Battle At The Lakes: Friday’s Minnesota Standouts

<p>The Battle at the Lakes kicked off last night, and I was at Wayzata High School covering 17u action. These are seven of the Minnesota prospects who stood out in the three games I saw!</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="958647" first="Peyton" last="Newbern"] (6’5 2022 W, Sizzle McDonald)- </strong>The 2022 wing/guard was on a roll in the first half against ECYE Elite. He has plenty of length and was showing off his explosiveness around the rim with multiple dunks throughout the game. Was finding ways to get to the rim whether it was sprinting his lane in transition, weaving through traffic up the floor, or beating his man off the dribble from the wing. Such a crafty finisher as well as he can score with a variety of lay-ups and with either hand.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1436471" first="Jack" last="Lang"] (5’11 2023 G, MN Lightning Dahl)- </strong>Jack came up big down the stretch for Minnesota Lightning, as the Austin guard hit clutch shot after clutch shot to keep his team in it. The end result was him barely missing a three, but then getting the ball back and putting up a high arching floater to put his team up with just seconds left. Lang has a quick trigger from beyond the arc, and doesn’t need much space to get off a shot. Really like how hard he plays, as he was diving on the floor for loose balls, and on one play chased down his teammate’s miss in transition and put it back up for two points.</p> <p><strong>Deoviez Gibson (6’2 2024 SG, Minnesota Select Krona)- </strong>Deoviez impressed during the winter when I saw him play with Simley, and last night he impressed once again with his Select team. Playing up a year Deoviez showed no fear on the offensive end, knocking down a handful of jumpers from a variety of spots on the floor. Was also impressed with how well he draws contact, able to get into the paint and earn trips to the free throw line for easy points. Gibson has good body control around the basket that allows him to keep his eye on the rim and finish through some contact. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1221177" first="Rolyns" last="Aligbe"] (6’8 2023 PF, Sizzle McDonald)- </strong>Rolyns has come a long way over the past 10-12 months, and has developed into a legit prospect. At 6’8 he has a strong frame that allows him to clear out space in the paint, but he’s much more than just a physical inside presence. Rolyns was handling the ball a lot for this Sizzle team, as his long arms allow him to keep the ball low and tight, and he changes directions so quickly for a 6’8 player. On three occasions in the first half he just blew by his defender to get all the way to the basket. Finishes so well with either hand, and is a good rebounder who can secure anything he can get his fingertips on.</p> <p><strong>TJ Collins (6’2 2023 W, MN Lightning Durham)- </strong>The Rochester Century wing is such a tough shot maker. He doesn’t need much space to get off a look, and he’s so confident in his release from both mid-range and three. Time after time TJ was knocking down shots with a hand in his face like there wasn’t even a defender there. Really liked him operating out of the high post as he can face up and put up a mid-range jumper, but also see the floor well to find his teammates cutting to the basket.</p> <p><strong>Joe Burgess (6’5 2023 W, Minnesota Select James)- </strong>Thought Burgess made some nice plays on both ends of the floor last night. The highlight was him elevating from under the basket and absolutely rejecting his opponent’s attempt to dunk on him. Offensively he moves so well without the ball, and his hard cuts are what lead to the majority of his scoring opportunities as he’s able to recognize openings in the lane and has good hands to quickly catch and shoot inside. I think he could have a nice summer with this team as he has a good mix of size, athleticism, and a developing skillset on the wing.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1221176" first="Owen" last="Carlson"] (6’3 2023 G, Sizzle McDonald)- </strong>Owen put together a nice first half for Sizzle, showcasing the variety of plays he can make in the first few minutes of the game. On Sizzle’s first possession he knocked down a corner three and shortly after he followed it up with a transition dunk. Later on he pulled in an offensive board and went right back up to finish. Defensively he’s so good at jumping passing lanes to get out into the open floor, and in transition he showcased some nice passing vision but also the ability to keep it himself to go and finish.</p>