Breakdown Summer Series: CSP Standouts

<p>The Breakdown Summer Series hosted a variety of teams at Concordia St. Paul, and I was in attendance to watch three of the games. These are seven of the prospects who impressed in the games I saw!</p> <p><strong>MJ Newton (6’ 2023 G, Fridley)- </strong>A physical and agile guard, MJ was making some big plays on the offensive end for Fridley. He’s too quick for most defenders to stay in front of, and he knows when he has a lane to get to the rim. Once there he has excellent body control to either withstand contact in the air, or find ways to evade shot blockers and get off a clean look. Also a threat from beyond the arc, MJ is someone that has to be accounted for at all times from the perimeter. Helped lead Fridley to a 2-0 record in the games I saw.</p> <p><strong>Ian Ehlers (2023 SF, Faribault)- </strong>Ian is a poised and strong wing prospect who did a little bit of everything for his team. Before subbing out with an injury in the last couple of minutes, his strong performance had Faribault in the lead against Fridley. Ian does a little bit of everything for his team, and can go from handling the ball on one possession to posting up a smaller wing on the next. Smooth pull-up jumper that can hit from mid-range even with a hand right in his face. Should be in for a nice senior season when winter rolls around.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1451145" first="Ethan" last="Carter"] (6’1 2024 G, St. Paul Academy)- </strong>SPA had to start the game playing 4v5 due to a late arrival, and even then Ethan was able to find ways to score the ball. He has such a dangerous pull-up jumper, and only needs a few inches of space to plant and elevate to get off his shot. When he wasn’t knocking down mid-range shots, he was using his strong frame to attack and get to the basket against Breck. Showcased good body control around the rim, able to withstand contact and finish balanced off of two feet.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1296151" first="Antwan" last="Smith"] (5’9 2024 PG, Fridley)- </strong>Down the stretch in a close game with Faribault, Antwan took over for Fridley. The junior-to-be wanted the ball in his hands, and he knew what to do with it when it counted as he converted at the rim multiple times and hit a free throw with no time remaining to give Fridley a one point win. Smith loves to play fast out in transition, but in the half-court he’s so good at changing his speeds to remain unpredictable with the ball. He has a creative handle, mixing in crossovers in spin moves to get into the lane whenever he wants to. Once there, Antwan is a crafty finisher but is also scanning the floor at all times to locate open shooters for kick out passes. Has a chance to breakout this winter as a junior.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1301062" first="Will" last="Walker"] (6’1 2023 G, Breck)-</strong> Breck has some young talent coming up at the varsity level, and as an experienced player Will did a nice job of spreading the ball around to keep them involved. In a blowout win he had the chance to put up big scoring numbers, but his unselfish play led to constant high percentage looks for his teammates. Really patient with the ball and wasn’t forcing much, allowing his team to score with efficiency. Showed touch around the rim and as a shooter. Has the look of someone who will be able to spend time as his team’s point guard during the winter, while also being a dangerous scorer as a wing-guard.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1288798" first="Bronell" last="Marcus"] (6’4 2023 F, Fridley)- </strong>Really liked the impact that Bronell made on the defensive end for Fridley. At around 6’4-6’5 he has a super long frame and a quick bounce to get off the floor to block/contest shots around the rim. Even when giving up some size in the paint, Bronell will stand his ground and does a nice job of keeping his arms straight up to make things difficult for the offensive player. Has no problem defending pick &amp; rolls either as he has the ability to switch out onto guards and move his feet on the perimeter. Offensively he doesn’t take a ton of shots, but was pretty efficient with the looks he got. Smooth finisher with either hand around the rim who can get there off of straight line drives or by scrapping on the offensive glass. Bronnell also showed a nice looking shot from deep forcing the defense to step out and guard him on the perimeter.</p> <p><strong>Miles Newton (6’3 2025 SF, Breck)- </strong>After a solid freshman season scoring 8.4 ppg, Miles looks ready to step into an even bigger role as a sophomore. He has a strong frame standing at 6’3, giving him the ability to defend in the paint against size when needed. Offensively he’s a threat from three with a quick release to get off his shot off the catch. Plays with confidence and doesn’t hesitate to make decisions with the ball in his hands. He’s a solid finisher inside as well with the frame to withstand some contact. Has some nice potential moving forward as he continues to grow into his body.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>