The Last Dance: Stock Boosters
AURORA, Ill. — A look at some of the sleeper prospects that boosted their stock at the Prep Hoops Last Dance… Mikail Harmison WI #58 SF #12 HEIGHT 6'0" POS SF CLASS 2023 View Profile Mikail Harmison Instagram Twitter State:…
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Continue ReadingAURORA, Ill. — A look at some of the sleeper prospects that boosted their stock at the Prep Hoops Last Dance…
Mikail Harmison Mikail Harmison 6’0″ | SF Appleton West | 2023 State WI turned a lot of heads on opening night, exploding for 21 points, including 15 in the first half against Chicago Lockdown. A sleeper in the 2023 class right now, Harmison is a late bloomer that’s playing his best basketball. The 6-foot-4 wing has a college ready body, can knock down his open 3’s, and also showed some terrific flashes of being able to take hits at the rim and finish through contact. Interested to see what Harmison does during his senior season at Appleton West as it appears his confidence is sky high right now.
Will Gardner Will Gardner 6’2″ | CG Franklin | 2023 State WI just continues to be solid for the ABC Young Lions. The Franklin standout is poised, steady, and makes winning plays for whatever team he’s on. He’s more of a primary scorer in high school, but Franklin transitions to a role player really well in AAU, which isn’t easy for a lot of guys to handle. Although his number of shots go down, Franklin connects on his fair share and gave the ABC Young Lions a nice boost all weekend. A smart, high-IQ prospect that can do a little bit of everything on the floor, Gardner might not be elite in any one given area, but there just aren’t many holes in his game. No doubt he would be a good addition to a college program given his ability to fit in with different types of players and find ways on the floor.
When this kid is in a groove…watch out. The Crusaders go from being a scary good team when Ethan Hick has found his stroke. Heck just went off in an early morning Sunday win, scoring 15 points in the first half alone. A smooth and confident shooter, Heck has one of the purest strokes in the state. Love his ability to move without the basketball. He goes from setting his feet to a shot release almost simultaneously. If I’m a Division 3 program, I’m all over Heck. The 6-foot-4 wing is a plug n’ play type player. He’s going to fit with everyone, give his team excellent floor spacing, and wear out his defender while opening up driving gaps for his teammates.
Highlights
A new name that’s emerged in the 2023 class, Devin Davenport Devin Davenport 6’2″ | SG Milwaukee Lutheran | 2023 State WI has been putting up huge numbers this summer. A guard out of Milwaukee Lutheran, Davenport has some explosive athleticism at 6-foot-2. Davenport is really long as well, which makes him feel bigger on the floor. Caught Davenport against M14 Hoops and he came out blazing from the opening tip, launching a 24-foot 3-pointer and hitting nothing but the bottom of the net on the first possession. Davenport is a high volume scorer that creates well off the dribble and can scorer against multiple defenders. Expect a big senior season from him.
Hunter Thiel Hunter Thiel 6’5″ | SF Little Chute | 2023 State WI is a really nice sleeper in the 2023 class. At 6-foot-5, Thiel has a lot of positional versatility on both ends. He’s a big, strong, athletic kid that impacts the game in a variety of ways. Thiel averaged around 12 points and seven rebounds per game last season. Thiel posted an 18-point performance on Saturday against the Minnesota Heat while also making some impressive defensive plays as well. Felt like Thiel had a motor that just never stopped. On both ends of the floor, he was always engaged and opportunistic.
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Good-looking post prospect here. Kaine Fort Kaine Fort 6’9″ | PF Peshtigo | 2023 State WI is a legit 6-foot-9 with some mobility. Loved the ability to catch in traffic. Soft hands can be hard to come by at this size, but Fort is able to reel in passes away from his body while also holding off his defender. The Peshtigo standout can also score with either strength or finesse. He’s able to put his shoulder down and go through people or float shots over the top. Again, for a Division 3/NAIA, one of those potentially sneaky good finda as Fort is a relatively unique prospect for that level and brings some different things to the table.
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Really liked the way Van Kauwenberg shot the ball this weekend. He’s the type of shooter that doesn’t care if he’s made five in a row or missed five — just never too high or too low and the shot selection doesn’t change. More of a jump shooter right now, but Van Kauwenberg is a long, lanky 6-foot-5 wing that’s not even close to filling out into his body. The Kaukauna wing will likely add more to his game as the years go on and he gets stronger. Definitely some intriguing bounce here too. When Van Kauwenberg gets going in the open floor, he’s able to play above the rim.