Battle at the Lakes: Saturday Standouts

<p>As day two comes to a close at the Prep Hoops Battle at the Lakes, let’s take a look at what players stood out at Maple Grove Middle School.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><br /> Kal-El Alejo</strong></span> (5’11 2024 G, Triumph 204)- Alejo had his hand in a bit of everything for his triumph squad. However, it starts on defense; Alejo and the rest of his teammates completely buy-in on D.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/05/IMG_6421-rotated-crop-3024x1986-1651987684.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1449453 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/05/IMG_6421-rotated-crop-3024x1986-1651987684-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="308" height="202" /></a></strong>Every single player on this Triumph team plays tough defense. Numerous steals for Alejo led to easy lay-ups. He’s a pest on the ball. On the other end of the floor, he does everything. He’s a three-level scorer who runs the offense with a barrage of basket drives that typically result in kick out threes or acrobatic finishes. He also uses both hands very well. I was most impressed with his ability to rebound the ball as a guard. On multiple occasions, Alejo grabbed a defensive rebound and either took it downhill himself for a bucket or threw a beautiful outlet to a teammate leaking out on the break.<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/05/IMG_6448-rotated.jpg"><img class=" wp-image-1449566 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/05/IMG_6448-225x300.jpg" alt="" width="212" height="283" /></a><br /> <br /> </p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Aleks Alston</strong></span> (6’8 2025 F, Mac Irvin Fire)- Alston is a long, smooth lefty. He can shoot the three ball and stretch the floor which ultimately opens things up down low for his frontcourt partner, Stefan cicic. Alston looks more than comfortable on the court. He’s a floor general despite the fact he isn’t the primary ball handler. With his back to the basket, he had some tough finishes to go along with a couple of beautiful kick outs to open guards on the perimeter. This is definitely a player to keep an eye on, the upside is there for Alston.<br /> <br /> </p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1288677" first="Isaiah" last="Ronning"]</strong></span> (6’1 2024 W, Minnesota Crossfire Ronning)- Ronning is a sniper. He’s a player who you can’t lose as he’ll beat you from anywhere on the court. A Smooth player that loves the three-ball.<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/161-Isaiah-Ronning.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1290895 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/161-Isaiah-Ronning-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="270" height="180" /></a> Though, his game isn’t limited to perimeter scoring. Using creative ball moves, he continuously probed the paint and always made the right decision when surrounded by the trees. Something he does well is play at his own tempo: he’s comfortable on the court and it’s hard to speed him up. Another three-level scorer who can torch the nets in a hurry.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Isaiah Mellock</strong></span> (6’0 2025 G, MTXE Premier)- Mellock is an athletic wing player with an absolutely beautiful shooting form. He’s a three-point specialist, but like Ronning, he’s not limited. He’s got a quick first step which helps him get past defenders downhill. He’s springy around the rim; a sneaky rebounder who’s always crashing. He’s a good finisher through contact, many basket drives were converted into athletic finishes. He’s a primary scoring option for his team and gets his buckets in a variety of ways. Pure scorer.<br /> <br /> <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1445923" first="Alex" last="Bergerson"]</strong></span> (5’11 2024 W, Minnesota Select Hendler)- Alex is a stocky ball handler who uses his body exceptionally well. He’s got good rhythm from deep and isn’t afraid to rise up and shoot the three. This was on display Saturday as he was pouring in triples. He uses a series of spin moves to get to the rim where he loves to show off his turn-around, fadeaway jumper. He’s an incredibly poised player. He uses his body when he’s at the rim to draw contact and keep the ball away from defenders. The tempo and pace he plays with make you believe he’s playing well beyond his years.<br /> <br /> <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Shadrak Lasu</strong></span> (6’7 2024 F, Triumph 204)- Shadrak is an athletic big man. He’s long which helps him out defensively. Remember, he’s a part of the same Triumph squad as Kal-El Alejo, which means he can guard. His ability to switch out and guard on the perimeter makes him ever so valuable as a defender. He’s constantly altering shots or tipping passes. Good touch around the rim at the other end of the floor, too. He’ll take the occasional open three. However, he’s most dominant when he’s cleaning up the O boards or taking power dribble lay-ups/dunks after collecting shovel passes from penetrating guards.</p>