15 AAU Playmakers

We are a handful of weeks into the AAU season and things are heating up on the basketball scene. In this article, we are checking out 15 difference makers, playmakers, and guys that are having a fast start in AAU ball on their respective teams. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/02/NorthDakota.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1126976" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/02/NorthDakota-300x187.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="187" /></a><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/03/SD-1.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1399487" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/03/SD-1-300x187.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="187" /></a> <h4>PLAYMAKERS</h4> [player_tooltip player_id="963747" first="Joe" last="Sayler"] |6-3 G| Pentagon Schoolers 2023 National Team/White River In four games last weekend in Louisville Sayler averaged 17.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1 apg, and 1.3 spg. Joe had 21 pts vs. Team John Wall and 20 pts vs. Team Griffin Elite including 5 impressive dunks. Sayler is a star athlete that has committed to SDSU for hoops. Joe is a super bouncy player that WHAMs it on a regular basis. He is a pure scorer that can compete with the best in the Midwest. Sayler is the #1 ranked player in (SD) the Prep Hoops Dakotas 2023 Rankings. Expect him to make big-time plays all AAU season. [player_tooltip player_id="963744" first="Oliver" last="Vincent"] |6’1 G| Pentagon Schoolers 2023 National Team/Sioux Valley In Louisville over 4 games, Vincent averaged 12.5 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 6.2 apg, 2.3 spg, and 2.1 bpg. Oli went for 21 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, 7/8 FG shooting 87%, and 6/6 FTs in a 63-54 overtime victory over SR1 All-stars. Some might say that Vincent is the straw that stirs the drink for this Schoolers team. Oli is one of the most skilled players in the Dakotas and those were on display in Lousiville. Often times it looks like Vincent has eyes in the back of his head. He sees a play happen before others and he passes with precision. Oli is also a high percentage 3-point shooter with eye-opening deep range. Vincent is a player that all basketball fans and coaches will want to see play this AAU season. [player_tooltip player_id="963750" first="Spencer" last="Barr"] |6’0 G| Pentagon Schoolers 2023 National Team/Aberdeen Central This past weekend Barr averaged 10 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 4.5 apg, and 3.2, spg. Spencer had 10 points, 7 rebounds vs. SR1 All-stars and 10 points, 6 assists, 6 steals vs PSB Charleston. Barr is one of the hardest workers that I have watched play and he is 100% hustle. Spencer has great court vision. Barr scores in transition and he can finish at the rim amongst the trees. His pull-up game is a work of art and he is a deadly 3-point shooter. He is also a pesky defender. Spencer is very quick, he matches his speed with a high IQ. Barr is an intriguing player. [player_tooltip player_id="1050249" first="Alex" last="Dvorak"] |6’1 G| Pentagon Schoolers 2023 National Team/Dickinson In the four games last weekend, Dvorak averaged 10.5 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 1 apg, and 1.3 spg. This All-State North Dakotan is hoopin in AAU with the South Dakota boys. From what I have heard, Alex meshes well and has brought a welcomed electricity to this squad. In Louisville, Alex had his best game vs. PSB Charleston by dropping 18 points, 2/3 from 3-pt land, and a very impressive dunk in transition. Dvorak will face ND Phenom this coming weekend in Minneapolis. It will be fun to see how he fares against many of his WDA common opponents. Alex was a major producer in school ball, so I expect him to perform well vs. ND Phenom. Schoolers vs. Phenom will be must-watch basketball on Saturday night! [player_tooltip player_id="1204807" first="Aiden" last="Jensen"] |6’9 F| Pentagon Schoolers 2023 National Team/Madison In last weekend’s tournament, Jensen avered 8.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1 apg, and 1 bpg. Aiden had 14 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 block in the win over Griffin Elite along with 4 dunks in the tournament! His size and overall skill make Jensen an intriguing prospect and a playmaker. BIG low posts can not stay with him and 2’s/3’s can not touch him in the paint. Jensen’s best days of hoops are ahead of him, his ceiling is very high. At the same time, Aiden will be a big part of the success and a key cog for the Schooler’s success. Check out this Bulldog, he is the real deal. [player_tooltip player_id="1185523" first="Ethan" last="Koltz"] |6’11 C| Pentagon Schoolers 2023 National Team/Sioux Falls Jefferson He went for 2.3 ppg, 5 rpg, and 1 bpg in the Schoolers opening tournament at Louisville. Ethan had a nice dunk and 8 rebounds vs. PSB Charleston. His potential is not even close to being tapped. Koltz moves very well and he is a nice athlete. He has gained interest from college football scouts in recent days. Obviously, he is a special athlete, there are not many 6’11 football players in South Dakota. On the hardwood, Koltz is not just a low post, he hits the TRIPS. He is a BIG but he also stretches the court. His height and long arms make Koltz an intriguing rim protector. Talk about a kid with a high ceiling! [player_tooltip player_id="1050247" first="Raymond" last="Brown"] |5’11 G| 17U Prospects Moormann/Fargo Davies He had a standout high school season and Brown has kept right in stride. I love his unselfishness and his constant effort. Raymond has been nearly unstoppable for teams to slow down as he has been scoring at all 3 levels. With the ability to stretch the floor, it has opened