first="Derrick" last="Zeldenrust"] (6-9 2022 C, St. Clair) - </strong>The sheer size of Zeldenrust was enough to get me to watch for a handful of possessions, but his body control and soft hands kept me at his court for a while. At 6-9 he will be tough to stop down in the Mankato area and likely will see lots of zone, but up here at Wayzata he got a great taste of competition against the likes of [player_tooltip player_id="850704" first="Elvis" last="Nnaji"] and held his own physically in the paint. An outstate name to watch this winter for sure.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1161947" first="Joshua" last="Ofori"] (6-5 2023 PF, Prior Lake) - </strong>If you’re looking for a highflyer, Josh is it. A couple posters and standing dunks helped up the energy on Court 4 as his team utilized a press defense to score a bulk of their points. His explosion off two feet is something to behold and he’s still growing into his body and skills at 6-5. The pairing of him and [player_tooltip player_id="850712" first="Malcolm" last="Jones"] up front is scary for the South Suburban.</p>