Battle At The Lakes: Elite 15U Prospects

<p>There was a ton of talent on hand for the 15U division at Battle at the Lakes at Apple Valley High School this weekend. Who were some of the most intriguing prospects we saw? These players have a chance to become household names in the coming years. Check out the full list below!</p> <p><b>[player_tooltip player_id="1417497" first="Preston" last="Johnson"] (6-1 G, River Falls (WI))</b></p> <p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">AAU Team: Minnesota Fury Wilde 2025 (@mnfuryboys)</span></i></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Preston carries himself like a true hooper. He is confident with the ball in his hands and does the little things for a really good Fury Wilde team. Looks like a guard that will keep growing. His freedom to create is definitely aided by his natural feel for scoring on all three levels. He averaged just under 4 points a game on a great River Falls HS team as a freshman. I would be shocked if we don’t see that average skyrocket in his sophomore campaign.  </span></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1432805" first="Zach" last="Behn"] (6-5 G/W, Kewaskum, (WI)) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZachBehn">@ZachBehn</a></strong></p> <p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">AAU Team: </span></i><em>Chapman Basketball Academy 2025 (@academy_chapman)</em></p> <p>Length for days! Zach was listed at 6’3 but I would have to imagine he is 6’4 or even 6’5 at this point. He has super long arms and looks like he’s not done growing. The Chapman guard/wing consistently found space with baseline drives and made some great decisions with the ball. He has the ability to finish above the rim, and is great at reading the help defender to make the best decision with the ball on his drives. The sky is the limit for this prospect from Kewaskum, WI.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1263163" first="Shawn" last="Hammerbeck"] (6-6 F, Winner (SD))</strong></p> <p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">AAU Team: </span></i><em>South Dakota Attack (@sdattack)</em></p> <p>Shawn is so strong for a freshman. He takes advantage of his physicality well by securing low post position early and often. Patient on the catch, he displayed some nice footwork and finishing ability for the talented SD attack squad.  Shawn can step out and knock down a jumper too. Expect him to make a name for himself this High School season at Winner.</p> <p><strong>Hudson Omoke (6-2 G, Sauk Rapids Rice (MN))</strong></p> <p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">AAU Team: </span></i><em>Minnesota Comets (@comets2025)</em></p> <p>Hudson burst onto the scene this year at Sauk Rapids Rice as a contributor on their varsity squad. He’s an athletic guard who moves well without the ball. What stood out this weekend was his ability to finish through traffic. He has shades of [player_tooltip player_id="850738" first="Antonio" last="Bluiett"] in his game but looks like he might end up taller than that</p> <p>Check out some of his highlights from the HS Season: <a href="https://twitter.com/FreshCoastHoops/status/1478410720366641152">https://twitter.com/FreshCoastHoops/status/1478410720366641152</a></p> <p><strong>Henry Bethel (5-10 G, Fergus Falls (MN))</strong></p> <p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">AAU Team: </span></i><em>West Central United 2025 (@WCUHoops)</em></p> <p>Henry is an incredibly quick and explosive guard. Pushes the ball so well in transition and constantly hunts the paint. This weekend he was knocking down threes at a high rate, which really opened up driving lanes. A player I hadn’t heard of before that needs to be in the conversation as an elite guard in the class of 2025 in Minnesota. He had around 30 points in the game I watched, which is impressive at any level of competition. </p> <p><strong>Mikey Wildes (6-2 G, Kimberly (WI)) <a href="https://twitter.com/mikey_wildes">@mikey_wildes</a></strong></p> <p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">AAU Team: </span></i><em>Team 1848 (@Team1848)</em></p> <p class="p1">Mikey caught the attention of the entire gym on Saturday with an emphatic dunk in transition in a nice win over MN Crossfire. The 6-2 guard rose up with complete confidence which leads me to believe he’s no stranger to the rim. He continued to use his athleticism to his advantage throughout the game, contributing to multiple deflections and steals for his squad as they really asserted themselves on the defensive end. With that type of athleticism Mikey will definitely be one to watch.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1381408" first="Zach" last="Driscoll"] (6-0 G, MFL Marmac (IA)) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZachDriscoll1"><em>@ZachDriscoll1</em></a></strong></p> <p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">AAU Team: Minnesota Lightning King</span></i><em> (@MNLightningAAU)</em></p> <p class="p1">Zach is such a fun player to watch. His game is beyond his years, as he doesn’t get sped up and is always looking to attack. The lead guard for the lightning can do it all. Extremely great vision to find open teammates and create scoring opportunities. Can score from the perimeter and at the rim, and is clever in drawing fouls to earn trips to the FT line for some freebies. He had a few huge scoring performances this past year for his HS team and I expect him to continue to tear it up at the high school level in Iowa.</p> <p><strong>Kyle Stienke (6-5 W/F, Mankato West (MN)) </strong></p> <p><i><span style="font-weight: 400;">AAU Team: </span></i><i>Minnesota Select Ohnstad (@mn_select)</i></p> <p class="p1">The big man from Mankato West faced some elite competition this weekend and rose to the challenge. He is extremely crafty in the post, with a nice jump hook. What separates Kyle from other players like him at this age group is how complete his game is. He not only punishes opposing defenses in the paint, but also is a legit threat from 3 causing mismatches all day long. Kyle is a big reason why Minnesota Select started the year as the #1 team in the Hard Work region for 15U.</p>