Big 12 Classic: Max’s Breakout Performers

<p>The Breakdown Big 12 Classic took place over the weekend at Totino-Grace, with 13 of Minnesota's top teams, as well as one North Dakota team, coming together to compete. I was in the gym for all seven games, and these are some of the breakout performers that I saw on the day!</p> <p><strong>Tyirece Waits (6'1 2022 G, Osseo)- </strong>Tyirece is perhaps the early leader for breakout player of the year in the metro area, as he's been putting up some explosive scoring numbers for an Osseo team that lost a bit of talent to transfers. He's stepped up to replenish the lost production in a big way, pouring in 34 points yesterday to keep his team competitive with Hopkins. Waits has always been an explosive athlete with the ability to get to the rim, but this year he's looked improved with his pull-up jumper from both mid-range and three. He knocked down a few jumpers yesterday, and that forces defenders to guard him tighter, and that allows him to blow by with his quick first step to get to the rim. His body control in the air was impressive as he glided to the rim and was able to remain balanced through contact to convert on some tough finishes. Like the way he pressures the ball on the defensive end as well, as his quick feet and hands allow him to poke the ball free and takeoff the other way.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1287442" first="Kole" last="Hanson"] (6'1 2024 G, Edina)- </strong>In terms of prospect status he's not necessarily a sleeper, but at the varsity level Kole was still rather unknown, and he burst onto the scene with a big game against East Ridge in the 10:00am time slot. He's a fiery competitor who got after it defensively, and wasn't afraid to let you know when he was making plays. Kole showed that he'll always be one of the first on the floor for a loose ball, and has no shortage of confidence in his jumper. Was hitting from beyond the arc at a high percentage, and also knocked down a mid-range jumper while being fouled. Knocked down five 3's on his way to 27 points in a win.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1143864" first="Devin" last="Newsome"] (6'2 2022 G, South St. Paul)- </strong>Without showcase events and big crowds last year, not a lot of people got to see Devin play during his first season in Minnesota. Now he's starting to make a name for himself on the big stage with performances like yesterday. In the win over Waconia, Devin finished with 24 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists. He's such a skilled scorer, with the ability to break guys down off the dribble to either pull-up or attack the basket. Doesn't have a ton of length, but is well built and can bully opposing guards down low because of his strength and work ethic. Really liked how he competed on the defensive end as well, as he works to move his feet, and does a nice job of taking contact to his chest instead of using his hands down low, which helps him avoid fouling.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1144097" first="Noah" last="Bonick"] (6'2 2022 CG, Waconia)- </strong>Another one of the early game standouts, Noah put up a team best 21 points against South St. Paul. Showed some poise handling the ball under pressure against a SSP team that likes to play fast and pressure the ball. Has a strong frame that allows him to get to the rim to score, while also showcasing touch on the jumper. Scored on a difficult floater as he was driving to the left and used his right hand to convert in the lane. Off to a really strong start this year, just about doubling his junior season scoring average at 19.2 ppg through five contests. </p> <p><strong>James Durst (6'5 2022 PF, Byron)- </strong>Byron was able to knock off a team that started two 6'9+ players, and they did so with their physical bigs and ball movement that led to high percentage shots. Finishing off a lot of those looks was the powerful James Durst. He's an all district football player, and it showed with his physical frame to slow down the opposing size down low. Offensively he was active off the ball, finding gaps in the defense and showing the patience to gain his balance through contact, and get guys into the air with a head-fake before going up to score. Finished with 22 points and 7 rebounds while shooting 10/15 from the field.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1226375" first="JT" last="Thornton"] (6'4 2023 W, Lakeville North)- </strong>Really like the spark that JT brings to the floor for Lakeville North. His length and athleticism caused some problems for Minneapolis South, as he often had 5+ inches of height over his opponent. JT threw down a transition dunk that gave his team some extra momentum in the second half, and was in attack mode looking to get to the basket from the wing in the half-court. Thornton also has some solid passing vision, displaying that on one occasion as he stopped at the elbow and then threaded the needle to hit a cutting teammate with a bounce pass. Scored 16 points and helped his team pull away in the second half.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1288728" first="Zy'Ierre" last="Stewart"] (6' 2024 PG, Totino-Grace)- </strong>Stewart was a standout on the JV team last season, and found himself in the starting lineup last night against DeLaSalle. He's a lot more explosive than I had originally known, and that showed with some of his attacks to the basket as he can simply glide through the air for tough finishes. Also showcased a pull-up jumper, and despite being the smallest player in the rotation for his team, his elevation allows him to get shots up over longer defenders. Really shifty ball handler who can weave through defenders on his way to the rim. Also like the way he moves laterally when defending on the ball. Finished with 8 points in a balanced team win.</p>