#NHRState: Sunday Morning Sensational

Plymouth, MN - If you are wondering who looked good on Sunday at the NHR State Tournament, look no further! I watched 15U, 16U, and 17U, so we have a nice mix of players. See below for the studs from Sunday AM. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1476348" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/06/nhr-crop-1170x769-1654527226-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> <h4>SUNDAY AM SENSATIONAL</h4> [player_tooltip player_id="1355919" first="Bennett" last="Larson"] (2026) |6’6 PF| 3ND Hoops Fam 2025 He is one of the top players from ND in the 2026 class. Larson was a monster on the boards on both ends. He did his fair share of scoring with O-rebound putbacks. I love the way that he attacks the ball off the rim. You could not tell that he was a year younger than everyone else on the court. Bennett was excellent at drawing contact and getting to the FT-line. I was impressed with how hard he sprinted the floor, this youngster is tough and he plays intensely. He is all hustle all the time. Larson posts up hard and he seals the defender behind him. I was also impressed with how hard he boxes out, you do not see that very often in AAU hoops. Larson was aggressive when he got the ball around the basket and he also did a nice job of passing out of the post. This Big from Beulah has a ton of potential. [player_tooltip player_id="1267638" first="Kaiden" last="Helm"] |6’2 G| 3ND Hoops Fam 2025 He is a strong guard with good size and he does not mind contact. Kaiden made many physical plays on both ends of the court. I thought he boxed out well and he did a nice job on the boards. He scored from all 3 levels. Helm finished through defenders at the rim, hit many mid-range pull-ups, and cashed in 3-pointers. I like the looks of his shooting form and his ball control. He made multiple timely baskets when I was watching. Helm hit a buzzer-beater before halftime. He also had a big bucket late on a baseline drive that helped take the lead and seal the victory. I was impressed with this Minot player. [player_tooltip player_id="1476501" first="Alex" last="Blume"] |6’0 G| 3ND Hoops Fam 2025 He first stood out to me with a sweet hesitation move that helped him beat the D. Blume was effective in the pick-n-roll game and he showed a nice jumper. He also showed a very nice step-back move from 8-feet. Alex has a good feel for the game and he handles the ball like a reliable PG. He plays physically and he scored an AND1 with impressive body control. On defense, Alex anticipates and picks off passes. I like his all-around game and skill. [player_tooltip player_id="1476396" first="Jeroen" last="Watson"] (2024) |6’6 F| 3ND Hoops Fam 2025 He is long and he moves very well. Watson is a gifted athlete that changed the game on the defensive end by altering and blocking shots. On offense, Watson did good work in the pick-n-roll game. When rolling to the basket he caught high and finished high. He did not let the little guards bother him. He boarded up and Jeroen used smooth footwork to split a double-team on the way to a score. Late in the game, Watson grabbed a huge board on a FT miss to give 3ND an extra possession. I was impressed with how he used his body to shield the ball. He also showed good patience around the basket. Jeroen is an intriguing player. [player_tooltip player_id="1476512" first="Griffin" last="Broderick"] (2024) |6’1 G| 3ND Hoops Fam 2025 He is a big guard with a nice frame and impressive strength for such a young player. Griffin showed the ability to knock down three-pointers. Broderick also finished well around the basket. He had an impressive drive down the middle of the lane where he weaved through traffic. Broderick is an athletic slasher with intriguing potential. [player_tooltip player_id="1476511" first="Kaden" last="Flavin"] |5’10 G| 3ND Hoops Fam 2025 I thought he showed good anticipation skills on the defense. Flavin is a sneaky defender that can turn the ball over. Kaden picked off a pass and finished on the other end with a sweet spin move. He had a defender on his hip and Flavin fooled him with the spin. Kaden looked good attacking the basket. I liked his slashing ability and his finger-roll finishes. Ai’Jhon Douglas |5’10 G| Powerhouse MN 2025 He did a bit of everything in the game that I watched. Douglas hit a smooth catch-n-shoot 3-pointer. He ran the court hard and scored a fullcourt layup. He showed off his speed while out-running the defense. When he had the ball in his hands, Ai’Jhon pushed the tempo hard. I really liked his inside-out move. When guarding the ball, Douglas worked hard and he has quick feet. He also scored multiple baskets in slash-n-score situations. [player_tooltip player_id="1448551" first="Zach" last="Vanderpool"] |6’5 PF| MN Lightning 2024 Bauer He stood out with his brute strength and numerous offensive rebounds. Vanderpool was a dog on the boards. He gave his team many extra possessions and he also scored with putbacks. He missed a couple of short shots, but Zach was right there to grab his miss and put it back up for 2 points. I was impressed by how Vanderpool fought and established rebounding position while the ball was in the air. He was physical and he reacted quickly to the ball coming off the rim. Zach also drew contact and go to the line often. He helped his squad pick up the mid-morning win