Battle at the Lakes: Saturday Standouts
Breaking down the top individual standouts from Saturday’s action at the Prep Hoops Battle at the Lakes
Pierce Arenz
Pierce
Arenz
5'10" | PG
Kiel | 2024
State
WI
– 2024 – PG – Wisconsin Blizzard
Arenz had two solid performances on Saturday. Thought the Kiel standout was very active defensively in both of them. The 5-foot-9 guard doesn’t let his size affect his game on that end of the floor. In fact, it plays to his advantage as Arenz is often able to pick his man’s pocket and just pounce on careless dribbles. Once he gained possession for his team, Arenz made some special things happen in the open floor, able to thread the needle for easy buckets or hit teammates in stride with behind the back passes. A speedy lead guard who can attack off the bounce and shoot it from deep, Arenz is a weapon in the halfcourt as well. He’ll handle the point duties, but also hunt triples off screens and is a plus finisher at the rim for a prospect his size.
Brady Corso
Brady
Corso
6'2" | SG
Neenah | 2024
State
WI
– 2024 – G – Wisconsin Blizzard
Facing a Bearstail team that came out red hot, the Blizzard fell behind early. Corso kept them within striking distance. The Neenah guard hit three triples in the first five minutes, including four in the first half. Corso finished with a team-high 19 points on five 3-pointers. One of the top shooters in the 2024 class, Corso is a threat both on and off the ball. He’s a willing worker off screens and can also simply take the ball up the floor and let it fly if defenders give him too much space. The lefty is also a very good leaper for his size. A lot more pop and bounce than you’d expect from a 5-foot-11 guard.
Jax Effertz Jax Effertz 6'5" | SF Cumberland | 2023 State WI – 2023 – SF – Chippewa Valley Select
Good upside and a potential steal for a small school here. Effertz is a legit 6-foot-5 with a sweet shooting stroke. Like his ability to pull up off the bounce going to his right. Effertz hasn’t arrived yet, but given his blend of size and skill, he’s got a chance to do a lot of damage as a scorer at the next level. Adding to his value, Effertz is really fluid coming off screens and making back cuts. He keeps his hands ready at all times and just works defenders in the halfcourt. As a junior, he averaged nearly 18 points, eight rebounds, and three assists.
A.J. Lieuwen
A.J.
Lieuwen
6'0" | CG
Bay Port | 2023
State
WI
– 2023 – G – Team 1848
Lieuwen had two solid showings on Saturday. The Bay Port product dropped 26 points against Minnesota Fury and then posted 13 points and three assists against Mass Rivals. Lieuwen just plays at a different pace and always moving — with or without the basketball. The shot making guard can hit with a hand in his face and has a unique knack for tough shots when he’s not always square to the basket. Earlier in his career, Lieuwen was a little too isolation oriented, but has now learned to score more efficiently within the flow of the offense. Lieuwen has takeover ability and knows when he needs to put his team on his back.
Jacoby Mehrman
Jacoby
Mehrman
6'4" | PG
Harrisburg | 2024
State
SD
– 2024 – SG – South Dakota Attack
Said it in Indianapolis — Mehrman is a name mid-major programs need to be aware of. He’s backed up this weekend in Minneapolis against more high level competition. A 6-foot-4 sniper, Mehrman is a threat any time he touches the ball. He’s sneaky good at pulling up off the bounce and has a very tight handle for his size/build. He’s much more than a finesse shooter that spends all his time on the arc. Mehrman plays a physical brand of basketball and can take a bump at the rim. He’s pretty unique as a pick n’ roll scorer as well. Mehrman knows how to use screens, shield defenders with his body, and stay patient until the help man makes a decision.
Jonathan O’Neill
Jonathan
O’Neill
6'9" | PF
Kaukauna | 2024
State
WI
– 2024 – PF – Wisconsin Blizzard
Taking advantage of some extra minutes off the bench, O’Neill had 12 points and a whopping 21 rebounds in a win over Bearstail. A high upside prospect that’s trending in the right direction, O’Neill has a lot of junkyard dog in him and can live on scraps. O’Neill worked the offensive glass relentlessly. O’Neill is getting more fluid and confident at finishing around the rim. He was 6-of-10 from the floor and showed little signs of hesitation in traffic. A long, athletic forward, there’s a lot to work with. O’Neill is an underrated passer that can make some plays in the high post. If the skills catch up to his athleticism, this could be a potential steal at the next level.
Caden Wilkins
Caden
Wilkins
6'7" | SF
Bettendorf | 2024
State
#196
Nation
IA
– 2024 – SF – Iowa Barnstormers
Wilkins had 17 points in a win over Mass Rivals 3SSB. Like the overall makeup of this prospect. Think Wilkins, at the very least, is a solid Missouri Valley player. His positional size and frame are more of that of a high major recruit, however. A strong, 6-foot-5 wing, Wilkins can do a little bit of everything on the floor. He fits in with today’s style of positionless basketball and can score from anywhere on the floor. A swiss army knife type prospect offensively — Wilkins can catch and shoot from 3, slash to the bucket, and even generate post touches.
2024 SF Caden Wilkins
— Evan Flood (@Evan_Flood) May 7, 2022
Riley Yonker
Riley
Yonker
6'2" | SG
Menasha | 2023
State
WI
– 2023 – SG – All Wisconsin
Yonker is playing his way into the rankings this spring. The 6-foot-2 junior is a do-it-all prospect. Get the ball in his hands and good things generally happen. Yonker just made play after play and contributed in different ways during a Saturday morning win over Chippewa Valley Select. Offensively, Yonker can put up the points as well. He’s a catch-and-shoot threat from 3-point range, cuts hard into the soft spots of the defense, and slashes from the high post. Not afraid to be physical, Yonker is a workhorse on the offensive glass as well.
