Weekend Fall League Sleeper Standouts

Over the weekend I was able to catch games at three different fall leagues in the Twin Cities, with a mix of some of the most well known names in the state as well as some under-the-radar players. These are eight sleeper prospects that caught my eye in those games! [player_tooltip player_id="958777" first="Kyle" last="Johnson"] (6’2 2022 G, DeLaSalle)- I think [player_tooltip player_id="958777" first="Kyle" last="Johnson"] is a lot better than he may get credit for playing alongside a number of talented guard prospects. Teams can’t afford to give him an inch of space beyond the arc because of his shooting touch, and the confidence is at an all time high as a senior, meaning he won’t shy away from taking shots he knows he can make. In two games against East Ridge and Farmington, Kyle showed that shooting touch but also impressed me with his ability to put the ball on the floor and make plays attacking the basket. That’s a side of his game that I hadn’t seen much before, and it makes him more multi-dimensional on the offensive end. Defensively you’ll rarely see him make mistakes, and the effort to pressure the ball, close out hard, and box out after shots is always there. [player_tooltip player_id="1149729" first="Sam" last="Koopmeiners"] (6’7 2023 PF, Cretin-Derham Hall)- An emerging forward out of CDH, Sam put in some high effort performances to help lead his team to the Hardwood Elite championship. At 6’7 he has a nice frame, and he’s not afraid to play with physicality inside. His work ethic on the glass means he’s swallowing up every rebound that comes his way, and he has a nice second leap to go right back up after offensive rebounds. He showed some flashes of passing out of the high post, and also ran the floor hard in transition. Sam is a solid athlete for his size as well and has some nice potential moving forward. [player_tooltip player_id="962235" first="Jaheim" last="Houts"] (6’7 2023 SF, Minneapolis South)- Speaking of potential, the ceiling on [player_tooltip player_id="962235" first="Jaheim" last="Houts"] is through the roof. Since I had last seen him play just about a year ago, Jaheim has grown 3-4 inches and now stands at around 6’6-6’7 with a long wingspan. With that new height he’s also kept his mobility and above-the-rim athleticism that makes him so fun to watch in transition. Minneapolis South is a deep team so he likely won’t put up big numbers, but he showed that he can put the ball on the floor and go coast-to-coast weaving through defenders and getting to the rim to finish. Defensively he’ll be a weapon because you can throw him in just about any spot and he has the physical tools to make plays. [player_tooltip player_id="1234301" first="Judah" last="Land"] (6’10 2022 C, Holy Family)- Even before the game started, Judah was already making an impression on me. Despite having just transferred in, Judah was already the most vocal player on the floor, getting his teammates hyped up before the game even started. On the floor he brings a ton of energy to the 4/5 spot playing alongside another 6’10+ teammate. Judah grabs rebounds with authority, has touch around the rim, and is quick off his feet to throw down some powerful dunks. He also showed a bit of touch from beyond the arc. Holy Family will likely run a lot of high-low action, and Judah looks well fit for that role as he showed excellent passing vision at his size. He was able to catch at the elbow and quickly locate an open shooter on the perimeter or his teammate with an opening around the basket. [player_tooltip player_id="958673" first="Jimmy" last="Koch"] (6’2 2022 G, Breck)- Jimmy has been playing varsity basketball since I believe the 8th grade, and that experience shows with the poise he plays with as a senior. Unfazed in close games or with a small deficit, Jimmy was the steady hand for Breck as they beat a tough Holy Family team at the Breakdown fall league. Unselfish guard play and smart shot selection made him an efficient player on the offensive end. He was hitting his shots at a high rate from three when left open, and did a nice job of keeping the ball moving in the half-court. Averaged 12.8 ppg for a balanced team last season and should be in for a strong senior campaign. [player_tooltip player_id="1220400" first="Pete" last="Koland"] (5’9 2023 PG, East Ridge)- Really like the mid-range game that Peter displayed against DeLaSalle on Sunday morning. He uses his quickness and handle to beat his man off the dribble and get into the elbow area before stopping and elevating to get off a shot that he was hitting at a high percentage. What makes him even more dangerous is that he can draw out a help defender away from the rim, and then locate an open teammate cutting to the basket. Looks to be carving out a role for a strong East Ridge team. [player_tooltip player_id="1140532" first="Owen" last="Skram"] (6’5 2023 F, Robbinsdale Armstrong)- Armstrong was missing a few key pieces in Sunday’s games, and Owen was picking up the production in their absence. The 6’5 floor stretching forward was doing what he’s known for, and that’s hitting shots from beyond the arc. He had opposing forwards chasing him around the court as he was relocating into space on the perimeter, and his quick release was able to beat the closeout every time. Owen took a high volume of shots, but he was making them at a strong percentage allowing him to put up big scoring numbers against Orono. Waziri Lawal (6’2 2023 W, Breck)- In a tough win over Holy Family, Waziri had some nice moments getting to the rim to score. He has a long and lanky frame that allows him to play a bit bigger than his size, and he showed no fear looking to score against Holy Family’s twin towers inside. Waziri looked comfortable putting the ball on the floor and weaving in and out of traffic on his way to the rim, where he really utilized his length to extend the ball out and finish while avoiding shot blockers.