Jack’s Week 9 Conference Matchup Standouts

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It's February, that means we are in the heart of conference play! Here are the top performers from the two conference matchups I was able to catch this past week!</span></p> <p><b>Bloomington Jefferson (58) vs St. Louis Park (53) - Metro West Conference</b></p> <p><b>[player_tooltip player_id="1151197" first="Daniel" last="Freitag"] </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">of Bloomington Jefferson (6'2 Guard - 2024) </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Daniel carried his team to a victory on Monday. He finished the conference win with a game-high 25 points. He was finding major success attacking the rim and finishing through contact. He also knocked down 4 three-pointers, showcasing his all-around scoring abilities. Freitag is a great facilitator as well, racking up numerous assists. I was also impressed with Daniel's leadership. As a sophomore, he is constantly helping his teammates and did a great job conducting the offense for Jefferson all game. Daniel is a special prospect, he already holds Big 10 offers from Minnesota and Wisconsin. He is also ranked as the #1 football player in Minnesota's 2024 class. </span></p> <p><b>[player_tooltip player_id="1288780" first="samir" last="jones"] </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">of Bloomington Jefferson (6'2” Guard - 2022)</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Samir was a key contributor in Jefferson's Monday win over St. Louis Park. Jones came in clutch with some huge baskets towards the end of the game, cementing the win for the Jaguars. The senior guard was also playing lock down defense all night, picking up a couple of steals and blocks. He had some great extra passes leading to open looks, as well as a nice pull-up mid-range jumper in the first half. Samir was the ideal team player as he brought great energy throughout the entire game and provided sparks for Jefferson down the stretch when needed!</span></p> <p><b>[player_tooltip player_id="1288768" first="Evan" last="Donesky"]</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> of St. Louis Park (6'2” Guard - 2022) </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This being my first time seeing St. Louis Park play this season, Evan really stood out to me. The senior guard has a tight handle and can score from all three levels. He scored most of his baskets in the second half, connecting with a couple three-pointers and finding success attacking the basket. He finished the game with 16 points. Donesky was making defenders pay for not getting a hand up quick enough, as he would shoot right over them with no hesitation. Evan is a very confident scorer and should be an interesting senior prospect to watch if the Orioles can make a run late in the season. </span></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Edina (68) vs Hopkins (81) - Lake Conference</b></p> <p><b>[player_tooltip player_id="850704" first="Elvis" last="Nnaji"] </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">of Hopkins (6'8” Forward - 2022) </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Elvis was practically unstoppable on Friday night as he finished the game with a team-high 19 points and the win. The 6'8” senior was just too athletic and big for Edina, as he was a force to be reckoned with in transition. This resulted in Nnaji throwing down four huge dunks and giving his team the momentum. He was also able to show off his improved outside game, knocking down a couple shots from the perimeter. He was able to lock down the paint as well, altering many shots and picking up some blocks. I am very intrigued as to where Elvis will end up next season. I believe that he is a Power Five player with unlimited potential. </span></p> <p><b>[player_tooltip player_id="1143875" first="Gabe" last="Jobe"] </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">of Edina (5'10” Guard - 2022) </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Gabe was on fire in Friday night's matchup with Hopkins. He finished his breakout performance with a game-high 28 points, most of those coming from beyond the arc. Jobe has unlimited range as he was knocking down very deep shots all game. The 5'10” guard is also very quick and can make opponents pay for turnovers, turning them into easy baskets on the other end using his speed. He is an intelligent player and plays to his strengths. Gabe has also been one of Minnesota's top scorers this season, this being his 4th game with 28+ points. </span></p> <p><b>Jayden Moore </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">of Hopkins (5'10” Guard - 2026) </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Jayden continued his remarkable 8th grade campaign on Friday night. He was making highlight passes all game and really showed off his court vision. He used his quickness to get past defenders, then found his teammates for easy layups. Moore was also coming away with steal after steal in the first half, resulting in fast break baskets for himself. He showed fantastic body control on those finishes. Moore plays very unselfishly and has all the potential in the world. He is so skilled and mature in every aspect of the game. </span></p> <p><b>[player_tooltip player_id="1287442" first="Kole" last="Hanson"] </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">of Edina (6'1” Guard - 2024) </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The last time I saw Kole play was in May of last year, it looks like he has improved a lot since then. The sophomore guard has a very tight handle and is crafty with the way he sets up his defenders. He can play at different speeds and always looks comfortable with the ball in his hands. I was also impressed with his outside scoring; he knocked down a couple three-pointers with hands in his face and some from beyond the college three. One play from Friday night stuck out in particular for Kole, he used a combination of moves to get past his defender, then finished it off with an acrobatic layup, spinning the ball off the backboard and in. Hanson will definitely be a top guard prospect to watch in this 2024 class. </span></p>