with an impressive physical performance. Zach Ladu |6’4 SG| MN Lightning 2024 Bauer He stood out as a quick athlete and a playmaker on Sunday. Ladu is fast and he has a long wingspan. He was effective at slashing and getting to the rim or pulling up short for a floater. He looks to have a soft touch. Ladu was unselfish in transition when dropping dimes, he could have scored but instead made an extra pass for an even better shot. I like his size, athleticism, and potential. Elijah Barret |6’4 F| MN Chill Elite 2024 He stood out with many offensive rebounds. Barret scored multiple buckets on stick-backs. He is a strong, thick, and powerful player. I liked when Elijah caught short-corner, squared up, and drove for a score against an opposing forward. He was good at creating space, in the lane opposing players bounced off the strong Mr. Barret. Elijah showed some flashes of excellence. [player_tooltip player_id="1288817" first="Drew" last="Balentine"] |5’10 G| MN Chill Elite 2024 If you want to see a smooth player, check out Balentine! Drew showed a buttery-smooth pull-up jumper from 15-feet and from beyond the arc. Balentine has ball-on-a-string handles and he can alleviate pressure with his quickness. Drew has a very sweet floater, he slashed into the paint and drained the runner from mid-lane. Balentine also sprinted the floor hard and he was rewarded with an easy uncontested layup. Drew is fun player to watch and he has intriguing potential. [player_tooltip player_id="1446222" first="Landyn" last="Nelson"] |6’3 G| Northstar Titans 2023 Terhaar 24 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 6 triples in the game I watched. At one point, Nelson went off from behind the arc. In a short span in the second half, he drilled multiple treys, it all happened so fast that I lost track of how many he made. It was an impressive stretch of shooting. This big guard does not need much room to get his shot off. He is also a good rebounder for a guy that makes his money off three-point shooting [player_tooltip player_id="1288789" first="Luke" last="Jacobson"] |6’1 G| Northstar Titans 2023 Terhaar This kid is a pure bucket! 20 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals when I watched. Jacobson can score from all over the court. He had at least four 3-pointers, two from the left wing, one from the top of the key, and one from the coffin corner. Luke scored with a tip-in, FT’s, layups, and floaters. I like his shooting stroke, it is quick, compact, and there is no wasted movement. His feel for the game is outstanding, it is not surprising. Jacobson has some rich basketball blood running through his veins. Luke is not just a scorer, he is a playmaker and a gamechanger. Wyatt Hawks |6’8 PF| Northstar Titans 2023 Stone 10 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and 5-7 on FG’s. He was all over the place grabbing boards and skying above the D for the ball. Hawks looked good scoring in the pick-n-roll game. I liked the looks of his baseline drive, he drew contact and got to the line. Wyatt also scored on O-board putbacks. He attacks the ball and puts it back in the hoop before his defender knows what hit him. Hawks showed that he can get up and finish above the rim. I loved when he was posting up, sized up the defender, and passed it to an open teammate in the corner for a triple. Everybody loves inside-out threes! He is a BIG that produces on offense, rebounds, plays hard on D, and shares the ball. What more could you want? [player_tooltip player_id="1388285" first="Waziri" last="Lawal"] |6’3 SG| Northstar Titans 2023 Stone 22 points, 8-11 on FG’s, and 6-9 from beyond the arc. Talk about a nice game of shooting! In the second half, Lawal threw a very nice lob pass to a teammate near the rim. This showed great touch and timing. He really changed the game with his outside shooting. Lawal was deadly from the corner pocket. I like how he reacted to his defender and how he drifted corner once his man helped on defense. He looked perfect on an inside-out triple. It was great ball movement by the Titans and Waziri stepped into the pass and drilled it. Lawal also showed a super nice pull-up J when he attacked the baseline. He made the D move backward and Waziri rose above the D and stuck the J. This was by far the best I have seen him shoot the ball. It was a very nice game for Mr. Lawal on Sunday. Jaleel Donley |5’11 G| MN Lockdown 2025 He was easily one of the top athletes on the court when I was watching. Donley is very fast, quick, and bouncy. This lefty can shift and change speeds like a European sports car. Jaleel had one of the best hesitation moves that I saw all weekend. He was a playmaker in transition. I was impressed with his handles and ball skills. Donley delivered a few beautiful 1-handed touch passes. Jaleel looks to have a bright future in hoops. JJ Semanko |6’2 SG| MN Lockdown 2025 He is a long guard that scored at all 3-levels. JJ spaced the floor, spotted up, and hit 3-balls. He also ran the court hard and scored buckets in transition. Semanko finished with a very nice spin-move. He was not just a scorer, JJ penetrated gaps and kicked to shooters for open triples. I was impressed with his awareness when attacking, if he drew two defenders, JJ found the open teammate. He showed off his passing skills with a 3/4 court bomb to a streaking teammate. Semanko had a nice Sunday morning game.