Battle at the Lakes: Top Ball-Handlers
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Here are four premier ball-handlers who displayed their talents at Maple Grove Middle School during the Prep Hoops Battle at the Lakes. Corey Barnes Corey Barnes 5'6" | PG St. Cloud Apollo | 2024 MN (5’8 2024 PG, Minnesota Falcons)-…
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Continue ReadingHere are four premier ball-handlers who displayed their talents at Maple Grove Middle School during the Prep Hoops Battle at the Lakes.
Corey Barnes Corey Barnes 5'6" | PG St. Cloud Apollo | 2024 MN (5’8 2024 PG, Minnesota Falcons)- Barnes is a shifty ball handler that excels in transition and finishing at the bucket. In a triple-overtime win, Barnes was huge down the stretch. His numerous dribble drives opened up big men in the paint when help defense came. He’s extremely poised under pressure. In fact, he wants the ball in his hand as he’s a player who isn’t afraid of the big moments. He uses his crafty dribbling to fly-by defenders on the break and probe the paint. Once he’s found himself in the lane, he has a deep bag of tricks. One-handed scoop passes, high-arcing floaters, and power-dribble spin moves create a world of opportunities for him and his teammates.
Colin Leach (5’9 2024 PG, Minnesota Select Emge)- Leach has one speed and it’s fast. He runs the offense for his MN Select team and is most effective on the drive and dish. He’s a three-point specialist who has an unlimited range. It’s best for his teammates to keep their hands up and ready at all moments as you never know when he will zip a flashy, no-look pass your way. His vision as a lead guard is superb, he has eyes on the back of his head and it seems he makes one impossible pass after another. He doesn’t let his size hold him back when he finds himself in the paint. His crossover is so quick if you blink you might miss it. He’s a pass-first player, but when he decides to reward himself after breaking down his opponent on D, he has excellent feel and touch at the cup and will use the glass to drop in floaters.
Da’Jon Sharkey (5’9 2024 PG, Waterloo Salvation)- Sharkey is a strong guard that plays well through contact. Despite a triple-overtime loss, he was the floor general for his team, directing traffic and calling plays. As a primary ball-handler, he is great coming off screens; hitting the roller, pulling up for a mid-range, or finding the open kick-out three. He’s very cool and collected with the ball in his hands and plays at a comfortable speed. He has great feet and uses his body to keep the ball away from defenders. His handle is tight and he oftentimes catches defenders reaching and ultimately leaves them in the dust, looking foolish.
JT Kaul (6’0 2024 G, Team OT)- Kaul is one of a few lead guards for his talented Team OT squad. His ability to shoot the three forces defenders to guard him closely allowing him to use his first step to get by them even easier. He’s crafty at the rim using euro-steps, up-and-under moves, ball-fakes, and reverse lay-ups. Kaul has active hands and is constantly looking to get steals, he plays well on both ends of the court. Kaul does a good job of keeping his dribble alive and his head up during the fastbreak. He’s successful in transition which gels nicely with the rest of his teammates who love to get out and run.