Max’s October Stock Risers

<p>Now just a few weeks away from the tip off of the 2021-22 high school basketball season, I’ll be taking a look back at seven players who raised their stock with strong fall league performances in October!</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1142942" first="Micah" last="Young"] (6’3 2023 W, Minneapolis Edison)- </strong>Edison loses some talent from last season’s team, but [player_tooltip player_id="1142942" first="Micah" last="Young"] looks ready to take the step forward to keep them competitive in the Minneapolis City Conference. At the Future Phenoms fall league he impressed with his ability to score off the dribble, and his deep range from beyond the arc. He was hitting step-back threes, threes off the catch, and got to the rim for some strong finishes inside. Explosive athlete who possesses excellent body control in the air to convert in traffic. </p> <p><strong>Poet Davis (6’ 2024 G, Minneapolis South)- </strong>Whether it was at the Future Phenoms fall league or the Breakdown fall league, Poet was a major scoring threat for Minneapolis South. He’s been bursting on to the scene this fall with his deep range and accurate shooting ability that allows him to consistently put points on the board. Poet plays with a lot of confidence in his ability to create space off the dribble, and has no problem getting off a shot once he gets that separation. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1144129" first="Dane" last="Meuler"] (6’ 2022 G, East Ridge)- </strong>On the last day of October, I thought Dane played some really strong basketball against Park Center. He was tasked with guarding a high major committed player, and did a nice job of making things difficult for him throughout the game. Dane wasn’t giving him much breathing room when he had the ball, and always had a hand up to provide a strong contest on his jumpers. Not only did Dane hold him to much less than he scored the week prior, but Meuler also made some contributions on the offensive end. He found ways to get to the rim whether it was off the dribble or with some strong off-ball cuts, allowing him to contribute to the scoring tally for his team. Looks like he could carve out a solid role on the varsity team.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="958698" first="Dane" last="Lusty"] (6’9 2022 C, Edina)- </strong>Edina is going to have a strong frontcourt rotation this season, and Dane figures to play a solid role for them. I caught him playing at the Minnesota Basketball Club Prospect Camp, and he performed well there. There wasn’t a lot of other size in attendance, so he was competing in drills against a lot of wings in the 6’4-6’6 range. Although they were quicker, he used his size well to back them down off the dribble to establish low post position. Showed flashes of nice footwork on the block and had excellent touch to finish with his right hand. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1181049" first="Keyon" last="Broussard"] (6’4 2022 G, Roseville)- </strong>If fall league is any indication, Keyon is set for a big senior year. I caught him in early October against Holy Family, and he put up big scoring numbers in a variety of ways. He’s so long and lanky and covers a lot of ground in his strides, allowing him to create a lot of separation with a step-back before getting off a shot from mid-range or three. I saw him knock down a handful of those jumpers while also being a threat in transition. He can lead the break at 6’4 and get all the way to the rim where he has the explosiveness and length to throw down dunks. Showed nice timing to jump passing lanes and create a few steals as well.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="958752" first="Gedeon" last="Musabyimana"] (6’1 2022 PG, St. Paul Central)- </strong>Gedeon was another standout from the Minnesota Basketball Club event I went to, as his feel for the game and change of pace was among the best out of all the guards in attendance.  During the last 5v5 full court game at the camp, Gedeon went on a scoring run that saw him getting into the lane to score off floaters, pull up from beyond the arc, or use a smooth crossover to shift his defender in the opposite direction before hitting from mid-range. He plays with a nice change of pace and direction that makes him difficult to stay in front of, and once he beats the initial man he’s able to score or distribute to an open teammate. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="958777" first="Kyle" last="Johnson"] (6’2 2022 G, DeLaSalle)- </strong>Throughout the summer and fall Kyle has seemed to play at a high level every time I see him play. He’s typically been a threat from beyond the arc with his ability to knock down shots off the catch or dribble, but this fall he’s looked improved getting to the rim and finishing. Kyle is a solid athlete with good size at the guard spot, which allows him to turn the corner and get to the rim where he can elevate enough to finish over some size inside. Defensively he’s a tough on-ball defender who’s not going to leave a lot of breathing room for opposing players, and puts himself in the right spots off the ball to make plays for his team.</p>