Freshman Showcase: Max’s Wing Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Seven of the wing prospects who impressed at the Prep Hoops Wisconsin Freshman Showcase!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"id":"block_630e63a94eee9","name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1561908"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Probably the most well-rounded prospect I saw on Sunday, [player_tooltip player_id='1561908' first='Grant' last='Hardy'] has an intriguing combination of size, athleticism, skill, and IQ that make him a prospect to watch closely moving forward. At 6'3 he spent a lot of time handling the ball for his team, but is also more than capable of providing a scoring threat from the wing. He showed no shortage of confidence from three, and was hitting some deep shots at a high percentage both off the dribble and catch. I really like his passing vision particularly in the open floor where he excels at leading his teammates to the basket resulting in easy buckets. On the defensive end he's able to move his feet with guards but also spent a lot of time defending guys 6'6+ in the paint and holding his own in the process.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["1561939"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"Ethan is another long wing that spent time handling the ball and doing a variety of things for his team. He has plenty of length and is a difficult matchup because of how well he can create off the dribble at his size. Bigger forwards can't move their feet with him, but throw a smaller guard on him and he's able to work his way to the basket and just finish over the top. Ethan looked comfortable handling the ball under pressure and you can tell he puts in a lot of work on his handle and simple yet effective moves. Joling utilizes his length to rebound the ball at a high point, and has the ability to take that rebound and initiate offense going the other way for his team. Also showed the vision to find teammates hustling up the floor and throw it ahead to them.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["1552512"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"One of the best pure scorers at the event was [player_tooltip player_id='1552512' first='Zavier' last='Zens'] of Wisconsin Lutheran. Heading into a program that's become a major contender over the past few seasons, he brings excellent positional size and shooting ability to the floor. He has plenty of confidence beyond the arc mixed with a smooth attacking ability. Zavier is so good at reading a bad closeout and just attacking the defender to get right by them. Not the quickest player but just knows how to use angles to get an edge on his man before extending to the basket. Showed some rim protecting ability as well, using his size and timing his jumps to get a piece of the ball going up.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["1561953"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"[player_tooltip player_id='1561953' first='Thian' last='Riak'] not only has a very high ceiling, but he's already producing at a very high level against his age group. He's a long, fluid, and explosive 6'4 wing who can make things happen off the dribble. Just handles the ball in a way that not many guys his size can, with a fluidity and comfort that makes it all look natural. Thian has the ability to dominate on the glass with his quick burst off the floor, and used it to rack up a handful of put-back buckets. Also got out into transition and showed off his bounce with a one-hand dunk in the opening game. Really impressive creating his own shots from the perimeter, and showcased a smooth jumper that suggests he could become a three-level scorer in the near future. Despite how good he is offensively, defense might be his best attribute as there's not a spot on the floor that he can't defend with his length and athleticism.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["1561944"],"_player_evaluations_4_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"From a pure shooting perspective, you aren't going to find many on Jacob's level in the 2026 class. He's just such a natural from beyond the arc, hitting shot after shot from beyond the arc. So good at relocating and finding space beyond the arc when his teammates attack, allowing them to kick it out right into his hands ready to shoot. Although the bulk of his scoring comes from deep, you can tell he's not just a shooter as he displayed a nice feel for the game when handling the ball, and was rarely making any mistakes. One to watch out of Monona Grove as he continues to grow into his body and develop physically.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_5_player":["1561881"],"_player_evaluations_5_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"Kimberly always seems to have a constant supply of talent running through their program, and Ryan looks like a future piece of a winning team. He has a good build on the wing at 6'3 combined with some nice mobility that makes him a threat in the open floor and a versatile defender who can guard a number of spots. Showcased a smooth stroke from beyond the arc and was also comfortable with the ball in his hands handling under pressure. Just a composed presence on the floor who had a sense of maturity amongst the field of young prospects.","_player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_6_player":["1561920"],"_player_evaluations_6_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_6_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_6_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_6_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_6_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"Ameer has a nose for getting to the rim, and showed it in the two games I watched. He's listed 5'10 but looks noticeably bigger than that and has a strong frame that allows him to take some bumps as he works his way to the basket. Recognizes when there's a gap to attack and has the quick burst to take the opportunity. Once to the rim he showed good body control to convert through contact and finish in a variety of ways. He was playing with a loaded team and did a good job of scoring with efficiency with the chances he was able to get.","_player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":7,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"align":"","mode":"edit"} /-->