Breakdown Big 12 Classic: The Stock Risers

What players do I believe took their stock and pushed it up higher with two hands? Here is my list and reasons for why. [player_tooltip player_id="1144097" first="Noah" last="Bonnick"] of Waconia (6'2 2022). Over the past six months I've really been impressed with the way that Noan Bonnick scores the basketball. His touch on the move is high percentage and it's impressive. Noah has made some difficult shots look easy and he's scoring 20 a game for the Cats. Better prospect than I originally thought. [player_tooltip player_id="1172835" first="Casmir" last="Chavis"] of DeLaSalle (6'3 2024). Looking for the next guy who might be grabbing the high major interest and maybe scholarship offer in the coming future? That could be Casmir "Cash" Chavis. With Chavis he is young and we have to see how he develops as a main ball handler and/or as a consistent perimeter shooter. That's understood. But in so so many ways Chavis is several levels ahead of other prospects. Let's count the ways: <ol> <li>When it comes to explosion for guards and Ja Morant being the 10 on a scale of 1-10, Chavis is at an 8 and maybe pushing a 9. That's quite elite. </li> <li>Defensively Chavis battles. He lives up to that Islander tradition</li> <li>Chavis uses those explosive gifts to produce in a big way. He can attack angles others can't. He can score in small windows that others can't. Chavis can beat guys to spots on D that other's can't. Cash can blitz a lane or up the floor faster than most. And he can lift up over the top to finish in ways few can. </li> </ol> [player_tooltip player_id="1297889" first="Tyler" last="Connelly"] of Byron (6'1 2024). Byron became a bit of an afterthought after two scholarship hoopers from last year's team are no longer there. No, nobody expected them to fall off the map, this is a good program that we always thought that would compete with Austin and maybe Winona for the 1AAA title. BUT they are 6-1 right now and a couple players have emerged. One of them is [player_tooltip player_id="1297889" first="Tyler" last="Connelly"], a decision maker-playmaker-shot maker that really impressed me with 18 points on 8 of 13 shooting plus dishing out six assists. [player_tooltip player_id="1287442" first="Kole" last="Hanson"] of Edina (6'2 2024). Kole scored 27 helping Edina earn a win over top ten ranked East Ridge. Hanson quickly earned our attention with three veteran (or experienced type) plays: <ul> <li>hard cut at the top of the key into the catch, jab step right moved his man and as the defender moved Kole hit the three</li> <li>Hanson's man turned his head to look at the ball in the post and immediately Hanson cut to the rim, caught, finished extending over a defender in his face to make</li> <li>he got his feet mixed up giving up middle and his man attacked but Hanson busted tail to still cut his man off with good footwork and physically getting to the spot. </li> </ul> You see a lot of veteran plays in there listed from Hanson. Very smart guard that scored 27 and led his team to a really nice win. [player_tooltip player_id="1268455" first="Josh" last="Hoffman"] of Hopkins (6'5 2022). I think there is more to this young man than many realize. Great frame for a shooter, great touch for a shooter, confidence of a big time shooter, and he can score some on the move too. Hit three threes for the Royals off the bench scoring a dozen in the game. There is some juice to him and I think down the line we will see his name pop up in bigger ways than people are expecting. [player_tooltip player_id="962203" first="Tommy" last="Humphries"] of Totino-Grace (6'5 2023). I really like what we are seeing from [player_tooltip player_id="962203" first="Tommy" last="Humphries"]. He looks to be in great shape reshaping his body. Tommy is more confident it seems as he will push the ball up the floor quickly on a long board or turnover, he's taking shots in rhythm expecting to make them, and Humphries is competing much harder than I have seen. It's a player that looks bought in, and when guys with his potential buy in production comes. And when those things go together, college coaches perk up! [player_tooltip player_id="850704" first="Elvis" last="Nnaji"] of Hopkins (6'8 2022). Look, I don't care that the game has changed. I don't care that teams are taking less bigs. I don't care that low major and mid major teams are stepping back from recruiting high school kids and looking more at transfers that have already used their one transfer. What I do know is that basketball has a place for a guy as active and as explosive as [player_tooltip player_id="850704" first="Elvis" last="Nnaji"]. The guy plays hard on both ends and has physical gifts around the paint that are rare. It's not just the explosive highlights, it's the fact that Elvis plays so hard that he beats everybody up the floor every play and is willing to go through anybody to get results. I understand he has skill work to do but I fully believe there is a spot for a guy that works this hard, is this explosive, and is a high character student athlete. Led Hopkins to a win with 16 points and 11 rebounds on a big stage day. [player_tooltip player_id="1226375" first="JT" last="Thornton"] of Lakeville North (6'4 2023). We are seeing the emergence of a hard working player prospect at Lakeville North in [player_tooltip player_id="1226375" first="JT" last="Thornton"]. He grabbed our attention this summer with his work on the WOTN team and now he's moved into the starting line-up for the Panthers after a 16 point game against Minneapolis South. JT gives the Panthers something that's just a big different. He can defend many guards and wings that are much smaller as Thornton is laterally agile and he works hard. Going to the rim, Thornton is a bit more physical in size and more explosive than some others when he goes to finish. The confidence is growing and with that the performances are getting more consistent. [player_tooltip player_id="958640" first="Tyirece" last="Waits"] of Osseo (6'1 2022). Waits is off to an amazing, torrid start to the season. After Waits dealt with injuries throughout his 17u season, it's great to see him having the games he is right now. At this moment Waits is offensively competing at such a high confidence level, and such a pure attacking physical way, that other guards just haven't been able to defend him. Waits is getting guys leaning and then bursting the other direction in a quick, physical way that players just aren't able to keep in from of them. Also, these players have to step up on Waits because he is shooting the ball so well. Around the cup he is getting deep and has scored over big teams like Hopkins, Edina, and Blaine. Scored his impressive 34 points on 13 of 17 shooting against Hopkins and was clutch down the stretch. Waits surely looks like a scholarship guard at the D2 level, at least.