2023 Stock Risers Part 3

<p>We’ve reached part 3 of our 2023 stock risers where we take a closer look at players who saw their ranking rise since our last update. Be sure to check out parts 1 and 2 for some players who have had great Junior seasons.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1225078" first="Braylon" last="Wenger"], 6’4 SF Dalton 2023: Wenger has had a solid Junior season playing alongside his older brother Jalen for a Dalton program having one of their best seasons in school history. Braylon and Jalen have pretty different games as Jalen is a better run and jump athlete while Braylon is a better shooter and has a good feel for the game. Braylon will likely see a lot of interest from Division II and NAIA programs this summer due to his ability to space the floor from the wing position.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="922604" first="Kellon" last="Smith"], 6’1 CG Shaker Heights 2023: Smith has done a great job playing robin next to [player_tooltip player_id="921758" first="Danny" last="Young Jr"]’s batman for the Raiders this season. Smith is showing more confidence as an outside shooter and has become much more productive as a Junior. Smith impressed with All Ohio Select last summer and I imagine small college programs will make watching that team a priority this summer if they keep the same core. It’ll also be interesting to see Smith with more on ball responsibility next season after Young graduates.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1203906" first="Christian" last="Harmon"], 6’5 PF Buchtel 2023: Harmon had his breakout performance at Flyin To The Hoop, leading Buchtel past local powerhouse Dayton Dunbar. Harmon flashed his full potential as an efficient stretch forward who also can get easy buckets off drive and dumps from the guards that Buchtel have. Playing on the big stage with Buchtel has allowed Harmon to already be seen by college coaches, and I expect that number to continue to grow this summer.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1203995" first="Brady" last="Hardewig"], 6’1 SG Turpin 2023: Hardewig was strictly a shooter when I watched him over the summer for Griffin Elite-Hardewig, one of my favorite under the radar teams to watch during the grassroots season. Playing next to some talented bigs, he was able to move without the ball and find open spots to let it fly from deep. This season with Turpin, he’s taken on a lot more creation responsibility as he’s scoring 17 PPG and has drawn 103 free-throws this season. I’m excited to see Hardewig use his more expanded game with Griffin Elite this summer as their team should be another highly watched team by small colleges around the region.</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1163459" first="Mikey" last="McCollum"], 6’2 PG Olentangy Orange 2023: McCollum had a breakout Junior season with Olentangy Orange, taking command of the offense and thriving with the ball in his hands. He isn’t the quickest guard, but he passes the ball at a high level and can get you into your offense well. If you are looking for a point guard that doesn’t need to apply a lot of rim pressure, McCollum should be a prospect you take a look at because he’s solid at many other aspects of the game.</p>