The Last Dance: Max's Day 1 Standouts

Seven prospects who impressed me on Day One at The Last Dance!   Dylan Beverly (6’6 2023 F, Indiana Elite Side)- A player I was unfamiliar with coming into the weekend, Dylan impressed in the half of action that I was able to see. At 6’6 he’s the tallest player on his team so he plays a lot in the post, but with his athleticism he looks like he could play on the wing at the next level as well. Around the rim he’s like a pogo stick with a quick second leap, going up for offensive rebounds and then elevating to put them right back in for two points. Runs the floor hard in transition and can also put the ball on the floor and attack the basket from the wing where he’s a big time above-the-rim finisher. Defensively he’s a rim protector who excels at walling up and forcing bad shots, and he also met a player at the rim for a big time block. In terms of physical/athletic upside Dylan likely ranks among the best at this event.   Jayden Hackett (6’4 2023 W, WSM 48ers)- To start off the game Jayden won the opening tip for his team, got the ball back to initiate the offense, and then cut backdoor before elevating for an alley-oop dunk on the opening possession. He’s such an explosive athlete who was very aggressive getting into the lane off the dribble in the game I saw. Spent some time running the point for his team because he handles the ball well at his size, but could also play on the wing as a scoring threat. Knocked down multiple threes while showing soft touch around the basket with the ability to finish off one or two feet depending on the situation.   [player_tooltip player_id=’1223084’ first=’Carson’ last=’Kunz’] (6’5 2023 F, Northstar Titans Terhaar)- With the way Carson rebounds the ball you’d think he’s a 6’8 center. He combines a strong and explosive frame with a high work ethic that has him always finding a man to box out the minute a shot goes up. If the ball came in his general direction, it was likely that Carson was going to beat everyone on the floor to catch it. So good at high pointing the ball while always rebounding with two hands to secure possession. Had a few offensive rebounds leading to put-back opportunities for himself that he was able to finish at a high rate.   [player_tooltip player_id=’962224’ first=’Will’ last=’Opsahl’] (6’8 2023 G/W, Minnesota Lightning)- You just don’t find many guys at 6’8 who are as agile and handle the ball as well as Will does. It’s for that reason that he’s able to play both point guard and on the wing for a team with a lot of talent. Early in the game he went between his legs and quickly stepped back to create plenty of separation before knocking down the three point shot. He followed that up by beating his man to the rim off the dribble and finishing with touch off the glass. Will sees the floor well and with his size is able to deliver passes over the top of defenders from the perimeter to hit his teammates cutting to the basket. Plays a bit stronger than his size as well and was battling opposing players on the block while also moving his feet with smaller wings on the perimeter. Finished with 19 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists in a win over a good Iowa Barnstormers team.   [player_tooltip player_id=’1200576’ first=’Mikail’ last=’Harmison’] (6’3 2023 W, Team 1848)- You can tell that Mikail’s confidence has been growing over the past month, and yesterday he put up an impressive performance to lead his team to a win over Chicago Lockdown. He has a strong frame to produce around the basket, and it led to multiple and-one finishes as he was able to go into contact and still keep his balance to extend and finish. Was also on fire from three as every time he had space from beyond the arc it seemed to lead to three points. Does a great job of always playing under control and never forcing his shots. Utilized shot fakes to get defenders in the air and then taking one quick dribble to relocate into the open space. Drained 6 3’s on his way to a team high 23 points in the win.   Rhett Pieters (6’5 2023 F, NWI Tradition)- Rhett is a strong forward who can absolutely jump out of the gym. On multiple occasions he caught the ball in the paint and only needed an inch of space to elevate off two feet and throw down a dunk. Does the bulk of his work around the basket but showed he can step out to about 10 feet and elevate to knock down a jumper. Defensively he holds his ground well on the block and gets off the floor quickly to block/alter shots. Showed good timing and sent a couple of shots flying out of bounds like he was playing volleyball. Rarely do you see Rhett make a mistake on the ball or force up a bad shot.   [player_tooltip player_id=’1220381’ first=’Anish’ last=’Ramlall’] (6’3 2023 PG, WOTN)- There wasn’t a player in the gym yesterday who was able to keep Anish in front of them. He’s just so fast with the ball in his hands and is very impressive with his ability to change directions while maintaining his momentum attacking downhill. Whether it’s in the open floor or operating out of the pick & roll, Anish was constantly getting into the paint where he’s such a crafty finisher with the touch to score with either hand. At 6’3 he has a shifty handle and changes his direction like a much smaller guard. Was also on fire from three and was stepping out to well beyond the high school arc to knock down shots. Holds multiple D2 offers and wouldn’t be surprised to see that list expand after his 31 point performance yesterday.

Seven prospects who impressed me on Day One at The Last Dance!