lanes for Ray to attack. He has been able to finish at the rim and find the open hand when defenses collapse. One of Ray’s best attributes though is his rebounding. For his size, he is one of the best rebounders on the floor at all times. Ray is also a really good defender that has been making it hard on opposing guards to get into their offense. [player_tooltip player_id="1115649" first="Zach" last="Kraft"] |6’2 G| 17U Prospects Moormann/Grand Forks Red River Last weekend the talented Kraft averaged 16 ppg. Zach has one of the purest shots around and has the ability to score in bunches. He has been solid from the 3-point line and has scored with creativity around the rim to 15 feet. Zach has really improved on the defensive end to become one of our better defenders on and off the ball. The Red River Rifle is one of my favorite shooters in North Dakota. When I have watched, I almost wish he would shoot more. He is the real deal and he keeps growing. Kraft’s handles have always been impressive and they only continue to improve. The fact that he has improved on D is exciting, he is now a deadly two-way player! [player_tooltip player_id="1138811" first="Reis" last="Rowekamp"] |6’4 G| 17U Prospects Moormann/Grand Forks Red River He has become a threat at all 3 levels on the offensive end. Reis showed glimpses of this in the HS season with some monster-scoring games. In the AAU season, Reis has been really good with his footwork. This allows him to attack the rim and finish with both hands. He also has a solid mid-range game and is very capable of cashing in 3's. Reis had a huge buzzer-beating 3 to beat OSA Elite down in Omaha this past weekend. Rowekamp has become a really good defender because of his strength and ability to cut off defenders in the half-court. [player_tooltip player_id="1165355" first="Grant" last="Cosley"] |5’10 G| ND Attack 15U/North Border He played huge minutes and was a starter for a talented North Border team this year in school ball. He was an effective varsity player as a freshman. In AAU ball, Cosley is the floor leader for ND Attack. The team goes as Cosley goes. He has been thriving at penetrating, getting in the paint, and making plays. Grant does most of his point production via slash and score. Cosley is also becoming a more consistent three-point shooter. [player_tooltip player_id="1165392" first="Karter" last="Peterson"] |6-5 PF| ND Attack 15U/Thompson He was a big part of the success for Thompson this season. Peterson was a force for the talented Tommies. In AAU hoops, Karter has been looking like a born scorer. He is a physical post presence. Peterson is the muscle and big man for ND Attack. He is a great rebounder, a strong/athletic rim protector, and an anchor down low. Peterson is a tough matchup because he can score inside and out. He is a beast on the O-glass that scores on putbacks. Peterson is an unselfish passer and he has nice feet around the basket. [player_tooltip player_id="1165343" first="Brady" last="Haugen"] |6’1 G| ND Attack 15U/Griggs County Central He is the best shooter for this ND Attack team that currently holds a 10-2 record. Brady is a soft-touch shooter that can get hot and he makes teams pay from the perimeter. He has a great basketball IQ and Brady understands the game well. He smartly plays to his strengths and takes advantage of defensive mistakes. Haugen, Cosley, and Peterson are great at feeding off each other and they have been the fuel to the fire for this ND Attack team. [player_tooltip player_id="1144617" first="Carson" last="Haerer"] |5’11 G| ND Attack 16U Green/Bottineau He is a strong and explosive guard with a quick first step. Haerer is very good at running in transition, this leads to easy buckets for himself and Attack teammates. Carson is a very skilled shooter from the perimeter. He is also effective in the pick-n-roll game. He comes off the screen and creates for himself and others. On defense, his quickness and physicality usually leads Carson to guard the opposing team’s best player. ND Attack 16U Green is 8-3 on the season and they are fresh off a big weekend at the Pentagon. Haerer is the top offensive threat for Attack. He shot the ball well in Sioux Falls and he also scored at the cup. Haerer is one of the more underrated guards in the 2024 class from ND. [player_tooltip player_id="1164786" first="Tony" last="Leal"] |6’4 PF| ND Attack 16U Black/Northern Cass He saw varsity minutes this last season for the highly successful Packers, expect big things from Leal in the coming HS season. At times this spring, Tony has really taken over. He can flip the switch in the blink of an eye and tilt the momentum to the side of ND Attack. He is a game-changer in a big way. In one instance this spring, Leal shifted into overdrive and scored 12 points in a heartbeat. He is an NRG player and a nice athlete. Leal is a beast in the paint on defense. He is a rim protector and hopeful finishers have to avoid this big man if they want a clean look. His athleticism allows Leal to finish at the rim and to execute when his team needs him. Leal is a Packer to keep tabs on. [player_tooltip player_id="1227966" first="Reis" last="Kirschenman"] |6’5 PF| Pentagon Schoolers 2023 Walker/Tea Area He is one of the best rebounders in South Dakota. Kirschenman set a record for the Titans this season in the rebounding category. This spring he has picked up right where he left off in high school hoops. Reis helped the Schoolers go 4-0 last weekend at PH Live. He seems bigger, stronger, and more explosive since I saw him last with the Titans. I love how active he is without the ball. He cuts, screens, rolls, and rim-runs, with great NRG/efficiency. Kirschenman is powerful on defense and when finishing around the rim. Reis "the bulldog" Kirschenman is unselfish and a force to be reckoned with on the hardwood.