SF Jefferson @ SF Roosevelt – Observations
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Sioux Falls Jefferson 73 @ Sioux Falls Roosevelt 61 Sioux Falls Jefferson and Sioux Falls Roosevelt matched-up in a big-time game that consisted of many prospects to talk about, and below Prep Hoops Dakotas will breakdown these athletes’ games and…
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Continue ReadingSioux Falls Jefferson 73 @ Sioux Falls Roosevelt 61
Sioux Falls Jefferson and Sioux Falls Roosevelt matched-up in a big-time game that consisted of many prospects to talk about, and below Prep Hoops Dakotas will breakdown these athletes’ games and where they stand out. Many are multi-purpose athletes that compete and thrive in many sports, and it shows with their athletic ability, size, and movement on the court. Many are receiving college interest and have committed in football, baseball, etc. Both teams are very deep, and many players played in this game off the bench. Athletes galore in this Sioux Falls thriller! Keep in mind, that I haven’t seen these teams/prospects extensively as I transition to boys’ hoops in SD, so I’m not going to try and overreact to one game and I’ll mention traits about the prospects that stand out. You can tell a lot about a prospect by seeing them just once essentially, even if they don’t shoot the ball well in that particular game, you can see a steady stroke if you have a good eye for it. All in all, I came away very impressed, with not necessarily the top-end talent, but how many great athletes and next-level frames there was in this game. Sioux Falls is a hot bed for talent in the state, and this game showed that talent quite clearly.
The flow of things in terms of how this article is constructed, is that I’m writing live as I see things throughout the game viewing. The sequencing of things could be slightly erratic, but I didn’t want to miss or not mention those things worth mentioning. Let’s dive into these impressive AA basketball squads and their prospects.
Sioux Falls Jefferson
There’s a lot to talk about with this Jefferson squad, that has no shortage of talent, whatsoever. The program that’s in its second year is already ready to compete for State championships at the highest level in South Dakota. A well-rounded squad with prospects at all positions, including the point, wing, forward, and a center with elite size. They bring high level athletes off the bench as well. Let’s dive into the individual prospects and breakdown their games’ and how they performed.
Taylen Ashley Taylen Ashley 5'11" | PG Sf Roosevelt | 2023 State SD – 6’0 PG 2023 – The University of Sioux Falls commit runs the show from the point for Jefferson. The quarterback of the team, essentially. Ashley has complete control over pace and dictates the speed of the game for Jefferson. An elite handle and control on the ball, with elite quickness as well. Such a fluid athlete on the court. Had a drive to the hoop where he sliced through the D and skied up with size in the paint to draw a foul and prevent from being blocked. Great verticality at 6’0. Good luck finding a better duo in the pick and roll game than Kaden Year Kaden Year 6'2" | SF O'gorman | 2023 State SD (below) and Ashley. Ashley comes off the screen with a low center of gravity, translating to elite quickness, nearly always bringing a second or third defender. This opens up their offense and creates offensive rebounding opportunities — especially for Kaden Year Kaden Year 6'2" | SF O'gorman | 2023 State SD .
Kaden Year Kaden Year 6'2" | SF O'gorman | 2023 State SD – 6’6 F 2023 – After watching the 1st half, even though he had an impressive dunk, I expected a little more from Year — being considered a top prospect in the state. The 3rd quarter showed me why and I started bighting my tongue. He was hauling down rebounds like a mad man, both offensively and defensively. Had a put-back dunk that seemed a little too easy for a high school athlete. His first-step quickness and ferociousness going straight at the hoop looked tough to stop for any defender. A great overall athlete, with good size and length at the 6’5-6’6 mark. D2 offers on his resume’, one being Northern State University.
Below you will see a sensational dunk where Kaden drove in a straight line to his left and skied up before the defense could get there and contest.
Griffin Wilde Griffin Wilde 6'2" | SG Sioux Falls Jefferson | 2023 State SD – 6’2 G 2023 – A little bit of a plug here, but I’m sure Prep Redzone has been all over this D1 wide receiver talent. Wilde, who is committed to South Dakota State University, is a top 50 basketball prospect in the SD 2023 class. A D1 receiver, so yes, he can move at an elite level. Has a solid build for movement in general. Wilde had the most impressive non-dunk moment in the game, where in the 3rd quarter, he went coast to coast on his own at an eye-popping speed for an above the rim layup. If we were measuring the fastest speed sequence in the game, that was probably it. That play alone screamed D1 athleticism of some sort. Also, in the 4th, Wilde had another eye-popping play. He drove quickly to his left, getting up to the rim and perfomed an up-and-under layup finish on the opposite side of the hoop. Showed great hang time and vertical.
Ethan Koltz Ethan Koltz 6'11" | C Sioux Falls Jefferson | 2023 State SD – 6’10-6’11 C 2023 – Koltz stands out on the court with his supreme height and length. It’s hard to ignore the fact that he’s nearly a seven-footer. He’s listed at 6’10 according to Varsity Bound. Showed some finesse and skill for his size and had a big left-handed baby hook swish towards the end of the 3rd quarter. He recently committed to D2 Southwest Minnesota State University.
Beau Giblin Beau Giblin 6'0" | SG Sioux Falls Jefferson | 2023 State SD – 6’0 G 2023 – By my research, Beau seems to be a stud football athlete, but he can also play some hoops as well for his high school. Had an impressive drive and finish in this game, where he cut through three defenders for a non-contested layup. He’s a prospect I appreciate, and he’ll be relied more heavily on going forward, for what Jefferson wants to do.
