Battle At The Lakes: Minnesota Guard Standouts
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Seven of the top Minnesota guard prospects I saw compete at the Battle at the Lakes over the weekend! Jack Janicki Jack Janicki 6'4" | SG White Bear Lake | 2023 State #277 Nation MN (6’4 2023 SG, D1 Minnesota)- Jack…
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Continue ReadingSeven of the top Minnesota guard prospects I saw compete at the Battle at the Lakes over the weekend!
Jack Janicki Jack Janicki 6'4" | SG White Bear Lake | 2023 State #277 Nation MN (6’4 2023 SG, D1 Minnesota)- Jack proved to be more than just a shooter as he put in some well rounded performances over the weekend. Yes he was knocking down his usual amount of outside shots, but he was creating off the dribble so well for himself and his teammates as well. Jack was so crafty in the lane, able to dish it off at the last second to a teammate or finish in a variety of ways through traffic. One of the plays of the weekend was Jack faking a behind-the-back pass to get his defender jumping one way, and then finishing off with a left handed hook shot. Add in some steals that led to finishes in the open floor, and it was a strong weekend from the White Bear Lake guard.
Jackson Ressler Jackson Ressler 6'4" | PG Lakeville South | 2023 State MN (6’3 2023 SG, Northstar Titans Stone)- Northstar Titans pulled off a big comeback win on Saturday morning, and without Jackson that win doesn’t happen. He was absolutely fearless attacking the basket and was finding ways to get into the paint any time he wanted to in the second half. Ressler was blowing by his man off the dribble, turning steals into transition opportunities, and was able to get into the paint and kick it out to wide open shooters on multiple occasions. Once he got an edge he was able to keep his man on his shoulder and just extend with the opposite hand to finish at the rim.
Maxwell Woods Maxwell Woods 5'10" | PG Chanhassen | 2024 MN (5’11 2024 PG, Minnesota Fury Zurn)- Matched up against a nationally ranked guard and Mac Irvin Fire EYBL, Maxwell showed no fear on Sunday morning. In the first half it was his scoring that was on display. He spun into a fadeaway jumper early on, and added in an acrobatic lay-up through two defenders shortly after. Even against a team full of athletes, Woods was the quickest player on the floor. He used that quickness to apply constant ball pressure on one end, while finding ways to get two feet in the paint on offense. It seemed like every scoring opportunity that Fury had was opened up by Max drawing in help defenders and kicking it back out to an open man on the perimeter.
Bailey McDonald Bailey McDonald 6'0" | PG Maranatha Christian | 2023 State MN (6’1 2023 PG, Sizzle McDonald)- Was impressed with how Bailey stood out even with so much talent around him. On Sunday morning he took over towards the end of the first half, mixing in some scoring with some facilitating. Was comfortable handling the ball even when the defense threw traps and double teams at him, as he was able to step through and locate an open teammate quickly. McDonald was so smooth attacking the basket and had a number of difficult lay-ups that he made look routine. Bailey has a smooth shot from beyond the arc, a strong frame that allows him to play through contact, and plays with poise from the point guard spot.
Jackson Fowlkes (6’4 2024 G, Sizzle Simmons 17u)- This was my first time getting to see Jackson play a big role since fall league, as he saw limited minutes on a loaded Park Center team as a sophomore. He impressed playing up a year at the 17u level, as his positional size, poise, and skill level made him a difficult matchup. Jackson was knocking down threes at a high level, but wasn’t forcing his own shot. Made some nice hustle plays on the offensive glass, and was sitting deep in a stance to move his feet with smaller guards on the defensive end. Smart passer who did a nice job of feeding the hot hand on his team.
Taison Chatman Taison Chatman 6'4" | PG Totino Grace | 2023 State #35 Nation MN (6’4 2023 G, D1 Minnesota)- Even playing against talented opponents, Taison just makes things look easy. You’ll never see him get sped up by defenders, as he’s constantly controlling the pace of the game when the ball is in his hands. He creates separation on his jumper with ease, is so good at splitting defenders in pick & rolls, finished explosively at the rim, and was knocking down open jumpers at a high percentage. Scores with such efficiency and has really taken strides forward as a facilitator over the last year, getting a lot more comfortable creating open looks for his teammates with his ability to draw in second defenders.
Dylan Omweno Dylan Omweno 6'0" | PG Eastview | 2023 State MN (6’1 2023 PG, Minnesota Select Mantey)- Dylan took over in the second half to help lead Select to a win over MN Lightning. As one of the fastest players in the state he used that to his advantage to pick up steals and quickly get going the other way in transition. Dylan has loads of confidence, and isn’t afraid to pull-up for transition threes, a shot that he actually hits quite consistently. He had a couple of those types of plays in the second half on Sunday afternoon that gave Select a ton of momentum late. Really like how he changes speeds to catch his defender off guard before bursting to the rim to finish.