Max's Thursday Night Prospect Standouts

The Class AAA and Class AAAA semi-finals matchups took place on Thursday at Williams Arena, with some of the state’s best taking the floor to compete. I was watching the action, and these are some of the prospects who stood out! [player_tooltip player_id="1223070" first="Patrick" last="Bath"] (6’9 2023 PF/C, Totino-Grace)- [player_tooltip player_id="1223070" first="Patrick" last="Bath"] is one of the top frontcourt prospects in the state, and playing on a loaded TG team he doesn’t always need to score much. This game was different though, as his effort down low led to constant touches around the basket that he was finishing with efficiency. When he gets a man on his back, Patrick can either turn over that left shoulder and finish with touch, or use his strong frame to spin on the baseline and just seal his defender on his back before powering up to the rim. Towards the end of the game [player_tooltip player_id="1223070" first="Patrick" last="Bath"] started stretching the floor for a couple of threes on his way to 27 points. [player_tooltip player_id="962203" first="Tommy" last="Humphries"] (6’5 2023 W, Totino-Grace)- Always cool, calm, and collected, you’ll rarely see Tommy force anything offensively. He simply takes what the defense gives him, and that resulted in him efficiently scoring 16 points in the win. TG was doing a great job of getting paint touches, and that resulted in Tommy floating around the perimeter for some kickout passes leading to open threes. At 6’5 he showed his smooth stroke from beyond the arc, and added in some tough finishes at the rim throughout the game. [player_tooltip player_id="962198" first="Taison" last="Chatman"] (6’4 2023 G, Totino-Grace)- Taison was previously known more for his shooting and shot creation ability, but this season he’s really developed into more of a facilitator running the point for his team. With all of the talent around him, Taison did a great job of getting everyone involved against Mankato East. When East would try to hedge hard on ball screens, Taison was able to slip the ball to his bigs rolling to the hoop for easy baskets. He just played with so much patience and was extremely accurate putting his passes where only his teammates could get to them. Defensively he also took on the task of guarding two of East’s best players at times, using his length/athleticism to defend on the ball. Brogan Madson (5’10 2025 PG, Mankato East)- Mankato East couldn’t get much going offensively, but the freshman made some nice plays on the defensive end. Going up against a starting five of all D1 prospects, Brogan was competing all game long. He draws charges on the ball as well as anyone in the state, as he’s a high effort defender with elite quickness. Does a great job of getting up under guys and disrupting them with his ball pressure. Talented freshman prospect. [player_tooltip player_id="962218" first="Nasir" last="Whitlock"] (6’1 2023 PG, DeLaSalle)- DeLaSalle is 16-2 over their last 18 games, and Nas’ play is a big reason why. In the state semi-finals he was controlling the pace of the game with his poise on the ball, getting to any spot he wanted to and making great decisions on when to shoot and when to facilitate. That decision making led to him scoring 28 points at all three levels, while also dishing out a game high 6 assists. He plays with impressive change of speeds which allow him to pick and choose his spots on the floor, and defensively he’s comfortable guarding taller players while also moving his feet with quick guards. [player_tooltip player_id="958662" first="Haydn" last="Stay"] (6’5 2022 F, Princeton)- Despite the loss, [player_tooltip player_id="958662" first="Haydn" last="Stay"] was dominant around the rim. He rebounds as well as anyone his size in the state, yanking in 10 rebounds and holding on to just about anything he could get his hands on, even when surrounded by opposing players. His strong hands allowed him to pull in offensive rebounds and go right back up for two points. He’s such a scrappy player down low who excels at playing through contact, allowing him to finish at such a high rate inside. Finished with a game high 33 points against DeLaSalle. [player_tooltip player_id="958775" first="Brandon" last="Hoban"] (6’2 2022 W/F, DeLaSalle)- Whenever DeLaSalle needed a big play, Brandon was there to make it. Though his 8 points and 4 rebounds aren’t anything eye catching, his defensive abilities were on full display. He always puts himself in the right positions off the ball, and that resulted in Hoban picking up 5 steals throughout the game. Brandon has great instincts on where to be and what play to make on both ends of the floor. Offensively he had some tough finishes at the rim, was keeping the ball moving, and was scrapping down low against bigger players. [player_tooltip player_id="1144128" first="Cooper" last="Nowak"] (5’11 2022 PG, Princeton)- The future college soccer player made some big plays to try to help Princeton rally yesterday. He has such a quick burst to the basket which allowed him to blow by his initial defender on multiple occasions. Once in the lane he showed he can float in the air and showcased excellent body control to convert on some difficult looks inside. Finished with 12 points while also dishing out 5 assists. [player_tooltip player_id="1143878" first="Leo" last="Torbor"] (6’3 2022 PG, Park Center)- In a game that was lacking in offense in the first half, Leo came into the second half determined to get to the rim. The San Jose State commit showed he can get into the paint whenever he wants to, and had some tough finishes through contact with both hands. Once he gets that edge on his man, he does a great job of getting his defender on his hip and keeping the ball out in front before extending to finish. His 12 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals helped lead Park Center into the finals. [player_tooltip player_id="1143863" first="Jamal" last="Ambrose"] (6’10 2022 C, Eastview)- There were a few missed shots that I’m sure Jamal would like to get back, but he showcased his versatile skillset at 6’10 that makes him among the top unsigned seniors in the state. Jamal stepped outside to knock down a three, showed he can create with his back to the basket using his strong frame and footwork, and also attacked off the dribble from the corner before elevating for a powerful dunk. Defensively he does a nice job of walling up to protect the rim, and he’s been moving his feet better laterally this season than in years past. [player_tooltip player_id="1167554" first="Hayden" last="Tibbits"] (5’11 2023 PG, Wayzata)- I saw him do it earlier in the season against Minneapolis North, and again last night [player_tooltip player_id="1167554" first="Hayden" last="Tibbits"] just took over a game in the second half to lead his team to a win. CDH just didn’t have anyone who could stick with Tibbits’ quickness as he was constantly weaving his way to the basket for some tough finishes. He’s so tough to defend because he has the ability to step out and hit threes, but is just took quick for defenders to stick with when they step out to guard him beyond the arc. Tibbits put up 23 points while going a perfect 8-8 from the free throw line last night.