Sizzle Spring Showcase: Saturday’s Standouts

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Seven of the top prospects I saw at the Sizzle Spring Showcase in Minneapolis!</span></p> <p><b>[player_tooltip player_id="1220360" first="Chiddi" last="Obiazor"]</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> of Eden Prairie (6’6” Forward - 2023) </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The 6’6” forward absolutely dominated on Saturday. Chiddi could not be stopped in every matchup I saw, overpowering defenders with the combination of his elite athleticism and strength. He was all over the floor, coming away with several steals and blocks when it did not look like he was in the vicinity. I was able to catch three games and I counted eight dunks from Chiddi. Along with that, he is a very underrated facilitator as he was constantly creating open looks for his team. He is also a dual-sport standout as he currently holds one offer to play football from Ohio University. </span></p> <p><b>[player_tooltip player_id="962236" first="Bailey" last="McDonald"] </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">of Maranatha (6’3” Guard - 2023) </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The best shooter I saw on Saturday was [player_tooltip player_id="962236" first="Bailey" last="McDonald"]. He constantly made defenses pay for sagging off when he had the ball on the perimeter or in the pick and roll. He was knocking down shots from very deep in both games I was able to watch. McDonald also impressed with his on ball defense and passing vision. He should be in for a very productive senior season as he will be the main scoring option on an underrated Maranatha team. He averaged 14.4 points per game season, helping the Mustangs to a 23-7 regular season record. </span></p> <p><b>[player_tooltip player_id="1221176" first="Owen" last="Carlson"]</b><span style="font-weight: 400;"> of Mahtomedi (6’4” Guard - 2023) </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Owen has all of the tools to be an elite scorer. This past Saturday, he scored from all three levels with ease. He has a very smooth stroke and found success knocking down three-pointers in transition. He is also incredibly athletic and can jump out of the gym. Carlson is a solid ball handler as well as he was commonly creating open looks for his teammates out of the dribble drive. Owen will look to be one of the state’s leading scorers as he takes on a larger scoring role next season at Mahtomedi. </span></p> <p><b>Jessye Lewis </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">of Hiawatha (6’1” Guard - 2023) </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Jessye has continued to impress me the more I have seen him play. The 6’1” guard is so smooth and has an incredible handle. His passing vision also really stood out to me as he was constantly finding teammates with quick passes. This resulted in many open looks around the basket for his team. Lewis can also knock down shots from the outside. He is very dangerous when he is shooting the ball off the dribble due to his quickness with the ball in his hands. I expect Jessye to keep making strides in the right direction as a prospect. </span></p> <p><b>[player_tooltip player_id="850709" first="Willie" last="Wilson"] </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">of Minneapolis North (6’2” Guard - 2022) </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Willie showed out on Saturday, scoring from all three levels. The unsigned senior’s game is so smooth making many tough plays look easy. He is very unpredictable around the rim, being able to hang in the air and contort his body to avoid being blocked by defenders. He can also stretch the floor, being able to knock down the three in the catch-and-shoot and off the dribble. Wilson averaged 15.5 points per game on a dominant Minneapolis North squad last season. I am intrigued as to where Willie will end up next season, but I truly believe he is a Division 1 talent. </span></p> <p><b>[player_tooltip player_id="1221161" first="America" last="Fitch"] </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">of South St. Paul (6’5” Forward - 2023) </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This was my first time seeing America play and I was very impressed. He is a very intriguing prospect with his skills at 6’5”. He dominated the paint area in both games I saw, picking up numerous blocks and contested rebounds. Fitch also rose up for a nice dunk in their first matchup, showing off his athleticism. He has an extremely high motor and did not back down to larger opponents. I really liked Fitch’s game and we should see him in a much larger role next season at South St. Paul as they were a senior led team last season. </span></p> <p><b>Romelle Bell </b><span style="font-weight: 400;">of Hiawatha (6’2” Guard - 2023) </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Romelle played a key factor in Mpls Flight Squad’s 3-0 Saturday this past weekend. He was wreaking havoc on opposing ball handlers, sometimes picking up full court and coming away with many steals. He seems to always know where the ball will end up and did a great job getting his hands in passing lanes, leading to turnovers. Offensively, he specializes in connecting with his shots from beyond the arc, but I was also impressed with his offensive rebounding which led to multiple second chance baskets for Bell. He averaged 16.1 points per game last season with Hiawatha Collegiate. </span></p>