Twin Cities Senior Expo Standouts (Wings)

The Twin Cities Senior Expo took place on Tuesday, with some of the top unsigned seniors in the Metro area competing at Concordia St. Paul! I was in attendance to catch the action, and these are some of the wing prospects who stood out. [player_tooltip player_id="958665" first="Jacob" last="Butler"] (6’5 2022 SG, Minneapolis North)- Butler is one of the more versatile wing prospects in the 2022 class. He started off his high school career as mostly a shooter, before growing a few more inches in his upperclassmen years and expanding his overall game. On Tuesday he showcased his ability to still knock down those outside shots, while also being so crafty at getting to the basket. He makes great off-ball cuts but can also put the ball on the floor and attack. Butler uses his positional size to see over the defense from the perimeter and deliver accurate passes to slashing teammates. He always brings a ton of energy to the floor and is one of those players that you can just tell is having a bunch of fun playing. [player_tooltip player_id="1288741" first="Jaedyn" last="Patterson"] (6’4 2022 W, Richfield)- After Richfield graduated a strong 2021 class, Jaedyn stepped up his game as a senior to average 18 points and 8 rebounds per game. He showed off those improvements on Tuesday by getting to the rim in a variety of ways. Jaedyn is a strong and physical athlete who can put the ball on the floor and get to the rim, while also hustling up the floor for transition buckets. Patterson showcased his above the rim finishing with a transition dunk, and was also capable of scoring through some contact inside. [player_tooltip player_id="850729" first="Muja" last="Burton"] (6’4 2022 W, Columbia Heights)- [player_tooltip player_id="850729" first="Muja" last="Burton"] is a pure scorer. He did it with consistency his whole high school career, and on Tuesday he impressed in the first game of the day. Muja was coming down and draining threes off the catch, cutting to the basket to score, and he really impressed with his efforts on the offensive glass. He was fighting for offensive boards, would take a hard power-dribble, and then was powering up through contact for some tough finishes down low. Burton was outworking opposing size and that was allowing him to put up second chance points for his team throughout the event. [player_tooltip player_id="1288761" first="Ellis" last="Todd"] (6’3 2022 W, DeLaSalle)- Ellis is a physical wing prospect who can stretch the floor with his outside shooting touch. He has some size at 6’3 and a strong frame that allows him to compete around the rim. What made him dangerous on Tuesday was his confident release from beyond the arc, that allowed him to shoot at a high percentage even with a defender closing out on him. [player_tooltip player_id="1184630" first="Donavan" last="Clinton"] (6’4 2022 SF, St. Paul Como Park)- The long and athletic wing showed off some more versatility than he typically did in the winter. With his high school team he was often the biggest or most athletic player on the floor, allowing him to get to the rim at will. Playing against a lot more size on Tuesday, Clinton showed off some more of his perimeter skillset. He knocked down a catch and shoot three with confidence, and added in a pair of mid-range jumpers as well. Clinton still threw down a baseline dunk and had a couple more finishes inside, but was able to showcase that perimeter skillset that makes him a more intriguing college prospect. [player_tooltip player_id="958729" first="Ayouba" last="Berthe"] (6’4 2022 W, Park Center)- Ayouba is a high level 3 & D type of prospect. Even in a showcase/camp setting, Ayouba was locking down on the defensive end, showing his ability to guard almost every spot on the floor. At 6’4 he moves his feet so well, and always keeps his long arms out ready to tip passes, poke the ball free, and just cause constant disruptions on or off the ball. Offensively his shot wasn’t falling like it usually does, but his ability to impact the game defensively is something that colleges will be looking at. [player_tooltip player_id="958647" first="Peyton" last="Newbern"] (6’4 2022 W, Robbinsdale Armstrong)- The skilled and athletic wing prospect showed off his ability to get to the rim and score throughout the event. He has a long frame but is able to handle the ball like a guard to create off the dribble and make his way through the rim. Peyton has excellent body control in the air to finish through traffic, and he also showed his explosiveness in transition with a pair of dunks. He excels on the wing as a slasher, but is also skilled enough to handle the ball at times and can hit open shots from beyond the arc. Ishmeal David (6’3 2022 W, St. Paul Johnson)- Really liked the unselfishness that Ishmeal played with on Tuesday night. Sometimes in these types of showcases players feel pressured to try to get their own shots, but Ishmeal was sharing the ball well and letting the offense come to him. That allowed him to score with efficiency as he showcased his accurate pull-up jumper. He can hit from three or mid-range, and gets some nice elevation that makes it difficult to contest when he pulls up to shoot. David is athletic enough to slash to the basket as well, and has the length to guard multiple spots defensively.