Cameron Black – 6’0 G 2023 – Cameron is a solid guard off the bench for Jefferson. At the AA level, you must bring it on the defensive end and Black did just that. Took care of the ball, cut off of the ball, and did all of the little things that helped Jefferson.
Sioux Falls Roosevelt
I did catch the State AA tournament from last year on-demand and the ridiculously stacked Roosevelt team from a year ago started all Seniors. So, it must be an overhaul and complete rebuild going on at Roosevelt, you might assume? That’s surely not the case, as Roosevelt’s new-look team brings talent and great depth, with size, length, and athleticism off the bench. If I’m a college coach in the region, I’m watching this team very closely and just checking the box scores would be a mistake.
As a team, the Rough Riders use that length/speed/quickness to constantly bring defensive pressure. If a team has troubles with turnovers, they could be in for a long night with this Roosevelt squad.
Even though suffering a loss, they look to be a contender in AA ball in South Dakota.
Rilipuou Machol – 6’5 C 2023 – To explain Roosevelt’s depth, they bring in an athletic 6’5 center off of the bench. Had an impressive steal in the press, where he jumped a pass like a safety and quickly stormed the ball up-court via dribble. He battled in the interior and showed great effort and physicality, often working to seal and called for the ball. Has the looks of a next-level prospect, due to his size and athleticism. There’s a lot to work with in Machol. I don’t want to speculate, but I did see him wearing a black sleeve on his right knee, so my first assumption was that he’s recovering and being eased-in early in the season. If so, the recovery couldn’t be going any better because he was moving at a high level. He brought the juice on both ends. A high intensity prospect. Machol boxes out every time the ball goes up. He was the most intriguing prospect in this matchup for me. One to monitor to see his progression.
Abraham Kamara – 5’11-6’0 PG 2023 – Kamara is a point guard that I really liked. Kamara is highly skilled and creative with the ball, has length, and uses both traits to attack and get to the rim. He also uses his gifted length and lateral movement to defend at a high level as well. Kamara has an elite first-step where he can gain ground quickly. Has a John Wall feel to his game on the offensive side of the ball. Don’t sleep on Kamara as a prospect. He will also be ranked in the next update. A very deserving prospect that should garner more college coaches’ attention. I like him as an impact NAIA prospect that can step in and play. I did see he has an offer from NAIA Presentation College.
Hayden Goff – 5’11 G 2024 – Hayden doesn’t stand out as a physical presence, but he stood out as a three-point shooter, knocking down two threes in the 1st half. Goff looked to be the best overall shooter and three-point shooter in the game. A smooth that he can perform off the dribble, some. If a college team needs a court stretcher and space creator, Goff is your guy. After viewing Goff more into the game, he started to open up his skill set more, showing some ability off the dribble as a playmaker. His quickness he showed later in the game was a little more sudden than he showed in the 1st half. As Herrick and I were talking Roosevelt, he specifically mentioned Goff. I see why. Can easily pass with both hands and takes care of the ball and values his teams’ possessions.
Jack Radel – 6’5 PF 2023 – Jack Radel needs to be known if you’re a follower of high school basketball in South Dakota. The 6’5 pitcher that can reportedly throw a baseball 94 MPH, by my research. That has led him to commit to the University of Notre Dame baseball. Since we’re talking basketball, Radel also happens to have a solid basketball profile as well. Great size at 6’5 and shooting ability. Radel will be added to the database and be ranked in the next update.
Jackson Brouwer Jackson Brouwer 6'3" | SF Sioux Falls Roosevelt | 2024 State SD – 6’3 G/F 2024 – Brouwer’s muscular build stood out. He’s the quarterback for Roosevelt and is being recruited, and it’s easy to see in his build and athleticism. Showed to have a smooth three-point shot, as he hit two in the 2nd quarter. Brouwer could have made the case as the prospect with the best build and athleticism combination in the game. An elite defender that also brings 100% effort on that end. Looks to be getting D1 interest as QB1 for Roosevelt, but in my opinion. he could more than hang with college athletes on the hardwood as well. He’s that good of an athlete.
Akeem Moko – 6’4 PF/C 2025 – The Sophomore has great length for a 6’4 prospect. Another prospect that wouldn’t be a bench player on most teams.
Naser Ismail – 5’8 G 2024 – Naser was the smallest prospect in terms of height, but that coincided with him being the quickest prospect as well. An elite on-ball defender that can hound the ball-handler and make them uncomfortable. Had a nice floater in the lane that he was fouled on, and he converted for an And-1. Hit a three in the 2nd quarter. Had some huge threes in the 2nd half with his left-handed shooting release.
Kamari Thomas – 5’10 G 2024 – Kamari has expectational movement skills and it shows up on the defensive end, with him being able to harass and stay in front of his defensive matchup.t as a three-point shooter, knocking down two threes in the 1st half. Goff looked to be the best overall shooter and three-point shooter in the game. A smooth that he can perform off the dribble, some. If a college team needs a court stretcher and space creator, Goff is your guy. After viewing Goff more into the game, he started to open up his skill set more, showing some ability off the dribble as a playmaker. His quickness he showed later in the game was a little more sudden than he showed in the 1st half. As Herrick and I were talking Roosevelt, he specifically mentioned Goff. I see why. Can easily pass with both hands and takes care of the ball and values his teams’ possessions.
Garang Kuol – 6’3 G/F 2024 – Garang’s length easily stands out on the court. His arms essentially go to his knees, to paint a visual for our audience. It surprises me that they can bring athletic profiles like Kuol’s off of the bench. Look for Kuol to continue to build upon his game in his Junior season. Nothing but improvement and upside in Kuol’s future.